Lillian Vernon’s mail order business has grown from a black-and-white space ad to nine catalogs

By Alicia Orr , Editor In Chief and Catalog Success

How long a life a product has depends on consumer demand. Seasonal favorites are brought back year after year, such as the children’s dress-up trunk, one of the catalog’s most successful products. Some other recent product winners, according to Green: a Halloween witch colliding with a tree; a wall plaque for changing seasons; and oval-shaped metal tubs meant to hold anything from wine and ice to wood (and they can be personalized!). Of course, even with all of its years of experience, not every product the company chooses is a winner. “There was the martini set that didn’t go over well with our customers,” Green recalls. Other product failures he notes include wood flowers and a smoking pipe stand.