New Goodwear Prices

[Deleted member 16736]

$1549 -- horsehide
$1449 -- goatskin

At least the line'll get shorter.

 

[sal]

Wow
I think you are right.
I am sure they will always have buyers but at some point you price the majority of folks out contention. I am one of them (priced out that is)

 

[Foster]

In other news, the resale value of existing Goodwear jackets probably just increased as well!

 

[fukigen]

Wow
I think you are right.
I am sure they will always have buyers but at some point you price the majority of folks out contention. I am one of them (priced out that is)

I second that.
I had a GW in target... will be without me... even I am sure the increase is certainly a reflect of leather price increase... (same applies for BK new HH leather models).

Still I think we all agree that GW is the n°1 about quality/accuracy and I would definitely prefer to pay that price for a GW than paying same or more for a Ralph Lauren (ot other fashion brand) non accurate fashion flight jacket!

just too high for me. [huh]

 

[Foster]

I would still keep looking at the Goodwear website, from time to time he sells some of his jackets at reduced price if your size is around 46.

 

[thor]

In other news, the resale value of existing Goodwear jackets probably just increased as well!

A used GW size 46 just went for $1,100+ on the 'Bay!

 

[thor]

Used GW DuBow 7155 size 46 : $1,136.11
Original WWII DuBow 27798 size 50 (minty): $1,110.30

Both sold on the 'Bay in the past 30 days.

Go figure!

 

[kojax]

somebody is making money out there

 

[Atticus Finch]

$1549 -- horsehide
$1449 -- goatskin

At least the line'll get shorter.

Dang. I wonder what he's charging for a cape A-1. Glad I bought one when I did 'cause I'd sure be SOL now.

AF

 

[Fletch]

All he's doing is keeping standards. And narrowing his market, and inviting competition.

Repros could be copied closely. It's just that there usually isn't enough incentive to do it. A 40% price hike could be someone else's incentive.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

If I were to charge that much, I'd broaden out my selection because he has a very narrow market to begin with. Add some civilian styles. But I've said that to him for a while.

 

[Foster]

Speaking as one who has made replicas of other items (not jackets), I suspect a similar dynamic may be at play here. I began making replicas out of personal interest and positive customer enthusiasm. Over time, the income from making these replicas didn't offset for the time involved and my personal motivation decreased (how many of one style item can one make before becoming somewhat bored with it?). That combined with increased raw material expenses naturally resulted in price increases. Others entered the same niche market, but seem to have dropped out after a few years. It is different with leather jackets, entirely different clientele, and more competition already. Add in the messy business of the subjectivity of desired fit and appearance, and there becomes a lot of potential headache in making something!

 

[Fletch]

You said a mouthful. If you work with your hands and are good at it, your personal interest won't extend to things like reaching out to new customers who can't afford The Best. That's marketing, and it implies you take no joy in the product or craft.

 

[Dr H]

Dang. I wonder what he's charging for a cape A-1. Glad I bought one when I did 'cause I'd sure be SOL now.

AF

A-1 jacket: domestic capeskin $1,299.00 USD*

 

[Brettafett]

Jeesh, thats insane prices. :eusa_doh:

 

[HoosierDaddy]

For a reason: Work overload and doesn't want to expand.
HD

 

[handymike]

I'm really glad I put my deposit down back in October!
I'm sooooo looking forward to John's creation!

 

[Feraud]

You said a mouthful. If you work with your hands and are good at it, your personal interest won't extend to things like reaching out to new customers who can't afford The Best. That's marketing, and it implies you take no joy in the product or craft.

I've encountered the handmade mentality as just the opposite. If you work with your hands and are good at it, that means you love the product or craft more than automated machines or humans cutting and pasting on an assembly line.

With regards to how a one man business prices his goods I think Foster touched on some of the tribulations of the endeavor. The amount of R&D, personal time, money, waxing and waning of customer interest and a host of other roadblocks appears to mostly warrant the high cost of handmade goods.

 

[Fletch]

All true. Where you will run into trouble is trying to bring those worlds of full bespoke and plain ready-made any closer together than they have been before. You're up against the math and the mindsets of people who really cannot relate, and the mindsets affect the math just as much as vice versa. The cloth is pulled taut and every new wrinkle, however small, is going to rub someone raw.

 

[Feraud]

Agreed. It is not easy to reconcile the two!