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WHAT’S HOT PG ASKED A SELECTION OF CARD RETAILERS FOR THEIR ‘HOT’ CARD SELLERS PRE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
Jinny Semmens, owner of Cardtime, Penzance, Cornwall A small store in a seaside town with a loyal locals and tourists customer base. Category
Name of Publisher
Product/Name Range
Comments
Everyday
Nigel Quiney
Pizazz
Cute
Alex Clark Art
Standard square cards and Sparkle designs
Humour
Country Cards
Across The Board
Art
Paper House (GBCC) Heart of a Garden aka Art Eco Designs
Look At It This Way Across The Board
Jonny Javelin and Grass Roots (Paper Rose) Glick Byzantium Collection
Twingles Jelly Beans
Always popular. The latest designs are even more attractive, incorporating more colours. These cards always sell well, the newish range of Seaside Sparkle cards have sold particularly quickly. Traditional cartoon illustrations looking on the funny side of rural life. A great humorous female to female range. John Dyer and his wife Joanne Short's paintings of local scenes are Above: A design from the hilarious Look At It This Way range from consistently good sellers. Paper House (GBCC). People come in especially for the age/ relations cards, particularly the grandchildren designs in all of our ranges, but particularly these two ranges. The patterned tissue especially sells really well. A beautiful range of jewellery that’s very reasonably priced.
Children’s
Giftwrap Ancillary
Alexander Thurlow
General Paua Shell jewellery collection Flower Jewellery
Poppies, pansies, blue bells, lovely flower jewellery at a good price.
Graham Fraser, proprietor of Alba The Artshop, Oban, Argyll A mini department store in a coastal town with a locals and tourists customer base. Category
Name of Publisher
Product/Name Range
Comments
Everyday
IC&G
Humour
Peartree Heybridge
The Year You Were Born Camilla & Rose
Claire Maddicott
Harold’s Planet
Catherine Kleeli Edinburgh Arts
General Scottish Series
Art Angels
Printmakers
Contemporary
Abacus 1 Tree Cards
Azalea General
Traditional
Noel Tatt
Decoupage
Children’s
Noel Tatt, IC&G, Rachel Ellen Wendy Jones-Blackett and Belly Button Glick
Across The Board
Sells and sells and sells. Every customer you point toward this range buys a card! Suits such a wide range of customers; a perennial performer. Regularly refreshed, inoffensive but funny range that produces steady sales. A unique perspective on animal art. Blank cards of paintings and sketches by Scottish artists of our local area. They have a particular and neverending market. Coastal bird cards are great for our location. A new range that’s taking off! People seem happy to pay the extra to help the environment. A tree is planted for every card bought and it includes a seed token. The ultimate traditional card, constantly being reordered. Three great suppliers who cover all bases, with ranges continuously being refreshed. Both of these publishers are the creme de la crème. I’ve just done £1,000 orders with both. Great sellers! Always fresh, up to the minute and innovative, with quality always a given. We stock over 100 varieties, always selling, but especially now. We were scared of the price point at first but the quality and style just shine and they have been a huge success.
Art
Above: A pretty design from Abacus’ Azalea range. Right: Wendy Jones-Blackett creates gorgeous handmade designs.
Handmade/ Hand-Finished Giftwrap Ancillary
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House Of Puzzles Peppermint Grove
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
Across The Board Pizazz and Across The Board Jigsaws The Mews Collective’s Candles