First, a FREEBIE! This collectable magnet - Limited edition! |
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This new magnet features the January photo from the 2021 Favorite Horse Quotes Calendar along with a quote from Horsespirations. It measures 3.5" w x 2.5" tall and is FREE with any order placed at HoofPrints.
Not ready to order right now? Click the button below to request one
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Do you know what one of the most upsetting things is about my job?
It's NOT working my butt off to come up with new things that don't sell. Instead, it's coming up with things that DO sell, and not being able to tell you all about them.
You see, sometimes a new product is so well received that I run out. This year was the worst that I can remember as far as having a bunch of great stuff that was selling well - and not be able to fill the orders because I didn't have the inventory on hand. Now that Christmas is past, most of my manufacturers have gotten caught up and my shelves are (mostly) stocked. With stuff I've not talked about yet. But first, a story:
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When catalog time rolled around this Fall, My husband Rob suggested that I make a t-shirt featuring farrier rigs of yesteryear. While I resisted, talking of things like image availability, copyrights, photo resolution and the like, he was busy gathering up his horseshoeing tools, anvil, etc, and creating the perfect vintage farrier rig for me to photograph, in high-res, with no copyright restrictions.
The faux rig is a rare 1934 Chevy Canopy Express. These were factory made; intended to be a vending vehicle of sorts for grocers and the like. We ended up with it as a fluke, part of a package deal that included parts that we needed for another project.
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Once he'd set up the faux rig photo op, coming up with a montage of views was easy. After that, not so much.
Multi-color screen printing on garments is complicated. In my previous life, I was an artist for a screen printing company, so I know a little (too much) about what can go wrong. I spent a lot of time haranguing my customer service rep at my printers. We did multiple iterations of the proofs... finally I was running out of time so dropped the hammer and had them print a test run. By then we were well into November.
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By the time my order made the production schedule, got printed, and then shipped to me, it was Thanksgiving.
The good news: The test run was perfect. The bad news: It was only 12 shirts. Predictably, the 12 shirts were sold immediately. I placed another (bigger) order, thinking that'd surely carry me through Christmas. Days before those arrived, I got a big order from a farrier supply store, that depleted everything I had on order before it even hit the shelf.
I placed yet another order, those arrived last week. So this is another one that you all never got a chance to hear about - until now.
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The pants that almost weren't...
These fun Horseshoe Lounge Pants are new to HoofPrints this year. This means a few things. I don't have history with the vendor, so don't know for sure how long orders take. And I don't have customer order history - so I don't know if folks are going to actually buy them. Turns out they did buy them. They bought so many that I ran out. About the time I ran out, people started buying them in earnest for Christmas gifts. Yikes!
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So - my promotional efforts have sadly been missing these wonderful soft, stretchy pants
I didn't dare promote something I couldn't fill orders for.
Happily, a big shipment arrived - so now I can sing their praises.
They were worth the wait. These lounge pants are made of stretchy, silk-like polyester. A HoofPrints exclusive, they're printed all over with a super detailed horseshoe photo pattern.
What a fun and unique gift for the farrier who has everything!
Or the horsewoman who spends a fortune on her horses' shoes!
Machine wash and dry with no special coddling. Available in S, M, L, XL and 2X.
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Another new item that I've kept mostly under wraps is this Anvil-Shaped Mailbox. It's handmade in Ohio by a horseshoe supply store, so they absolutely know their anvils.
I knew it was going to be a winner by my mail lady's reaction when she saw the sample sitting on the warehouse counter. If anyone should have an opinion on what a cool mailbox is, it would be somebody who looks at almost 600 of them every single day.
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The manufacturer assured me that they'd keep stock on hand, but then they got behind in the powder coating department so production was delayed. Fortunately, they were able to pull off an 11th hour miracle and all the orders for them got delivered in time for Christmas, but I didn't dare promote them and add more to the already large backlog. Now that Christmas is past, they're pretty well caught up.
These are made of 80 gauge aluminum with baked on powder coat finish, the flag is shaped like a hammer, and the handle to open is a real horseshoe. Measures 25" x 10" x 15" tall. The custom vinyl address decals are optional.
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IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING!
Check out what's on the HALF PRICE and One of a Kind Page today
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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 (including the full story behind this goofy picture) and more.
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Follow HoofPrints on Facebook |
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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
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