How one red cap and a ton of suspect merch is boosting Trump's coffers

Trump's own personal wealth might be substantially lower than he claims, but one thing is undeniable: he's closing the funding gap between himself and Hillary Clinton.

Trump raked in some $80 million in July, putting him much closer to her haul ($90 million) than in previous months. He also, according to the Associated Press, claims 2 million donors after a three-month campaign compared to a similar number from Clinton's 17-month operation.

His secret weapon? A veritable goodie bag of questionable merchandise.

The infamous cap, that bright red protestation to make America great again, forms the centerpiece of his digital garage sale, and is priced at a very reasonable $30. Some of his other offers, however, aren't all that they seem, according to an Associated Press investigation published Tuesday.

Take the $25 offers, among them a Trump Gold Card emblazoned with your name and the chance to join a campaign "Board of Directors" that comes with a personalized certificate. There's only one catch -- the AP didn't find any evidence that the board of directors exists.

Or how about a signed "out of print" copy of The Art Of The Deal for a mere $184? That puts you in the "big league" of supporters, apparently. Just ignore the fact that the book is still in print and priced at $9.34 for a paperback, and that the expensive version is signed by an autopen and not Trump, as noted in the fine print.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Trump fans can become an Executive Member of his campaign for a "one-time induction fee," the Associated Press reports, with an email stating: "In the past, I have asked supporters for a one-time induction fee of $100. But because of your outstanding generosity to date, I am only asking you to make a $35 contribution." The AP could find no evidence of the membership being sold for $100.

The gold card and executive board membership gimmicks are nevertheless getting results, said Tom Sather, the senior director of research at the email data solutions firm Return Path.

The firm measures emails much the way Nielsen measures television viewership, by extrapolating from a large panel of study participants.

Emails from the Trump campaign and Trump joint committees with the Republican Party have an average open rate of 11 percent, Sather said. The 10 gold card-related emails had a far higher open rate of 18 percent, and executive board emails had an open rate of 19 percent, he said.

"These kinds of offers intrigue people and make them feel exclusive and special," he said.

However, it seems like Trump isn't fully capitalizing on the purchases beyond immediate financial gains. Michael Whitney, Bernie Sanders' digital fundraiser, said that the campaign hasn't done much to haul in those all-important email addresses. "This feels more like a battering ram than a well-thought-out digital program," he said.

Trump spent about $3 million on merchandise that's then sold to donors, an AP review of campaign finance reports found. Clinton's operation spent about $2 million in the same time period.

Trump's campaign coffers have relied heavily on small donations. Around half of his funds are made up of donations of $200 or less, compared to about 19 percent of Clinton's.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.