How much to charge for your leather goods?

[GrampaJoel]

The question of ‘How much to charge?’ , has been pondered here and asked here over the years.

Awhile ago a crafter asked that question here.
I answered as honestly as possible in my opinion.

However, my answer wasn’t well received by the ‘Original Poster’.

Ok.

So since then, I been questioning myself in regards to the ‘quality of goods to price ratio’ that I would charge, and what IS, real quality.

I have spent months perusing many, many leather goods web sites. searching for answers to my questions.
This morning I happened upon this website claiming USA hand made leather goods. https://www.tannergoods.com

I looked around the site and at the items listed for sale. Their quality of build and prices.

NOW, I don’t mean this as a hit or disrespect to the site or their goods for sale.
I’ll explain shortly.

But in my opinion, I have better quality items in my Opp’s ,,,junk pile.

Hence my questioning of my thoughts about, what is real quality and it’s price ratio.

Well, apparently people do buy merchandise of this quality for the posted prices from the website.

I obviously don’t understand why,

maybe unfinished edges,,are the new style.
Perhaps pieces haphazardly cut away from their cut lines,, are in style.
Perhaps edges not glued completely,,are now in style.
Perhaps machine sewing using the wrong size needle to thread ration with fuzzy unfinished ends are now in style.

perhaps,,,, I’m just no longer in style,,,expecting quality for dollars spent.
perhaps my perceptions of quality and it’s ratio to dollars spent  are no longer in style.
I am getting pretty old after all.

Soooo. 

Please take a look at the link I posted above. Enlarge the pictures of the items for sale. Tell me. Am I way out of style?

I will except all replies with honest consideration.

and once again. I mean no disrespect to the website or its maker(s). 
I am just seeking some answers.

thanks 

Joel

 

 

 

 

 

[RockyAussie]

I have to agree with you about the quality and how much people will charge and what people will pay. Like you said and I feel the same.

30 minutes ago, GrampaJoel said:

perhaps,,,, I’m just no longer in style,,,expecting quality for dollars spent

Over here I see even a lot less quality but the marketing seems to make the average consumer blind. Their website is where the quality really shows a skill set to be admired. Baffles me that we could make wallets like those in less than 1/4 of the time than the wallets we make and still not get the same $$$$

[SUP]

Badly made, I agree. Not worth a 10th of the price they charge.

@RockyAussie is correct. People get blinded by beautiful web-sites and think a sophisticated website equals quality. Most of them are unaware that such websites can be created for  very little (less than $50!) using WordPress, even by non-techies.  And of course, people are unaware of what good quality is, in leather goods. So they accept such sub-standard goods, thinking that is how it should be. An insult to all the good leatherworkers everywhere, if you ask me.

[dikman]

The price of the belts made my jaw drop! $175 for a plain belt, no stitching/decoration, raw edges simple buckle - and that's $US!!!

[Heartless]

i am definitely not impressed, at all..
and I already know I am old...  and old school. If you are going to do something, do it right, or dont bother.

Hate to say it, but far too many have no clue what real quality is anymore. They are so used to cheap, Chinese made goods that even half a$$ed stuff can impress if it carries the "Made in *your location here*" label 

I live in the USA, and to a lot of folks here, "Made in the USA" is supposed to mean high quality... sorry, but what I saw on that website is not what I would call high quality. I think Sup hit the nail on the head.. blinded by the slick website.

[GrampaJoel]

3 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

I have to agree with you about the quality and how much people will charge and what people will pay. Like you said and I feel the same.

Over here I see even a lot less quality but the marketing seems to make the average consumer blind. Their website is where the quality really shows a skill set to be admired. Baffles me that we could make wallets like those in less than 1/4 of the time than the wallets we make and still not get the same $$$$

Yes the web site is VERY upscale.

So is the picture of their store in Oregon.

I truly wonder if I am seeking to produce way to much perfection in my work. 
I can knock out wallets like that all day. And I would toss everyone into the junk bin.

But I couldn’t with a clear  conscience  ask people to pay for them.

I would even have a hard time giving them away, knowing how poorly they would be made.
 

Joel

 

[GrampaJoel]

3 hours ago, dikman said:

The price of the belts made my jaw drop! $175 for a plain belt, no stitching/decoration, raw edges simple buckle - and that's $US!!!

Yes! $175.00 for about $20.00 worth of probably factory precut, pre colored leather. Two rivets and a $2.00 buckle.

It would feel like I was robbing someone to sell at those prices.

Joel

[GrampaJoel]

32 minutes ago, Heartless said:

i am definitely not impressed, at all..
and I already know I am old...  and old school. If you are going to do something, do it right, or dont bother.

Hate to say it, but far too many have no clue what real quality is anymore. They are so used to cheap, Chinese made goods that even half a$$ed stuff can impress if it carries the "Made in *your location here*" label 

I live in the USA, and to a lot of folks here, "Made in the USA" is supposed to mean high quality... sorry, but what I saw on that website is not what I would call high quality. I think Sup hit the nail on the head.. blinded by the slick website.

I guess this is my beef also. I ALWAYS felt I was getting quality, if an item was marked. Made in USA.

[ToddW]

10 minutes ago, GrampaJoel said:

I guess this is my beef also. I ALWAYS felt I was getting quality, if an item was marked. Made in USA.

I have been spending a lot of time on this exact topic and I personally think there is A LOT more to this as its expensive and extremely time consuming to actually create a product that is consistent and repeatable across a larger volume than a few.  leather, stitching, branding, hardware... Then comes the time and money to build a professional website, get the professional photography, get the content written including the SEO work to get found.  Marketing ads on the social media sites alone is a very expensive proposition.  Then the retail box... packing material, shipping.. supplies..  this doesn't even contemplate having a store with employees.  Cost of the business, accounting system, CPA... then comes the tools, equipment (clicker, dies, laser, )..My sewing alone was $3K.. Bell Skiver $1,500, Dies... Hand Clicker Press, all the nice tools like Sinabroks, Polsanto, all the various colors of threads..  The cheap tools just don't stand up to repeated use..

Once you get out of hobby mode and into business mode, you have spent some $'s that you hopefully will recuperate. so.. how much do you sell your product for..  A wallet for $65.. A belt for $65.. you have to sell a whole lot of belts to make it a business and quit your job to do this full time.  You have to have serious volume..

I like to follow:

https://www.stockandbarrelco.com/

https://littlekinggoods.com/

https://odinleathergoods.com/

All individuals with great products.. expensive web sites, great photography.. watch their Youtube channels.. they all have struggled and talk about it.. it's REAL hard for it to be a business.  Saddleback (which I also follow) went the route of manufacturing bags instead of hand making them and they run larger volumes.  They made the decision to push their prices up substantially and they are still there..What you find is everyone has their hand in the cookie jar.. Credit Card processing takes 3%, shipping is getting more expensive, leather and hardware is getting more expensive... all while the expectation is that your prices are coming down and you will ship immediately for free (thank you Amazon).  What happens is you get a product with less time put in it to get it out the door.

So.... I get it.. unless you are a hobbiest happy with super low volume and the spare bucks it brings, its hard to be a lone ranger taking this very crowded market on..  People do price shop on Amazon.. they do price shop on sites they have found..  its REAL hard.  I know a 5th generation leather guy that sells gun and knife sheaths to some chain stores and he just can't get sewers and toolers so he got rid of his retail store for a shop out back..  He looks at the Mexico and oversea stuff and says he can't buy leather for what the make the entire item for..  

I saw get what ever you can for it.... have fun with it..  Make the person want your product because it great.. not cheap..

[SUP]

There is really no excuse for substandard products. Whatever the business expenses. Hobbyists do not live on free air and water. We have had professional lives too and many are aware of the expenses involved in starting and running a business and gaining success. But any business that spends so much on the bells and whistles that it cannot afford to spend on providing quality products has a bad business model.  If this site is successful, it is for a different reason. It is because people who buy these items are unaware that the goods are substandard. They have no standard to compare them with. How will they know what is good and what is not?

There are leatherworkers making beautiful items and those are worth paying for. Substandard things like this are not. Those items from Mexico and the far east? They cost less and are substandard. They cost what they are worth.  

Comparison shopping on Amazon? Yes we all do that. But that is not where one goes to get good quality in anything. And many other sites are similar to this one. Impressive shells, quality often missing. 

The main issue is clearly that most people have no idea at all about how to recognize quality leather goods. Until that changes - no idea how -  sites like these will sell such items at exorbitant rates, and there is nothing we can do about it.

Edited June 8, 2023 by SUP