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The Creative Edge
Leverage handmade merchandise to your advantage
Are you looking for unique and interesting merchandise that won't be found at the competition? Consider the creative advantage of adding handmade goods. Handcrafted merchandise helps differentiate your store from competitors, is affordable, and easier to find than you might expect.
Now is the perfect time to ride the current wave of interest in handmade, locally made, and Made in USA products. Unlike branded gift items, craft items can be so unique that direct comparison on price is less likely. This merchandise is actually "art" and the added perceived value can lead to extra margin.
Getting started
- As with any new type of merchandise under consideration, begin by educating yourself on the category. To quickly familiarize yourself with what's available, begin by browsing the newly launched wholesale craft site, Etsywholesale.com. Take special note of any local makers.
- For Made in USA products, a good source is USMadeWholesale.com.
- From your findings, determine what type of handmade merchandise would complement your store assortment, brand, target customer and price points.
- A wide variety crafts are available in ceramics, textiles, wood, metal, glass, and a multitude of other materials. In addition, you may also see craft items made from recycled and up-cycled components which offer the added selling point of being environmental.
Locating handmade merchandise
- Besides Etsy and USMadeWholesale.Com, try Wholesalecrafts.com and seek other wholesale craft marketplaces online.
- Visit the made in USA sections and/or dedicated handmade product sections at the major gift shows.
- Items to consider might be pottery, fashion accessories like scarves and jewelry, handpainrted items, kitchen, pet, toy and decorative merchandise.
- Local craft shows can also be productive. Even if a maker doesn't usually wholesale, it doesn't hurt to ask. You may both be pleasantly surprised to strike a deal at a wholesale that works for you. If they are local, you may be able to even arrange a "meet the artist" event.
Selling handcrafted
- Crafts span a wide variety of prices, from high end art glass to stitched felt cat toys; there are likely to be products in your price range.
- For optimum sales, look for the story behind your craft items. Use descriptive signage and encourage the maker to affix a hangtag with any interesting information. You aren't just selling an item, you are selling the unique experience of owing a handmade, one of a kind item.
- Educate your staff on handmade merchandise so they understand that variations are a hallmark of handmade goods and they can explain to customers what makes it so unique.
- Tourists are good customers for handmade, locally made goods. Handcrafted items are a popular memento of a trip and more meaningful to many than the mass produced kind.
- To keep current and educated on the category, subscribe to trade publications like The Craft's Report Magazine.
Gail Markert helps giftware manufacturers and retailers identify opportunities for growth through product development, marketing and branding. Learn more at MarkertGroupConsulting.com or reach her at Gail@MarkertGroupConsulting.com.
Gail Markert, Markert Group Consulting, 2014
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Featured Vendors
 indicates a CAMEO EZ© web site.
 Badash Crystal : Our broad selection of mouth blown tabletop and decorative accessories from around the world will surely meet your needs. Every piece is individually and safely boxed. We offer superb quality and value for all your gift giving, bridal and/or personal pleasure.
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 Bridge Brands Chocolate was created to provide chocolate lovers with gourmet-quality, superbly packaged chocolate at a non-gourmet price. Since debuting in 1999, our chocolates have become a favorite with San Francisco locals and visitors alike.
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 Camille Beckman is known worldwide for the quality of their fine creams and lotions. For the past 18 years, this 'Made in America' product has been rated #1 in the personal care industry and continues to offer formulas based on rich and wholesome ingredients, blending small batches and using hand-crafted, old-fashioned methods that create a difference you can feel! Being that personal care products are an indispensable item for many gift shops, Camille Beckman is a natural choice because of their 27 years of service to the locally owned gift industry.
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 Clarissa Tumblers: The Clarissa Tumblers' motto is: There's no order that's too big or too small - we do them all! Our customers are our priority and enjoy receiving our services to provide them with quality custom and personalized tumblers for their weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, golf tournaments, family reunions, custom brand marketing, and more. Clarissa Tumblers is passionate about tumblers, and knows that their tumblers are second to none, and pride themselves on their superior customer service.
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 Coast Lamp Manufacturing was established and incorporated in the state of Florida in 1955. Now, a North Carolina Corporation since 1975, located in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. We are a family owned and operated company. Our product is UL/ULC listed and approved and made in the USA. Customer satisfaction and a long lasting relationship are our goals. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.
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 Divinity Boutique is a gift company that is focused on trendy and fun gifts that feature inspirational verse and themes.
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 Elegant Baby Elegant Baby® understands that babies deserve style just as fresh as they are! Our marvelous collection of baby products is full of bold colors and spectacular designs. From traditional to contemporary, today's baby gift is sure to become tomorrow's treasure. Products ranging from My First Rubber Ducky to My First Baby Bible, My First Baby Blankie, My First Baby Jeans to the iconic silver spoon, Elegant Baby is where style meets tradition.
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 Europa Home decorincluding glass, candleholders and candles for garden, lodge, awards, gourmet food, sale items and more.
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 FoneFace features fun, colorful, stretchable smart phone covers, "created by a kid for kids". Christian "Crash" Sanchez was a high school freshman when he created the fun covers many with an animal theme.
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 Galt International is a family owned and managed company with its Headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. We also maintain fully staffed buying offices in China to oversee our procurement efforts there. Started in 1996, Galt International continues to grow as a major provider to the gift and decorative accessories markets in the United States and Latin America.
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 Gently Spoken: Our dream is to touch a million hearts with words of affirmation and encouragement. Thanks to YOU, our dream is becoming a reality. PEAS are changing hearts and lives! Turn the pages and you'll discover why. Featuring the "Eat Your Peas" books.
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 GetSassy's has fun, colorful, cool, hip gifts that are sure to bring a smile to everyones face! From flour sack towels to baby and toddler t-shirts, koozies, wooden memo holders and linens, Get Sassys designs make shopping fun!
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 Gina B. Designs is an award-winning greeting card, gift and stationery products company featuring exceptional art and design. With an array of styles, variety of products and outstanding customer service, Gina B. Designs has "something for everyone." All products are proudly made in the U.S.A.
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 Highland Graphics : a leader in functional gift with decorative items for gift giving and kitchen. From our topselling Absorbastone coasters, to our decorative bamboo cutting boards, everything we manufacture is made in the USA. Our high quality plus competitive pricing lets our customers make higher margins. We feature licensed art, official collegiate products and have a full range of custom capabilities with low minimums.
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 JTP Wholesale : JTP Wholesale is a wholesale website offering monogrammed bathroom tissue, coasters and a line of t-shirts for the young and old: Future Jock t-shirts and onesies and X-Jock adult t-shirts.
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 Leslie Handpainted Glass : Leslie Hand Painted Glass is Proudly Painting in Portland Oregon USA
Specializing in Custom & Regionally Specific Designs - Personalized Wedding & Bridal Parties - Corporate Gifts & Events.
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 Malibu Creations collection of affordably chic home décor will turn your decorating daydreams into reality with fun and stylish designs inspired by the warm colors of sun-kissed beaches, the refreshing comforts of mountainside resorts, and the vibrance of today's active lifestyle. Malibu Creations believes you should be able to decorate and redecorate your home as inspiration strikes, and with the company's smart prices, you don't have to miss out on a single design trend you love. Live your life in affordable luxury as you spend time with family and friends in your beautifully decorated home, enjoying an evening of dining on the patio or just relaxing in a cozy, sunny nook in the living room.
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 Mya Grace features unique jewelry, keychains, watches and snaps. Mya Grace donates a portion of our profits to childrens cancer research.
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 Nicole Brayden Gifts : A bright and fun collection of stationery, mugs, party supplies, handbags and many other cute gifts.
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 Pure Factory Naturals: With over a decade of experience in natural skin care, PUREfactory Naturals delivers a fresh and fun approach with a modern and sincere take on skin care. Our commitment speaks loud and clear: natural is best and simplicity is beautiful.
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 Red Carpet Studios, Ltd.: All Jazzed Up™ Fashion Accessories for Fall & Spring. A wide range of Giftware for the Home & Garden. Visit our website for New Products & Specials.
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 snoozies!® are not socks and they're not slippers - sort of a crossover between the two and that's why we call them "foot coverings"! snoozies!® are made with a brushed fleece exterior in colorful & fun printed patterns and then lined with a soft Sherpa fleece inside.
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 Shade Tree Greetings' "Actual Pictures" are recognized as one of the best-selling greeting card lines in the industry. Nostalgic photographs and clever, funny verses make these cards a success. Go to our website to browse over 300 styles. GREAT introductory programs and free fixtures.
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 Stupell Industries : one of America's premier suppliers of handcrafted decorative accessories for upscale homes and offices. In business for over 30 years, our line includes a wide variety of baby products, kitchen and bathroom plaques, wall hangings, faux windows, picture frames, and other unique decorative objects. We are constantly enlarging and updating our product offering to keep abreast of the latest trends and styles in the fast-paced home decorative market.
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 Sunbelt
Marketing Group, Inc. Licensed and non-licensed products tailored for the men's market. Items include both functional and decorative giftware for the home, i.e. wall décor, clocks, shelves, coat and key racks, etc. Licenses include Coca-Cola, General Motors, Ford, Carroll Shelby, Farmall, John Wayne and Elvis Presley. Product mediums include wood, resin, ceramic, glass and mixed mediums. Sunbeltgifts recently developed its own line of gifts for the aviation market and acts as a contract manufacturer.
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 Sunday Greetings
is a greeting card company that started when Brenda Kellman made a homemade birthday card for her husband Alan. Brenda's photography is on the cover of the company's greeting cards for every occasion.
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 Tripar International Inc.: Tripar International is your source for both displays and decorative accessories. Our extensive product line includes a wide assortment of easels, risers, ornament stands, plate racks, mirrors, jewelry displays, and unique display pieces. We are also an excellent source for wine accessories, wall decor, inspirational signs, and cookbook stands. We offer quality with style, low minimums and fast shipping.
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 Under Stella's Umbrella features long-time favorites Bellemonde and Finewhines, plus newer lines like Whispers, as well as Garden Party, The Born Identities, and Pewter-A-Peel. Products range from luggage to tabletop to baby products.
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 Wellspring makes functional products with fresh designs for companies that sell gifts. Great fun and cute personal accessories designed for the purse, stationery designed for organization and Flip Notes- the best-selling slim notepad consistently ranked by retailers as a top 10 in sell through. Perfect 4th quarter pick up gifts at under $10 retail- a sweet spot with today's consumer. Now with collegiate logos! www.WellspringGift.com.
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 White Mountain Puzzles is ahead of the pack when it comes to puzzles with educational content. Why not learn something while doing a puzzle? If you love to travel, why not put together an entertaining birds eye view of KEY WEST, MARTHA'S VINEYARD, BOSTON or NEW ENGLAND? Or work on a puzzle of states like MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, OHIO, VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA or GEORGIA? Or learn something about PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY or THE CIVIL WAR? These challenging projects take artists like DAVID HARRISON WRIGHT, DEB MARCONI, GARY TORISSI, and MAUREEN RUPPRECHT months to create.
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 Zingz And Thingz : Located in Santa Monica, California, Zingz & Thingz proudly offers more than 700 products to retailers. The company's merchandise strengths are in our wide selection of affordable and fun Garden Decor items and our continually expanding Lighting collection. Discover Zingz And Thingz' extensive collection of fun and functional products today and put a little zing in your life.
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Quick Industry News
The Rise of the Hacker
"Unless you've been living under a rock", as they say, you have heard report after report of data breaches afflicting major retailers from Target to Neimann Marcus to Home Depot. Tens of Millions of Americans' credit cards have been compromised and had to be cancelled and new cards issued. Point-of-purchase (POS) systems for restaurants, hotels and grocery stores have also been targets. Forty million credit cards were compromised in the Target breach alone.
These retailers already had elaborate security measures in place, but persistent hackers managed to exploit split-second exposures of data that had never been an issue before.
"We've seen a dramatic shift in the cyber crime landscape from solo hackers motivated by intellectual property to organized criminal groups and state-sponsored actors motivated by financial fraud and cyber espionage," says Kimberly Kiefer Peretti, a former senior litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section who assisted in the prosecution of the largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted by the Justice Department. That case involved 170 million credit and debit cards compromised by a group of hackers from 2005 to 2007. In March 2010 the leader was sentenced to 20 years in prison. (source)
The National Retail Federation (NRF) has organized the Information Technology Security Council to be an information sharing platform providing timely notification and actionable data on critical threats.
More information about the problem and new technologies to fight this crime is available from the NRF in this article.
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New (or New Look) Wholesale Websites
 Invenio EasyLight LED Reading Glasses opened its new OmegaNet B2B website this month. The company offers reading glasses with built-in lights to illuminate reading material. When turned off, the lights are not visible. The glasses come in a variety of colors, designs, and strengths. Display units are also available.
 Unforgettaballs™ has a new CAMEO EZ© wholesale website. "The finest collection of artwork printed on baseballs in the world" is the company's tagline. The products are baseballs with a variety of designs printed on them. Some are images of famous stadiums, and other baseball themes, but others are messages for special occasions or just "Cool Design Baseballs".
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