Varlet is moving to Order Form

I agree that the maker has every right to charge whatever he wants. I think the complaints are due to how far above current secondary market prices the brushes are now. The last few 27mm Gaslamps sold (of which I am aware) went for around $325. The same brush now retails for over $500 if you factor in shipping and sales tax (for people in CA).

You raise a good point, but I still see the price increase as somewhat logical.

Let me explain - after loving and hating them for 5 years, I am finally finding some love for badger brushes - one very specific type/batch of hair to be exact. Let's say it is the Alpine knot (it isn't, never got the chance to buy a varlet, but let's just say). Now, I really like Varlet's take on butterscotch - never saw one personally, but from photos only, that is my favorite brush handle color. Now - handle, not sure how much I like varlet's handles but I do think I would love the Ranger. And I think i prefer 27mm over 29mm. You see, the chance of me getting a brush with the following specification from a random/micro drop is very very little if not zero - Ranger, 27mm, Butterscotch (orange something), extra density. With this new system, I can. I am sure there are fans of Varlet brushes who are willing to spend that kind of money. I know I would if I could get my preferred knot/brush in my preferred handle in preferred color and size.

Now, how sustainable this model is? No idea. Maybe you guys are right, maybe he aimed too high.

Kehole



Actually, I have no issue whatsoever if the maker wants to charge what he thinks is a fair price for his time.  It's just very humorous to me that many of the same people who defend their right to resell goods over MSRP on the secondary market freak out when an artisan raises his prices, and likely knows he can get it due to those secondary market prices.

I agree that the maker has every right to charge whatever he wants. I think the complaints are due to how far above current secondary market prices the brushes are now. The last few 27mm Gaslamps sold (of which I am aware) went for around $325. The same brush now retails for over $500 if you factor in shipping and sales tax (for people in CA).

Yes, I just realized the increase is ~$250 not ~$150, my error.  There have been a ton of WTT Varlet for Wolfman, though. Not really knowing if those trades go through, I suspect that's where the ~$500 number comes from.

I traded a Varlet (in part) for a Ti Wolfman recently. I didn't get close to $500 for it.

I agree that the maker has every right to charge whatever he wants. I think the complaints are due to how far above current secondary market prices the brushes are now. The last few 27mm Gaslamps sold (of which I am aware) went for around $325. The same brush now retails for over $500 if you factor in shipping and sales tax (for people in CA).

You raise a good point, but I still see the price increase as somewhat logical.

Let me explain - after loving and hating them for 5 years, I am finally finding some love for badger brushes - one very specific type/batch of hair to be exact. Let's say it is the Alpine knot (it isn't, never got the chance to buy a varlet, but let's just say). Now, I really like Varlet's take on butterscotch - never saw one personally, but from photos only, that is my favorite brush handle color. Now - handle, not sure how much I like varlet's handles but I do think I would love the Ranger. And I think i prefer 27mm over 29mm. You see, the chance of me getting a brush with the following specification from a random/micro drop is very very little if not zero - Ranger, 27mm, Butterscotch (orange something), extra density. With this new system, I can. I am sure there are fans of Varlet brushes who are willing to spend that kind of money. I know I would if I could get my preferred knot/brush in my preferred handle in preferred color and size.

Now, how sustainable this model is? No idea. Maybe you guys are right, maybe he aimed too high.

Yeah I totally get this. And good example with that butterscotch color, which was never publicly offered in the past (to the best of my knowledge). If my house burned to the ground right now and I wanted to replace my favorite brush, a 29mm low light beehive, it would cost me at least $270 more than I paid for it last April. I think that's where former customers/Varlet fans are getting rubbed the wrong way. $270 is just shy of paying double for it and it's not an unusual color or set of custom options.

I think there’s also the near impossible to objectively quantify cost built in for the impatient, need it now, want it now, have to have it yesterday, get it while it’s hot crowd. For some people who obsessively fixate on these type of niche purchases within our hobby...the extra money alleviates time, effort, and communication. There’s at least a few people I bet who will move a few stagnant items in there den to fund the up charge. How many of those people exist or wether or not they are a significant portion of his specific demographic who knows but there’s at least a few I’d bet.

When all is said and done, it will come down to the business results Varlet's order form system delivers
compared to Wolfman's.

Wolfman has been steadily taking orders from day one....it's safe to say that he now has
anywhere from 1-3 years worth of orders and steadily growing by the day, Im sure.
I would wager that the bulk of orders are for the basic finishes.

Is Varlet going to going to generate a similar volume of orders given that a fully loaded brush is
now $325 more expensive (for almost the same handle and hair)?

I can't see it happening....unless I have completely misread the market sentiment.

If you want to complain about how Brett is using Stevens at dogwoods shapes start your own thread. This has nothing to do with varlet

agreed...stop trying to take a thread off topic in an attempt to get it locked....

I was cleaning my computer desktop early this morning and came across a document that I noted some crazy eBay prices I saw items sell for. Wish I marked the date, but a Mega sold for 599. That was from a year back at least I’m sure.

That’s crazy. I think prices have cooled off a bit on everything in the past year.

Wow I didn’t mean to de-rail the thread so much. Sorry about that my dudes! I guess since we all agree that Bozingo is a shady thief we can get back to the topic that Varlet is free to choose their own prices and should do so to counter act all the Dr. Vinny flippers of the world.

So the morality police are against flipping, but are ok with slandering both artisans and one of the most generous members in this hobby.

Again obsessed with Muh-Zingo and now Vinny.

Best part is he’s getting high-fives left and right back on IRC

Right BROTHER?