“We have to pick it up in Ohio and drive it back down here,” says Shelf Indulgence owner Nikki Snyder. “We didn’t realize it costs $10,000 to $15,000 to have a professional paint the bus.

HarperCollins Children’s Books has secured the global rights from the Lumistella Company to publish 11 books tied to the Elf on the Shelf universe over the next five years, starting with three ...