Everyone knows someone who would appreciate a new ornament or a nic nack to add to a set but how about a handcrafted gift, completely unique and designed by an artist using methods with an amazing history.... And so we turn to the carpenters chisel. Archaeological digs show carvings along with pottery to be one of the oldest trades known to man stretching back thousands of years. When one thinks that any hand made carving had been painstakingly crafted by a tradesman using the unique characteristics of individual pieces of wood to depict form and function and how no two handmade carvings are ever identical. This of course is what discerning shoppers look for, differences in characteristics, shapes and sizes. What more could you ask for in a gift idea. All carvings are hand made not mass produced, invariably carving animals and figures require a lot of skilled work to produce truly unique hand made items - ideal gifts for taking abroad or selling across the UK.

There has been long tradition in the United Kingdom for high-quality, well-crafted giftware items. From the classic elegance of British bone china to the prestige of sterling silver and the craftsmanship of traditional wooden carvings ? all these items have seen growing demand from buyers and retailers worldwide. The UK's giftware industries are collectively worth billions of pounds and account for some further billions worth of imports and exports.

A question often asked from our in-house experts is what type of carvings sell? We are asked this question all the time and there is no easy answer. The reality is all types of carvings sell and sell well but where most sellers go wrong is not in the product selection but in where they are selling their carvings. Our popular dolphin carvings and wall plaques, carved turtles and seals are very strong sellers for gift shops situated near the sea side. Gift shops located within garden centres sell our bambootastic range of animals carvings very strongly as they are intended for outside use. City centre gift shops do well with our carved Lizards, Iguanas and Buddha's. Gift shops located in affluent areas do very well with our range of carved wooden Buddha's.

Unique handmade products are becoming strong sellers across the UK. New ranges of hand made mirrors, photo albums and notebooks have made a welcomed debut on the UK gifts shop scene and have been selling strongly throughout the 2007 season. Buyers are uncompromising and have been searching for unique products. With all of the mass produced junk on the market today people are in search of individuality, no-one wants to go to the superstore and buy the same mirror to hang in the same sized and shaped bathroom as everyone else on their street!

With the over whelming array of mass produced junk on the market the UK giftware industry has been crying out for individuality. The days where gift shops buyers fil shops with mass produced plastic tack with a name plate are thankfully long behind us.