Souvenir Magnets Wholesale: A Guide for Museum Shops and Bookshops

A museum shop does not buy individual magnets. It buys a shelf that still works in three years. Anyone sourcing souvenirs for a building with limited space is therefore not choosing a motif but a series: which cities, how deep per city, what packaging, and whether it can be reordered. That is what decides whether a souvenir shelf earns its space or gathers dust.

The short version: before your first order, check motif clarity, material construction, edges, grip, the back and the packaging. Then order a series with limited depth per city rather than many single motifs, and get tier pricing, minimum order and lead time confirmed in writing. At Strichwerke those details live in the trade account, not on the public site.

Why magnets work in a retail assortment at all

A magnet is the cheapest souvenir that still passes as a gift. It costs less than a book, weighs almost nothing, fits in any bag and is never eaten. For a shop that means high unit volume, little shelf space and no expiry date.

The real value is not the unit price but the repeat rate. A visitor buying a souvenir rarely buys one. They buy one for themselves and two or three for people at home. If the motif is right, the same customer returns for the next city. If it is a city name printed on a stock motif, they do not return, because they cannot see the difference.

The uncomfortable consequence for buyers: a shelf of interchangeable motifs sells well for one weekend and never again. A shelf of recognisable buildings sells more slowly, but for years.

Six checks before you place an order

The test takes five minutes per sample. It needs an eye and a hand, not a lab.

Motif clarity. Cover the place name and look at the drawing. Can you still identify the building? An orthographic drawing without perspective distortion almost always passes, because it shows proportion instead of a flattering view. A decorative wordmark never passes.

Material construction. A magnet should be built in layers, not cut from a film. A firm core with a printed surface feels different from thin sheet metal, and it stays flat. Ask about core and surface, not about the marketing term.

Edges. Can you see glue? Does an edge stand proud? Are the corners even? Handwork shows here first, for better or worse.

Grip. Put a folded sheet of paper underneath and close a door. A magnet that only holds in the middle tips. The magnetic force has to be spread across the surface.

The back. The back is the most honest side of a magnet. If it is raw, wavy or unevenly glued, money was saved on the front.

Packaging. A souvenir that cannot be given away without extra paper sells worse. Packaging is not an accessory, it is the first impression on the shelf.

These six points are described in detail in our article on high-quality fridge magnets, including a checklist to take into the stockroom.

The numbers behind an assortment you can compare

The most common buying mistake is comparing unit prices without reference to the series. So here is the actual state of our own catalogue, counted directly from the product feed on 20 October 2026, not estimated:

Motifs per place:

This table is the actual buying yardstick. It shows how deep a city is covered before you reorder, and it shows which places have no series yet. The numbers change as motifs are added, so check the current state in the full collection.

How deep a city should be on your shelf

A museum shop with a local connection needs depth. A bookshop with a travel corner needs breadth. That difference decides the order quantity.

Depth means several motifs of the same city. It works when the shop itself is a reason to visit: a museum, a tower, a cathedral, a city museum. The customer is already there, knows the buildings and chooses between them. Three to six motifs per city makes sense, because comparison triggers the purchase.

Breadth means one or two motifs per city, but many cities. It works in station bookshops, concept stores and hotel shops, where the customer is not there for the city but passing through. Here the range of places matters, not the depth.

The practical rule: never order every motif of a city at once. Take three, watch for four weeks, then reorder. A shelf rearranged after two weeks sells better than one that was full from day one.

City series or single motif: deciding per location

If your location does not clearly fit a row, start with the bookshop row. It is the lowest-risk mix.

A custom city edition: what is possible and what is not

Custom editions are possible for museums, tourism boards and flagship stores. Our process is deliberately plain: brief, proposal, quote, order. We draw the building, you approve the drawing, then production starts.

Three things determine the timeline:

1. The drawing is the bottleneck, not printing. Reducing a building to an orthographic line takes longer than manufacturing.
2. Rights and approvals are yours. For protected buildings or brands we need clearance from the rights holder before drawing begins.
3. An edition is not a variant. A custom motif does not replace a catalogue motif, it adds to it.

All conditions for editions, minimum quantities and lead times are agreed individually. We do not publish them because they depend on scope. The route is the trade account or the contact page.

An assortment proposal by location type

A proposal that works without sales data, because it relies on motif depth rather than forecasting:

Museum shop focused on a local building. Four motifs of your own place, plus two motifs of the nearest city visitors also tend to see. After four weeks, replace the weakest motif with a second strong one.

Bookshop with a travel corner. Two motifs per city for the six strongest cities in the region, plus one motif per city for the rest. That starts at around twenty motifs, which fits on half a metre of shelf.

Hotel and hospitality. Three to five motifs that suit the house, plus one motif of the city as a standard gift. Small quantity, high reorder frequency.

Concept store. Four to six single motifs with a strong design link, independent of city coverage. Here the drawing matters, not completeness.

In every case: do not hang motifs you cannot reorder. A shelf with gaps is worse than a smaller complete shelf.

When magnets are the wrong assortment

Magnets do not fit everywhere, and saying so honestly saves both sides time.

• When your shop has no connection to a place. Without a city, region or travel context, a magnet is an arbitrary object.
• When your customers expect large keepsakes. Someone looking for a vase or a book does not buy a magnet.
• When you have no space for a standing display. Magnets need a stand or a spinner, otherwise they sit in a box.
• When you cannot organise reordering. Selling out without resupply leaves an empty shelf.

In those cases postcards or magnetic bookmarks are often the better addition, because they show the same drawing with a different use.

Frequently asked questions from buyers

What does a magnet cost wholesale? Trade prices are not public. They become visible in your assigned catalogue after your trade account is approved. The retail price per magnet is currently €7.00, and reseller terms differ from it.

Is there a minimum order quantity? Yes, it is part of the trade specification and is confirmed with your trade account. We do not publish a figure because it depends on the assortment and the shipping route.

How long does delivery take? Lead time is confirmed with the trade terms. The studio is currently away until 26 October, with orders dispatched from 27 October. That applies to the shop and may differ for trade shipments.

Can I request samples? Yes. Sample requests are reviewed together with the trade application. The route is the contact page.

Are motifs available for other cities? The catalogue currently covers 14 cities and regions. Further places are possible as a custom edition on request, not as a catalogue motif.

Where can I find stockists near me? The partners page lists current stockists with addresses. Check opening hours and stock before visiting, as the list is updated continuously.

Do you also sell to non-trade customers? Yes, through the shop. Reselling requires an approved trade account so that prices and catalogue are assigned correctly.

The next step

If you are planning an assortment for a specific building, start with the question of which structures your guests have actually seen. That gives you the depth, and the depth gives you the order quantity. The rest is checking three samples.

For terms, samples and custom editions there are two routes: the trade application with your company details, or a short message via the contact page. Both are reviewed individually, and both end with confirmed terms before your first order. If you want to see how a series reads on a shelf first, look at the Berlin collection as an example of depth: five motifs, one place, one drawing language.

Cover photograph: Long Chung on Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License.