ALWAYS HORSIN' AROUND

With that, let me tell you a little more about my sales policies than the auctions ads allow me to or you would care to read there.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A GOOD HOLSTER

Quaility Leather:  Horsehide is a leather not as much used today, but top of the line when you can find it and when PETA has not shut the company down.  It has a finer grain and as I understand it is tougher and better at wicking away moisture and being gentle on the gun finish.

COWHIDE is the more common by far.  Top grain is the upper skin layer of the cow which will show the skin grain, cuts, bruises, brand marks and any other surface imperfection.

Inspected, good top grain has interesting and beautiful finish.  In tan/brown holsters expect to see more variation than in a black holster.

LINING:

Silicone Suede, or plain suede that can be silicone sprayed will wick away moisture, and generally be softer on a BLUED gun finish, but it usually costs a premium and is not available on all brands.  It does wear and tear more easily than a plain finish.

Smoothed and Coated

This is what most holsters makers offer and may be bit rougher on a BLUED GUN, if the holster does not fit well and the gun is always moving and rubbing inside it.

Stainless steel guns by the way do well in about any holster finish as far as wear goes, just make sure the fit is correct.

SURE RETENTION

Your holster must retain the gun.  depending on your application, will depend on how much retention you need.  A police officer or security officer working with an exposed gun, with the potential for a suspect to try and snatch it in a fight, needs a firmly retained holster, usually those with an inside thumb break are the easiest to defend.  LEVEL II and III retention can slow the draw fractionally, but may be worth it if back up is not close and the officer typically works alone.

Sportsman need retention from brush and objects that might accidentally unsnap a holster.  Nothing worse than backtracking a few miles to find your gun in that stream you crossed.  An outside thumbbreak, or inside are equally good as long as they are strong.

Concealment applications can vary.  If it is for Police Detectives and Off Duty carry, you may wish at least a Level I inside break for the reasons above.

If it is civilian carry and you expect you may be suddenly confronted, you may prefer speed and the element of surprise and simply have a holster with an open top/pressure retention, or a pull thru snap.

WELTED SEAMS

This is simply the maker putting a spacer layer of leather between the pieces that form the rear (or front) seam.  This stengthens the seam, but also prevents binding when you draw.  

Stitching:  reinforcement at the stress points, either multi stitched, or metal reinforced are a plus.  Generally waxed or otherwise coated stitching does not rot as easily, either from weather, or the chemicals in the leather.

Types of Carry

I could write several more paragraphs here, maybe even a book.  The important rule is make sure you can get at your holster when you need it.  I try to put in my listings some reasons why you might want to select the holster advertised...but feel free to ask advice, and I'm happy to tell you what I can to help.

 Sale Policies and Other Ideas Under which I Operate

LISTINGS: 

I list 30 to 100 items per week.  I nearly always start my listings around 4 pm (PST) on a Sunday and end them a week later.  If I have something I hope will be of greater interest, I will run a 10-day auction, which will start on a Thursday afternoon.

I nearly always, exceptions being for some consignments I occasionally do for friends; start my auctions start at 99 cents, NO RESERVE.  I believe fine products will achieve the proper market value.

I try to write very complete ads, but if I forget something, or you know something about my item I should describe, PLEASE let me know.  I welcome info from those with more knowledge or expertise. 

I am never offended by questions and will try to always answer you right up to the last few hours of the auction if I can.

I also do not like to end auctions early to sell an item off EBAY.  I don't think this is fair to watchers or bidders.  Hunting on EBAY is HARD work. 

  If I do end early, it's because I have broken the item, lost it, or most likely made such a confusing error in the listing I have to take it off, fix the main text and restart.

Satisfaction:

Although in the past I have dealt with Celebrity items, household needs, oddball and collectible things, my main love is leather, and my expertise seems to mostly lie in Gun leather, grips and closely related items.  I especially like older vintage holsters and enjoy fitting a vintage holster to the proper ere vintage gun.

I recognize that buyers are getting these very special items not only almost unseen, but without opportunity to even check for proper fit. 

I make extreme efforts to know through old catalogs, fellow Ebayers, calls to the factory, and even trial and error through my own gun collection (real and replicas).  I will not ever GUESS at what something fits unless it is very very clearly stated in my auction.

I try to write very accurate (and yes wordy) ads.  But if you know my system, they are in paragraphs and follow a pattern and you can always skip the BS and get to the info you want quickly.  I do believe many items have an interesting history and if I can share it in a paragraph or two, it's there for you to see.

I think this shows in my feedback because I get very few misfit items, but when I do, because models and such can vary even in the same model gun different configurations and modifications can make a misfit, I have no problem accepting a prompt return and refund.

In fact I will accept a return for almost any reason you are dissatisfied, and if it's my fault, you get your return shipping fees back too.

PACKING & SHIPPING: 

 Fortunately most of what I sell the USPO could not break it if they tried.  I do use a lightweight padded, near waterproof (cause that can hurt leather) envelope for almost everything.  This keeps shipping costs down, and items safe.

I ship least expensive method, unless you ask for otherwise.

I do charge what is called by many a HANDLING fee.  It is built into every calculation and is the same for my items, big, or small.  It covers the packaging, printer ink, paper, tape, special packing materials sometimes needed, the trip (and usually long line) to the Post Office and of course the actual shipping charge.  

Even with this small handling fee, I see my rates are lower than most, not designed to gouge, and most important, stated right up front.

I use Delivery Confirmation to protect you, and me so we know the Post Office delivered and to the right place.  This is not always a sure way of tracking however.  The Post Office is just too flaky about scanning items in. It is just notification of delivery, though they are often flakey about that too.  I will insure at your request, or my option (my expense) on Fragile or very expensive items.

SHIPPING DISCOUNTS: 

I will almost always combine and discount shipping on items purchased within 7 days.  Just communicate to me if that is your intention.

I use this basic formula.  100% for the heaviest item 50% off the second item and 70% off the third and all further items.

I say ALMOST always on this, because if all the items are heavy, which for me is over 1.5 lbs per item, then the formula starts to fall below actual shipping costs.  It we are dealing with items like that, we need to talk first.  I will discount, but the amount will not fit the formula. 

SHIPPING SCHEDULE 

I am still a one-man show.  Family members & friends have remained (I think intentionally) computer ignorant to avoid getting sucked into my EBAY vortex, so most everything has to get personally packed and shipped by me.  I'm pretty darn quick, faster than many on EBAY, but sometimes my other job has emergencies, and unforseen schedule changed to which I must give priority.  In most instances your items are sent out within 24-48 hours of payment.  

Here's some things I've noticed about how shipping seems to work best for everyone.

Sunday nights are busy, auctions ending, new listings start.  I try to leave a couple hours at the end of Sunday night to pack and ship the items that are paid for immediately after the auction. 

Monday when I return in the evening, I pack any other payments that have come in since Sunday.  Same with Tuesday. 

By about Wednesday mailed payments are starting to come in.  Also I usually process the International PAY PAL payments, since those items require special paperwork, and a special trip to the post office. 

I make another trip to the Post Office Friday.  Anything coming to me mailed or otherwise won't get mailed until the following Monday.

FEEDBACK 

   I feel feedback is a critical item for sellers, and we must instill confidence in our products and ourselves to the buyers and bidders to be successful.  

Some Ebayers will disagree, but I am a pretty firm believer that the transaction is not over just when a seller pays.  The transaction ends when I know the item has arrived, the buyer got what they expected and wanted and there are no adjustments to be made.  

If there is any issue or dispute, how the buyer (and seller) handles it and is a big part of the transaction. 

As many sellers have discovered, newer EBAY members do not always understand this, and tend to shoot out threats and negative feedbacks first, rather than try and communicate to resolve a problem. 

Some buyers just don't bother with feedback at all, even when they do receive it (I know it's voluntary) not realizing that it is important on many levels to a seller and helps build confidence with other EBAY community members. 

As a seller, I will generally will not leave feedback until feedback is received from the buyer and I know the deal is completed and all is well/or not. 

 As a buyer, I will leave feedback upon satisfactory delivery of the item by the seller, always. 

I have enjoyed a 100% rating because I have solved what few problems have arisen. 

If you are interested, I do have some withdrawals to date.  I initiated them all, having left Negatives against Non-paying bidders and getting a retaliatory return Negative (I had made my point).

The other was a brand new bidder, expecting a higher quality item than offered.  He blasted off a negative before telling me of the problem.  When I became aware of the problem, I still made a full refund and the issue was resolved. 

So there you have it, I have been super wordy here, but better here than in each and every auction ad I run.  Dontcha just love the ads with 2 lines of description and 12 paragraphs of fine print and rules.

 So please enjoy Ebay, and I hope you get as much pleasure out of the interaction as you do the buying and selling.  Thanks for looking, and above all, STAY SAFE in whatever you may do.