To our customers, and customers to be

I thought that it was high time that I wrote this little note to you, our customers, and those that we hope soon will be.

I just got into a long "argument" with a good friend over my pricing on this site. His position was that I should not make my prices so low because it makes the goods look cheap.

So, folks, here's my take on this, and why I price like I do.

Let's take, for example, the Stallion Guard, which I just added to the site. Look around the net. The price for these runs from $25.00 to over $50.00 (and, boy, have they got to be dreaming). It seems like the usual price is $29.95.

We sell ours (as of the date this was written) for $11.00 or $12.00, depending on size. I could sell it for $24.95, and make it just a little cheaper than everyone else. The problem is, I know how much it costs us to get these produced and I'm sorry, I may be weird, but I don't like to rip people off. We sell this for $12.00 and make a fair profit.

I can tell you, with no hesitation, and no lost sleep, that these are every bit as good as the ones for which you will pay more than twice this amount.

I believe that 99.9% of the buying public has common sense. I also accept that people believe that they get what they pay for. The dilemma is that when you have been overpaying for so long that a price seems the "right" price, then a lower price makes you think you are about to buy inferior quality. It is pure psychology. Remember how bad gas prices were at $2.50 / gallon? Now that same $2.50 would be a godsend.

I ask you, all of you, not to fall into that psychological trap. I am going to price my merchandise based on a fair profit margin, not on market price. I believe, and am staking my entire investment in this Bargain Leather Gear Division, that I can prove to you that a fairly priced item can be, and is, every bit as good as the overpriced ones out there.

Where allowed by law, we offer a 30 day satisfaction guarantee on every item we sell. So I ask you, recognize that you may have fallen into that psychological trap, and go ahead and give our fairly priced items a try. If you don't like them, we'll take them back. I'll prove to you that fair and honest pricing can deliver a quality product, if you will prove to me that taking the risk of ignoring market pricing and treating my customers in a fair and honest manner can still make a successful business in this country.

Jim