Slaughter Free Leather Not Selling As Expected

[Johanna]

In the End Of Year Specials is a note from Steven I find interesting:

Slaughter Free Vegetable Sides

Honestly, this is a product that I put a fair amount of effort into with the idea of offering something that my customers could;

1) make a larger profit margin than normal

AND

2) sell to customers who would otherwise not be a potential customer for any type of leather product. This was done to try to help the industry. Unfortunately, it has not "taken off", so we are offering it out for a very cheap price. The original text is listed below.: (I am a former member of the Cattlemen's Association and was very active in supporting all ranchers... If you want to hear the Steven Segal/grazing rights/Clinton story... drop me an email)

This leather was produced from cows which were not slaughtered for their meat. They died naturally in pasture. This is an item available only through our company and suggested for customers who otherwise may not be purchasing leather for their perceived "eco" reasons. Products made from this leather should be priced to sell substantially above other leathers. Choose from 7-8 or 8-9 oz. Sides will have defects not found on packer hides due to the dead animal being dragged

Regular Price $164.95/ea, On Sale $80/ea

[Spence]

Yes, that's interesting, but I wish he'd stop requiring a minimum purchase of 6 hides. That puts the tally above quite a few budgets - especially mine.

[NoahL]

The minimum order, in addition to the fact that it was priced so much higher than other leather, prevented me from ordering any even though I truly did want to. It's kind of difficult to increase your profit margin with slaughter-free leather when that margin is eaten up by having to order six hides that each cost $75 more than non-slaughter-free ones

[StevenSiegel]

Hi,

Just came across this post.

Our terms for the END of Year SPECIAL merchandise are different than our terms for other merchandise

End of Year Special Items: Total Purchase Minimum is $150.... see the link for complete information or contact me at s.siegel@siegelofca.com for any further clarifications

Other Items: Minimum purchase $75 to receive FREE US freight..

I don't know where the requirement of a 6 side minimum arose.

The Slaughter Free Sides, from the market research that was done, would have allowed finished goods to be priced at 3-10 TIMES the price for other leather goods, BUT ONLY WHEN MARKETED AND SOLD TO "NON-LEATHER" PEOPLE... I thought that this would be a great opportunity for someone and put a lot of work into making this "happen"..... Would sure appreciate some comments

[Ferg]

Hi,

Just came across this post.

Our terms for the END of Year SPECIAL merchandise are different than our terms for other merchandise

End of Year Special Items: Total Purchase Minimum is $150.... see the link for complete information or contact me at s.siegel@siegelofca.com for any further clarifications

Other Items: Minimum purchase $75 to receive FREE US freight..

I don't know where the requirement of a 6 side minimum arose.

The Slaughter Free Sides, from the market research that was done, would have allowed finished goods to be priced at 3-10 TIMES the price for other leather goods, BUT ONLY WHEN MARKETED AND SOLD TO "NON-LEATHER" PEOPLE... I thought that this would be a great opportunity for someone and put a lot of work into making this "happen"..... Would sure appreciate some comments

I'm sorry, I don't get this "Non Leather" people bit. Plus I don't see where the leather from a steer that has died a natural death and drug home from the prairie, is such a wonderful deal????

Guess I am missing something.

ferg

[jeeperaz]

The whole idea of 'slaughter free' leather was really bad to begin with... in my opinion, of course. By even promoting this, we are planting an idea that all 'other' leather comes from cruelly treated animals.

As an industry, we should be championing leather as a renewable, organic resource... and natural byproduct.

[bdt46]

I'm with Ferg on this one! I don't see how a natural death is any different than an instant death. If it's a humane thing, then many times a death in a slaughter house is much quicker and more humane! If you've raised cattle and seen one die a natural death from old age or disease(yes cattle have cancer, etc.) then you would agree with me. Non-leather people, it all comes from the same place, it's all the outer covering of a beef!!!

[TwinOaks]

I gotta agree, because I don't see the economical logic in trying to sell overpriced, probably damaged leather to a niche customer base. The leather is marketed as a side, but it's stated that it's going to have some damage because it was dragged ( Wait....what do you mean the poor cow's corpse was desecrated?!?!) I also don't understand why anyone would think you could get 3-10 times the price....especially in the current market. The folks who are so anti-leather certainly aren't going to dump more money on an animal product that died of "natural causes" than they would any of the regular leather. The notion that you could sell damaged hides, which means less usable leather, for MORE money on the premise that the cow died of natural causes.....sheesh. Sounds like you need to verify that your marketing people got good grades in MK301.

I don't mean to say that there's no use for grain damaged leather. I bought some from Kevin for the purpose of rough out items and test patterns. Of course, I bought it because it was a significantly reduced price because it was damaged, and I didn't need to spend $150 for an experiment.

Sounds like you might recoup a little of the investment with the EOY sale, but you might also consider going ahead and splitting the really ugly pieces that would likely just tick off the customers receiving them and selling it as splits.

As far as selling to a customer base that would only buy 'natural death' hides, are you offering some sort certification that the animal was dragged from a field? The reason I ask is that with a bit of PhotoShop, a word processor program, and a lack of ethics, anybody could easily print up a "It died in a field" piece of paper and tack it on anything they made with imported low grade leather.

[dirtclod]

Personally i don't understand all of your Rants. It's there if you want to buy it or not to buy it. It wasn't like you have to buy it.

Well dragging one to be loaded in the truck is the only way i see to get it in the truck even if you were able to back up to it. Yes their probley will be some damage to the hide. Nobody i have ever met has been strong enough to lift full grown cow or steer in the truck and i have worked with some mighty strong people in my time.

But the whole ideal of of it, if i understand it right was to be able to sell a product made from a cow that died from natural causes not one one that was killed for food. It was tanned for people that don't eat meat or want something that was made from a animal that was killed for food. Pretty simple i think. And no i didn't buy any. As far as i know all of my customers are like me meat eaters but one.

Edited December 18, 2010 by dirtclod

[rdb]

Fact: There is a market for recycled leather goods, and products from natural death animals. You could see this easily on Etsy, and elsewhere. And yes, it is in fact these products run more money than usual, just like solar, hyvrids, etc.How big a market...dunno.

Mr Siegel, being a good businessman, saw a possible niche market, took a chance, and offered a product to the makers. I want to thank him for trying to keep a stogdy industry moving forward.

Either the makers on this board never knew about this end of the business, or just were't interested. Either way, now it's on sale. Welcome to American Capitalism.

Mr Siegel's honesty may have hurt him. He said they were flawed. How badly, we ask??? We could call, I suppose, but If the pictures were better, we could SEE, FOR OURSELVES, the extent of damage. Actually, ALL the leather hide sellers should take note...BETTER PICTURES! In this day and age, this should be EASY! .I know for me, I am always leary of buying hides unseen. But, I have bought from Mr Siegel before, and the leather was exactly what he said it was.

That being said, I still don't want one of those hides, unless I see a very clear picture of them. $80 is a very good price for a side. If a high percentage of the hide is good it could be a bargain.