GiftsWholesale.Com is not responsible for changes in show information or typographical errors. OmegaNet and GiftsWholesale.Com are not directly associated with any trade show.

Oct, 2009
2-5, Overland Park, KS
5-7, Los Angeles
6-7, San Francisco
11-13, Columbus
11-14, San Francisco
17-20, Atlanta
22-25, Rosemont, IL

For a full list of Trade Shows, go to GiftsWholesale.Com

GiftsWholesale:
24/7 Access
to nearly
400
Manufacturers!

If you've forgotten your GiftsWholesale.Com login and password, Click Here. If you need to update your registration and contact information Click Here

American Expedition Goes Primetime

You may be seeing more of the American Expedition wildlife gift line this fall… but it won't just be in the corner gift shops. The production design department from the NBC primetime sitcom, "Parks and Recreation," has recently acquired permission from Ideaman, Inc. to use several of the American Expedition gift items on their set. The products will appear as "set dressing" for the small, fictitious town of Pawnee, Indiana's Parks Department office.

The sitcom, which is in its second season, stars Amy Poehler (formerly of Saturday Night Live) and airs Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c. The staff at Ideaman is honored to have their products featured in such a high-profile venue and looks forward to seeing their wildlife gift items broadcast over the national airwaves this fall.

Calypso Studios was recognized by Giftbeat Magazine as a company who provides quality jewelry with high margins. The rating was given in the September issue. Calypso Studios is a three-year-old company that compared favorably with older, established names in the industry.

"We are proud to provide these high margins," says a Calypso spokesman. "In this economy, we want to give our customers both quality and great value."

The same survey was taken in March and Calypso was in the top 10 then as well.

Quick Industry News

Lancaster, PA: Wellspring, the company that brings fun and function to every day life, introduced a new gift collection at the Atlanta Gift Mart. The Madison Collection features both best selling Wellspring products as well as new items. Madison is a mix of organic and trendy designs on crisp blue, green, brown, and white. It features new designs on Flip Notes, Flip Cases, Note Pad Gift Sets, Note Cards and pens, as well as on brand new products: Pill Boxes, Compacts, Flip Sticky Notes, and Carabiner Pens. Retail price pints range from $3.99 to $9.99.

Wellspring is a family-owned business since 1980. It is based in Lancaster, PA and creates on trend gifts and stationery that bring art and organization to every day life. Wellspring products are both functional and fun and can be used as gifts can be used for all occasions.

Mountain Mamas in Park City, Utah has a new “Heart to Heart” jewelry collection. The bracelets feature lots of different beads each with a meaningful charm (“Peace”, “Inspire”, “Love”, “Friends” and “Angel”) and a matching set of earrings. Each set comes in a beautiful hinged box with a message that is all about the heart...”All that is worth cherishing begins in the heart.”

In addition to being an affordable gift with a message, a portion of all sales is donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Truly a gift to make you feel good giving and receiving!

A mouse pad and mug with the same design in Fiddler's Elbow's Ephemera line.

Middle Falls, NY- Fiddler's Elbow continues to have great success with the Ephemera^® line by artist Ed Polish. The hilarious retro modern product has earned a spot as a cult classic among customers and gift buyers of the established bumper sticker, magnet and button lines. Fiddler's Elbow took the idea and adapted the art into a kitchen line & subsequently added mouse pads, mugs and cosmetic bags. The philosophy at Fiddler's Elbow is that "the image is the first selling point" of a product. Staying true to form, the Ephemera collection features retro images of 1940/50s, perfectly coifed housewives, set against authentic graphics patterns and juxtaposed against modern and very funny (laugh out loud) captions.

Hundreds of requests are received from buyers around the world wanting to add the Ephemera line to their shops. "Who knew this was going to be such a success says Christy Phelan, Fiddler's Art Director, we have been adding 2 to 3 designs each new product release". The collection encapsulates the artwork and humorous phrasing that retro humor fans can't seem to get enough of.

Fiddler's Elbow has been designing and manufacturing American made, hand printed gifts in their Middle Falls, NY factory for over 36 years. John Gunther, President is a vital part of the daily operations, management, and forward vision.

Carson Home Accents Offers Monogram Chimes

Carson Home Accents offers a new way to Personalize with their Monogram Chimes. Each chime features a sentiment and/or design embellishments printed directly on the tubes.

Customers are able to choose their chime design and then personalize it by selecting their monogram sail (sail attaches easily with a clip on the bottom of the chime). A "Welcome" sail is also available for the customers who do not want personalization.

This chime program has increased sales each month since its April 2009 introduction, leading up to huge potential for fourth quarter sales. Because the category is so hot, look for more monogrammed collections coming in January 2010.

The Cross Paisley poem: "A symbol of faith and courage, A source of endless power; To face whatever comes along, Each year, each day, each hour."

About Face Designs^™ Messengers^™ Collection Adds Paisley Items

The Messengers^™ Collection from About Face Designs^™ celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary in 2009. The collection has grown in size and popularity each year due to new designs, creative enhancements and the continued strength of sentiment gifts. Each Messenger is a unique hand molded glass design accented with pure 24 karat gold and packaged in a satin-lined silk box with an original poem inside the lid. Each poem is an original verse conveying a "message" which is sentimental, inspiring and heartfelt.

Brand new for summer 2009, About Face Designs introduces the Messengers' "Paisley Collection™" consisting of the top 20 designs and sentiments from the past all featuring new contemporary paisley patterned silk boxes. The Paisley Collection is sure to be a favorite of current Messengers enthusiasts as well as appealing to many new consumers with the new "fashioned forward" designs. Suggested Retail $14.00

Artisan House Reclaims Its Retro Roots with Fall 2009 Collection

Designs above from left to right are: "Organic," "Eco-Friendly," and "Trinity"

Burbank, CA -- Whether 27 or 67, today's hip crowd is paying homage to the 1970s with a frank fascination for all things retro. For fall 2009 Artisan House^®, California-based designers and crafters of unique, fine-quality metal sculptures for wall, floor, tabletop and table, is reflecting the consumer's return to '70s-inspired styles with a color palette that is far more subdued than in recent collections.

"The bright colors seen on our metal art designs in 2007 and 2008 are taking a backseat to natural and metallic looks," says Artisan House president John Shilling. "There's no pop of color in the majority of the 52 new pieces being introduced in our Fall 2009 collection." (more)