frank garcia

i ordered a tailgunner for my g22 from high noon holsters last april07 for 79 dollars for horsehide. weeks after the price on everything went up about50%. i got luck i ordered when i did.

tabsr

I'm just hoping my Bullman QRH holster arrives by my 65th birthday and I will be very happy. Rosen was priced out of my wallet ability.

N-frame Smith

I'd love to see pics and a review of it when you get it. Bulman's stuff looks gorgeous, and you're right his prices seem very reasonable for the quality of work. He's on my list of makers to order from, but I haven't got to him yet.

I just placed an order with Lou Alessi a few days ago and was quoted 24 to 30 weeks. Now the waiting starts...

__________________
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" - Patrick Henry

mtcraigco

Orders have more than tripled in the past year here at CrossBreed yet our backlog has been cut from 8-10 weeks to 2-4 weeks.

We added to the production staff and made a few other changes to be more able to keep up with the demand.

This was done without raising prices more than 10%-15%, We are already seeing another upward move in our orders due to the reduced wait times.

As of last night when I left the shop, our backlog was at about 7-10 days from order to shipping.

And for those who are wondering, we send out about 100 holsters a week right now.

I just thought that info was valid to the discussion at hand.

Thanks 'fer listenin'

Mark Craighead

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Mark Craighead
Owner/Founder
CrossBreed Holsters LLC
http://www.crossbreedholsters.com

XD in SC

I have these same feelings. Minority?? Maybe.... Great to see a nice discussion, but I can't OPEN Carry anywhere near where I live, so a holster for me will be .......

IWB
functional
and
NEVER seen

I currently have Kydex for both my XDs, and yes I know they will get scratched, scuffed, whatever.... They are also NOT to be seen.

I the holster makers for their input, and for keeping the price at a wallet friendly level for most. Maybe one day I'll buy something leather....... I see more and more XD fitments.

I am sure if customer service wasn't a high priority by any of these holster makers, then people would be complaining that they were charging too much and not delivering on the service side.

To the topic starter.... what do you do for a day-to-day living? I work retail, and all I hear is how prices are cheaper at XYZ, or on the internet. SO why are you standing in my shop and asking questions? Oh yeah! It's for the SERVICE you get. My prices are fair and keep you getting customer service that is second to none in my industry. (not gun related) BTW, my shop has more referral customers based on our customer service than anything else.
DO you take your vehicle to your local dealership and ask them to raise their $90/hour rates because their shops are always too full and you have to schedule appointments? Most of their techs are specially trained, just like these leather crafters.

__________________
Sean
XD 9SC | XD 45ACP Service | XD 45ACP Compact |Borealis
"You may know where you are. God may know where you are. If you don't tell your dispatcher where you are, you'd better be on speaking terms with God!"

FN1910

I once had an ISP business that I built on customer service but had to be competetive in price. A big part of my business was helping people with their PC problems and they knew that I would provide them with help that the "Big Boys" wouldn't. Part of the reason was that I enjoyed helping people get on the Internet and learning what it was all about. One day a customer called to tell me that he had changed to another because they were so much cheaper. He then started to ask me about different little things to get his service working with them properly. After a while I said shouldn't you be asking your new ISP these question? He slammed the phone down.

Same way with holsters that you pay for the quality and service. Some are in the business just to make money and some are in it also to help people. The number one reason for any business to exist is to make money but for many that isn't the only reason and I applaud those that put service and quality on the list. One of the reasons I got out of the consulting business is I couldn't not morally rip people off like some do. I lost some deals simply because my bid wasn't high enough. Like the old Jerry Clower story whith the horse blanket. When the price finally got high enough they bought it. Price your holsters at $600 rather than $60 and many people will buy it when they wouldn't for $60.

Rhome

Ok, I have been following this thread for awhile now and I will throw in my 2 cents now. The custom holster makers I have the privilege of knowing started making holsters because #1 they are true artists, and #2 they couldn't find a holster that they liked. They didn't get into making holsters to get rich, they did it to be able to share their artistry with you, they did it in hopes that they can create a thing of beauty and still function safely for you. Every holster maker I know puts his personal all into each and every holster he or she makes for you. You are not only buying a " holster " you are also getting a piece of art that that particlar maker created in his mind and applied it to a piece of leather. The reason it takes so long to complete is,to a true artist it must be as close to perfect in his eyes before it leaves his shop. And critical, there is no one more critical of his own work than the custom holster maker. Not one of you can be more critical about a holster than the the holster maker himself. It takes time, lots of time, to produce something for you that is perfect in our own eyes. We don't make the holsters to make a ton of money, we make the holsters because we love it, it is in our blood, we are first and formost artists. So the next time you look at your holster please think about the love and time it took to make you a thing of function and beauty made by our own two hands, not some employee's hands, because of backlog problems. Remember you chose that holster maker because you like what he makes and the price fit your wallet and it is his name on that holster not his emploee's. I apologize for my rantings, I wish only the best for you. I hope I haven't spoken out of line, I'm only speaking for myself.
Best,
Rhome

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Politicians are like diapers, they should be changed often and for the same reason. ~ Robin Williams ~
www.desbiensgunleather.com

ozshadow

I truly appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into these holsters. Every one is slightly different, and every one contains a portion of one person's life tied to it.

The first thought echoing in my head when I made it was this:

http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...3&postcount=34

and related posts, along with other posts by other craftsmen that basically showing them being overwhelmed and not exactly "happy" when they visit the forums or check their email.

Throw in all the customer posts complaining, and it creates on big mess. I'd really rather not see the goodheartedness of the makers turn detrimental to them.

Happy holster craftsman = Happy holster buyer


This post got a lot bigger than I ever expected.

Kevan

Here are a few economic thoughts offered in the spirit of friendly conversation . . .

When a buyer pays a certain price knowing that he will wait a long time, the waiting is part of the price he pays for getting what he wants. When a craftsman combines time and skill and overhead in order to acquire the buyer's money, the discomfort of being overwhelmed by the backlog is also a part of his cost of doing business.

Because there is no fraud or coercion, each party in the transaction is weighing his costs against what he will get as the result of trading, and each has decided that he'd rather trade; and so a sale takes place. The maker knows how much it will cost him in materials, time, etc., and how much discomfort he will endure from the backlog, and he has decided that what he gets out of the deal (money, satisfaction, reputation, etc.) is worth it. Only he, himself, knows whether or not it is worth it. I don't and you don't.

I'm a cheap plumber because I have a conscience and people have problems and need help and they don't know where to turn and they trust me. If I quoted them some big price, they'd trust me, pay it, and be ripped off. Such is not the case with holsters. The buyer has the Internet and a hundred levels of quality to choose from. No craftsman should be blamed for setting his price twice as high as some other craftsman. Those who cannot afford it have innumerable alternatives at lower prices, and the craftsmen getting the higher prices will just attract more and better craftsmen into the trade. Everyone benefits.

And no craftsman should be blamed for keeping his prices low and attracting a six-month backlog. It's his choice depending on what he feels he is getting out of the deal, so long as the buyers know the situation up front.

There is an establishment in my city that is known to every handgunner. All of the shooters I've met, without exception, consider this place to be staffed by arrogant jerks. We have the freedom to patronize them or not. Just this week, because I went there and got the standard treatment again, I walked out, came to this forum, and followed the advice I read on another thread here and called up Ken Null, a true gentleman, and ordered a shoulder rig.

I got what I wanted, the jerks are still free to run their store their own way, and Mr. Null is free to take their customers whenever he can.

Economic freedom is foundational to all freedom.

kavity

Well the beauty of free market capitalism is that someone will fill the void with custom holsters that are affordable.

...

You could spend $100 on a custom holster and wait 6 months for it OR you could spend $200 and wait 2-3 weeks. Which would you prefer? If you just calculated the amount of money you could save while waiting on a holster you'd probably have more than enough to pay for an increased price.