Sidelines Selling for the Holidays & Beyond

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Throughout the holidays, sidelines -- with their healthy margins and appeal to impulsive shoppers -- are the gifts that keep on giving ... back to bookstores. After the rush, many of the staples, including candles, puppets and plush toys, travel guides, and music CDs, continue to boost the bottom line year-round.

In this first of a two-part series, booksellers share their consistent top-sellers for the holidays and beyond.

At DIESEL, A Bookstore in Malibu, a counter display of InsideOut city guides, inspires both spontaneous purchase and travel. "The customers are deciding where they're going based on the guides," reported co-owner Alison Reid. "The books come with a compass on the spine, pop-out maps, and a little pen inside that has a light, in case you're doing a lot of writing in the dark. They've been doing well."

DeDe Teeters of Armchair Books in Port Orchard, Washington, noted that music CDs have been a successful new addition to the store's sideline offerings. Teeters brought in a listening station from North Star Music that features multiple selections in more than 20 categories, including holiday, Celtic, piano, and world. "It's done very well," she said.

Also moving are artisan-style candles from Wilco, a San Francisco-based import company. "They do a nice variety of scented, unscented, and colors," said Teeters. "We've probably done the best with Wilco on candles."

Candles are brightening sales at Sundance Bookstore in Reno, Nevada, too. "Nirvana is our primary candle source," said Sundance's Christine Kelly. "We've carried them for many years. They make these small cube candles and [now offer] a set of four in a nice gift-packaged set. They are a steady solid seller for us year round. And they're a really nice company to work with."

At Little Bookworms, a children's bookstore in Bradenton, Florida, puppets are always a popular present for kids. "Folkmanis puppets sell very well," said co-owner Heidi Allwood. Folkmanis, a 30-year-old award-winning company, also does well at Nightbird Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas, said owner Lisa Sharp. The company makes over 200 hand and finger puppets including velociraptors, armadillos, tarantulas, and Yorkshire terriers. Folkmanis offers a list of books that pair well with particular puppets.

See-through mini-backpacks from Stephen Joseph are a hit with kids and parents, said Christine Freglette of the Book Mark Shoppe in Brooklyn. "They're a great seller," she said. "The backpacks are clear, so people can also buy a couple of books and put them inside for a nice gift. During back-to-school, we order the school lunch boxes to match." --Karen Schechner with reporting by David Grogan and Nomi Schwartz

For more sidelines sources, check out ABA's Booksellers Resource Directory.

If you have a sideline that you would like to share with BTW readers, please send us an e-mail.

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