Las Vegas Leather Trade Show - January 2026

[bruce johnson]

     Illume magazine (the leather trade magazine) has been a sponsor of the Pendleton Leather Show for several years. I just got home from Pendleton last night and it was another great show. They are now adding a new show in Las Vegas Jan 7-10, 2026. The lineup for classes looks to be really good with some fresh faces and topics. The entire event is held at the South Point. Special room rates, good place to stay. Here is a link to the event - https://illumeconnect.com/pages/event-las-vegas

     As a shameless plug, I am going to break out as an instructor there. I will be leading my first class on Second Hand Tools. I will be discussing why to buy them and places to look. We will cover historic tools as well as common and more modern users. Next will be evaluating condition, things to look for and the problems to avoid. We will plug all this together and come up with a number value for you and your individual needs and budget. We will discuss closing the deal by making an offer or accepting the seller's price. Class will close with a special guest and a really fun event to pull it all together. By the end you should be comfortable buying anywhere from a yard sale to a trade show to a fast paced auction.