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 :/
6 comments:
I still consider myself a relatively new face in tack making. It hasn't been that long ago that I was struggling to sell my tack for $30 or $45 a saddle.
The problem had a few facets: no one had heard of me or seen my work in person, there were other active and better known tack makers, and my work really did need to improve before I could realistically expect to charge more.
My work started getting out, I found shows to donate to, I stuck through it with low prices, and made some breakthroughs with my work process and patterns. Apparently my name is getting out, too - I've had a few customers tell me that people recognized it at shows when they talked about my tack.
So, let me sum up: even if you don't think you're making as much as you're worth, you need to find the selling point for your tack (where you won't lose money on supplies) and offer it at that price while you wait for word of mouth to circulate. Find shows and donate. Include business cards in the boxes you ship out. Constantly work to improve your skills. Present a professional front in your ads, packaging, and anything the customer comes into contact with. And remember - it takes time!
If you'd like, shoot me an email and I can take a look at your best pieces and let you know if I see anything to work on. Who am I kidding, though? There's ALWAYS something to work on! :)
I completely agree with you. there is a ton of "crap" on MHSP with an occasional true gem of a piece, and they all seem to be the same price!!!! The ones that kill me are the proven LSQ ones that look like they were made, well, by me as 6 year old!!! It is depressing, but in my limited knowledge, this seems to come in streaks. I think with the Holidays over we will see better quality stuff again. I have not been making tack long, but I have been watching it for some time. Lets hope it improves some, or at least the prices get more in synch with the quality.
I agree. Your tack is the best quality I have seen, well anywhere so far. Now, I'm new to this, and I was wondering if I could get your e-mail and have you make a couple of things for me. Thanks.
Thank you, Sierra, I am grateful for the compliments, though I'm definitely not the best, nor am I popular yet. But, I'd love to make some tack for you - I've recently lowered my prices. My email is orcowgrrl@yahoo.com :D
I'll go ahead and send you an email just in case you don't see this comment.
I just had to poke my head it. Trundled in here via various links etc. ;-)
I make tack for fun. Sheer fun. I rarely charge any huge amounts and yeah, I am a bit.. hmm... pushy with myself sometimes and don't go exactly on the edge of the leather etc. Rushing pieces isn't good and i pay dearly for it in beating myself up about it. Silly me...
Anyway, it is very hard to find proper hardware here in Sweden without forking out a leg and an arm to buy from the US. I'm almost alone being a tackmaker in Sweden so I do my best to promote it here as well, plus encouraging performance and all that fun stuff. A
Sometimes it has been hard to convince tackmakers that people outside of their country are not all bad eggs. We're really nice folks most of us.
I usually sell mine for about 350 to 400 Swedish Kronor - which in This Days Value is about 60 bucks. I make no or little profit, make my own saddletrees (Once again, dangit the trees kill me!) and have luckily a wonderful shop that sells fabulous leather!
Until I get any good at it I can't overcharge my saddles and won't either. I am not even close to what some of you superbly talented and good people can do! A QUALITY item, with capitol Q please! - will get big bucks from me...
I totally agree with you Alex. I am a live shower, I do not make tack, and would rather not. Why? Because everyone needs something to do in the hobby and I figure I'd rather utilize the talents of those who really like to make tack, or dioramas, or costumes, etc.
I go to MH$P and my jaw drops. Not only the prices of some of the lesser quality tack but at some of the prices of the really good tack. Some of these things are a nearly a month's rent in cost. They ARE nice, but come on, people. There's one person out there who seems to think her stuff is really that much better than everyone else's and I honestly don't see her selling a whole bunch. For her quality, if she cut her prices in half she'd actually make more money a month because her sets would be a hot commodity.
I just bought a phenomenal western tack set from Alysia Teller for only $175. It's right up there with Pam Perkins' tack sets. Pam's sets are a decent price too,but I can't get my hands on an english set because I am not spending $500 for a set. Ridiculous especially in this economic downfall.
I am commissioning you right now for a nice english set for my Henry Fjord and I can't wait to put it on him and get him out on the table. People ALWAYS ask me who made my tack... and I'll be happy to smile and say "Alex Noble!" and she didn't break my bank either.
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