With more than 60 promo suppliers exhibiting in the ASI Pavilion at PRINTING United Expo, held Sept. 23-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, attendees had one last chance to discover new products before the fourth-quarter rush. Here are four hard goods trends that stood out on the show floor.

1. Custom Ducks Have Surprising Versatility

Custom rubber ducks like these from Alpi International (asi/34415) are popular across a variety of markets.

Several suppliers displayed an army of custom rubber ducks in every color, some wearing top hats, others with a crimson cape and devil horns. There were ducks in basketball uniforms and ducks donning stethoscopes.

“Ducking” has become a phenomenon in the Jeep world, where people randomly leave a rubber duck on one of the vehicles to share a bit of whimsy and kindness to a fellow Jeep owner.

“I thought that’s where the trend ends, but it’s clearly not,” said Brett Long, an outside sales account manager for Prime Line (asi/79530), the hard goods division of Counselor Top 40 supplier S&S (asi/84358). “We’re seeing these all over the place and selling a ton of them.”

Long noted that custom ducks are being used as cruise giveaways and for events aimed at children. At raves, attendees even swap them to connect with strangers or compliment someone’s outfit or energy.

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2. Pencils Are a Promo Mainstay

Shelbyville Pencil Company/Shepenco (asi/86850) showed off a variety of customizable pencils.

Even in an increasingly digital world, there’s still a lot of value in putting pen or pencil to paper, especially as people seek out tangible activities and experiences. Consider that writing instruments are the seventh-largest product in the promo industry, making up 4% – or about $1.1 billion – of 2025 sales, according to the 2026 Counselor State of the Industry report.

Daniel Townes, chief of operations at family-owned Shelbyville Pencil Company/Shepenco (asi/86850), said he’d had plenty of positive conversations on the show floor about the value of pencils. “It’s a durable product that lasts a long time,” he noted, adding that it creates a lot of impressions in a recipient’s home or office.

Carpenter pencils, in particular, “are going really strong,” according to Townes. The writing instruments, with their flat, broad surface have an added promotional appeal, since they can support “wall-to-wall” digital imprints and even fit a QR code on the side.

3. High-End Items Are Perfect for Holiday Gifting

High-end lifestyle and tech items are popular as holiday gifting season approaches. RTIC Outdoors (asi/77359) offered a variety of insulated products, while Hirsch (asi/61005) showed off retail-brand speakers and other tech items.

A trend that continues to have traction is retail brands in promo, as well as higher-end items that are reminiscent of those brands. That was evident on the show floor with RTIC Outdoors (asi/77359), for example, showcasing an array of customizable coolers, insulated totes and drinkware.

Amanda Maynord, director of national accounts at Counselor Top 40 supplier Hirsch (asi/61005), said brand-name tech items in particular are trending as the holiday gifting season rapidly approaches. She pointed to JBL speakers that support full-color customization and Shokz bone-conduction headphones as hot sellers.

Prime Line (asi/79530) showed off this portable blender, which ties into a growing wellness trend.

Long of Prime Line said the supplier’s personal portable blender – reminiscent of trending retail brands like Blendi and Ninja – was making waves, especially for health and wellness-related campaigns. “Everyone these days is making their own protein shakes and smoothies,” he added.

4. Stickers & Personal Accessories Have Continued Appeal

Drytac was giving away mystery stickers via a vending machine at PRINTING United Expo, and Safety Made (asi/84514) said hangover and event kits in mini-cinch sacks were a popular new item.

Personalized accessories, Counselor’s 2025 Product of the Year, are still going strong well into 2026. Custom stickers and decals were all over the show floor, extending well into the booths beyond the ASI Pavilion. Drytac, a company that creates print media, protective films and bonding tapes, installed a “mystery sticker vending machine” at its booth. Sticker You (asi/89791) was giving away a variety of stickers, from fuzzy to holographic to 3D-like image transfer stickers.

Bear With Me (asi/39351) was giving away stuffed-animal bag charms, and Safety Made (asi/84514) had new mini-kits in cinch sacks at its booth. The hangover kit, for instance, included hand sanitizer, antacids, pain relievers and mints. “A lot of people think they’re kind of cute,” said Bill Johnston, sales manager at Safety Made. “They’re easy to slip in a bag and travel with.”

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