Positive Reinforcement in a Gift

Canny confesses that the prices and minimum piece count have changed over the past year of production, in order to keep up with labor costs and other finances associated with ensuring that FortuneKeeper remains a Made in America product. Currently the wholesaler requires a 24 piece minimum, with both necklaces and key chains wholesaling under $15. Retailers can expect to make keystone or more. Innovatively designed, each piece comes in a decorative tin with a story card about the design and its intended meaning. FortuneKeeper displays a fantastic image on one side and allows your favorite fortune, saying or inspiration to be safely stored between two pieces of crafted Lucite. These two pieces are secured by rare earth magnets, and finished with lead free beads. The message is easily viewed on the reverse side of the printed design.

While FortuneKeeper began with necklaces, key chains have become the favorite, as many consumers are purchasing the item as a gift. “I think many people aren’t sure if everyone will wear a necklace, especially if you are buying for men,” notes Canny. The designs incorporating a Swarovsky Crystal or stainless steel have proven to be good buys, as Canny found during the Holiday Market in Union Square in New York City. The designs are the real factor in making a sale. “The most popular designs at this time are our Transformation, Brooklyn Bridge and Cherry Blossom prints,” she says. “Transformation has been a big hit during this economy and in times of hardship, as it presents the Buddhist Wheel, expressing a message to reach for enlightenment as you follow your path in a beautiful direction.”

For more information:
FortuneKeeper
442 78th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11209
Tel.: 917-301-0201
Email: Chrisie@FortuneKeeper.com, Use online form
Website: www.fortunekeeper.com

Wholesaling for $7 for a minimum order of 48, the suggested retail runs from $20 to $25 each. Display materials, including banners, posters and even a “how-to” DVD that plays on an endless loop, are all available at cost; Cajole makes no profit on them. “We’re focused on products that are best sold by demonstration,” Barlow says. “We’ve found our greatest sales success via swap meets, kiosks, car shows and other venues where there’s high foot traffic.” Barlow points out the item also sells well in nail or hair salons, gift shops, women’s clothing stores, boutiques, or anywhere a customer has a few minutes to linger and see and feel the product. “We’ve even seen strong sales at truck stops,” Barlow says with a laugh.

Silver is the company’s currently best selling color, Neck Art is also available in black, red copper, and gold, and combinations of silver and red copper, silver and gold, and silver and black. Neck Art offers two distinct marketing packages for wholesalers, and is ready to offer any assistance to retailers buying their products.

Later this year, Cajole is coming out with another new line. But like her Neck Art line, she says that it will be test marketed to assure it performs as promised, and the company will put together a complete selling package so resellers can get off to a quick start with the products. “We make sure all our products are high quality to assure a high profit margin,” she says.

For more information:
Cajole
51813 Avenida Vallejo
LaQuinta, CA 92253
Tel: 574-596-5123
Fax: 760-653-4948
Website: www.cajoleonline.com

The Picforever line features many different types of lockets, necklaces, bracelets, key chains and key chain finders. The Build a Locket collection is rhodium plated and extremely durable. It resists scratching, and has a beautiful shiny luster. Locket chains are also rhodium plated, and come in adjustable 16″ to 19″ length. Sterling chains of any length are also available.

The Build a Locket process works as follows: customers buy whatever locket they wish, as well as a selection of charms to add, for a uniquely customized piece of jewelry. The locket can be opened and the charms inserted inside. But the customization does not end there. If the customers want to add a unique photo charm, they can purchase the photo charm from the dealer, and email or send Picforever a photo or photos to be placed in the charm. The lockets can hold up to two photos. Within two weeks, the customer gets back the photo charm that is easily installed into the locket. Picforever lockets are constructed to last a long time, and are held together with strong magnets. A special clasp is added on the bracelets and key chains for extra protection. Every customer also gets a sheet that details how to care for it.

“Where can you get a personalized gift for under $25 today,” asks Kotz. “Build a Locket gives you the opportunity to customize something for that special someone, at a reasonable price.” How reasonable? The lockets themselves range in suggested retail price from $15.99 to $19.99. Picforever charms have a suggested retail of $3.99 to $4.99. The photo charms, which wholesale for $10, have a suggested retail of about $19.99, because there is custom work involved. The company will also produce custom charms. One recent example: a customer wanted a charm composed of the Australian national flag.

“Our starter kit includes everything that is necessary to get started,” notes Kotz. “It comes with a countertop display and stand. There are 82 charms from which to choose, and a selection of two charms in each style, so that the dealer does not have unsold merchandise. They also get 12 lockets and choose between bracelets and necklaces, or can have a mix. There are four key chains in this kit.” The price of the starter kit is $514, which has a nice selection of the company’s offerings. The photo charms are extra, and wholesale for $10 each.

Kotz says that the starter kit by itself works well in a gift shop or card store, but for the kiosk, more is needed. She recommends purchasing a number of starter kits and placing them around the kiosk. “We can supply the kiosk owner with images and charms to hang off of the kiosk, which will further grab people’s attention.” Kotz estimates that a kiosk owner needs to spend about $3,000 in displays and merchandise to get started.

For more information:
Amy Kotz, owner
Picforever LLC
P.O. Box 717
Manalapan, NJ 07726
Tel.: 732-792-0176
Fax: 732-792-0176
Email: sales@picforever.com
Website: www.picforever.com