At Waucoma Bookstore in Hood River, Ore., vinyl stickers from Stickers Northwest and acbc Design, particularly those with regional or outdoor themes, have been doing very well, as are socks from Primitives by Kathy, which feature funny sayings such as "I just want to be a stay at home dog mom," and "one cat away from being a crazy cat lady." Co-owner and gift buyer Jenny Cohen reported that in response to several customer requests, she has recently brought in Groove Rings, breathable silicone rings meant for outdoor enthusiasts or people who can't wear metal rings at their jobs.
When asked about any surprising sellers, Cohen said that her store sells a lot of Harmony Massage Rollers from Canadian company Relaxus; a variety of cell phone chargers and accessories from Kikkerland, PopSockets and especially the Portland company NWE Brands; and Sasquatch Field Guides from Paradise Cay Publications. On the subject of perennial favorites, Cohen pointed to Melissa & Doug toys, Folkmanis puppets, Woodstock windchimes, chocolates and treats from Chocolove and Candy Basket, and Earth Dream earrings, among others. Cohen noted, too, that she and her staff prefer to call them gifts as opposed to sidelines, as they account for some 30% of the store's sales. The products are also fully integrated on the shelves among the books, so customers can find something new "every time they are in store."
In Richmond, Va., Fountain Bookstore has done so well with socks that owner Kelly Justice went so far as to say she "can't believe any bookstore would not carry them," and she doubts strongly that the trend will end "any time soon." Recently, Justice has brought in Highland Bluff Studio Candles, which feature "playful, clean designs" and are "delightfully smelly but not overpowering." She's also brought in tools from Trixie & Milo, which she hopes will fill the need for gifts that are small and can appeal to both men and women. In terms of surprises, Justice pointed to the card line Gemma Correll Designs from Ohh Deer Ltd. She picked up the line "on a whim," and Fountain's bestselling card features a spider hanging from a web with the words "I made it with my bum."
When asked about locally or regionally made sidelines, Justice mentioned Red Rocker Candy. She enthusiastically recommended Taza Mexican Chocolate Discs, which she says have had a great price point, a small footprint, quality design and are "absolutely delicious." Some of her store's go-to favorites include Virginia Is for Lovers merchandise, the "very solid if not all that sexy staple" Franklin Eyewear, and Finger Hands from Accoutrements. And lastly, Justice plugged the wholesale website Faire.com as a great way discover and try out new sidelines.
According to assistant manager and sidelines buyer Katherine Ralph, the Book Passage store in the Ferry Building in San Francisco, Calif., has a customer base consisting of both tourists and locals, and the store is doing particularly well in three main sidelines categories: packable, political and totes. In the first category, San Francisco- and California-themed tea towels from Claudia Pearson and Paper Sharks sell well, as do calendars from Found Image. In the political category, anything related to the Notorious RBG, such as magnets and mints from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild and pins from The Found, is popular. So are journals and pins from blackbird letterpress that feature famous women like Rachel Carson and Shirley Chisholm. And in the tote category, some favorite lines include Out of Print, Seltzer Goods, SF Mercantile and the Read, Rise, Resist totes made by Powell's Books in Portland, Ore.
The Ferry Building store has recently expanded its selection of greeting cards with new lines from smaller vendors like Painted Tongue Press and Zeichen Press, and Ralph said she was surprised by how many Kikkerland Zip & Flip Pillows the store sells. While the store doesn't carry many children's sidelines, Harry Potter bookmarks from re-marks do well, and tugboats from Green Toys and Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty are popular. And finally, Ralph said, she is still blown away by how many Sock It to Me, Blue Q and Out of Print socks the store sells. --Alex Mutter
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