Hoarding pays off!
Who could have guessed that components I'd hoarded in 2010 for failed products would take on an entirely new purpose in 2020?
2010 saw numerous new additions to the HoofPrints product line; embroidered garments utilizing fabric appliqué technique, beautiful, locally made Vera Bradley style purses, and custom made dog treat pouches. I'd learned the hard way on previous endeavors - not to trust that manufacturers will continue to produce specialty items - and I'd definitely put fabrics printed with horseshoes and dog treats in that category. So I hoarded up a bunch of it.

Sadly, the resulting products did not sell as well as expected. I packed all that sweet fabric away in a huge box, and put that in the "wtf-do-I-do-with-this?" section of shelving in the warehouse - which happens to be right outside my office door - so I get to experience a nice dose of guilt/frustration when I pass by and look at the ever accumulating reminders of failed products and things that didn't go as planned.

Then, COVID-19 happened.
Never in a million years would I have imagined a HoofPrints catalog with face masks. But, 2020 saw me sourcing that very thing from a couple artisan makers who'd adapted their businesses to producing these. I found a nice selection of likely horse and dog themed masks; settled on one in particular for the catalog that had horseshoes on it.
Thankfully, the retail gods were merciful this time - and I found out before catalog went to print that the black horseshoe fabric was no longer available.

Another stroke of luck happened when I remembered that I might have some horseshoe print fabric of my own in that big box that had been tormenting me daily for 10 years. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I did have some; a LOT of it, and several other patterns that I had completely forgotten about:
And... not only did I have multiple cool fabric options for horse and dog lover masks; I had coordinating fabrics that would work great for the new reversible option that I'd just brought on board.
I sent the fabrics off to the artisans, and the ladies got right to work on the first batch. They turned out great, as evidenced here by the new Horseshoes and Hay Bales reversible pattern. This style includes a removable/replaceable PM2.5 filter, and has an a moldable metal strip inside that lets you snug the mask up close to the bridge of your nose - a definite must for those of us struggling with fogged up glasses.
And, for once, my hoarding has paid off!
Another hoarding story:
"I wish I could boast that we carefully curated all the items with this vision in mind, and through careful orchestration, it became a reality. But, frighteningly, I suspect that it could have just as easily turned out like an episode of Hoarders."
Does this guy look like he’d know that a hunk of iron shaped like a horse's head would be worth a fortune? My fantasy of offering him a fraction of the asking price and getting it bought ended in a great, big, “Nope!”

HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling's blog entry tells the story of an expensive flea market find with a sketchy past.
Do you have a good Day Planner to keep track of your 2021 appointments?
2021 What Horses Teach Us Day Planner
This sweet little inspirational planner made it's debut in the flyer HoofPrints a few years ago. It was brand new and I was conservative in my sales projections. That's usually not a bad strategy - unless the supplier runs out of product. Which is what happened. I never got a chance to rave about how cool they were - because they were all gone! It's full of inspiring full color photos and the week-by-week format includes to do lists with extra planning pages in the back to help organize your busy life. 106 pages, 6.5" x 8.5", printed on high quality, sturdy paper, cover is protected by heavy plastic for durability. Includes moon phases, U.S. and International holidays.
This next item represents some major backpedaling on my part
You see, the name HoofPrints - originated from the fact that the product line started out selling art PRINTS of horses, dogs, and a few foxes. Over the years, some things happened - the internet came along and people now have the ability to make their own pictures into wall art. The framed pictures we offered were breathtaking - and folks appreciated the fact that they could immediately hang their new treasure on the wall - unless... it arrived with broken glass, an event that happened way too often, in spite of our herculean efforts to cushion and protect the contents of our shipments. Less fragile canvas prints were barely a thing back then, they were crazy expensive, and the quality was iffy. So, sadly, I ended up axing all but a few of my very best selling prints, and virtually everything of any size that was ready to hang and had glass. But look at THIS!
This sweet canvas picture with a tiny LED light that simulates either a sunset or a porch light.

 It's 16" tall x 20" wide, it's ready to hang without a frame. The light runs on 2 AA batteries - you can set it to come on automatically for 4 hours every 24 - so makes a neat night light.
They're baaack!!! Horse and Cowboy Boot Light Sets
These were hugely popular - for years. Then, we started having some quality issues; the casting wasn't as neatly done, bulbs weren't lasting, etc. I am happy to report that seems to be all resolved now.
Shown here are both the horse lights and the cowboy boot lights. Each version comes with 10 lights, they're pretty big at about 3" tall. Cords are designed so they can be plugged end to end for a longer strand. Weather resistant materials can be used outdoors. Great for patio or camping!
A new book for us science nerds who also love horses
Horse Brain, Human Brain: The Neuroscience of Horsemanship - Getting smart about how horses and humans think, act, and work together
An eye-opening game-changer of a book that sheds new light on how horses learn, think, perceive, and perform, and explains how to work with the horse's brain instead of against it.
In this illuminating book, brain scientist and horsewoman Janet Jones describes human and equine brains working together. Using plain language, she explores the differences and similarities between equine and human ways of negotiating the world. Mental abilities - like seeing, learning, fearing, trusting, and focusing - are discussed from both human and horse perspectives. Throughout, true stories of horses and handlers attempting to understand each other - sometimes successfully, sometimes not - help to illustrate the principles.
Last year was the first season with the new Chala purses - and I can't rave enough about how wonderful they are.
These are so intricately designed, pieced together out of a variety of contrasting materials; every single stitch is perfectly sewn. I remember taking sewing in 4H - and having to re-do seams that weren't perfect, so I notice this stuff. These are perfect. I've sold a LOT of them and haven't had a single problem.
And the awesomeness doesn't stop at the cute logo and the perfect stitching. The inside of these purses are so thoughtfully designed, they literally thought of everything. Every square inch has purpose; a place for all your important stuff so you can find it with ease. And, they include TWO different length straps so you have multiple options as far as how you can carry it.

So this season I couldn't resist adding a few of the sweet dog purses that they make, too. We are German Shepherd lovers so this is one of my favorites.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Gina Keesling started HoofPrints in 1986 to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. Along the way she added a fun selection of horse and dog products geared toward women of a certain age. This newsletter is emailed to subscribers a few times a month. Watch for sales, stories and more.
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I have awesome customer service reps available 24/7 to take your order or answer questions at 765-724-7004, or email gina@hoofprints.com