Viles

That is fantastic.

Also, you might think about using the name Union unless you will be ok with employees unionizing as the business grows.

A problem you will face with sourcing from Central and South American vendors is that they will send you nice samples at a very competative price. The first two or three shipments will be fine and then the quality will decrease dramatically for the remander of your orders. I've had it happen to me and I've seen it happen over and over to other retail leather vendors. Many times the outbound salesman doesn't even realize this will happen. I'm not slandering the rest of America, you get what you pay for. Even Tandy gets jived sometimes.

In my 15 yrs of being in the leather business, I've never seen some of the techniques you use. Incredible, holy cow.

Those prices are correct. I've had decades experience in pricing mass merchandise. $80 for all that is fine. You have to decide if you want a slow dollar or a fast nickel. Please pick the slow dollar for us makers. The margins people like Triple K and Hunter are makin are just about 15%, not much. They make $ buy buying raw material in mass quantity. Make a name and brand, tell a story, people will appreciate and buy that. You don't want the cheap customers, they complain and return too much. If you double your price then you're just making enough to make it again. Triple that sucker at least! The online trick is to price high, adding in marketing, overhead, ect. and then add 15%. Then offer intro discounts and then larger ones for return customers. All the things Tugadude said are essential. There's an American ebay company that is selling their cheap made leather for wholesale prices to individuals and it's so hard to compete. I've talked with the owner but he just want to continue selling a lot for cheap. I know the people he is buying from and they are only charging like $15 a holster because they like the make $2 per item model. I hope you do fantastic this coming year!

Howdy

I really like the design and the texture of the belly that looks like another type of skin.

Yes, that's too much. If it's made in the US that's fine but otherwise we are just paying for his shipping and fees to make off shore. As a hobbyist I wouldn't feel bad for picking one up at that price. If you're looking to make money, it is no bueno.

Have you gone through all of ebay? I see a lot there, subscribe and maybe a gem will show up sooner or later. I just got my first issue of the current one in the mail. Man, how confident do you have to be to advertise your holsters or bags in there? Prob. hundreds of experts still get this magazine.

Thank you all for replying so fast. I'm skiving and depressing the area down for right now, just a circle around the snap and when I run out of these basic snaps I'll invest in DOT snaps. I do like the idea of placing the snap in between the leather. I'll try that on the next batch. Although the socket and stud will have to switch sided on the thumb break. I wonder if that will be a problem. This leather work is going to make me practice common sense.

When I would do shows like that I would just bring things I made specifically for them. Everything $20, $15, $10, you know, what they prob had right in their pocket. Maybe a second quality box too. A lot of the time a guy would buy one then come back a few hours later and buy two more for his friends. I would also take the more serious work to sell but mostly as a display so people could custom order them. Just a few pieces. Collect cards and phone numbers and get back with them. To display them you can get 3 black wire grids, arrange them in a triangle, fasten them with black zip ties, then arrange the better leather along them. I'd just toss all the same colored leather in a cardboard shipping box and use a dolly to get it in and out of the area. They are light and you don't have to store them after the show. Place a long cotton table cloth on the plastic folding table that draped to the floor so I could just slide the boxes under it. For the nice pieces I place them in plastic shipping bags and in one separate box.

Thanks you guys! I didn't think of hiding it or compressing. Also, I forgot to add my stiffner. I'm not sure what a bottom stem is, ill look it up.

Yes, http://buffalobrothers.net/ The Buffalo Brothers have been in business for a long time. I use to buy batches of custom conchos from them. Great quality. They make the items themselves, they are the manufacturer.

My line 24 snap cap is too short to go through my thumb break strip. The end lines up with the layer of leather. I don't see they make 24 long, just short. I guess I have to reduce the leather thickness a little in that area? It's two 9oz stitched together. I usually just to western open top so this is a new adventure. I carved a little circle in the snap area to make one fit but it's kinda unsightly.

Looks great. I've been wanting to make one with a long claw like that.