Best known for distributing DVDs and books, Wesscott Marketing is expanding its inspirational gift offerings with a new line of eight wall crosses, released for fall.

Handcrafted in the U.S.A. by LaVern's Wooden Crosses, the crosses are made of premium red oak, with two of them—the 3-Layer Curved Rope Cross and the 3-Layer Reverse Curved Rope Cross—featuring a middle layer of black walnut. Catholic customers may be interested in the Straight Rope Cross with Corpus, which bears a pewter representation of the body of Christ.

"Today people are looking for the basics and they're looking for them at affordable prices," said Tim Hetchler, founder and president of Wesscott Marketing, an 11-year-old independent Christian sales and distribution company. "Crosses make a really great statement of faith and they're powerful in their message."

Available in varying sizes, the crosses have different features; one comes with a dove and another with praying hands.

The only small cross available, the Straight Rope Cross, retails for $9, and the only large cross, the Straight Rope Cross with Corpus, is priced at $23. The medium-size crosses, which vary in dimensions, retail as follows: Jesus Cross ($13), Straight Slotted Cross ($11), Straight Slotted Cross with Dove ($15), Straight Slotted Cross with Hands ($15), 3-Layer Curved Rope Cross ($21) and 3-Layer Reverse Curved Rope Cross ($13).

"Going into gifts wasn't an overnight decision, although it did come quickly once we found what we were looking for," Hetchler said. "I've been thinking about a gift strategy for over a year, and although selling gifts is new to Wesscott, it's not something I'm unfamiliar with."

Prior to founding Wesscott, Hetchler worked with Billy Graham's World Wide Pictures and World Wide Publications, where he sold Joni Eareckson Tada's artwork. Today, Wesscott sells Joni's annual planners.

The Minneapolis-area company will continue to add to its gift lines in the future. "We're not overly aggressive moving into gifts, but we are starting to look at gifts more from various vendors," Hetchler said.

For more information or to order the wall crosses, go to www.wesscottmarketing.com or call 800-375-3702.

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