Happy Pre-Hallothankshanuchristmanza Year

Here they come. The winter holidays ended yesterday and they start today. Pick a day, any day.

When I started in this business, Halloween was a zero on the sales chart, at least in the market I was buying for, and Thanksgiving was just Black Friday Eve. Now they are two more holidays that contribute to my sales in a bigger way every year, right behind the major winter holidays. And the buyers started buying last month.

I'm sending lists of holiday titles, including stuff that just sells better in the coming months than at other times, so let me know if I've missed you or you want to receive a particular list.

Not to belabor the obvious, but keep in mind:

• Halloween will take place right in the middle of CIROBE* this year. Buy those pumpkin cookbooks and Charlie Brown & The Big Pumpkin books way ahead of time!
• Hanukkah 2013 begins in the evening of Wednesday, November 27, the night before Thanksgiving.
• Christmas is on a Wednesday this year. Despite the Black Friday hoopla, the biggest shopping day of the year is actually the Saturday before Christmas, and with many people getting the Monday before Christmas Eve off, that Saturday-Before effect can stretch out and you could have a very busy few days between December 21st and 24th.

Being the sales rep with the bargain books, the other thing I will always belabor is that you need to get ahead of the crowd and buy early for the holidays. The best stuff sells out before October, and much is selling now, as the big bargain buyers place their purchase orders now to ship in a month or two.

*CIROBE is The Chicago International Remainder & Overstock Book Expo
October 29 - November 1st, 2013
Hilton & Towers, Chicago