Erik & Mike is a wholesaler of handmade, fairly traded jewelry and accessory items. Their products are American designed, and made in Bali, Nepal, India, and Indonesia. Their goal is to keep traditional maker techniques alive while infusing them with modern design. Erik Caplan, co-founder of Erik & Mike, was on vacation in Bali in 2001 when he realized he wanted to find a way to live and work there. Extensive retail experience allowed him to create Erik & Mike with the help of Mike Prentice, who he met while on vacation in Bali.
Erik & Mike’s bestselling products include hand beaded jewelry, hand beaded belts, handbags, and coin purses. “These products continue to do well,” says Caplan. “They are the staple products for our business.” For fall, Caplan recommends their Team-Spirit collection. This collection features many of Erik & Mike’s essential products including beaded belts, hoop and circle earrings, beaded strand and ball necklaces, and coin purses in popular team color duos. “They are perfect for supporting high school and college sports teams,” says Caplan. Fall is the ideal time of year for these products because of football season. Caplan recommends that flea marketers pick the colors that match local college, university, or high school teams. With eighteen different color combinations, Erik & Mike has jewelry that will match nearly every team.
As a special promotion for our readers, mention Merchandiser to receive fifty percent off of Erik & Mike’s regular wholesale pricing. In other words, once you register for a wholesale account on their website, you will receive half off of those rates that you see on their site. Just be sure to let them know you were referred by Merchandiser magazine. In order to receive the discount, you must purchase at least twelve pieces per style. “Vendors should feel free to call or email with any questions,” says Caplan.
To register an account, visit www.erikandmike.com.