Gifts galore — and a lot more — from the legendary Bamforth seaside postcard collection

JELC, global licensing agent for the Bamforth Postcard Collection, has announced that exhibitors Little Black Dog, Raiseprint, Spike Leisurewear and Spencer & Fleetwood will all be presenting Bamforth-based ranges at Autumn Fair International. Less than a year after the launch of the licensing campaign, the words and images that made its saucy seaside postcards famous are also making Bamforth a name to watch in the licensed gifts market. Four licensees will be highlighted at Autumn Fair International. More launches and licensees are already being announced.

At stand G85 in Hall 5, Little Black Dog, a major name in books and related items aimed at gift and greeting card retail, will be showing off smart and saucy Bamforth bookmarks and coasters. At stand K41 in Hall 5, Raiseprint will be exhibiting a range of specially produced metal signs and fridge magnets, bringing the saucy humour of Bamforth to a whole new medium. Meanwhile, Spencer & Fleetwood, experts in the novelty gifts and cheeky confectionery market since 1986, have brought Bamforth’s very British humour to a very British range of high quality gift confectionery: aniseed balls, butterscotch, pear drops and rhubarb and custard. Have a taste of Bamforth’s sweet success at stand G30 in Hall 5. Spike Leisurewear will be launching 4 new t-shirts on stand MO2, also in Hall 5.

But that’s not all. Two more Bamforth gift ranges will soon be on their way. Charles Glassware, the UK's leading independent glass and plastic drinkware decorator, is planning to launch a range of Bamforth pint beer glasses and boxed wine glasses in time for the Christmas market. Meanwhile Paladone Products Limited, a major name in the novelty gifts market, has been awarded a licence to produce a wide range of giftware, beachware, kitchen textiles, novelty kitchenware and outdoor living products to come onto the market in 2012.

At Autumn Fair visitors will be able to see how successfully the Bamforth Collection’s entertaining, charming and often slightly naughty words and images have made the transition from iconic seaside postcards to popular and highly original gifts. And with more than 25,000 images available for licensing, many of them classics in their own right, it’s no wonder the licensing campaign looks like scoring many more successes in the gift market.

Janet Woodward, Director of JELC, says: “The wit and instantly recognisable style of the Bamforth Collection have clearly struck a strong chord with licensees, retailers and consumers. We knew from an early stage that the very British charm and cheekiness of Bamforth would be ideal for the gift market in the hands of the right partners. And, as visitors will see, our licensees at Autumn Fair have done the Bamforth Collection proud.”