Sidelines Snapshot: Mugs, Ornaments, Pins, and Playing Cards

At Trident Booksellers & Cafe in Boston, Mass., mugs have become a "popular go-to" in early fall, co-owner Courtney Flynn reported. Flynn said the bookstore carries some "fun and crazy" varieties from Natural Life, including a lidded mug shaped like a mushroom. Other popular sellers include hats from Standard Goods, particularly one that says "Useless and Gay," as well as Frog & Toad-themed merchandise from House of Rodan. Last year the bookstore brought in Baggu tote bags, and "they've been flying off the wall ever since."

Natural Life's Mushroom Mug

Recently, the Trident team has brought in some merchandise they discovered at the NY Now and Shoppe Object gift shows in New York City, such as cheeky keychains from That's So Andrew and wellness and makeup products from Blossom. The bookstore is also gearing up for the winter holidays, and ornaments from Kurt S. Adler and Silver Tree Home and Holiday have been arriving. A new arrival that is not holiday-related is Stickii, which creates unusual sticker sheets in partnership with various artists; they've already been restocked multiple times at Trident.

Asked about local brands, Flynn said some of the store's Boston-themed merchandise comes from Somerville company Anna Whitham Co., and both Trident employees and customers enjoy McCrea's caramels, which come from Massachusetts. Recently the store partnered with Kat Maus Haus, in Beverly, to offer custom designs depicting the store in the evening. The store also sells her illustrations of Boston neighborhoods.

On the subject of perennial favorites, Flynn remarked that Boston-themed items are always popular, especially in summer, and fridge magnets from Fridgedoor make great souvenirs. Other staples include The Found, which makes all sorts of items referencing pop culture, candles from Calyan, and Seltzer Goods, which has been on Trident's shelves for a decade.

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Book Valet from Broken Window Creations

Terri LeBlanc, co-owner and operation manager of Swamp Fox Bookstore in Marion, Iowa, said the shop's store-branded merchandise is doing well at the moment, spurred in part by visitors participating in the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour. Other popular items include a stuffed Chauncey (a character from TJ Klune's The House by the Cerulean Sea) from Wildly Enough, a Book Valet from Broken Window Creations, and greeting cards from Muddy Mouth Cards.

Locally sourced items include bookish bookmarks from local watercolor artist Kristin Folden, and the shop's T-shirts and sweatshirts are made in partnership with CauseTeam in Mount Vernon, Iowa. LeBlanc explained that the store usually does one design per year that debuts around Indie Bookstore Day, and in the winter, the store uses its fundraising platform to raise money that will go toward books for families in need.

Asked about perennial favorites, LeBlanc mentioned stickers, as well as Book It!-themed items like pins and bookmarks, both from Imperfect Inspiration. She added that "anything with a curse word," whether it's a calendar, card, or sticker, seems to sell well.

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Book Nook Kit from Hands Craft

In Mendocino, Calif., Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle's Children's Books sells plenty of playing cards and carries around 30 designs at any given time, reported owner Christie Olson Day. Designs include Jane Austen, dinosaurs, tattoos, vintage cards, cannabis, and much more; Day said that if she sees "a deck of playing cards in a catalog, I order it."

Christmas ornaments sell year-round, with Day noting that Cody Foster offers a huge selection. Instead of going for holiday-themed ornaments, the store chooses subjects like nature, science, politics, and general bookishness. Book Nook Kits from Hands Craft sell very well despite being expensive, and the store goes through roughly 80 moon calendar cards, sourced from Norton, each calendar season.

Stuffies from Douglas, particularly those of local fauna, are popular, as are Fly Paper bookish candles--Day pointed out that Fly Paper offers custom labels with a minimum of just 12. The shop is doing well with items that "come in a big rainbow of colors," like Leuchtturm1917 journals and Pentel EnerGel retractable pens.

The shop continues to "sell the living daylights" out of Blackwing pencils; the team gives them a whole table, and the store carries almost everything the company makes. The items are "a delight to handsell," and Gallery Bookshop even sold one of its $125 sharpeners. --Alex Mutter

If you are interested in having your store appear in a future Sidelines Snapshot article, please e-mail alex@shelf-awareness.com.

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