Magazine Subscriptions: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Looking for the perfect gift to get that someone who has everything? How about a magazine subscription? Rather than ending up in a pile of other gifts that may get stashed in a closet, or quickly forgotten, magazines will remind someone that you were thinking of them every time a new issue arrives on his or her doorstep. Purchasing magazines as gifts can be economical too, and other gifts may be included with the subscription.

Some gifts that may be included when you purchase a subscription for someone are books or CDs related to the magazine's topic, or another related gift. For example, a subscription to a golf magazine might come with free golf balls. Or, special discounts might apply to gift subscriptions so that the person you're buying for can get more issues of the magazine for the same price.

At http://giftsandmagazines.com, they have what they call magazine samplers, which are subscriptions to a group of magazines with the same topic, such as cooking or sports. Most magazines will send the recipient a gift card for you, or one to you for you to give, so that you have a present to stick under the Christmas tree or for the birthday boy or girl to open on their special day.

Magazines can be a great gift idea for children. There are magazines that cater to every age group, and having reading material that is current and pertains to their interests can encourage even the most hesitant readers. There are also literary magazines for children, so they can see new work by the authors of their favorite books, or they might read an excerpt of something and decide they want to read the whole book. Next thing you know, they are asking to go to the library or bookstore.

A magazine on children and parenting can be a creative baby shower gift. New parents will appreciate advice they can consult any time of day and in those small bits of time when they get a chance to read something quickly. Magazines could also be a good housewarming gift, maybe a title on home decorating or cooking. Most importantly, there are as many magazines out there as there are interests and hobbies, which means that giving a magazine subscription can be a very thoughtful and personalized gift, and those are the best kind.


And here is another random article you might be interested in...

3 Steps to Improving Your Craft Show Profit

Here are those three things broken down even further for you:

1.) Simple products â€" OK, a pet rock might be a little too simple (however, it might come back), but living room furniture goes a little bit beyond the standard craft show item. When you are thinking about simple crafts it doesn't have to be simpleminded. Here is a good rule of thumb â€" it should be something that someone COULD make at home, but might be just out of the reach of most people who come to a craft show.

What this does is ensure a couple of things: first, it probably isn't that complicated to make.

Second, it probably won't cost you a fortune to produce because the components are relatively few, and inexpensive.

2.) Make them quickly â€" Let's go back to the living room furniture example for a moment. How long would it take someone to do that? Let's just say a nice rocking chair... a few weeks? You need to work for a year in order to make enough chairs to satisfy the demand!

The key to profitability is to make something that takes very little of your (or a helpers) time to make. This reduces any potential labor costs and it also ensures that you can produce enough of the craft to meet the need you will have at any of your craft shows.

3.) A great markup â€" Figuring out the price of a craft is going to be a tricky one. It might even differ between craft shows. When everything is accounted for, you should try to double or even triple the dollar value that it costs you to make the product. So, for example, if you produce something that costs $1 to make, you should be selling it for a minimum of $2 or $3 dollars.

This tip goes hand in hand with the others. If your craft is simple, and you can produce a quality product in very little time, chances are your cost for each item is going to be relatively low. The lower you reduce the cost to make a quality craft, the HIGHER your profit will be when you sell.

For anyone looking to profit from craft shows, this is a start. At first, it might look like it limits the choices you have for profits. That solely depends on you and the profit margin that you are expecting. It shouldn't prevent you from making a craft that you enjoy, but it should give you a better understanding of what you might need to do in order to make your craft show business as profitable as possible.

Copyright 2006 Natalie Goyette

Other articles by this author »
About Natalie Goyette

Natalie Goyette shows you how to make your craft show business profitable in her best selling ebook: Craft Show Success Secrets. Visit her site: http://www.craftshowsuccess.com