It's in the bag
Innovative bookmark has storage pockets attached
By Kelly O'Connor
COMMUNITY NEWS WRITER
August 22, 2003
DEL MAR – Who knew a wallaroo was a real animal?
Business partners Jeanne Bender and Jennifer Salz had no idea.
They found out about the large kangaroo while devising trademarks
for their latest creation – a book pocket.
Because of its pouch, Bender and Salz wanted to adopt the kangaroo
as their symbol, but it had already been registered.
They tried the wallaby next. Also taken.
So they combined the two and came up with the Wallaroo Book
Pocket, a flexible bookmark made of faux suede with two pockets.
"It's such a simple concept, but nobody ever came up with
it," Bender said.
The idea came to her nearly three years ago. Bender was reading
in her back yard in Del Mar and needed a place to keep her keys
and money.
Bender and Salz co-own The Night Shift, where they created and
designed accessories, hand-woven vests and pillows for nine
years. Their products were sold in stores at Del Mar Plaza.
Using scraps, they made bookmarks, but not with pockets and
only for themselves.
The women had been brainstorming ideas for possible mass-market
products for some time. Both agreed the book pocket could be
the way out of labor intensive work and long hours. |
They first came up
with the design, a long strip for the book mark attached to
a double pocket case. A small compartment lies on top of a
larger pouch, perfect for eyeglasses. The pouches hang on
the outside of the book for easy access.
Bender, who uses Post-it Notes to mark inspirational passages
in her books, uses the pockets to hold the paper stacks. Now
Salz always knows where her glasses are.
"We're actually vain baby boomers who don't want to wear
a chain around our necks," Bender said with a laugh.
Salz said the pockets are also good for pens, pencils and
cell phones.
"We've come across a lot of people who use them for their
candy bars," Salz said.
Similar products the pair have made are pockets with magnets
for the fridge and Velcro pockets to keep on the computer
or at a work station.
"It's a product everybody needs but doesn't know exists,"
Salz said.
Marketing the product has been the most difficult step for
the business pair.
The first year, they sent e-mails to independent book stores
one by one and tracked their sales with push pins on a wall
map. Then they turned the distributing rights over to The
Viesti Collection, a catalog company that sells products such
as calendars, journals and note cards.
Nearly 5,000 book pockets have been sold in the past few years.
Bender and Salz hope to gain the attention of Oprah Winfrey
and her book club as well as a large bookstore chain.
To learn more, visit www.buywallaroo.com.
Do you have a story idea for Del Mar? Contact Kelly O'Connor
at (760) 476-8221 or kelly.oconnor@uniontrib.com. For special
events, please alert us at least four weeks in advance. We
work ahead!
Copyright 2003 Union-Tribune Publishing
Co. |
