As I mentioned in my previous post, I have developed a website called BHD Gear Sales where I can list my personally-owned boots and leather gear that I no longer wear and want to “rehome” on other guys’ feet and bodies.
I am getting older and am making plans for my future where I will eventually move (five to ten years from now). Downsizing a huge boot and gear collection will take time, so this is the process I have chosen to try.
How does it work?
First of all, my new website does not show everything I have available for sale. I am willing to list pairs of boots or “retired” or unworn leather gear if I am no longer wearing the boots or gear.
Second, I am only selling my own gear and that which belonged to my late husband. I am not interested in trading, bartering, or accepting consignment sales. Last thing I need is any more “stuff” or taking on extra work for others.
Third, I am restricting sales within the United States and Canada, two countries where I have residency status. I have been burned by past eBay sales to the U.K., so for now, other countries are off limits unless I personally know the buyer or have other reassurance that I will not be taken advantage of.
Now … how to do this —
I encourage you to visit any of the pages listed below on my boots & gear website to look over my boots or gear and write me a message to ask if I would sell it. If so, I will list the item on my new website and provide details, such as size, description (measurements, height, sole, etc.), and current condition.
Most the boots I bought in the ’70s through ’90s were U.S. size 9.5D. Boots bought in the 2000s were size 10D. Boots bought from the mid-2000s and later are 10.5D or 11D, depending on the manufacturer.
Leather items that are mine were made to measure. Pants or breeches range approximately from waist 38 to 42, and length usually about 30 inches. Shirts range from L to XL, or 17 to 20, with average sleeve lengths of 35 inches for long-sleeved shirts.
Here are the collection pages to go over:
- Cowboy boots
- Motorcycle boots
- Work Boots
- Vintage Frye Boots
- Retired Leather Gear
- Fetish Leather Gear
All boots and gear is “as-is”. I usually conditioned my leathers and cleaned off the boots after wearing them, but I was not a fanatic about polishing boots. Some of my motorcycle boots show true honest wear and perhaps a little mud or dirt. I’ll clean the boots before shipping them, but again, it shows true “character” if they’re a little dirty, especially boots like Wescos.
If you see boots or gear you are interested in, write to me using this form. There is a box on that form that asks “Bootedman.com URL – optional (if interested in boots/gear on that site, include URL here)” — please copy the URL from the page of my bootedman.com website for the specific pair(s) of boots or leather items you are inquiring about.
I will reply to answer questions and let you know if the boots or gear in which you are interested is available on my new website.
Pricing: I price items on my own judgment of value. That is a decision based on the actual product, its condition, usage, age, “rarity” (is it still available?), comparable sales (if I can find the data), and what it cost me when I bought it. I think my pricing strategy is reasonable. I do not want to make a mint, yet I know the boots and gear have value that I want to recapture some of my investment. I list the actual purchase price along with a sale price on the new website product listings.
How to buy: The website handles the actual sale. It accepts credit cards or PayPal using a very secure method on the order of bank transaction security using the highest encryption technology available. I never see credit card numbers; that is processed by the Stripe app which is embedded on my new website. Stripe security protocols are explained here.
The website also handles calculation of shipping via UPS and gives buyers the choice of speed with options that offer a range of costs from lowest (ground) to highest (overnight.) I do not add “handling fees” or other upcharges. I also do not collect sales tax since I am not in retail business and am selling my stuff for less than the original purchase price.
I process my end of transactions (cleaning, boxing up, labeling, and dropping off for shipment) within 24 hours of receiving an order, noting UPS accepts items for shipping on weekdays, so weekend orders are not processed until Monday.
I know the website works because I already had my first customer and confirmed the website and transaction process works smoothly. My first customer did what I described above — visited my boots/gear website, sent me the links of items he was interested in, then on confirmation from me that I would sell the items, I moved them to the new site and notified the customer. He selected the items he wanted, used a credit card for the sale, and on receipt of the notification of the transaction, I boxed up gear and boots and shipped them the next day.