Being Kicked By Tandy ?

[McLovin]

I live too far from my tandy store to get there more than 4-5 times a year. The last time I was in I asked about these issues people are having. The store manager said they did do away with the structured classes, but are happy to do one-on-one teaching. Since I am fairly new to the hobby/craft I took their tooling class. It was a good experience. I have always had good things happen at this store. They are always happy to take my money and I am happy with what I have gotten. I may just not know any better.

[Studio-N]

If Tandy could do one thing to grow their business, I think they should focus on community development.

well now there's the rub - they don't care about you or your community. A little background - Tandy is NOT Tandy. They are The Leather Factory started by daddy Thompson and Ron Morgan who are now retired and who have sold most of their stock.

Little Jr. Thompson is now in charge but he is NOT a majority stock owner and has never had a real job except for working for daddy and doesn't do leather himself. All he knows is that he has to get the stock prices up so he can get his bonus. That is his main concern. That and making sure someone doesn't buy up enough stock to kick him out. So as long as they can make money by hook or by crook, they will. They expect you to fall in line and pay what they ask. The mgt. in charge right now are some arrogant SOBs. They are making some of the mistake the OLD Tandy made that led up to thier demise. Expect Leather Factory be be 'demised' some day in the future, because whoever does eventually take them over will break it up in a bad way.

[traiven3d]

Here in Canada we have a "One of a Kind" show twice a year where artisans can sell their goods. Perhaps the company could rent a booth and promote their local leather artisans, as well as selling kits, doing demo's and getting young people interested in taking up the craft. I think in the modern age of social media a company of this size needs to start connecting more to their customer and fostering growth for the industry as a whole.

So I found out yesterday that my local Tandy is actually going to do this at a local creative fair. They're planning on selling kits at far below usual retail cost. I like the idea of it, but they should also be giving people the heads up that they need to purchase more tools to than what are included in the kits into order to complete the work as it's shown on the box covers. Ie. Dye's, dye applicators, finishes, any colored stains, etc. It can easily add $60-100 to the actual price. Nothing would be worse than for a kid to spend his allowance on a kit only to find out he can't really complete until he gets more cash.

I have to say that selling leather working supplies must be a tough business. The tools are so costly that just getting into it as a hobby can be a very expensive venture. It's tough getting a younger generation into it when most of them from urban centers are rarely exposed to handcrafted leather goods. I was lucky to have watched my grandfather do it while growing up.

Speaking out loud, I wonder if selling and promoting armour kits and such at comic and RPG fairs might be another avenue for them. They could have a few promotional models decked out in "Epic" sets of armour and the like.

Edited October 7, 2013 by traiven3d

[Glendon]

Speaking out loud, I wonder if selling and promoting armour kits and such at comic and RPG fairs might be another avenue for them. They could have a few promotional models decked out in "Epic" sets of armour and the like.

You wouldn't know it from their main site, but Tandy is starting to go that direction on Leathercraft Library. The section is still somewhat small, but they have been building a pretty good collection of Steampunk projects, mostly in the video section. Not quite the super geeky patterns that some of us know would sell, but it's a start.

[St8LineGunsmith]

if that would be the case then why would they bother to stock leather hides for sale

I think the corporate office allows their managers to decide for themselves about that sort of stuff

they want what is best for the bottom line and if holding leather classes to teach people how to make stuff from scratch makes the store money then corporate is all for it

The Chattanooga store recently changed management and the new manager holds weekly Saturday classes on making things from scratch..

[JLSleather]

- Tandy is NOT Tandy. They are The Leather Factory started by daddy Thompson and Ron Morgan who are now retired

Oddly, I got better service from the Leather Factory BEFORE it was Tandy (TLF). There's one a little over an hour from here that I first purchased from in '85. Never a bad order, never needed to return ANYthing. Tell 'em what I want, and in a couple of days there it is. Call me if they don't have it (which was rare). Give me the choice of a credit or a refund.

Now, I don't buy much there, and when I do, I go pick it out. Just don't have time for returning orders and waiting for replacements, etc....

Yep, things aint what they usedta be ...

[St8LineGunsmith]

Ah yes the old leather factory was much better before tandy bought them out

the leather factory actually originated here in Chattanooga, TN at the old Shultz tannery

the Shultz Tannery in no longer in business unfortunately.

all thanks to Tandy.

Edited October 8, 2013 by St8LineGunsmith

[Deraj828]

As one of those young people trying to get into this, I'm surprised at the mentions in this thread of 'all the other suppliers out there.' Every time I think of a new tool I could use, I follow the same progression: 1- check the flyer, 2- see that it's over-priced and not on sale, 3- curse Tandy's monopoly, 4- decide to try and wait until next month when the item might be on sale.

But suddenly it sounds like it's nowhere near the monopoly I thought it was. I'm grateful Tandy exists and I have gotten some good stuff from them, but there are a lot of things that kinda bug me about them, too. What other suppliers are we talking about here? (I'd love to be a mighty enough leather crafter to call the custom guys and drop $100/stamp, but I am hoping for more affordable options at this point.)

[TXAG]

As one of those young people trying to get into this, I'm surprised at the mentions in this thread of 'all the other suppliers out there.' Every time I think of a new tool I could use, I follow the same progression: 1- check the flyer, 2- see that it's over-priced and not on sale, 3- curse Tandy's monopoly, 4- decide to try and wait until next month when the item might be on sale.

If you did not know of any other suppliers, I'm curious how you came to figure that their stuff was overpriced without any other basis by which to judge it...(I mean...*I* think it's overpriced for what it is, but that's after comparing it to tools available from other sources...just curious how you came to the same conclusion without another source to compare it to...)

To answer the rest of your question, make things, sell them, use the funds you make to buy more materials and better tools...sometimes you can get decent used tools on ebay...but a lot of time, the people that sell them on there think they're 24k solid gold or something...

Edited October 8, 2013 by TXAG

[St8LineGunsmith]

As one of those young people trying to get into this, I'm surprised at the mentions in this thread of 'all the other suppliers out there.' Every time I think of a new tool I could use, I follow the same progression: 1- check the flyer, 2- see that it's over-priced and not on sale, 3- curse Tandy's monopoly, 4- decide to try and wait until next month when the item might be on sale.

But suddenly it sounds like it's nowhere near the monopoly I thought it was. I'm grateful Tandy exists and I have gotten some good stuff from them, but there are a lot of things that kinda bug me about them, too. What other suppliers are we talking about here? (I'd love to be a mighty enough leather crafter to call the custom guys and drop $100/stamp, but I am hoping for more affordable options at this point.)

Compaired to Springfield leather company they are well overpriced

if you want to see a real savings with Springfield join their wholesale club and they also honor Tandys gold club membership

all you have to do is call Springfield and tell the rep you have a Tandy gold club membership and you would like to get signed up then they will get you squared away that way when you log on to their site you will get the wholesale pricing.

as far as price comparisons a stamp from Tandy is ..$9.95 regular price, $8.00 gold club price

the same stamp from Springfield is $7.49 regular price and $5.49 wholesale club price

Tandys small poly maul list price is $99.00 Gold club pricing is.$80.00 you can get a Bary King maul from SLC for$46.00 Wholesale club price and $54.99 regular price.

their leathers are higher quality than TLF for the same price or less..

so yesTLFin comparison to SLC is gouging the customers as hard as they possibly can.

Edited October 8, 2013 by St8LineGunsmith