Team Beans scores 'hat' trick with holiday gear

In the ultra-competitive world of licensed sports memorabilia, it's tough for a manufacturer to continually introduce one successful product after another. But Team Beans/Forever Collectibles has been pounding out hits with the regularity of Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez for more than five years.

"We've been batting a thousand," said Mark Nathan, the company's vice president of licensing and a driving force behind Team Beans' success in NASCAR. "Our business just continues to grow like wildfire year after year as we introduce new, fresh, exciting and more diverse product. It's amazing."

The newest addition to the Team Beans/Forever Collectibles portfolio-the NASCAR-themed Santa hat-is, appropriately hitting the market just in time for the holidays. These beautiful hats showcase NASCAR's top drivers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace, Bobby Labonte, and many more. A hat featuring the NASCAR Nextel Cup logo is also available.

"The Santa hat could easily wind up being our biggest seller," said the likable Nathan. "It's only been on the market two weeks and we are already receiving huge reorders. Retailers who had originally ordered 24 or 36 or 48 hats are now ordering quantities of 360 and 480. Some dealers told us they sold out of their initial supply in just one weekend. The response has been just that big."

SUPERSTORE •   Shop for the Holidays!

Nathan said Team Beans has taken extreme steps to ensure a supply that will adequately meet demand.

"We immediately went back to the factory in the Orient for more hats, and we're having them flown in at our expense," he elaborated. "We want to make sure we have enough for all of our loyal customers."

While Team Beans/Forever Collectibles is best known for its line of premium quality bean-bag bear series, holiday-themed products make up a significant portion of the company's business. Christmas stockings are at the top of the list. Two sizes are available: a fully-functional 10-inch version and a smaller 4" edition that makes the perfect ornament.

"Our stockings are so popular that people start ordering them in July to make sure they get them in time for the Christmas season," Nathan noted. "We even get some orders from as early as February and March. That's pretty indicative of their popularity, considering we don't ship them until September or October."

Another new product line this year is NASCAR Rockers. This unique collectible features the driver sitting in a replica race car with a round bottom.

"The bottom is almost a ball-shape," Nathan elaborated, "so it's almost like a weeble. NASCAR Rockers is a brand new item, and it's a really fun collectible-something fans of all ages can enjoy."

New Jersey-based Team Beans/Forever Collectibles is not only enjoys a strong presence in the NASCAR market, but is also a major player in virtually every other professional sport.

"We're a top-10 licensee in our categories in every major league -- NASCAR, Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA, even collegiate sports," Nathan confirmed.

The NASCAR.com SuperStore carries a full line of Team Beans/Forever Collectibles merchandise. In addition to hats, stockings and Rockers, you'll also find cool items like bobbleheads and the brand's trademark bears.