When Herbs by Merlin got its start in 1992, third-generation herbalist Merlin Bolin aimed to turn his vast experience with healing remedies and tinctures available to vendors on a wholesale basis. Founded on trust in simple, honest products, Herbs by Merlin continues to be a source for all natural herbal products under the co-ownership of Mary Coleman, who attributes her love of her products to her first encounter with Bolin. At the time the two met, she had a case of bronchitis. Bolin offered her a vial of wild cherry bark tincture, which she took, and within three days her ailment had cleared. Coleman’s initial experience with herbalism gives her an authoritative edge in the industry, which she passes on to her customers. “The idea with our business is to teach people, going so far as to set them up with mentors, if necessary,” she explains.
Simple Products for a Strong Impact
The product line includes an assortment as broad and varied as the symptoms they soothe, ranging from soaps to oils, with a specialty in teas and tinctures. The merchandise is unique in that, unlike many herbal supplements, those sold by Herbs by Merlin never come in capsule form, so that customers receive the maximum benefits of the herbs, because they are more directly assimilated into the body. “Nature gives us 89,000 herbs, each with a primary healing function,” Coleman points out. “Knowledge is what separates the poison plant from the healing plant. As farmers, we do not get complicated.” The company carries more than 60 teas, over 200 tinctures and around 300 single herbs, naming each product in accordance with its purpose, which makes it easy for vendors to describe to customers. Teas and tinctures called Lung, for example, aid lung function, and the same applies to Brain, Arthritis and Kidney teas and tinctures. Just in case, however, Coleman provides literature on every herb she sells as a thorough manual for novice herb enthusiasts. “The product isn’t one that flea market shoppers can buy at every other booth they pass. It’s special,” she emphasizes.
There is a $290 minimum for first time orders, after which point every order of $200 receives free shipping. Teas wholesale for $3, with prices for other items averaging around that point. Coleman recommends that vendors consider how their displays will look, when ordering, because the firm doesn’t offer point of purchase displays. “If you have enough volume and enough variety, the products look better and will sell more successfully,” she says. “That’s the key.”
For more information:
Herbs by Merlin
18117 Gulf Blvd.
Redington Shores, FL 33708
Tel.: 727-575-9952
Email: herbsbymerlin2@aol.com
Website: www.herbsbymerlin.com