Tandy Catalogue From Australia

[Handstitched]

G'day,  

I'm not even sure if the link will work in this part of the planet, but here goes : https://www.tandyleather.com.au/en/eflyer/1809rt-au?utm_source=Tand-E-mail+from+Tandy+Leather&utm_campaign=cc18212abc-2018-08-31-WebSpecials-AU&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e267c11fde-cc18212abc-75657005

How do the prices compare to yours ?  I find that even their  " sale " prices are too expensive.However ,  they do on occasion have a few things worth while  buying. 

I do have more than one supplier that are cheaper than their ' sale prices' ........and without having to join a club. 

HS 

[Sheilajeanne]

That's ridiculous! One Australian dollar equals .94 cents Canadian. Here is the price of the SAME ITEMS from my Tandy Canadian sale flyer for September!

https://www.tandyleather.ca/en/eflyer/1809rt-ca?utm_source=Tand-E-mail+from+Tandy+Leather&utm_campaign=6d08150e03-2018-08-31-WebSpecials-CA&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e267c11fde-6d08150e03-76561025

They are charging approximately a 25% markup over Canadian prices. (I used the Cumberland sides to do the math on this.)

Edited September 1, 2018 by Sheilajeanne

[fredk]

Taking a random sampling, we in the UK are paying approx 50% more than you in Canada for the same item, plus you have items in that flyer that are not in mine

[Sheilajeanne]

 Yikes! 

Glad to be living in Canada, then. There aren't a lot of leather sources other than Tandy in my area, and at least they are close enough that I can see the leather in person before I decide to buy!

The shipping cost of leather from the States makes buying across the border a bad deal for most items.

[bikermutt07]

The facts are, none of us are getting a great deal at Tandy. Unless something is clearance there just isn't a great value to be had. 

Look for this kind of pricing at Wal-Mart once they finish crushing or absorbing all their competition.

When you're the only game in town, you can pretty much name your price.

[Handstitched]

G'Day , Thanks all  for your replies. 

8 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

The facts are, none of us are getting a great deal at Tandy. Unless something is clearance there just isn't a great value to be had. 

You summed it up nicely BM .  

And trying to get quantity discounts from Tandy is like getting blood out of a stone at times. I have a few gripes about Tandy.  I have pointed out   to the manager of Tandy in NSW , that we are a metricated system here  in Oz  , but most  of their ads are in imperial . The conversion is simple to you and me , but not all Aussies are  that astute  Ha !

The other gripe, is that I can get stuff cheaper, (and quantity discounts)  from other suppliers without  having to join a club. ( they did that in the electronics   business....once )  . 

They do on occasion have " specials" for B to B , but that doesn't  come around very often . Even then, they don't have the quantity that businesses order.  If you don't have the stock , then don't advertise. 

Right now, the Aussie $ is at .72 cents against the US , as of Sept 2nd. , and has hardly shifted in the last 12 months  or more. No good to order stock & supplies from the States.  I have an account with a supplier in Pennsylvania , I'd love to place an order, but its not financially viable .  

Anyway, thats my ' whinge of the week' .  Feel free to air yours  

HS 

Edited September 2, 2018 by Handstitched

[Handstitched]

G'Day, 

yet another gripe about Tandy.

Spot the ' anomaly ' between this:   (  business to business )  for Oakleaf , 

 https://www.tandyleather.com.au/en/eflyer/1810bus-au?utm_source=Tand-E-mail+from+Tandy+Leather&utm_campaign=8056bfae80-2018-10-09-TandyLeather-1810BUS-AU&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e267c11fde-8056bfae80-75657005&mc_cid=8056bfae80&mc_eid=d54954bb79 

 

(sorry for the long link) 

.........and this:  ( from their latest October  catalogue ) 

https://www.tandyleather.com.au/en/product/oak-leaf-lightweight-saddle-skirting-10-to-12-oz-4-0-to-4-8-mm

Same ad, same product, size , thickness  description etc. but with one substantial difference between this and their  so called " Premium  Specials" for businesses .  

I haven't told them ....yet.  I'll give them the opportunity to correct it. 

HS 

 

 

[YinTx]

On 9/1/2018 at 12:21 PM, Sheilajeanne said:

The shipping cost of leather from the States makes buying across the border a bad deal for most items.

Yes, and there is the added "Fees"  that most other countries add onto anything coming from the US.  as an example, an individual on another forum compiled this list of costs for ordering some sides of Wickett and Craig leather:

Price of sides from Wickett and Craig $256, $241 - £194, £183

shipping $90 - £68

customs $118 - £90 inc fees the courier charges to pay for the customs.

total: $705 £535.

So Customs added $118 fees on $500 of leather coming from USA.  I imagine that protects a lot of leather mfr's in other countries, and I suspect other goods coming from here have similar issues driving up costs.  

YinTx

On 9/1/2018 at 9:04 PM, bikermutt07 said:

When you're the only game in town, you can pretty much name your price.

I think for a while they were, but with pricing like that a lot of competition is entering the market, like China - easy to compete when somehow they can ship for free to my front door a tiny tool from overseas, but I have to pay $10 to have something shipped from a state or city next door.  Also the likes of SLC, Weaver, etc are making and selling similar or better items at better prices.  This is good for the consumer to have choices again.   I think Tandy takes advantage of the fact that new entrants and hobbyists to the leather working world  are not aware of the other options out there, and after all, Tandy is generally a close by bricks and mortar, along with the online presence.  Can't blame them for understanding their market.  Also, I don't have to shop there all the time.

YinTx

[bikermutt07]

@YinTx, I agree with everything you just said. 

The tariffs have to go away, across the board. And, I'm confident they will.

[Handstitched]

The difference of $185.99 " Premium Price for businesses "  ,   and $169.00 " Sale Price"  , doesn't sound like much , but every $$ counts as a sole trader .  We have 10%  GST ' Goods & Services Tax' in Oz . And the Aussie $$ keeps hovering around the low  . 70's . Not good for buying stuff from the US. It has to be at least  .85 - .90c to make it viable. 

I did  my tax this week, I'm way down on sales on last year.   But thankfully, all my bills are  paid and I'm in the black   

But, costs keep going up, so I'll be putting up the prices of my plain belts ( and few other things) next year , first price rise in about 10 years

HS 

[VabaX]

Tandy in Straya is just a joke. just about everything I've ever needed can be found at Birdsall, and anything else (which is not much) I just get from overseas. In terms of leather, I get that from Austanners down in Geelong. great quality/pricing on their nat 'roo skins (they just changed their pricing on ebay: $50 per skin INCLUSIVE of courier charge. Even Birdsall want $80 per roo skin PLUS flatrate postage of $12 per order.)

Edited October 11, 2018 by VabaX

[Handstitched]

Yep, I agree.

I only buy from Tandy  when theres a genuine bargain , although quite rare.  I have also pointed out their ' pricing anomaly '. Just waiting for their reply. 

I've  had accounts with Birdsall for 14 years, and NSW Leather Co. ( agent in Perth)   I  also purchase from Adelaide Leather .  Even Leflers Melbourne  can be a bit pricey.  Never bought from Austanners , I might try them out.  Theres also Packers Leather Narangba  Qld.  only bought from them rarely .  

There is ' Western Leather Craft in Perth (WA), where my leather journey started , I know the current  owner,  he's gone all ' medieval ' and not so much staying true to leather craft per se',  and  I knew the previous owner ( not nice) ...and the one before that ( his mother....so much nicer)  , but the  shop is  now physically  inaccessible . He needs to move . 

Trying to get wholesale pricing from Tandy is not easy. 

With the exception of my leather supplier in  Perth, its a case of ' two weeks from everywhere'  if I want something. 

HS

[crawf]

g'day "H" , I am a complete newbie and I too come from a land down under . I live on the sunshine coast in qld and I have looked at Packers in Narangba because they are close to home and I need to start somewhere , are they good people to deal with ? I am going to need tools and leather and......lots of help. I am an old fart and this is a hobbie I hope to take into retirement . we just came home from a trip down the west coast , from broome to perth and it was sensational , its nice to find a site with nice people . im loving all the passion and good info . cheers crawf.

[chrisash]

Hello, Welcome to the forum, loads of old codgers here as well as some young folk

[Rockoboy]

Hi there Crawf, I have heard of Packers, but never dealt with them. Most of my purchases to date, have been through Birdsall Leather, or Marino Leather in Cairns for toad and some exotics.

[canonitr]

On 02/09/2018 at 1:00 AM, Sheilajeanne said:

That's ridiculous! One Australian dollar equals .94 cents Canadian. Here is the price of the SAME ITEMS from my Tandy Canadian sale flyer for September!

https://www.tandyleather.ca/en/eflyer/1809rt-ca?utm_source=Tand-E-mail+from+Tandy+Leather&utm_campaign=6d08150e03-2018-08-31-WebSpecials-CA&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e267c11fde-6d08150e03-76561025

They are charging approximately a 25% markup over Canadian prices. (I used the Cumberland sides to do the math on this.)

i emailed Tandy on 2/Sep as well, regarding the price.. as I am from Singapore, i am rerouted to the AU website if i want to order items from Tandy .. there is an immediate 20% increase in price from USD to AUD, excluding the postage, which was AUD60 (variable, according to the weight of parcel). Luckily, I held off on ordering from AU, as i found out there was a local shop which took a number of items from Tandy, and could order in the items if they didnt have it in stock..

what would have cost me AUD67.50 + shipping , I paid SGD48.00 thru the shop, and it arrived in 3-5 days as they had an order on the way in..

[ScoobyNewbie]

 I’m at Tandy Omaha, and I’ve only been with Tandy a short time, but think I may understand the pricing “anomaly”. 

I would figure that the 189 price was a flier, probably monthly, with a general sales ad. The 169 price for all levels was probably a “let’s get this moving now” online only offer from corporate to clear the warehouse over stock or something like that. 

[Handstitched]

G'day,

I did get a reply regarding their 'pricing anomaly ' .

Here is my email to them : 

" In your ad for the " Business & Manufacturer " Flyer code 1810BUS, the price for " Oak-Leaf Lightweight Veg-Tan Saddle Skirting 10 to 12 oz. (4.0 to 4.8 mm  Item #9047-05  "    is $185.99,
however , in the  current  " Sale " ad on your web site,  , you have "Oak-Leaf Lightweight Veg-Tan Saddle Skirting 10 to 12 oz. (4.0 to 4.8 mm) Item #9047-05 is  at $168.99 for the exact same product.

I know which one I'll be buying

And their reply : 

" They are on sale at the moment for $168.99 plus gst .
If you would like to order some. We only have 1 in store at the moment. We have more on order and should be instore early next week. If you order today we can hold them at that price for you . " 

No  apologies,  no acknowledgement or a  " thank you for pointing this out"   about their pricing difference   . I wonder how many businesses unknowingly   paid the higher price ? 

 

@canonitr We  in the West of Australia , have to wait up to 2 weeks for anything to arrive from the east.  I can only dream for stuff to arrive in 3 - 5 days     I have in fact received parcels quicker from Pennsylvania to WA   than from the east.....go  figure ?  

It reminds me of a line  from the movie " " O Brother, Where for Art Thou"  " Well ain't this a geological oddity....two weeks from everywhere " .   Welcome to Western Australia ....So  funny   

Marino Leather in QLD ( @Rockoboy)  are the best, they send express post, 3-5 days guaranteed.  

I have only bought from Packers on rare occasions over the years, but they seem pretty good to deal with. I had no problems with  them . 

HS

 

[noobleather]

On 10/11/2018 at 10:50 AM, VabaX said:

Tandy in Straya is just a joke. just about everything I've ever needed can be found at Birdsall, and anything else (which is not much) I just get from overseas. In terms of leather, I get that from Austanners down in Geelong. great quality/pricing on their nat 'roo skins (they just changed their pricing on ebay: $50 per skin INCLUSIVE of courier charge. Even Birdsall want $80 per roo skin PLUS flatrate postage of $12 per order.)

Well stated!

I find too much is overpriced across the board here in straya.

plus 1 for the info on Austanners.

Cheers

[chrisash]

In England many prices are the same as USA dollars but in Pounds so $100= £100 plus vat, exchange rate Pound = $1.30 on average

[VabaX]

8 hours ago, noobleather said:

Well stated!

I find too much is overpriced across the board here in straya.

plus 1 for the info on Austanners.

Cheers

Their nat veg tanned roos are great. i've cut up half a dozen in the last few months. 

One thing to note, however, is that there appears to be a very light coating of some sort on them that in some parts resists dye penetration, which becomes particularly noticeable with darker dyes. If you already clean your skins before dying, you'll probably have no issue, but just a heads up. It can give it a real 'patina' sort of aged look, which I kinda like anyway, but if you're wanting a perfectly consistent dye, and it does turn out like that, i'd imagine it would be very frustrating 

[noobleather]

Thanks for that info

[Rockoboy]

15 hours ago, VabaX said:

If you already clean your skins before dying, you'll probably have no issue

How do you suggest cleaning a hide before the dye goes on? Saddle soap and fresh water?

[VabaX]

8 hours ago, Rockoboy said:

How do you suggest cleaning a hide before the dye goes on? Saddle soap and fresh water?

I have absolutely no idea, because i've never actually tried. I've just accepted it and embraced the textured look that it adds.
I've tried to contact them about it before, but they never responded

[Handstitched]

There is also  ' Oxalic Acid' )  ( *Rhubarb  juice) , but could be a bit extreme....its also very toxic.   

Heres a bit of info: http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/25558-oxalic-acid-and-cleaning-leather/

I think I'd rather have the  ' patina'  

HS

 

(* I hate rhubarb & custard, still do  ,my Mother tried feeding it to me as a kid ......she failed !!)