seasonal goods; seasonal items
Products sold only during a particular season, such as holiday decorations or seasonal foods.
この店はクリスマス前になると際物をたくさん並べる。
This shop puts out a lot of seasonal goods before Christmas.
faddish product; craze-driven merchandise
Items that quickly become popular by riding a trend, often with a short sales life.
あのキャラクターの際物はすぐに売り切れた。
The faddish products of that character sold out immediately.
topical work; ephemeral writing
Novels, films, or plays that deal with recent events or current trends, often of passing interest.
彼の新作は昨年の事件を題材にした際物だ。
His new work is a topical piece based on last year's incident.
Standard kanji spelling.
From 際 in the sense of a particular season or occasion and 物 “goods.” It originally referred to goods sold for a specific occasion, later extending to fashionable, topical, or short-lived products and works.