Things were quiet during the show when I arrived. It was probably because retailers were still manning their stores and hadn't yet arrived. Still, some exhibitors told me that they had good sales, which underscored the number of great gift basket products at the event. As always, I started at the furthest end.

As an aside, I must comment on the Accent in Atlanta section within the show. Each booth in the area was a visual masterpiece, sort of like small independent stores displaying king-sized beds decked out in linens and all the accoutrements for the bedroom and bath areas.

Candles were stacked and arranged on antique furniture. Pillows were propped up to provide visual ideas. Gift basket designers shouldn't overlook such displays and should view each to find merchandising ideas for their stores, displays and merchandise.

Judy offered me a sample of potpourri, and I couldn't turn her down. Nature's Own Potpourri is a visual masterpiece arranged in a box ($12 each) or bag ($7 each). It's not just potpourri pieces but swirls, stems, pods and picks of aromatic heaven. The Calypso fragrance emitted a clean, pure rain scent accented with a blue/green ribbon.

There’s a Potting Bench Collection complete with mini, decorative white gloves (too small to wear), sunflowers, and pods tied at the top with a yellow ribbon. It's a great gardening, housewarming or hostess gift. Strawberry Melon is fruity but not sickening sweet. It contains mini watermelons, pink melons and curly cue pieces. Shelby's Pansies has a beautiful pansy fragrance and lots of purple and yellow flowers.

There are also matching tapered candles ($7 for a bundle of 6 tied with ribbon), a 5-piece votive candle set with one glass holder ($9.50), and small bottles of refreshing oils in the same fragrances ($3.75). Fourteen fragrances in all. I'll be keeping my sample for some time.

I thought I had seen candles wrapped in every type of package available, but CandleNuts proved me wrong. These candles ($3.50 each) are set in half coconut shells which are wrapped in netting. The 24 scents are available in stunning colors and scents that burn for 18-22 hours. The candles also float.

Loved the Tangerine in a bright orange color, and the Creme Brulee is said to be the best seller and smells as if it should be eaten, not burned. Sandlewood is clean and perfect for men's baskets. Fresh Java has a deep, cocoa butter aroma. Birthday Cake Candle is pink and smells just like a cake.

The coconut shells are harvested in the Caribbean. The line is completed with Soapy Nuts, soap in a coconut shell, and Salty Nuts, which is a body salt scrub in the shell. The company's just four months old. Super cute.

Loofah in art form? Yep, and in addition to scrubbing your body, it's now made to scrub your pots, dishes, and vegetables. Loofah Art, sold through Janita International, makes loofahs in small ($2.40) and large ($4.60) animal and other shapes. Potatoes, mushrooms, chili peppers, carrots, apples and more come in stunning colors (blue, green, red, orange and more) and are packaged in clear cello bags with and without header cards.

Trivets, made from an open star shape, are made from the spine of the loofah. Great for protecting tables from hot pots. Trivets are only available in a natural color but doesn't take away from its beauty and functionality. Natural loofah is also made for body mitts and other body-scrubbing products and come with or without a hanging string.

The placemats are a gorgeous work of art. No two are alike. Each has a navy blue border and is patchwork in appearance. This loofah is made with long fibers, making it soft in texture and ensuring a better resilience. Janita International, the company name, is less than one year old. All loofah is made in Paraguay and helps the local economy to support itself. This is a great find.

I couldn't turn down a slice of chocolate-coated apple, and I wasn't disappointed. Belgian chocolate coats the apples and popcorn made by Christopher M's. The whole, gourmet apples ($6 each) are in six flavors, wrapped in clear cello bags and tied with white and red raffia. A heart-shaped pick is added to the outside of the package.

Aside from the apple sample, I wanted to know more about the popcorn ($3 each), which was also drizzled in Belgian chocolate and packaged in 6 oz. bags. It's a tall, substantial bag that will fill any basket. The down side to the apples is that there's only a two-week shelf life when not refrigerated, and not much more life in the frig. Fudge, coated pretzel rods and pecan turtles are also available.

The Gift Fair in Atlanta Show Report Continues -- Page 2

NOTE:
Information in each Show Report provides details on products displayed at trade shows. It does not constitute 1) company or product endorsements or 2) prevailing products or prices.

Read the intro