Price increase at Eastman Leather

[Pilot]

As a little side note for Japan ( plus some other wealthy Asian economies) and all of the Gulf region..
A „collector“ „vintage“ „historically accurate „ „americania „ leather jacket listed as brand new original, in makers catalogue or adds , if priced below 2.5-3.0 K.US$ is considered as garbage or junk…and not worth the point.
See the BR and TRMC‘s and other Japanese catalogues..( even Chapal in France… most of their products go to Japan, China and the Gulf )
ELC‘ is very knowledgeable in this export marketing strategy.
The rest of the ( constantly moaning, asking for all of it but not €$¥$ rewarding) world is not their prime interest business world/ model..
As Tim already rightly pointed out.. discussed , seen , debated… many times… not changing even in the next 10 years…

 

[Kermit3D]

As a little side note for Japan ( plus some other wealthy Asian economies) and all of the Gulf region..
A „collector“ „vintage“ „historically accurate „ „americania „ leather jacket listed as brand new original, in makers catalogue or adds , if priced below 2.5-3.0 K.US$ is considered as garbage or junk…and not worth the point.
See the BR and TRMC‘s and other Japanese catalogues..( even Chapal in France… most of their products go to Japan, China and the Gulf )

If I understand correctly, for certain wealthy customers from Asian and Gulf countries, a jacket costing less than 2,500-3,000 USD wouldn't even be worth considering, simply because it's not expensive enough ? I'm ready to believe it... that's the way most of the luxury goods trade works.

Does this mean that ELC, RMC, ... have adopted this business model ?
I don't think ELC is there yet. But in my opinion, RMC has already made the switch.

The rest of the ( constantly moaning, asking for all of it but not €$¥$ rewarding) world is not their prime interest business world/ model..

I'm not sure what you're getting at.

Does a very high price alone justify the interest in a jacket?
Is the ultimate goal of every jacket manufacturer to make as much money as possible ? For example GW has a 2-year (or more) waiting list, I'm sure JC can raise its prices by 50% and sell just as many jackets. But I think there's more to John Chapman than just making as much money as possible. But I agree, let's leave GW jackets to poor and despicable people to the rest of the world.

The right product at the right price. If the price is unreasonably high for the quality of the product : it's called a rip-off. It seems to me that paying the right price for the right product is a simple matter of common sense (which some rich customers seem to lack).

 

[Pilot]

Agree with almost all of your words G…
Just wanted to say…
No matter how much ranting and moaning about price increases here in „the old world“… as long as some pay for it… why not asking for it ( justified or not is a different story)…. you only get what some are ready to pay and bear for… and many are… for many reasons…
Buy a Merc. or a Tata… both bring you to B from A..
Glamour, Image… Marketing…
I love GW as much as many others do… his jackets are the best of the finest… BUT.. he is NOT targeting Asia nor the Gulf…
Others do …with success …and they dont need and dont care about the „ old world“ anymore…
Proof is given if you analyse their prices and strategies.

Edit: ELC has more Stock lists in Asia and the Gulf than in the rest of the world… why am I not surprised…

 

[Southoftheborder]

As I posted a couple of weeks ago on this thread Eastman now has thirteen stockists in China listed on their website and still just two in the UK. They do sell mostly on the site in the UK but you don't have to be Einstein to work out where their priorities are and why their prices keep rising.

 

[Pilot]

As I posted a couple of weeks ago on this thread Eastman now has thirteen stockists in China listed on their website and still just two in the UK. They do sell mostly on the site in the UK but you don't have to be Einstein to work out where their priorities are and why their prices keep rising.

Spot on!

 

[Kermit3D]

Agree with almost all of your words G…
Just wanted to say…
No matter how much ranting and moaning about price increases here in „the old world“… as long as some pay for it… why not asking for it ( justified or not is a different story)…. you only get what some are ready to pay and bear for… and many are… for many reasons…
Buy a Merc. or a Tata… both bring you to B from A..
Glamour, Image… Marketing…
I love GW as much as many others do… his jackets are the best of the finest… BUT.. he is NOT targeting Asia nor the Gulf…
Others do …with success …and they dont need and dont care about the „ old world“ anymore…
Proof is given if you analyse their prices and strategies.

Edit: ELC has more Stock lists in Asia and the Gulf than in the rest of the world… why am I not surprised…

Thank you for these precisions Brice I understand better.
These are absolutely correct facts. But the question of justifying very high prices is central for most people (the rest of the world). It seems to me that these are legitimate "complaints".
I suppose... there may also be a notion of ethics in there ? But I'm certainly far too naive. When I think about it, charging wealthy people excessive prices might not be so unethical.
Just for the joke ... given the reliability of some recent Mercedes, I'm not sure it gets to point B (actually I love Mercedes)

 

[Kermit3D]

And just an important clarification, it is obvious that I have nothing against the inhabitants of Asian countries or golf countries. There are people willing to spend their money foolishly all over the world.

 

[Pilot]

Thank you for these precisions Brice I understand better.
These are absolutely correct facts. But the question of justifying very high prices is central for most people (the rest of the world). It seems to me that these are legitimate "complaints".
I suppose... there may also be a notion of ethics in there ? But I'm certainly far too naive. When I think about it, charging wealthy people excessive prices might not be so unethical.
Just for the joke ... given the reliability of some recent Mercedes, I'm not sure it gets to point B (actually I love Mercedes)

Ethics and business nowadays ?
Mercedes reliability? So far so good and if an issue, I get a replacement upgrade within the next 2hours.. but yes , I prefer my Porsche

 

[Pilot]

And just an important clarification, it is obvious that I have nothing against the inhabitants of Asian countries or golf countries. There are people willing to spend their money foolishly all over the world.

Why always “ foolishly”? they just have another perception of spending, glamour, prestige etc..
… and thanks to them as they do… if not many could not drive a Merc. nor a Porsche anymore

 

[Smithy]

Ethics and business nowadays ?
Mercedes reliability? So far so good and if an issue, I get a replacement upgrade within the next 2hours.. but yes , I prefer also Porsche

Slightly off topic but I know you'll appreciate this Brice...

My 1969 280S was one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned. Apparently they were the last "normal" model to come off the Stuttgart factory floor which was for the most part handmade.

If I had the chance to buy another I wouldn't hesitate because I was a fool to sell it.

 

[Kermit3D]

I actually quite agree. I suppose that when I spend large sums to dress plastic mannequins, many would be right to find it strange/stupid . I misspoke. What I wanted to say is that I find it difficult to understand that some people denigrate jackets under 2500 or 3000 euros, for the simple reason that it is not expensive enough (therefore bad ?) Anyway, I think I've gone off topic enough for today.
(Yes, okay, Porsches are very reliable)

 

[petermack09]

Terrific quality but I see the air comfort is now £1249.99.This one has the best hide I've handled.

 

[Harris_HTM]

Years ago I was driving an old, used, smelly Volvo. Still among my favourite cars. To restore and condition its leather seats I was using the Gliptone Liquid Leather Conditioner. Pretty much a standard, cheap product.
Fast forward to last year when I bought a used leather jacket that smelled. I read a post here from a member with a similar issue solved by using the Eastman Leather Conditioner. So I just ordered it. When I opened the bottle the colour, smell and texture of the conditioner reminded me immediately of my old Volvo. "It has to be the same product" I thought; I looked closer to the bottle and, guess what, it says "made by Gliptone".
The shop I used to buy it from here in the NL sells it for 12e (250ml) or roughly 10.3 pounds (https://www.waxworld.nl/artikel/897/gliptone-leather-conditioner-250ml.html)
In the UK I see the 250ml sell for 8 pounds (https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/gliptone-liquid-leather-conditioner-250ml).
Eastman sells 2 bottles of 250ml for 30 pounds (https://www.eastmanleather.com/apparel/124-liquid-leather-conditioner.html).

 

[petermack09]

Years ago I was driving an old, used, smelly Volvo. Still among my favourite cars. To restore and condition its leather seats I was using the Gliptone Liquid Leather Conditioner. Pretty much a standard, cheap product.
Fast forward to last year when I bought a used leather jacket that smelled. I read a post here from a member with a similar issue solved by using the Eastman Leather Conditioner. So I just ordered it. When I opened the bottle the colour, smell and texture of the conditioner reminded me immediately of my old Volvo. "It has to be the same product" I thought; I looked closer to the bottle and, guess what, it says "made by Gliptone".
The shop I used to buy it from here in the NL sells it for 12e (250ml) or roughly 10.3 pounds (https://www.waxworld.nl/artikel/897/gliptone-leather-conditioner-250ml.html)
In the UK I see the 250ml sell for 8 pounds (https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/gliptone-liquid-leather-conditioner-250ml).
Eastman sells 2 bottles of 250ml for 30 pounds (https://www.eastmanleather.com/apparel/124-liquid-leather-conditioner.html).

Yip,, This one

 

[Harris_HTM]

Yip,, This one View attachment 115389

I do have two bottles of the conditioner, not the cleaner!

 

[Chandler]

Whatever happened to Connolly Hide Food?

I bought a tub of that from ELC back in the late '90s when I bought my 1401. I actually just threw out what was left in the tub -- quite a bit (though dried out) because it was more than I could have probably ever used in 4 jackets.

 

[John Lever]

Gliptone is my favourite

 

[Smithy]

Whatever happened to Connolly Hide Food?

I bought a tub of that from ELC back in the late '90s when I bought my 1401. I actually just threw out what was left in the tub -- quite a bit (though dried out) because it was more than I could have probably ever used in 4 jackets.

Still available. They resurrected it when the company was reborn and just changed the name to Hide Care.

It's the same formulation.

https://www.connollyengland.com/products/connolly-hide-care-n-a

 

[John Lever]

The second hand market has now been effectively killed off as sellers check the ELC website and ask a silly price for a 15 year old jacket that originally cost half the price of a new one today. There is a RW B3 with worn out cuffs on ebay BIN 1250. GBP
Realistically it is worth 450 GBP

 

[Greg Gale]

Roughwear is the new Bitcoin!