The Ice Storm Cometh

Friday, December 26th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Getting to the barn was a bit of a challenge

I apologize for not posting in a timely way, but we are now back on-line after the ice storm earlier this month that is being described as the worst natural disaster in New Hampshire history.  We had no power or running water for ten days, though we kept toasty through sub zero weather and three snowfalls thanks to our trusty old wood stove, which by itself can heat the whole house and then some.   › Continue reading

Tags: ice storm

Can you reduce the price of my saddle?

Thursday, October 30th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Saddle & tack prices and exchange rates

Llewie modeling his Thermatex rug

We recently received an e-mail from a reader asking if our blanket prices might soon be decreased to account for the recnet change in the exchange rate.  This is an issue that comes up periodically because so many of our products are made in the UK or the EU and the exchange rates do fluctuate.  We have not changed the Thermatex prices for several years despite many currency fluctuations, and we don’t anticipate that we will, though their prices have gone up.  Incidentally, some overseas suppliers denominate their exports in dollars (including Thermatex) so what we pay for the dollar-denominated products changes only when they raise the cost to us of their dollar-priced goods.

Where we are paying suppliers for direct imports in pounds or Euros, we try to set retail prices that allow for a window to both sides for currency-price fluctuations, and we try to calculate that window so that we can absorb some loss on the exchange when the rate swings the other way as well.  And the window certainly does bulge both ways. › Continue reading

Tags: exchange rates, importing saddles, saddle prices, tack prices