Back in the day, a lot of people used to follow the iconic rock band The Grateful Dead all around the country for the music. Matt Huusko, CEO of wholesaler Monster Trendz, did that as well, but also found it a great way to make some cash as an 18-year-old fan. “I’d set up a five-foot-long table and sell jewelry to the groupies as they were filing in to the shows,” he recalls. “I started out making about $800 a day, and was soon pulling in $1,000 to $2,000 a show. That was a lot of money for a kid.”
Huusko soon realized he could actually make a living at this and, starting with his first trade show in January 1990, soon built up his business to where he was pulling in $5 million to $6 million a year. “Our real niche now is beach resorts, where kids gather for spring break,” he says. “We have about a dozen reps on islands across the Caribbean and in Hawaii.” Yet Monster Trendz isn’t just limited to warm-weather locales. “We also sell to flea market vendors, head shops, smoke shops, gift stores and souvenir outlets,” he notes.
Carrying about 1,200 skus, Huusko says his current best seller is Monster Trendz’ line of friendship bracelets. “We’ve got all styles, old and new, deep and wide, and they wholesale for only 40 cents apiece, with retailers getting $2 and up for them,” he says. “Usually most of our merchandise sells for a four times markup, so it’s a pretty good deal,” he adds. The company is also seeing a lot of interest in its silicone slap bracelets that wholesale for $1.25 to $1.50, and retail for $4.99, and power balance bracelets that wholesale for $1.35 each and also retail at $4.99. Display fixtures come free with certain products, and volume discounts are automatically calculated online as buyers tally up their orders. “We also do an email special every month, and have a Twitter feed that tweets out coupons on a regular basis,” Huusko says. “Anything we can do to help our customers, we’ll do it.”
For More Information:
Monster Trendz, Inc.
One Washington Street, #5017
Dover, NH 03820
Tel.: 603-617-2845
Toll Free: 866-365-6425
Website: www.monstertrendz.com