Taking Requests For New Gun Models

[RMB Custom Leather]

Here is my top 12 sellers. I would say that the ne PPQ will end up making the list shortly becuase it seems to be poplar since the blue gun came out. I have posted this before but thought it fit in with this tread also.

FSLC9 Ruger LC9

FSLCP Ruger LCP

FSG26 Glock 26/27/33

FSSWMP40C S&W M&P 40 Compact 3.5"

FSTJ4510PD Taurus 4510 The Judge 2" Public Defender

FSBG380 S&W Bodyguard .380

FSLCR Ruger LCR

FSPX9801L Springfield Micro Compact 1911 3"

FSG19 Glock 19/23/32

FS1911 Colt 1911

FSG17 Glock 17/22/31

FSXDM40 Springfield XDM 40

[cjcinin317]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Sounds like I need to try harder to reserve some of my sales income for future dummy purchases. We used to have every sale broken down to a percentage. X% to the family budget, X% to supplies, X% towards new equipment, etc. Family responsibilities picked up (scouts, church activities, etc.), holster income dropped off a bit, now 100% of my holster income goes straight towards monthly living expenses. Love the idea of buying the real gun, but I'll need to generate considerably more income from sales because it would take a while to offset the cost of the gun (a $500 gun leaves me $500 in the hole until I can build enough holsters to recover the purchase price, then I still need to build X more to meet my monthly budget). I'm only averaging about 100 orders per year right now since I still work an 8-5 job plus family time before I can work on holsters. Looks like I need to be more proactive with the dummy gun models and decide which ones I'd like to add to my collection, then post them on my website and order the dummy once an order is received. That way I can keep building my collection, but not always feel obligated to buy a new dummy that I don't care to own right now just because someone requested it.

If I where you I would make up patterns and mock holsters for the IWB you have posted elswhere on here for the guns you have. Add to your site and a few forums and forget about money. Just awesome work. You will be very busy I think. And it's always ok to say NO! It's hard but it's ok.

CJ

[woodandsteel]

I'm in a similar position as you. I have a full time job, wife, and other duties and can only turn out 1-2 holsters a week. I don't make much at my day job, and my wife is a grad student, so more often than not, most of the income from holsters ends up getting used for living expenses.

If a dummy gun is available for the customer's gun, I've gone ahead and ordered it and just sucked it up as the cost of doing business. Most of those have ended up being used again for additional orders. Several customers have come back and ordered additional holsters for the same gun. I can't see charging a customer extra to order a dummy, or to develop a pattern, assuming it's something I'll use again, like a standard IWB, pancake, etc.

Lately, though, I have started questioning whether it's worth advertising the option to do custom work, as opposed to just offering set models. I have had several custom requests for holster ideas that I know are not going to be very practical, or work well, and which have ended up requiring long email correspondences, and multiple design sketches, requiring valuable time on top of the existing orders I'm trying to fill.

[Denster]

Particle

Just a suggestion. Since it doesn't seem like you have the available time to make a great deal more holsters per month. Why not calculate at the best how many more you could turn out and use that figure to decide on the most frequently requested one to four additional blue guns to buy.

[lonerider]

I've offered customers this, Pay $10 extra for to go toward the $40 for the Blue Gun for this holster and I'll knock off $10 for your next one ordered.

Here is my top 12 sellers. I would say that the ne PPQ will end up making the list shortly becuase it seems to be poplar since the blue gun came out. I have posted this before but thought it fit in with this tread also.

FSLC9 Ruger LC9

FSLCP Ruger LCP

FSG26 Glock 26/27/33

FSSWMP40C S&W M&P 40 Compact 3.5"

FSTJ4510PD Taurus 4510 The Judge 2" Public Defender

FSBG380 S&W Bodyguard .380

FSLCR Ruger LCR

FSPX9801L Springfield Micro Compact 1911 3"

FSG19 Glock 19/23/32

FS1911 Colt 1911

FSG17 Glock 17/22/31

FSXDM40 Springfield XDM 40

I've got 7 of those so far!! Plus a Sig P226 and a S&W J-Frame

[frmntx]

Here is my top 12 sellers. I would say that the ne PPQ will end up making the list shortly becuase it seems to be poplar since the blue gun came out. I have posted this before but thought it fit in with this tread also.

FSLC9 Ruger LC9

FSLCP Ruger LCP

FSG26 Glock 26/27/33

FSSWMP40C S&W M&P 40 Compact 3.5"

FSTJ4510PD Taurus 4510 The Judge 2" Public Defender

FSBG380 S&W Bodyguard .380

FSLCR Ruger LCR

FSPX9801L Springfield Micro Compact 1911 3"

FSG19 Glock 19/23/32

FS1911 Colt 1911

FSG17 Glock 17/22/31

FSXDM40 Springfield XDM 40

Is there a specific reason no one makes blue guns for Kimbers? I have more requests than I could fill...if I had a blue gun.

[chiefjason]

My way less than scientific way of doing things. If I have multiple requests I'll try to get it. If the holster they want will cover the cost, I'll get it and figure on taking 2 holsters to make money. If it's really popular I try to get it. I REALLY lucked up and my local gun store got a blue gun for the Shield before they were available. I managed to borrow it a couple times and make up about 15 hybrid holsters, mostly OWB. I have 2 left. I sold a bunch before anyone else could really make them. I'm considering buying the next possibly popular gun that comes down the line and getting a jump on that one. But that will be a while.

I'm also doing this in my spare time, what little I have. And it is really more than I expected. My main problem is that since I am pricing low right now to build up a name, it takes 4-5 OWB holsters to really see a profit on a blue gun. And you win some you loose some. The Kahr PM9 is a big seller right now. I borrowed an LC9 and sold enough that I went ahead an bought the blue gun too. But I have a Walther and the SR9 that are not looking real promising.

Oh, and I have bought all of mine from RMB and the service has been great. I just got the XDs in today and started some holsters tonight.

And another thing I was told early on. Don't plan on making any money the first year. It's not too far off. Almost everything I would consider profit has gone back into tools, blue guns, and other supplies to make things go smoother. But I'm selling them and having fun doing it.