We’ve made great strides in the gift basket industry.

Some of you will remember this blast from the past I’m about to share, and those of you who are new to gift baskets will say, “You did what?”

Just make sure you shout those words in your design studio and not where you work for someone else.

Remember when filling the inside of your basket’s cavity included a floral foam brick?
I used to wrap my floral foam in tissue paper before adding it to the basket. Covering the foam assured that the recipient didn’t get the foam’s gritty surface all over their hands when emptying the basket.

It’s a technique I added to the early editions of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business.

Now that we rarely, if ever, use foam, manufacturers are making these bricks in pretty pastel colors.

It’s too late to select a color other than gray, but isn’t it great that there’s a better way to fill the inner basket?

Remember trying Mylar shred for the first time?

Like me, you probably saw this unique-and-different shred at a trade show.

I bought this thin, shiny shred in three colors. It was beautiful, but it was also annoying. It stuck to your hands like a magnet and wouldn’t let go.

I smiled broadly when I used the last handful of this shred. It seemed to have a mind of its own.

Remember when NASFT Showcase (now Specialty Food Magazine) and Gifts & Decorative Accessories included a gift basket article in every issue?

The gift baskets were as bountiful as they were beautiful. Each featured designer shared tips for starting from scratch and increasing sales; however, their words never strayed from what you already know:

Is there something you remember about this industry that’s endearing or would be nice to see return?

Shirley George Frazier

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