Kole Imports Blog

Kole Imports’ success is due largely to our huge selection of dollar store merchandise, and we continue to offer great deals on dollar store items.  We just want to mention that we also carry  items which retail for more than a dollar.   If you’re looking for wholesale general merchandise to sell at different price points, come to koleimports.com and see what we have.

We’ve spent a lot more time and energy seeking out and buying closeouts lately, which means we’ve expanded our range of products significantly, with lots of great new dollar store items and also many new over $1 retail items.  Browsing through our items, you will even find items we’re wholesaling for well under a dollar, which you’ll be able to sell for more than a dollar in a retail store.  If we got a great deal on an item as a closeout, you’ll get a great deal on it when you buy it wholesale from us.  Here are a few pictures of our over $1 items.

Laser Level As Seen On TV # OA584

Portable 250 PSI Air Compressor # OA322

Cable knit purse with snowball ties # OA944

3-Pc Tealight Candle Holder # OA759

We just received a shipment of very nice health and beauty closeouts, including bath brushes, scrubbers, foot files, massagers and little bottles.  These are high-quality items in nice packaging, and they have the look of expensive boutique products.  We got a great deal on them, and we’re passing the savings on to you.  These are great impulse items, especially if they’re priced low.  Women love to shop for health and beauty items, and they’ll buy these even if they already have similar items at home, especially if these items are nicer than the ones they already own. 

Even if you believe you have a complete health and beauty section in your store, you should carry these items.  They are attractively packaged and well-constructed, and your customers will buy them when they see them.  Put them into your health and beauty section, and you will see how quickly they sell out.  Our wholesale prices for these items are low, so you’re sure to make money on them.  Click here to see all of our health and beauty wholesale closeouts.  Pictures are below.

4-Way Wooden Foot Brush # BE646

Massager # BE637

Boucle Scrubbing Pad # BE647

Put me in, Coach.  I’m ready to play.  Today.  Baseball season has started!  The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking good this  year.  Be ready for Dodger fans by carrying Officially Licensed MLB Baseball 2-Pack Dodgers Notepads in your store. (item # FB206)  It’s a great item at a great price, fans love the team, and now is the perfect time to be selling it. 

We have new licensed NFL Football items as well.  I’m saying this long before the NFL Football season even starts:  The Raiders are going to win the next Super Bowl.  I’m sure you agree with me, and the best way to show your love of the Raiders is to buy some Officially Licensed NFL Oakland Raiders Notepads and keep one with you at all times, spending your days filling the pages with “I ♥ The Raiders.”  We’re selling a 2-pack with one silver notebook and one black one, so no matter what crazy costume you’re wearing, you’ll have a notepad that matches your attire.

What’s that?  You’re not a Raider fan?  Why not?  You should take a few moments right now to ponder this question and think about who you really are and what you were born to do.  Football isn’t just about scoring touchdowns, playing defense and winning games.  There’s a lot more to it than that.  I just sent an email to the NFL asking them to abolish the scoring system and just have the teams play for fun.  Everyone will get a participation ribbon.  The Raiders motto will have to change from “Just Win, Baby!” to “Just Participate, Baby!”

OK, fine.  You’re not going to buy our Raiders notepads, and you’re thinking about our Dodgers notepads.  We also have new items from a lot of other teams, including NBA Basketball, NFL Football and MLB Baseball teams, many of which don’t suck, and in many cities people will buy team merchandise even if the team does suck (Case in point:  The Raiders).  We have new items from these teams:  Pistons, Heat, Bears, Bulls, Mavericks, Chiefs, Heat, Rams, Dolphins and White Sox.  The new items are wallets, notepads, and stationery sets.  See pictures below.  We also have magnets and air fresheners with the logos of a lot of other teams.  Click here to see all of our licensed sports products.

Los Angeles Dodgers MLB Notepad # FB206

Raiders NFL Football Notepad 2-Pack # FB202

Dallas Mavericks NBA Pad, Pencil Stationery Set # FB212

Miami Heat NBA Wallet # FB209

If you’re looking for a quick and easy turnkey display for your store, check out our promopallets.com website.  You’ll find promotional displays in all sizes, from PDQ countertop displays and dump displays all the way up to promotional pallets of merchandise at low wholesale prices.  We even have free shipping for orders over $1,000 in the continental U.S.  See the promopallets.com website for complete details on shiping and prices for all of they displays and pallets.

Most of the pallets contain a variety of items, but they all have the same UPC code, so they are easy to set up in your system.  Buy a 1536-piece pallet promotional display, and you only have to enter one UPC code into your POS system even though there are 48 different items in the display.  This is a true turnkey system.  Roll it into your store, unwrap it, enter one UPC into your system, and the merchandise is ready to sell.

If a pallet-sized promotional display is too big to fit in your store,  take a look at the 768-piece starter pallet displays.  If you want something even smaller, we have free-standing dump displays, floor displays and PDQ countertop displays to fit into smaller spaces in your store.

You should seriously consider putting some of these promtional displays in your store.  Look around your store and you will see several places you could put free-standing turnkey promotional displays.  And the great thing about our Promo Pallet Displays  is that you don’t have to clear out any shelf space to get them into the store.  Your store will still be full of all of your current merchandise, and you will have new things to sell, so you will increase your profits.  Go to promopallets.com now and see all of the details on our wholesale turnkey store promotional displays.  You’ll be glad you did. 

1,440 Piece Automotive Half Pallet # DA100

768- Pc General Merchandise Starter Pallet Display # DA105

72-pc Shammy Cloth Promotional Floor Display # DB104

44-pc Flash Card Countertop Promotional Display # DC105

Cinco De Mayo is a little more than a month away.  In case you don’t speak Spanish, it’s on May 5.  If you’re in a part of the world that celebrates Cinco De Mayo, you should put some of these Mexican flags up for sale in your store.  If you want to get some exercise, take a few hundred of these flags to your local Cinco De Mayo celebration and walk around and sell them for 5 bucks apiece.  

We got a great closeout deal on these Mexican Flags, and we’re wholesaling them for 50 cents each.  They come in 2 different sizes.  Item KI712 is 4 x 6 inches.  Item KI717 is 8 x 12 inches. 

These are nice flags.  Both sizes of flag are made of cloth.  The big one, KI717, is wrapped in a little plastic bag, is UPC coded, and has an 18-inch wooden stick with a gold plastic point at the top.  The smaller one, KI712, comes wrapped in a plastic bag, is UPC coded, and has a 10 3/4-inch plastic stick with a gold point at the end.  Here are some pictures.  Click a picture to go to our website and see the flag and all of our other wholesale merchandise.

4 X 6 Inch Mexican Flag # KI712

8 x 12 Inch Wholesale Cinco De Mayo Mexican Flag # KI717

This just in:  A big shipment of really nice metal and glass decorative candle holders in 9 different styles.   The metal frame is painted black, and different styles hold different numbers of candles.  As you can see in the pictures below, each candle holder comes in a cardboard box with a color picture, description, and UPC code, so they’re ready for retail sale.  These wholesale candle holders are great gift items, and they’ll sell well in your gift section or your housewares section. 

Candles are not included, but we sell them separately.  Click here to see all of our wholesale candle holders.

Branch Style Wholesale Single Candle Holder # OB420

3-Candle Holder # OB421

5-Candle Holder # OB423

5-Candle Holder # OB422

Been biting your nails too much lately?  We understand.  Modern life is stressful.  Replace those worn-out natural nails with beautiful new artificial nails, and if you chew them up, they’re cheap and easy to replace. 

Our artificial fingernails and glue are a great addition to any health and beauty department.  No one wants to admit that they use artificial nails, but a lot of people do, and if you stock them, they’ll sell well.  Some are pre-polished, and some are plain.  We even have a 100-pack of nails, as well as glue to attach them.  See all of our new nail items at http://www.koleimports.com/commerce/CatalogHome.asp?hiddenRequestType=4&hiddenCatID=8&hiddenSubcatID=2302&hiddenCatIDToOpen=8

100-Pack Of Artificial Nails, Item # BE629

Finger Nail Glue, Item # BE630

French Nails, Item # BE626

In his speech, Rob Kole made the point that Kole Imports hires employees based on their personalities and character, as well as their knowledge and experience.  Having a strong team of good people who work well together and want the company to thrive is key to our success.  It was great fun to get the whole Kole Imports team together outside of the office for a look back at our company history, dinner, drinks and dancing.  We’re very happy to be doing so well after 25 years.  Here are some pictures from our past and present.

Danny Kole giving a great speech about the history of the company.

Danny Kole at a trade show in 1985, when it all began. Nice hair!

Rob and Danny kole with a customer at a trade show in 1985. We're trying to talk Rob into growing the mustache again.

Rob Kole in the original Kole Imports office. Fortunately for everyone here, he wears long pants to work now.

One of the first containers Danny unloaded in 1985. It tipped over after he unloaded the back of it. He was in it at the time and knocked unconscious. We unload containers differently now.

1985 Kole Imports Catalog.

Shocking Values sign, with Danny Kole. We created this sign to make people stop at our booth, and it worked.

The Kole team during our blood drive. The bloodmobile came to the office and took donations.

Kole Imports Warehouse Staff. These guys get all of the orders out as fast as they can and do a great job.

Our current show booth in Las Vegas. The new color and logo really make it stand out from the competition.

Kole Imports officially turns 25 at the end of this week, and we’re planning a party to celebrate and show appreciation to all of our employees who helped us reach this milestone.  It occurred to me that it would be fun to look back at some of our oldest active items, which are the engine of our continued success, appealing to customers for decades and always selling well.  We’re committed to value and variety, and we have had huge success with one-time closeout deals over the last few years, but it’s also important for us to remember that our customers also need fast-selling staple items in their stores.  Here are just a few of the items we’ve carried since the beginning, which continue to sell well and make our customers happy.

Super Glue is a great deal and always sells well. Item HZ025

Stop! Hammer Time! Always a great seller. Everyone needs a hammer. Item AB030

Kids Recorder Flute. This actually sounds pretty good, for a recorder. Item WX030

As long as people ride bikes, they'll need this item. Always a great seller. Item MO065

Pin The Tail On The Donkey Game. This one's a classic. Kids still play this game at birthday parties. Item PA040

Easter is coming soon!  If you want to carry Easter items, you better order them right now, or it will be too late.  We still have a lot of wholesale Easter merchandise in stock, including Easter eggs, plastic grass, loot bags, napkins, plates, and a whole lot more.

To see our regular-stock Easter items, click here.

To see our Easter closeouts, click here.

Here are pictures of some of our wholesale Easter items and closeouts.  Order now to get your Easter items in time.

Wholesale Easter Bags, Item # SA237

Wholesale Plastic Easter Eggs, Item # SA147