Motivation...right?

Ok…I have tried to be merciful, kind, tolerant and patient for far too long.

This is killing me.

Have any of you recently browsed the tack section of Model Horse $ales Pages? If not, please do so before you read on.

http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/searchlist.asp (just go to the drop down box, select the Tack section, and click “Go”)

Do you see what I see? I see a plethora of tack, at what I consider high prices, for what I consider low-quality tack.

Is it just me, or is there something wrong with this?

I understand that people are broke nowadays, and tack making seems to be a big draw to make a buck or two. But, seriously, it looks like a two-year-old made that, and you’re charging what for it? Please, alleviate my illness and do you research before you stick a price that looks promising to the seller on an item. Because, trust me, that won’t look appealing to the buyer.

I have listed some of my tack for cheap, and I mean cheap online. But it never sold. Is my tack not worth $150, or even $100, or even $75? Please, be honest, and if you’ve seen my tack before, please let me know how much YOU think I should sell my tack for. Because I want to be making a good hourly wage for the time I put into a tack set!

Seeing the high input of low-quality tack at high-quality (or even medium quality) prices, I find it harder and harder to catch good-quality tack makers’ work, especially since I use photos of this stuff as references to help make MY tack better…

What do you think?

I personally think this means I need to make some tack just to give people something realistic to look at, even if they don't buy it.

::begins digging through drawers of leather and tools::

And please forgive me if I sound snotty :/

Tackmaking at the End of the Tunnel

This morning I learned that I have a customer who wants a bridle spiffed up.

(Once again, Blogger isn't cooperating. I'll check back later to see if I can post pictures.)

The customer is the third or fourth owner of the gaited saddle I made to fit the Peruvian Paso mold.

(....won't load pictures.)

Anyways, it was the first time I'd ever done anything so drastic as fitting the saddle to a specific mold - which turned out to be neccessary for that model. The Peruvian Paso mold is very short-backed, and his high headset makes his neck get in the way.

I wasn't comissioned to make a bridle, however, because the customer ordering the tack already had a bridle they would use with the saddle. I just said "It makes my job easier!"

Well, now, the saddle is with a bosal bridle - it's nice, but for some inexplicable reason the browband is way, way too short.

So, I have been commissioned to replace all of the leather on this bridle with new leather that 1). Matches the saddle's color, and 2). Fits the poor horse's forehead.

After all, the saddle has NAN'ed already - why not give it a winning bridle too? ;)

Friesians on the Brain

Title says it all :D

I have a Gem Twist body sitting on my desk. I was hoping to sell it, but so far no one has claimed him. A while back, I saw a Gem Twist model someone had transformed into a bowing Friesian.

*+. Light Bulb Moment!.+*

So, as soon as the three bodies on my desk/windowsill/dresser are finished, or at least past the prepping stage, I think I just might have a go at my first bowing Friesian model!

The Winds of Change

There has been absolutely no tack progress around here since...oh...last spring? I can't remember. All I know is that I seem to have lost all inspiration for tackmaking. But, I've been painting lately, so at least I haven't completely abandoned the hobby.

Please welcome Pendragon Studios!

The site is still a little rough, but you can visit it here:

http://pendragonstudios.webs.com/

I'm still keeping hte name of Noble Farms Custom Saddlery for the tack side of my "business," but Pendragon Studios will be the whole of my efforts, including the tack part - think of it like this:

So, you get the gist of it - I just need some change over here. (This is what a month-long break from school does to you.)

Also, I am thinking of turning my painting "skills" (or lack thereof) into a Pet Portrait service - for folks who want a 3D model of their horse or dog, I can paint them a model of their pet! I figured this would be a better way to reach out to the non-model-horsey people in my area, and keep from flooding the model horse world with my, uh, practice pieces.

Please let me know what you think in the comments below - and don't worry, as soon as I have extra money to spend on tack supplies I will make more tack!!