By Jon VanZile
It’s that time of year again: as the mercury creeps up and the beaches start to get crowded, shoppers are frequenting flea markets looking for cool (and hot) summer products. Merchandiser Group Magazine brings you the following 10 Big Sellers For Summer your customers are sure to love.
Foldable and Portable Sunglasses
Leave it to a college student and “sunglasses fanatic” to invent sunglasses you can fold into a neat little package, slip into a carrying case, and drop into a pocket or purse with no worries. Offered by Glass-U out of Philadelphia, PA, these novelty sunglasses are the ultimate in convenience and style, and they are deliberately priced to hit the sweet spot in the middle of the market, according to Yuval Yarden, director of operations.
“Our CEO is Daniel Fine,” she says. “He started this company in his dorm room a year and half ago. He realized there were lots of expensive sunglasses and cheap sunglasses, but there weren’t many options in the middle of the market. These are very convenient.” They are also very customizable. In addition to the standard designs offered by the company, Yarden notes that Glass-U glasses can easily be customized for events and companies, including festivals, corporations, and universities. The company is also licensed to sell World Cup licensed glasses. Non-customized glasses wholesale starting at $4.50/ unit. Customized products wholesale starting at $5.50/ unit. Suggested retail price starts at $9.95 per pair. There are various levels of customization available. Lead time for delivery of customized glasses is 30 days.
Glass-U
Tel.: 855-687-7423
Website: www.glass-u.com
Kool Breeze Solar Hat
Kool Breeze Solar Hat has created the perfect way to find a summer breeze: wear it. The company’s newly introduced straw hats feature a solar-powered fan built into the hat itself. The idea is simple—the hotter and more direct the sun, the faster the fan runs and the better the breeze is.
“We tried to keep the product simple,” says Vernice Nellon, PhD, president and CEO of Kool Breeze Solar Hat. “The sun hits the solar panel and powers the fan. They are the perfect product for landscapers, gardeners, fisherman, farmers, for amusement parks and cruise ships…anyone who is out in the sun.” Kool Breeze Solar Hats were just introduced and have already been getting great word of mouth. The hats come in two basic styles: cowboy and floppy straw hat. The cowboy hats begin at a wholesale price of $18.50/unit for 24 hats, while the floppy hats wholesale for $20.50/unit for 24 hats. Prices drop from there, depending on quantity. Suggested retail prices start at $29.95.
Kool Breeze Solar Hat
Tel.: 559-456-8510
Website: www.koolbreezesolarhat.com
Trik Topz custom hitch covers
Based in Franksville, WI, Trik Topz is happy to turn empty trailer hitches into art. The company offers a full line of custom and designed trailer hitch covers, featuring everything from American flags to professional sports logos and funny sayings. The company can also customize hitch covers to your company or organization, according to Tammy Rainer, manager of sales for Trik Topz.
“The custom decals are really nice,” she says. “We can design them in-house or use your design to create a hitch cover, then coat it with poly resin. They’re UV resistant and weather resistant.” The hitch covers can also be used as decals and stickers. Custom designs take two weeks from concept to shipping, while the standard designs are typically delivered with 3–5 business days. Wholesale pricing is $6.50/unit for non-licensed products, while licensed hitch covers (such as major sporting teams) cost $9.50/unit. MSRP ranges from $12.99 to $15.99. Custom artwork can be developed for between $75 and $100. Wholesale pricing is available for a minimum order of $75.
Trik Topz
4221 Courtney Road
Franksville, WI 53126
Tel.: 800-423-2448
Website: www.triktopz.com
Colorful Fire Enhancer
Colorful Fire is an easy to use, safe and affordable way to enhance a fire with a brilliant display of colored flames. The packets produce intense colors with no smoke, odor or noxious fumes, and can be used for any indoor or outdoor fire. They are environmentally friendly because they are a complete burn off product, and leave no carcinogens or harmful substances behind to seep into the ground. Colorful Fire is manufactured in the USA. “Everything we do is 100 percent sourced from US companies,” says Fred Martin, who co-created the product with his lifelong friend and business partner, Gus Phillips.
To use Colorful Fire, simply toss one to three unopened packets onto a high point of any wood burning fire. For most fires, one packet is enough for 30 to 60 minutes of color. The minimum order is one case of 48 pieces. Wholesale is $1 and suggested retail is $2 a packet.
Colorful Fire Enhancer
P.O. Box 633
Zion, IL 60099
Tel.: 847-282-0204
Website: www.colorfulfire.com
Dancing Water Speakers
Looking to make a splash this summer? “Dancing” water speakers offered by S&D Wholesale are ideal novelty and gift products. The speakers plug into a standard USB port in a laptop or iPad and feature colorful dancing lights that lance through water and keep time with the music.
“These are cool products,” say Muhammad Abdul Saboor, president of S&B Wholesale. “The sound quality is good. They are perfect for kids and teenagers.” The speakers are also conveniently sized, measuring about 2″ wide and 8″ long. Speakers retail for between $40 and $50, Saboor says. Wholesale prices begin at $20/unit for an order of 6 units. For a minimum order of 30 units, the wholesale price drops to $16/unit.
S&D Wholesale
302 Veterans Memorial Highway
Mableton, GA 30126
Tel.: 678-809-1127
Website: www.sanddwholesales.com
Portable Shade: Summer Caps and Hats
Buy4Store.com is sure your customers and your bottom line will love their hats for one very good reason: rock-bottom pricing. The company offers a wide range of hat styles, including cowboy hats, which are the most popular, ladies hats, summer hats, fedoras—pretty much any style of hat you can think of. They are the ideal product for gift and apparel shops, beachside vendors, or anywhere else people are looking for a bit of relief from the summer heat. Buy4Store also offers ties, bowties, and tie sets, says Metin Kilic, the company owner. “Customers know our quality products, and we’re famous for our low prices,” Kilic says.
The company sets a minimum wholesale order of $50 and ships in 24 hours—and lives up to its pricing promise. While wholesale pricing varies depending on the type of hat, popular straw cowboy hats are offered in lots of 12 beginning at $18. According to Kilic, it’s not uncommon for retailers to sell products for 9 or 10 times wholesale prices.
Buy4Store.com
207 West 138th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90061
Tel.: 310-715-6034
Website: www.buy4store.com
Better Banners: Displays For Vendors
Better Banners, offered by CVS Flags, are the ideal product for any company that wants to stand out from the crowd. The huge 16′ x 2′ vertical banners are mounted on poles and can feature any message a business wants to draw attention to. They are quick and easy to assemble—taking a total of about 2 to set up out of the box. They are also highly versatile and can be mounted in the ground, on poles, or on cross bases, so businesses of all types and locations can take advantage of them.
The flags can be displayed indoor or outdoor. Outside, the typical flag will stay in good shape for about 4 months, depending on weather conditions, if they are displayed 24 hours a day. Ordering is best done online. Flag building kits begin a $66.97 for a ground spike kit and feature all the permanent hardware needed. Wholesale pricing is available on orders of more than 12 flags.
CVS Flags
1139 S. Baldwin Avenue
Marion, IN 46953
Tel.: 800-950-4061
Website: www.cvsflags.com
G-MAG Battery Chargers: Just Add Water
Infratech, creator of the G-Mag, took a page from military drone technology to create the ideal product for the serious outdoorsman: batteries that are recharged from nothing but salt water, anywhere in the world. Created by Allan Riggs, the G-Mag system relies on the same magnesium-air fuel cell technology that powers military drones to create a fully portable battery charging system that can power up to 6 AA batteries in two hours using nothing but salt water (or even urine in an emergency). The company is headquartered in Cocoa, FL.
“There is nothing like this in the world,” Riggs says. “It’s perfect for people who are interested in being self-sufficient and anybody who does sporting activities off the grid.” The lightweight product is simple to operate. Place the batteries in the charger, add salt water, and wait for the chemical reaction to power up the batteries. The rechargers retail for $40/unit. Wholesale pricing begins at $22/unit. Wholesale ordering should be done by phone—according to Riggs, as the website is currently reserved for retail sales.
Infratech
Tel.: 321-305-1263
Website: www.gmagpower.com
Lantern Press Wood Plaques
SJT is proud to announce a partnership with Lantern Press to offer wood plaques featuring over 9,000 destination images. According to Tim Smith of SJT, the plaques make great summer gifts, featuring “beautiful images of destinations across the USA.” They are perfect for souvenir and gift shops. Individual plaques measure 7″ x 10.5″ and are made in the United States. Wholesale pricing begins at $2.97/unit, with a minimum order of 100. Shipping is a flat 9 percent. The plaques have a suggested retail price of $9.99 to $14.99, depending on the outlet and the destination.
SJT Enterprises, Inc.
28045 Ranney Pkwy., Unit B
Westlake, OH 44145
Tel.: 800-326-7419
Website: www.sjtent.com
Thrower Supply Precision Throwing Tomahawk
Offered by ThrowerSupply.com, a division of KCW Holdings, LLC, based in Springville, Utah, the precision throwing tomahawk product is designed and weighted for throwing—no more bouncing off the target or hitting handle first. Instead, they are made to fit easily into the hand and fly true, with sharp enough blades to stick into targets. They range in size from the 16″ “mouse” model to competition-grade 19″ tomahawks with polished blades and spikes.
“We have professional blacksmiths that hand make these tomahawks from steel,” company President Chris Watkins says. Products are best ordered from the company website, which features real-time inventory updates, so you are always able to order products that are listed. Tomahawks retail for $35 and up. Wholesale prices are 40- 50 percent less than retail, Watkins says. There is no minimum wholesale order. ThrowerSupply ships products with 48 hours of ordering.
ThrowerSupply
Tel.: 409-209-9575
Website: www.throwersupply.com
Flea markets are great places to wow shoppers with the latest and greatest products. Foldable sunglasses, summer caps and hats, and products that make consumers’ lives easier are sure to command sales and be big sellers at any market.