Web Sites for Gift Items

[j Paul]

I'll show you mine, if you show me yours!

Here are a couple vendors I am currently dealing with. I am looking for some more, upscale gifts/collectables with a relationship to the arts.

www.cbkhome.com (http://www.cbkhome.com)
www.ganz.com (http://www.ganz.com)
nextimeclocks.comcast.net
www.hks4u.com (http://www.hks4u.com)
www.efivory.com (http://www.efivory.com)

I've got more but these are a few I deal with off the top of my head.
Care to share your sources

[OzDave]

Try to subscribe to this and you get emails regularly
www.gpoint.com.au (http://www.gpoint.com.au)
Its Ausssie, but good ideas

[Elaine]

wholesalecrafts.com

they have high end artisan crafts as well as gifty items, down to just crafts. I used to find my supplier there for my gallery and then contact the artist direct to order.

Dept 56

Kringles by Patience Brewster (local to here, but sells all over)

There is a gifts and decorative accessories magazine published that has all of these plus more ads for gift and decor - it has the cards to fill out for the vendors to contact you.

when we moved to our new location, we gave up on selling these types of items

hope this helps

Elaine

[DTWDSM]

Here are a few: (no particular order) Some I would not consider "upscale" but none are cheap looking or quality

www.countryoriginals.com (http://www.countryoriginals.com)

www.sbceramic.com (http://www.sbceramic.com)

www.tenderheart.com (http://www.tenderheart.com)

www.lineamarketing.com (http://www.lineamarketing.com) Home Decor items

www.demdaco.com (http://www.demdaco.com) look at Willow Tree only

www.storypeople.com (http://www.storypeople.com) (this company is very hard to get a dealership because they are very selective and their opening order is an investment. One of the best companies to work with and well worth the wait and investment if you become a dealer. They do protect your dealership, in my metro area of nearly 500,000 they only have 2 dealers)

[John Ranes II, CPF, GCF]

Originally posted by j Paul:
...I am looking for some more, upscale gifts/collectables with a relationship to the arts....j Paul,

We sell tons of gifts and collectibles in our shop and via the web (20% of our business, actually). This includes a fair amount of wood crafted, Christmas collectibles.

To be honest, I would not consider Ganz to fall within those parameters ("upscale gifts/collectibles"). Ganz purchased an upper end Texas company about 3 years ago who made $160 decorative flags and $60 windsocks. Ganz liquidated the equipment, fired the staff and took the designs off shore where they now sell in big boxes for $40 and $10 respectively.

If you're looking for an upper end product, consider walking either the San Fancisco or Baltimore wholesale shows of The American Craft Council (http://www.craftcouncil.org/) .

Regards,

John

[DTWDSM]

You also may want to go to Atlanata the weekend before the Decor show, the Atlanat Gift Mart will be going on that weekend. It usually is the same as the Decor weekend but this year it is a week earlier.

[Maria Nucci Designs]

I recently returned from the New York Gift Fair at the Javits.
John Ranes reccomended this show and he knows what he's talking about.

To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement. Framers in the Northeast should all take a look.

The show covers a huge assortment...from lotions, potions and soaps to furniture.

Framers, there was a great selection for us. The variety of easleback frames alone was worth the trip. And none of these vendors show at framing trade shows. Some really unique stuff.

Even if nothing is purchased, you'll get a great overview of what's hot, what's new.

The Atlanta Gift Show should be great too.

[printmaker]

Originally posted by John Ranes II, CPF, GCF:
[QUOTE]
If you're looking for an upper end product, consider walking either the San Fancisco or Baltimore wholesale shows of The American Craft Council (http://www.craftcouncil.org/) .

Regards,

John Thank you, John. Good to see someone promoting American made crafts as an alternative to (Asian) imports!

I think it's a gr8 idea for all US (and Canadian) businesses, and especially Grumblers, to look at providing domestic products, made by your friends and neighbours (oops... "neighbors"), rather than selling cheap imports.

As an aside, we recently came back from a business road trip to Dallas. I wanted to buy a "Support Our Troops" magnet/ribbon for our vehicle. It took us until close to the end of our trip to (finally!!!) find one made in the US graemlins/shrug.gif !?! I was disgusted at seeing so many "red white and blue" items being sold in ("proudly") US stores, which were manufactured overseas graemlins/icon45.gif .

Okay. Stepping off my soap box now and going back to my studio.

Thanks again, John graemlins/thumbsup.gif !

p.s. No - I'm not a "proud American". Just a concerned friend, north of the border.