22 working holster

[rdb]

Had to make a working holster for my customer's 22. Straight cant. He hunts them "varmints that git the corn".

Chestnut bridle top(8oz), calfskin lining. I tried to match the dye job onto the lining with mahogany oil dye, and neatsfoot, mixed. I didn't bone it all too much or carefully. Tonight he'll be dragging it through the swamp anyways...lol.

I know how much time I spent developing the pattern, and making it, so I have a price in mind, but I was wondering if anyone can come up with the price they think it should be, or how much they get for something like this, it would help me in the future on my market pricing. Tell me if your pricing would be based on something better than this, or if you get that price for something less quality, say, unlined for example.

Thanks for looking, and for the help if you can.

[Denster]

Had to make a working holster for my customer's 22. Straight cant. He hunts them "varmints that git the corn".

Chestnut bridle top(8oz), calfskin lining. I tried to match the dye job onto the lining with mahogany oil dye, and neatsfoot, mixed. I didn't bone it all too much or carefully. Tonight he'll be dragging it through the swamp anyways...lol.

I know how much time I spent developing the pattern, and making it, so I have a price in mind, but I was wondering if anyone can come up with the price they think it should be, or how much they get for something like this, it would help me in the future on my market pricing. Tell me if your pricing would be based on something better than this, or if you get that price for something less quality, say, unlined for example.

Thanks for looking, and for the help if you can.

Hi

Nice looking holster. A price around $60 seems to me about right.

[Luke Hatley]

FROM ME........$75.00 . THE HOLSTER WOULD FIT THE GUN A LITTLE TIGHTER.

[rdb]

Thanx guys, yep...that's the ballpark I was thinking..60-80 dollars...

BUT THEN....I started googlin', and came up with average prices being somewhere between $85 (unlined) and $120 (lined), with extremes to $185. The only differences were either basketweaving, or tight molding.

I know my people think $60 is extravagant, so who the hell is paying them big bucks, and where do I meet them...lol

Edited February 18, 2009 by rdb

[TrooperChuck]

rdb:

I have the same problem, here in northeast Washington state. A customer recently ordered a holster for his 9mm pistol. I only charged the guy $25.00 and he acted like I was taking his first born child. I don't know what he would have done if I had asked $50 or $60. Maybe throw the holster back at me!

[Lobo]

Nice looking work. Price? I think there are a lot of people out there who buy the brand name. Some seem to delight in ordering from a well-known company, paying through the nose, and waiting months to get their holster. A little snob value there maybe?

I see about $15 or so in materials, probably an hour or so to pattern the piece, plus a couple of hours to make the holster, and probably an hour or so fiddling with the dying work and final finish. So, in my mind, the customer should be willing to pay around $120-plus for it. But we know that many folks just won't do that.

The flip side of the question is this: how many people will he show it to, and how much will he brag about a low price? Will that bring too many other customers to your door, all expecting custom design and production work at discount catalog prices?

In other words, if you give the man a bargain price I would suggest that you emphasize to him that this is a one-time deal, let him know that you've done him a favor! Otherwise, you might just find yourself working for fast-food restaurant wages again and again and again!

For what it is worth, when I have a special order for a design that is likely to be popular with other customers, I have found that I can make half a dozen identical items in very little more time than doing one single piece. Then I have five more that I can sell in the coming weeks or months, maximizing the profit from one special order. (Example: $15 materials plus four hours labor for one unit; $90 materials plus 7 or 8 hours labor for six units. Assume a sale price of $60 for the one unit, you now have made about $11 per hour on that sale. Assume a sale price of $60 each for six units <$360 total>, and you now have made about $35 per hour for a day's work).

I also do this when I have a customer wanting a holster for a handgun I don't have. Customer brings me their handgun for patterning and fitting, and it is a fairly popular handgun, I go ahead and make several, deliver one to the customer, and sell the others. If sales are good, I go ahead and order out a dummy gun for that handgun and add it to the product line. (Did this last year, lady wanted a holster for a Ruger SP101, which I didn't have. Made 5 units in about 5 hours time and about $30 materials cost. Sold all five for $49 each, so I made over $40 per hour for my time. Added a SP101 dummy gun, now I make a few every month).

As for myself, all I have ever asked is a fair week's pay for an honest day's work!

[Jordan]

I would say $75.00 to $100.00. I believe most gun owners know quality leather and will pay for it. They do not usually want to to put a 5 to 700 dollar (or higher)pistol in a cheap holster. I sold a holster/belt combo awhile back for about 250.00 he was pleased and gave me 285.00. If I do another the base price will be $350.00 which I think is quite reasonable, considering name brand combos that I see online with a 6 week to 6 month wait, start at $450 and go up from there.

[rhall]

I tell most people up front that they can get it cheaper from several mfg's But if you look at Elpaso leathers gear it's very hard to compete.I do price at about 55-60 for an unlined veg tan. that being a veriant of the single loop mexican,lined with a buckle I would price it at 85-90$.Hope this helps you some.

[rdb]

Denster -$60

Luke -$75 if better molded (I think that's what he meant)

Trooper - maybe $60 with a better customer base

Lobo - $120

Jordan- $75-100

rhall - $85-90 with lining and buckle

All over pricing, . Throw out the highs and lows and you get between $75-100

I think Lobo had some real good points, and although his price was the most expensive, it was probably the most correct, in an ideal world.

NOW, here's what happened...

I went to his rock shop, and showed him. His eyes lit up. Then I told him that I have a problem. He asked "what problem, it looks great?" I said that I sort of went overboard making it, with a lining, and buckle, and using bridle leather, and that he was looking at about $120 worth of gun leather. He was visibly shook, but to his credit, you could tell he was going to man up and pay that amount.

Now that I had him in the right frame of mind, I told him how many hours and about the materials. It came to about $70. I said that he could pay the $70 price, since I did not spend the extra time hand molding, IF he never told anyone that he got it for that. He rushed to the cash register to get the money. He said he thought it was worth about $140, and that's what he would tell people. I told him to just say that it varies from $80 to $120.

NOW, my reasoning. He has a lot of friends that shoot and hunt, black powder too. Some twenty years ago, these good old boys used to go a saddler here in town for all their leather work. He has passed on, and there are no saddlers or repairers less than an hour and a half away, here now. When I first met him, he thought very highly of the old saddler, and after seeing my stuff, he paid me some high compliments. He said he would spread my name far and wide, because none of his friends even knew there was another leatherworker in their area. So....

That's the story. I sure learned a lot from your input. And I hope others may learn from this real world discussion. I saw some Topics about pricing here, but it seemed to me to be more principals, and small business management type advice. I will of course use that good advice, but maybe a little later in this fledgling "business". My time and material was paid for, and maybe a few dollars extra, so I think of it as a successful transaction.

Once again, thanks for your help, and honest input....I treasure that more than the $70.

[Lobo]

Denster -$60

Luke -$75 if better molded (I think that's what he meant)

Trooper - maybe $60 with a better customer base

Lobo - $120

Jordan- $75-100

rhall - $85-90 with lining and buckle

All over pricing, . Throw out the highs and lows and you get between $75-100

I think Lobo had some real good points, and although his price was the most expensive, it was probably the most correct, in an ideal world.

NOW, here's what happened...

I went to his rock shop, and showed him. His eyes lit up. Then I told him that I have a problem. He asked "what problem, it looks great?" I said that I sort of went overboard making it, with a lining, and buckle, and using bridle leather, and that he was looking at about $120 worth of gun leather. He was visibly shook, but to his credit, you could tell he was going to man up and pay that amount.

Now that I had him in the right frame of mind, I told him how many hours and about the materials. It came to about $70. I said that he could pay the $70 price, since I did not spend the extra time hand molding, IF he never told anyone that he got it for that. He rushed to the cash register to get the money. He said he thought it was worth about $140, and that's what he would tell people. I told him to just say that it varies from $80 to $120.

NOW, my reasoning. He has a lot of friends that shoot and hunt, black powder too. Some twenty years ago, these good old boys used to go a saddler here in town for all their leather work. He has passed on, and there are no saddlers or repairers less than an hour and a half away, here now. When I first met him, he thought very highly of the old saddler, and after seeing my stuff, he paid me some high compliments. He said he would spread my name far and wide, because none of his friends even knew there was another leatherworker in their area. So....

That's the story. I sure learned a lot from your input. And I hope others may learn from this real world discussion. I saw some Topics about pricing here, but it seemed to me to be more principals, and small business management type advice. I will of course use that good advice, but maybe a little later in this fledgling "business". My time and material was paid for, and maybe a few dollars extra, so I think of it as a successful transaction.

Once again, thanks for your help, and honest input....I treasure that more than the $70.

You done good, my friend.

[leatherjunkie]

well you did a great job on the holster.

one thing about the cowboy style holster you chose to do, no need to wet mold it till you see all of the gun outlined in the leather.

cowboy style holsters were not molded that much. they were just molded enough to hold the handgun securely and be pleasing to the eye.

as far as pricing it, i usually charge 60 bucks for a unlined holster. 85 for a lined holster because you have to sew more of the holster and use more leather for the lining.

i dont charge for developing the pattern because sometimes it takes me a few days to get the pattern to look just right.

and 95% of the holsters that i have sold did not leave my shop untoolled. i just see the holster laying on my workbench and i have to tool something on it. just doesnt seam right to not stamp at least a border on the the leather.

to me its just wrong to not stamp/tool something on a holster, unless its a inside the waist holster where noone will see it

[TexasJack]

Find a commercial web site with leather holsters. Usually they run quite a bit more. Show him the picture and say, "Normally, I'd have to charge $xx, but for you I'm gonna knock it down to $zz.