Why My Best-Selling Product Was Garbage (and What It Taught Me About Souvenirs That Sell)
My best-selling product was garbage.
Literally.
Before I ever thought about wholesale, colouring books, or New Brunswick tourism, I was a twenty-year-old with a vintage shop in a bayside town — selling smelly old clothes I had arranged in a pleasing manner for public adornment.
It wasn’t a souvenir shop. Not even close. But tourists made up the bulk of my customers.
I hadn’t set out to attract them. I didn’t carry postcards or keychains. I paid a local street artist to graffiti my sign, glued beads to the wall in a rainbow mosaic, and painted whimsical doodles in the windows. It was weird. Unique. Off the beaten path — and apparently, that was enough.
People wandered in out of curiosity, and they left with stories.
And what were they buying?
Handmade bowls.
Melted out of scratched-up vinyl records I’d pulled from the curb.
At first, I just used them to hold jewelry displays. But shoppers kept picking them up, flipping them over, connecting with the labels still visible at the center: Fleetwood Mac. Queen. ABBA.
They’d laugh. Reminisce.
Some told me they’d made these bowls as kids. Others lit up at the sight of an album they once owned.
“How much?” they’d ask.
Caught off guard, I shrugged and said, “Um… five bucks?”
Their faces lit up. And they bought them. Fast.
Soon, I was baking record bowls by the dozen. Tourists wanted a fun, nostalgic keepsake. Locals wanted a one-of-a-kind handmade gift. And nearly everyone grabbed more than one.
Eventually, I used them as the base for gift baskets — filled with unsold stock, repackaged and reimagined. The return on investment? Incredible. I was selling literal garbage — and learning everything I needed to know about what makes a product irresistible.
Here’s what I learned from selling trash:
Tourists want more than a souvenir. They want a story to bring home.
Locals love unique too. The best products bridge both markets.
Handmade matters. People connect to things made by real hands in real places.
Nostalgia sells. If it stirs a memory, it sparks a sale.
Multiple buys are gold. The right price point turns one sale into three.
Presentation can make or break a product. Even leftover stock looks luxe in the right packaging.
That’s exactly how I designed my New Brunswick-themed colouring books.
Before launching them, I asked myself the same 5 questions I wish I’d known to ask back then:
✅ Does it reflect local culture and experience?
Every issue features beloved New Brunswick landscapes, historic landmarks, and real places that tourists recognize and locals remember.
✅ Is it unique and handmade?
Absolutely. I hand-draw every illustration myself — no AI, no shortcuts — so each page is a piece of my sketchbook and a true work of art.
✅ Does it evoke nostalgia?
Yes! Whether it’s a childhood beach, a lighthouse visit, or the cozy feel of a countryside barn — these books spark memories, then let you sit and savour them.
✅ Does the price encourage multiple purchases?
It does — and it works. Over ⅗ of my customers buy more than one copy: one to keep, and one to gift.
✅ Will it sell after tourist season?
Definitely. Locals are gifting them to loved ones who’ve moved west, teachers are using them in classrooms, and folks are buying them to relax through the long winter months.
If you're a retailer looking for a product that offers more than just a “Made in NB” label — something that connects, delights, and sells itself — I'd love to hear from you.
Wholesale pricing, custom cover options, and promotional support available.
Let’s turn meaningful moments into memorable mementos — together.
Rachel Pletz
