While I launched the T.G.S. Curated Shop in 2020 to replace sponsorships, paid advertisements, and other forms of outside support, 2021 marked the first year where we had a fully stocked shop from day one, and were able to start to bring in the kind of unique products that we had originally envisioned. For today’s year-end recap, I’ve pulled together a list of the ten best-selling products, in order of number of units sold. Many thanks to everyone who has supported T.G.S. over the past year, and if you haven’t had a chance to try out one of these customer favorites, please give them a shot! I’ve even pulled them together into a “Best Sellers” category in the store, for ease of reference!
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Hightide Folding Metal Book Stand. One of the most practical desk accessories I sell, this inexpensive metal book stand can be used to hold more than books - it pulls double duty as a tablet stand, notepad or document holder for transcribing handwritten notes or annotations, and more! Available in nearly a dozen colors.
Book Darts, T.G.S. Edition. The simple-yet-outstandingly-practical Book Dart is, no exaggeration, one of my favorite consumer products of all time. I have these scattered in multiple rooms around my house, in my briefcase, and on my desk at work, using them for anything from a standard bookmark to dividers that break a notebook into sections.
Midori MD Notebooks. On the paper side, Midori rules them all. While A5 is easily the most popular size, in both the standard MD A5 notebook and the larger “Codex” day-to-a-page version, we also sell a ton of B6 slim, A6, and even the large A4.
Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood Pencils. I remember first seeing this pencil five or six years ago and thinking, “who would use this?” Then I actually picked one up. Sure, it’s expensive for a pencil, but these seemingly last forever. Available in both classic Swiss beech and pine finishes, the Swiss Wood is far and away our best-selling pencil (though the full range of Caran d’Ache pencils are difficult to keep in stock).
Washi Tapes. Nothing is more fun than picking out Washi tapes to stock a stationery store. Nothing. If you haven’t checked out or selection of humorous, quirky, and sometimes cheeky washi tapes from brands such as iLootPaperie and Love My Tapes, you have a window of a day or so to get some in time to stuff the Christmas stockings.
Pokka Pens Pocket Ballpoints. One of our original product lines, the Pokka pen is still going strong. Like the Book Dart, the Pokka is an inexpensive, yet infinitely useful, piece of stationery that I keep in multiple places around the house, in my cars, etc. Now, you can even add a keychain dock and/or an aluminum cap to create the ultimate pocket EDC ballpoint.
Rhodia Writing Pads, Webbies, and Composition Books. Classics never go out of style. Rhodia writing pads have long been a staple of my office supply closet, and their Webnotebooks, or “Webbies” make a great upgrade for anyone who loves the “A5-ish leatherbound notebook” aesthetic but wants better paper than most big-box brands can offer. Finally, the smash hit of the year has been Rhodia’s classic composition book (which is nearly sold out, btw.)
Penco Perfection Pocket Ballpoint. Another pocket pen made the list, in the form of this chunky Penco bullet pen that comes not only in the heftier brass model, but a lightweight plastic version as well (though it’s currently almost completely sold out).
Sunderland x T.G.S. mk1 Rollerball. I’m always happy to see my own custom products make a “best of” list, and my store-exclusive mk1 Rollerball landed just inside the top 10. I had a lot of fun working with Brad at Sunderland Machine Works to develop this matte black rollerball/fineliner with a matte burgundy section and a DLC-coated clip. If you’re looking for a “buy it once” EDC pen, please give this one your consideration and help support more exclusive projects from T.G.S. in the future! (You can read more on what went into designing this pen here.)
Hightide Sandglasses. Rounding out the top 10 is a classic. These hourglasses make excellent analog timers, whether for Pomodoro-style work sessions, cooking, mediation, or however else you might choose to use them. Available in four different intervals (3, 5, 15, and 30 minutes), and multiple colors. I would say the 15-minute sandglass in amber or green is the most popular option.