craftgrrl | Oy, another seller question.

My mother works at a craft warehouse with a popular online store. My father is a paraplegic, has been battling MRSA for four years, and is bed-ridden. In order to keep health insurance on my father, my mother has to lose $500 of her already minuscule monthly income.

She has worked out a deal with the owner of the company to barter her work for product, at cost, to start her own business. $500 of product a month is a lot and she doesn't know where to start, but she does need this money in order to... well... survive.

She's starting now and wants to pick up things that people will buy for Christmas presents to get her off and running. She gets everything at-cost and wants to, A.) pick product that will actually sell (quilting materials aren't doing great this season, etc.), and, B.) will maximize her profits (the market isn't already saturated, like eBay with bamboo needles shipping straight from China).

I suggested swifts and ball-winders for yarn. Does anyone else have any ideas?

Thanks!