It's not so much that I dislike the merchandise, it's just that it was all too much for me.
I disliked it at first because someone told me it stupid, so I didn't take stock in it until I saw an episode in 2001 or so.
As for the merchandise, I just wanted to see some quality collectible stuff... and for the longest time, outside of a few T-shirts, it was pretty much junk. Nothing you'd want to buy, take home, and put on a desk or anything. I think that good stuff, plush, bendies, clip on seasonal candy dispenser, came a little later. I liked Fisher Prices short lived Spongebob action figure/ PVC scene line... but that was too short lived, and I never got a chance to get any of it. I remember Palisades said they would look into it back in 2003 or something (after they got the Fairly Oddparents license), but it was too expensive or someone else had the deal or something like that. They would have done an amazing job, though.