Bringing to Mind Where Sea and Land Meet Best-Selling Coastal Gifts

By Sara Karnish

Coastal gifts bring the beach to your home any time of year. Whether steps from the shore or several states away, coastal gift shops offer a wide selection of sea-inspired merchandise to appeal to a diverse customer demographic.

“My vision when I opened the store was a seaside cabin, filled with old furniture, full of shelves, but with a nice garden area,” explained Joanne Meeks, owner of Whimsical Wishes in Plymouth, Mass. “Our best-sellers are the [framed prints of] writing in the sand by Lisart of Maine, but we also sell a lot of 18-inch signs with sayings on them that I call ‘shelf sitters.’ People usually buy the ones that are funny—people need to laugh! We also sell a lot of jewelry, and garden [items.]”

Customers looking for an eclectic mix of merchandise— coastal gifts and souvenirs alike—can find it at Sessoms’ Gifts and Candies, a staple of the Sea Isle City, N.J., community for 50 years. Among their variety of items, Owner Roberta Sessoms said mugs are a top seller. “We kind of have three stores in one,” she explained. “One is a fudge shop, and the other is a gift shop with nautical items, natural items, and the more inexpensive souvenirs and mugs. We carry a lot of pirate stuff, and we’re the only ones on Sea Isle to sell live hermit crabs. The third ‘shop’ is called Below Sea Level, and that has the T-shirts and sweatshirts. We just started carrying the Puppie Love line, and we do well with that.”

Chris Sorenson , owner of Beachy Keen in Sea Isle City, N.J., said their best-sellers are imprinted stone coasters from Lantern Press which show beach scenes and/or are namedropped with “Sea Isle City,” making them the perfect souvenir for customers who want something small to easily fit into a suitcase, yet are unique to a location. Sorenson added, “We encourage our imprinted modern items, such as our coasters. We have one with a heart made of stones that is wonderful for beach brides or an engagement gift. Coasters have a practical use and also bring back memories of your visit.”