Well, I better break the news now, rather than make you wait longer, and be disappointed. Don't expect much new stuff in the shop this season.
It's just been one of those years. Well,
another one of those years.
Not to place all the blame on the pandemic, but it's certainly been tough to get my hands on some merchandise. Manufacturing materials seem to be in low supply. And so the price of these materials is up. Factories are understaffed, as people work from home or get laid off. And shipping (domestic and especially international) has been slowed (and so of course, they're also charging more for the slower shipping).
I've had trouble getting the wood/metal handles for my Pro Pumpkin Carving Tools. They should finally be in stock very soon (albeit in limited quantities).
I have a new t-shirt and new enamel pin in production (with the 2021 pumpkin mascot). But they may not be in my hands until the last week of October, so it will be a miracle to get them to anyone in time for the spooky holiday. So... maybe they'll make good Christmas gifts?
Look at it this way... they'll be ready WAY early for the 2022 season. And by the way, next year happens to be the 20th anniversary of Zombie Pumpkins. And that seems like the perfect time to go big with some unusual and fun merchandise. That's something to look forward to, right!?
In the meantime, I still have plenty of last year's products. In 2020 I added 7 items to the shop, if I remember correctly. 2020 and 2022 are looking like big years for the shop. 2021 is just one of those breather years in between.
But we all know you really come here for the pumpkin patterns, right? And I'm setting my sights on breaking some records in that regard.