Maritime Museum and Coastal Store Report

Tying Sales (From page 64) surprised by cold Pacific winds. This year, Anderson brought in items themed around bees and beeswax to coordinate with a new permanent exhibit on shipwrecks. “We’ve been testing items in multiple categories, and they’ve all done well,” Anderson reported. “Kitchen items, scarves, food products, plush – if it has a bee involved, we’ll stock it!” She said the store is also expanding its Coast Guard merchandise, which is popular but underrepresented in the local market.

In Samoa, Calif., the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum is slowly rebuilding its gift shop inventory as pandemic restrictions ease. “Revenue was really down, so I don’t have the revenue on hand to invest in a lot of new stuff,” explained Curator Don Hofacker , who cites the supply chain as another issue.

A perennial favorite, for all ages, are nautical knot-tying games. The most popular include Boaters’ Challenge and the Campers’ Game. Sold in kits that include decks of cards, “they do quite well, and they also teach a life skill,” Hofacker noted.

Locally oriented books are popular with every demographic. Seniors are more likely to visit in winter, when sales are slower; summer brings families with children and bored college students looking for something to do. “All summer, the items pretty much sell themselves,” said Hofacker. “Kids really enjoy jewelry featuring pirates and mermaids. There’s a real fascination with them.” As he broadens inventory, Hofacker hopes to add locally themed coloring books to the mix.

As of February, Chelsea Lane was still considering orders for the summer season at Maine Maritime Museum, where she is guest services manager. Most visitors at the Bath, Maine museum are out-of-towners, including a steady stream from the cruise ships that dock overnight near the museum.

Maine-themed maritime and historical books are best-sellers at the gift shop. “A lot of people see them as an opportunity to engage more with what they’re seeing here at the museum, and to broaden their experience of Midcoast Maine,” Lane explained. She tries to carry items from area artisans, such as the popular logo tees designed in nearby Brunswick.

Books are the best-sellers for all age groups at the Custom House Maritime Museum in Newburyport, Mass. “We get a lot of history buffs, because the museum is in a historic district,” explained Store Buyer Maureen Wolf . Nautical, preppy style jewelry from Peachy Pendants is also a top seller; with motifs like lighthouses, anchors and ginger jars, “it really speaks to the coast,” Wolf explained. “It’s also nicely made and reasonably priced.” A pair of earrings, for example, costs under $20.

Wolf estimates at least 60 percent of her customers are tourists. With ample competition from downtown shops, the Museum Store tries to avoid redundancy in its selection. “A lot of locals come into our store to shop because they know they can find unique things here,” Wolf said.

Among this year’s items are a line of handcrafted pewter knick-knacks from Nova Scotia. “They are beautiful nautical pieces — tiny salt cellars, scallop shells with tiny spoons,” said Wolf, adding that Custom House is the first Newburyport vendor to feature the Amos Pewter line. Well priced under $25, the pewter trinkets were popular for holiday gifts last winter.

How Do You Reach Out To Boat Enthusiasts?

Nautically themed merchandise is a natural lure for shoppers who dock nearby. At the Maine Maritime Museum, boaters love decorative “half-hulls” — three-dimensional boat models that are halved and wall mounted. “They’re locally made on-site by volunteers in our boat shop, and a lot of time and effort goes into creating them,” said Guest Services Manager Chelsea Lane

The Columbia Maritime Museum in Astoria, Ore., doesn’t sell actual boating instruments. Instead, “labeling items such as sextant replicas and decorative maps with ‘Warning: Not For Navigational Use’ brings a smile to those who actually navigate,” reported Store Manager Blue Anderson. “We sell boat enthusiasts fun, marine-themed items for their homes or boats.”

Many waterfront institutions, like the Annapolis Maritime Museum in Maryland, cater to the boaters who dock nearby. “Our back lawn is directly on the Riverwalk, so we offer our ‘first mate’ museum members docking privileges at the museum,” reported Museum Operations Coordinator Tracey Neikirk. “They can walk into town from the boat and enjoy a concert or have dinner. Being in between several boat yards, we have a captive audience.”

The Custom House Maritime Museum in Newburyport, Mass, also caters to port arrivals. “People dock here and make a vacation of it,” said Store Buyer Maureen Wolf. Knowing that boaters love to entertain on deck, Wolf ordered wine cozies specially printed with a nautical map of Newburyport. Marine-themed paper napkins, bottle openers and handmade cutting boards are also popular with recreational sailors.

After all, while tourists come and go, boaters are part of the fabric of any coastal region. “We are a boating community; we’ve got a lot of local fishermen,” noted Don Hofacker, curator at the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum in Samoa, Calif. “And our museum is a real community center. We promote tourism all around here, and they appreciate it.” ❖