How to make leather goods videos

[RockyAussie]

How many people here want to make money making leather goods?

How many people here would like to see a range of video’s on How to make leather goods .......Profitably?

I’ve seen plenty that show me how to make stuff unprofitably so I do stress the word Profitably.

To be clear as I can, what I am saying is that the videos would be along the line of how to make leather goods Quickly and Efficiently and also with some basic manufacturing machinery.

I ask you these questions as I would like to know what sort of a market there would be in making and selling in some form or another, video’s and associated patterns and supplies etc.

Not much point making detailed video’s and stuff if there is no interest .......is there???

For anyone here that does not know the type of products I produce please check my website link –

https://wildharry.com.au/

And another place that would give you some more would be here by visiting my profile page and looking through the “about me” section which shows a long list of tutorial type posts of things I make.

If you are interested please say so..... 

[Matt S]

Brian I would be very interested, as I am with everything you post. Profitability is one of the things I struggle with.

[JLSleather]

1 hour ago, RockyAussie said:

I would like to know what sort of a market there would be in making and selling in some form

I LIKE an honest guy.  SO many videos offering to "help" you, or "partner with" you, and "be there for you"... as you learn something in leather.  For a price  

To have a guy just come on out and say "I would like to know what sort of a market there would be in making and selling in some form" is REFRESHING.  Guess my level of interest would depend on the subject matter.  We aint got too many salty crocs in Iowa, but some the principles be the same surely.

So are you talking about "leather" videos, or "production" videos?

 

 

[chrisash]

Well i am 100% hobby and will never ever be selling or setting up a production run, BUT (there is always a but) I would be really interested in learning how you do it, if nothing else it keeps my little grey cells alive, or whats left of them

[billybopp]

I think that a video series on profitably making leather goods would be awesome!  For now, I'm a hobbyist, and mostly make gifts for friends and family.  I've sold a few items and had a few commissions, which is rewarding but not really profitable.  That said, I can see a time in the future where I may use leather goods as a supplemental income after I retire.  At that point, profitability will be much more important.  So yes!  Please!!  

- Bill 

[RockyAussie]

15 hours ago, JLSleather said:

We aint got too many salty crocs in Iowa, but some the principles be the same surely.

So are you talking about "leather" videos, or "production" videos?

Yeah the principles are mostly the same normally but I would be focusing more on the more average cow leathers I think. In answer to your question above I am talking about production type videos. In one of my earlier posts I made a video that was aimed at showing off a line up device that I made and use everyday when making up wallets,purses and bags and a whole lot of other things. In this video you can see some techniques in action that allow me to make up wallets like these in a 30 to 45 minute time frame start to finish. The post I am referring to - 

  What I see often is cut down videos that if you were to follow them would take you over a day to make. In one case yesterday I see a plain leather drink coaster that has been hand stitched and for sale at over $83 au. Although some would pay to see a video on how he does this I argue that none of this is real world. To quote myself above "how to make leather goods Quickly and Efficiently and also with some basic manufacturing machinery" is what I am talking about. 99.9% of the market are not going to buy this product at that price and if you could make a comparable product (not hand stitched) in 5 minutes or less and sell it at a more marketable price why would you not do that? I am NOT saying that every thing has to be made cheap and sold cheap either but if you are crazy enough to think a drink coaster that is hand stitched is going to outlast a coaster that is machine stitched and that is why it is worth paying over 10 times the difference in price then I have to say my video's are not for you. Most of my work is based on making leather goods profitably as I can and I don't see that I would have time to teach anybody how to do it any other way. This is a picture of a wallet out of my every day range that takes 30 to 45 minutes to make.

 

 

[chrisash]

That makes a lot of sense, though I think many diehards would not invest in stock or marketing,

[Gymnast]

I am interested, in this subject. However I do not have the skills in leatherwork needed. But I could help on some specific technical issues.

I did a few videos myselves, and almost nobody choose to see them. So I would like to know more about how to make people interested.

Some youtubers make a living making videos. So this is perhaps another perspective on this subject.

[JLSleather]

8 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

I am NOT saying that every thing has to be made cheap and sold cheap either but if you are crazy enough to think a drink coaster that is hand stitched is going to outlast a coaster that is machine stitched and that is why it is worth paying over 10 times the difference in price then I have to say my video's are not for you.

Careful, you soundin' like me   https://www.jlsleather.com/hand-made-well-made One sensitive little @!@$! used to be on this site a bit, got all mad and bitchy when I pointed out that taking a piece of leather, "hand sewing' around the edge, and calling it a "guitar strap" does not make it worth $100 (okay sure - Mom will buy one for that price).  Unless it belonged to Elvis, I can get that same thing in any music store for $20 U.S.

But I guess I'd not be in the videos.  Since you asked, I'll briefly mull over why that is.  Your video with the wallets (above) shows some useful info.  But it's extreme for what I do.  Though we don't see her move the "fence' or "rail" or "stop" (or what ya call it over there) between 'rows', i 'get' the idea.  That would certainly be useful to have somebody building those, just follow the guides - not a lot of training time involved.  But I don't have employees, or any desire to have any (been there, and NEVER agin).  But I could see benefit of somebody ELSE making that type of thing.. I DO think there would be a market for WELL MADE leather wallet "innards" you could put in place and go.  I would buy them, but I'm not high-output enough to justify doing it OR be a good customer for the guy doing it.

I used to make alot of that style of wallet, though mine were usually tooled leather.  Well, 'a lot" meaning dozens, not thousands.  I'd make liners much like yours about 10-12 at a time... set them in a box on a shelf - and when somebody ordered a wallet (yes, usually just one at a time) I carve and color, then sew in the liner which is already done.  So I get the "prep" thing of it.  I did enough "pre-season" so I didn't have to rush around, swapping out tooling and space to go from wallet to liner and back.  Usually worked.

Meanwhile, I guess that puts me somewhere in between.  I try to do all the sewing I need to do with black #277 thread before changing the spool.  Holsters, belts, cases,.. don't matter. If it gits 277 black, nows the time.  Then switch to next thread i have projects waiting on.  Occasionally get "caught" and have  to swap out to get one done on schedule, but usually best practice.

And I don't have or want the SPACE to store 100's of finished goods.  But when somebody orders a holster, I generally make TWO - thus not in that same predicament in a week.

For me, maybe should spend my money on more DIES than videos.  SO many people love to watch a video, so they can tell theyself they're "working".. but really they just finding an excuse to not get up and DO IT. 

[I recently enrolled in a gym - well, wife signed me up really.  More older folk than I remember from gyms in the past.  The favorite "exercises" for overweight older men?  bench press and 4-player racketball.  Sounds good?  Uh, no.  Bench press - "you mean I get to LAY DOWN and call it exercise?@!" and 4-player in a small court means everybody has a reason not to move much at all]

[JLSleather]

Having said all that, lemme also say this. Your videos may be a step UP on most of what is "out there".  ACTUAL INFO... not just some "look at me, look at me" cheap marketing crap, showing me the same thing 100 other videos already show (ughh.. HOW MANY videos say "may not be THE way, but this the way I do it...", and then do exactly what 100 others did ?@!$!).

So, I might watch one, er two, depending on content stated.  I wouldn't be interested in any "subscription".  Course, I'm that guy... if I like it, I will SAY that.  ANd if I don't like it, I say that too.