At Cost Leather Collars and Business Questions

[xpaeanx]

So a while ago I decided I'd like to start making leather collars for my dogs as well as family/friends. There is a lot to get when you decided to make your own collars, so I'm finally just getting there supply wise.

Anyway, I'm thinking about trying to make leather collars for some part time income. I'm not hoping to make it into a huge company. I would be estatic if it made me enough money to pay for all dog things, but I'm happy if it just makes enough to pay for some x-mas presents or help with a vacation once a year. Really I just wanted to make collars, and if it brings in a little bit I'm happy with it.

My plan is to sell at craft fairs with my friend who does them for Jewelry and then I was thinking opening an etsy store(most likely) or a FB so I have a place to direct customers for future purchases or to share my products. I'm not looking for my bulk of sales to be internet, I actually would prefer to mostly sell local... so I would like it better if it was the craft fairs. I want to the internet presence just so my local customers can easily find me. I'm leaning towards etsy, because... I really just don't like FB. But any opinions here?

There are also a few small private pet shops I was thinking of approaching about consignment(but this would only be after I was fully established though).

I'm going to make some collars to have available for any time sale, but I'm really hoping to mostly do custom orders. I'm also hoping to mostly do hand stamping/hand painting... but I know people like the collars decorated with conchos, so I'm thinking I might offer some of them as well.

Does anyone have any advice to offer about going about this?

The next question is: Would anyone be interested in some at cost collars? I won't be offering them until this school semester is over (mid-end May), but I want to know if there's any interest as it will determine the amount of things I buy/how fast I push to do this.

Right now I'd offer plain leather collars in dark brown, medium brown, or chestnut. The hardware would be either solid brass or plated brass (your choice-solid is looking like $15 plus shipping and plated $11 plus ship).

To help make decisions, if you were interested in a collars please let me know and include your leather color preference and hardware preference. If you would want black leather or nickle hardware let me know so I can look that up for possibly offering it for the at cost collars. And if you would want decorations let me know(but this would increase the price of the collar). I may also offer to do a hand stamped name-would that interest you?

This is a picture of a collar I just made, but I'm still in the testing materials out phase. When I offer collars I will have new pictures to reflect the final choices in the collars being offered at cost.

 

[RBark]

I'm a business owner, so my perspective on things is kind of skewed.

I've never been too fond of things being offered at-cost. Forgetting for a minute that it undermines the work of other people who are making a living off this sort of thing, it, IMO, undermines your own time value.

I am a firm believer that, even (or especially) in regards to the crafts, you should at least be paying yourself for your time because you're worth it. How much money that is relates to your skill, but it should be more than 0 even if you're a complete newbie.

Just IMO.

 

[xpaeanx]

I'm only offering at cost collars to chaz members, and I'd limit the number. But I want to make a decent amount of collars to make sure I really want to do them beyond just friends and family... and I'd rather at least get some money back for my supplies than be sitting on them.

 

[xpaeanx]

So I bought a lot of clearance things at Tandy last summer. I needed a break from textbooks so I made this for Keeda:

 

[shadowfacedanes]

I'm always interested in collars! Would you be offering only 1" widths, or would you be doing any that are larger? Both of mine need at least 1.5" width. Also, how will you be testing the strength on them? Ditto walks well on a leash, unless she sees a cat, and then she hits the end of the leash with an extreme amount of explosive strength. I'd want to be sure the collar could stand up to her outbursts. With Corvus, it's also important, but he has a lot more voice control in those types of situations than Ditto.

I'm definitely interested though. Can't wait to find out more!

 

[Romy]

Are you going to specialize in flat buckle collars? Or are you open to limited slip or martingales as well?

There's a serious lack of collar makers doing limited slip and martingales in leather. Tons with webbing and brocade, but I love the leather one I finally found for Kaia and fully expect it to last the rest of her life.

Strider needs one too. And I'd be happy to pay more than at cost for it.

 

[DJEtzel]

I would definitely be interested in a collar or two! And I would be willing to pay more than at-cost as well.

I like that color you have that you just made with the conchos. I don't like a lot going on, really. I like simple, but Patton could use a nice collar. Maybe a few little gems going along it. Brass hardware is fine!

I like your idea, business-wise, and I totally relate to at-cost products. I did that for the first year or so that I was hobby on/off making collars, so that I could use those as demos/get pictures to show people what I could really do!

 

[xpaeanx]

Shadow: I am using quality harness leather and cast hardware to start off with strength. Over the next few months I am having my dogs and some close friends dogs wear the collars. I'm going to wrap them around the lamp posts at school and yank on them after a bit of regular wear to see how they do. After that I am going to do the at cost collars here... But as I stated before, these collars are still part of my testing process, that is why they are offered at cost. And yes, I will be offering thicker collars. I know that is a concern for a few different breeds, so I'm not leaving them out. I'm also going to make smaller than an inch. For these collars I think the sizes will be 3/4, 1 tapered to 3/4 or not and 2".

Romy: I absolutely plan on making limited slip! I LOVE limited slip! Seriously makes my life easier as a pet owner. HaHa. The only thing is I don't know when exactly I will be offering them. I'd be making them out of chain and I still need to do more research into that to make sure I can get/make quality. This batch of collars is going to be flat buckle only. But I will PM you when I have more solid information on the chains.

 

[xpaeanx]

I would definitely be interested in a collar or two! And I would be willing to pay more than at-cost as well.

I like that color you have that you just made with the conchos. I don't like a lot going on, really. I like simple, but Patton could use a nice collar. Maybe a few little gems going along it. Brass hardware is fine!

I like your idea, business-wise, and I totally relate to at-cost products. I did that for the first year or so that I was hobby on/off making collars, so that I could use those as demos/get pictures to show people what I could really do!

Yeah, that is exactly why I am offering them at cost. I need to get the collars made so I can both see how they perform and get feedback on them as well get collars made I can show off in albums. And the only place I'd want to discount beyond my own friends is Chaz... So it's a here only offer. After my testing I'll be selling regular price on etsy or local.

As far as the colors... The 2 collars are actually the same. HaHa. Just bc I was blocking the light it looks darker. But that color matches the medium brown more. When I am ready to make collars for you guys the options will be photographed with a real camera an not my cell phone. HaHa. And we could do a few stones to give them a little something.

 

[skittledoo]

I would definitely be interested in testing some collars out for you and giving you a review on them. I'm always interested in new collars though.

 

[Taqroy]

I would LOVE a hand stamped collar for Murphy. I've been looking at them for ages actually, and would prefer to buy from someone I know (or internet know ). I'd prefer a 1.5" for him - the ideal would be 1.5" tapered to 1". And like everyone else I would be willing to kick in some over the cost (I'd also probably take a bajillion pictures and post it on my blog (that no one ever looks at so not really a huge incentive lol)).

 

[shadowfacedanes]

If you need a tester for the wider collars, let me know. Ditto can test the hell out of stuff.

 

[Red Chrome]

Interested in doing an agitation collar?

 

[Saeleofu]

I'm only offering at cost collars to chaz members, and I'd limit the number. But I want to make a decent amount of collars to make sure I really want to do them beyond just friends and family... and I'd rather at least get some money back for my supplies than be sitting on them.

This is exactly what I did when I started making harnesses, and I definitely encourage this. When you sell your practice work at cost, it lets you play around and learn exactly what you're doing without losing much, if any, money in the process. And it's a no-pressure way to get your stuff out there and evaluated. People don't expect it to be perfect yet, but if it's a high-quality product already even if it's rough around the edges people WILL tell their friends. All my business to date has been spread by word-of-mouth sourced from my original set of testers. And word of mouth DOES spread quickly and widely. Also, when people KNOW they have testers, they are more comfortable telling you what needs changed. For example I learned that although polypropylene webbing is cheap and light, it's also rough and uncomfortable to hold, and most people (myself included) really hate it if they're going to be handling it much. And people will have special requests that will push you to explore and experiment outside of your comfort zone, too - selling those items at cost or otherwise deeply discounted is a great way to try out new ideas without really risking your reputation - if it doesn't work out, it was a tester after all.

I am a firm believer that, even (or especially) in regards to the crafts, you should at least be paying yourself for your time because you're worth it. How much money that is relates to your skill, but it should be more than 0 even if you're a complete newbie.

That may be true, but I WAS a complete newbie. I didn't even know how to thread the sewing machine! I'm sure most of my technique is still...unorthodox. From what I gather, the OP is a complete newbie to collar making, too. You can't simply start out selling collars for $100+, you'll never grow your business or even get experience that way. If the collars you make are worth $100, then people will buy them, even if there is a competitor selling $10 collars.



As for the collars themselves, my input is that I LOOOOOOVE the latigo leather collar I have because it wears in very nicely and is super soft and supple. But I also have a bridle leather collar, and I also love it because it stays more stiff and is more water/dirt resistant. Different leathers, different reasons I like them - but ultimately, they each serve the purpose I got them for (plus the bridle leather is blue, that was my #1 requirement lol).

 

[Grab]

I'd be interested as well We love leather collars here

 

[xpaeanx]

Ok, so I got some good feedback on here. When I'm ready to offer the collars I will make a new thread for them. The new thread will list all the final choices as well as pictures.

The thread should emerge around the end of May. I need some time to test out material personally and I also need this semester to be over!!! I will have a set number of spots that can be signed up for to purchase the at cost collars. After that I will probably have some sort of sale during the beginning of my business... but after that I don't think I'll be posting much about it on here.

Interested in doing an agitation collar?

So from what I know about agitation collars is that they are basically the same as a buckle collar except the leather first goes through the D ring and THEN through the buckle and then through a keeper. This is supposed to allow the D(leash attachment) to have more rivets behind it giving it more strength and more fail safes in the event of rivet malfunction?

If that is correct? Then I would have no problem trying to make one. I just need to look up some decent heel buckles. Assuming my prototype turns out ok, I would be happy to offer them as a regular item as well.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

I'm a hobby leather worker as well! You do some nice stuff!

I could never make stuff to sell. Leather working is wayyy too tedious for me and to be fun, it has to be something I want to make and I can take as much time as I need. I do a lot of bow stabilizer straps, some collars, and just made my first bronc halter!

I'm excited to watch your thread come up and see what you make.

 

[xpaeanx]

Thank you for the complement!

I think part of the reason I like leather is because it is tedious. I don't think people realize just how long it takes... Even if you don't add 1 decoration to your work there are still a lot of steps. But when I'm stressed out(which happens a lot, hello med field!) it allows me to use my mind but not in the same way school & work does.... So my mind is tired and relaxed after not fried and frantic.

But as I said, I'm looking to keep this a pretty small operation. I wouldn't want to be taking in an order every couple hours for a new collar, that would be too much for me.

I like your halter! That's awesome! I'd love to see your bow straps. I have a grey paracord one on my bow now. But I'm weird about stuff on my bow. HaHa.

When I bring my horse back north I want to start making stuff for him as well. I really love making things... not in the way of artwork like paintings, but I'll sand down and paint furniture people threw out, or make my dogs collars, or my fully insulated dog houses the SO designed and built based on my ideas, or my garden that's slowly coming to life. When I look around at these things I just feel happy. It's amazing and I love it.

I think I finally made my mind up on all the final materials and their sources. I'll be ordering more supplies soon. I'm pretty excited about it.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

I really want to get a nice round knife so I can start doing tapered ends and making my own blanks.

Thanks for the compliment on the halter! I too find it pleasing, but I don't like working on a deadline. I'm actually working on a new strap for DH. When it is done, I'll get some photos for you!

 

[xpaeanx]

My whole life is deadlines. LOL.

But as long as I don't overwhelm myself with work I'm good.