Hello. I am just gauging the interest level of this community on the topic of counterfeit handmade leather goods. In short, I am a fairly experienced leather craftsman on a fixed income and am having serious difficulties getting my own brand off the ground. I want money and I have skills, and this seemed like the sensible direction to turn. Here is the service I would potentially be offering to yall:
-Handmade counterfeit leather goods. These would start off small and, as I gained more capital, probably get larger and larger. I would start off with wallets, keyfobs, sunglass case, tablet cases, etc. As I acquired more resources to invest back into the business, I would ideally move up to larger items like purses, bags/backpacks, belts, etc. Belts would come later because they require the fabrication or modification of belt buckles and are often hardily brand specific.
-Right now I am working with limited (but high quality) resources. Counterfeiting brand-specific hardware is something I am not capable of at the moment, but would come in the near future once I feel assurance that there is money to be made in this. When I say hardware I am referencing Gucci "g" clasps and other brand-specific pieces of metal embellishment and fasteners. With more resources I will be able to do it, but it will require me to personally fabricate all of the pieces to stay belowground. Hardwork, but this is my eventual goal.
-Brands! Ah, the important part. Where I sit right now, I am capable of doing "pure" leather goods. This means no holographic brand tags, paint, or brand-specific metal hardware. Some brands I can list off the top of my head would be: Marakesh, Bison Made, Vermilyea Pelle, Tanner Goods, Jack Georges, TheLeatherShop, and JWHulmeco. Thats not a rigid list- just a few examples.
-Materials and craftsmanship. At this point, materials means leather, hardware, and thread. I have a lot of leather from Horween Tannery and a fair amount of plain brass hardware on hand already, so I would prefer to begin with that. I spent a few years working exclusively in ChromeExcel and love it. My construction is of high quality (everything is done in the old style- by hand with hand tools). These items will last. USA! USA!
-Cost. This is going to be dependent on the item. Tentatively speaking, I would say about half price of the commercial good being reproduced. Quite possibly lower. Numbers and I aren't on speaking terms much anymore, so I have not actually done the math yet. Sorry!
So. How do yall feel about this? Any interest? Suggestions? Hate filled internet "trolling"? Let me have it!
PostScript: If there is a dominating leather color or brand being requested then I would prefer to start solely with that. I can imitate brand stamps, but it is hardwork. Doing many of them for individual items would not be efficient given my current standing. Keeping a stock of different leather colors and types on hand is nice, but ultimately ties up money. If most people want black, we'll start black. If you all want vegetable tanned, we'll start with that.
Real leather fakes? I'm very interested.