Last week’s PANTS show was the last of this show’s time in Atlantic City – most attendees of this long-standing show are thrilled that the show will be moving back to PA next year.  As a long-time exhibitor of this show, I’m glad because I know it will be a more-attended show in PA.  As a beach-loving human being, I am sad for the move.  Instead of staying in Atlantic City for the show, I’ve stayed in Ocean City, about a 30-minute commute.  I was able to spend each evening sitting on the beach, and got a full day on the beach Friday after the show closed. 

This year’s show was actually pretty good -  we wrote more orders than we did last year, and saw a number of new people.  We did offer a show special this year.  Do you retailers generally try to take advantage of show specials?  We rarely have offered specials at shows, but have started doing so and it seems to make a difference in the number of orders we write.  The shows are SO expensive to do that we are trying to think of ways to do more business there.  Suggestions are always welcome!

Here’s what will be new this fall…we should have the new catalog out within the next six weeks or so, but most of these are available now if you’re interested.   Drop me a line, amy@dorothybiddle.com, or call toll free 888-712-3239.  Sorry, we’re still working on photos!

Blossom Crown, NEW SIZES!  Handcrafted metal doily that can be easily shaped and positioned on the top of a vase–just add flowers between the wires to hold them where you want them.  Round 5″, 6″, 8″, and 10″; Multi Pack includes those four PLUS a 4″ round and a 4″ square.

620A12 Catch-A-Mouse  Just use an empty plastic soda bottle to humanely catch & relocate mice from  your home to the outdoors…no inconvenient setting of traps (or trapping your fingers by mistake), no sticky glue pads or poisons.  Just place the bait in the bottle, then attach the cheese shaped trap with the hole on the bottom–the mouse can get insidethe bottle, but can’t get back outuntil you take the trap and bottle to the release area and flip it over so the cheese hole is on the top.  The little guy will crawl out on his own, and you never have to touch him!

625A12 Soda Bottle Bird Feeder  Easily transforms a 2-liter plastic soda bottle into a bird feeder to hang.

764A24BRS Long, 18″ Wreath Hanger, Brass  We’ve done so well with both the black & the white 18″ hangers that we’ve added the brass.

766A06 Jumbo Wreath Hanger  This is a BIG, very heavy-duty wreath hanger, 16″ long x 1-1/2″ wide with an antique brass finish.

806B12 SunStick  Package of 3 ‘sunshine meters’ to determine the level of sunshine in one spot over the course of one day…it will tell you when the day is done if the area you’ve chosen is full sun, partial sun, partial shade or full shade.  Removes the guesswork!  Refill Discs are also available.

862A10 Impress-O-Tags  This 1″ x 3-3/8″ tag was recommended to us by a customer (and old friend) who said it’s the longest lasting of any tags they use at their nursery.  Aluminum sheet is wrapped around a soft core and permanently crimped in place to seal the sides and add strength.  The durable, non-corrodible finish does not oxidize, even with prolonged exposure to weather, heat and dirt.  Aluminum wire ties are included, and they are sold in boxes of 100.

879A12 Eco-Towl  Ecologically-friendly, bio-degradable bamboo/corn towel is extremely absorbent and great to use in the house, the shop, or the garden.  Can be thrown in the washer (but not the dryer) or even the diswasher, and will last “a really long time”…I saw one that was washed 24 times and looked amazingly good.

891A05 Garden Kneeler/Seat  We carried this for years, and had many complaints when we discontinued it…now it’s back in stock.  Use as a seat, or turn it over to kneel on and use the handles to get back up (some of us are now old enough to actually need something like this!).

Wow, what a wait for these…Two’s Company no longer carries them, but is having them made JUST FOR US (can you say ‘an exclusive item your customers LOVE’???)…but it took a LONG time.  I have tracking info and we should be getting them in this week, so if you have an open back order you should see them soon.  If you don’t, get your order in soon as I think these will be gone quickly.