I decided to bring back the blog portion of Boredom to explain a little bit more about each item releasing on the site. Talking to Myself will be posted following the release of each item. It will consist of my thoughts towards the products, what you should know as the customer, and update you on what's next. Each post will be an interview-style blog post, sort of an homage to the Person of Interest blogs, but instead of interviewing someone, it will just be me inside of my head.
What are the Everyday Bags?
The everyday bag is my idea of the perfect accessory for someone with an on-the-go lifestyle. It's a versatile bag that allows you to carry everything with you while staying organized and comfortable.
Can you explain some of the features?
Each bag features a 17-inch body, 2-ply denim construction, a selection of pockets, and a 2-strap wearing system. Inside the bag, you will find two side pockets on top of the main pouch that makes up the entire bag. The large pocket is for bottles, designed to keep your liquids standing up and away from the fragile items in the main pouch. My favorite thing about the bag is the accessory pouch on the side. This pouch is big enough to fit your wallet, phone, keys, headphones, and whatever else you can put in there.
Where are the bags made?
I became friends with someone over the past year who has relationships with manufacturers in Los Angeles and was nice enough to introduce me to one. The manufacturer I work with has a good reputation in the industry as far as I know. They respect that I don’t want to produce crazy numbers of items too. Most of the pieces I’m working on right now are made there. The plan is to eventually go to LA to visit, make new relationships, and learn a lot more than I currently know. It’s always been a goal of mine to have everything cut and sewn. I want everything to be the best quality it can be. I have my ideas for how things should be made. I want to see if they will work. If you have feedback and it's worth something, I will listen.
How long did it take you to make the bags start to finish?
I think it took between 6-7 months to get the 3rd sample and be happy with it. The first two samples sucked. It took a bit of time for me to realize what I needed to do to go from 2nd sample to the final product.
What did you have to do? Do you remember?
I can only remember thinking, this isn't something I want to sell. I used the 2nd sample daily to figure out what was missing, what needed to be changed, and what graphic to put on it. Below is a photo of the second sample after using it for a few months.
How did you come up with the graphic?
It was Johnny Moss. The emblem logo is my design. He took it apart and created this custom font that sits nicely below the emblem. He drew the graphic you see now onto the first sample with a sharpie which convinced me to use it. I put a picture of that below. I had the bags sitting around for two weeks before we printed and finished them. I was so indecisive about it. I almost left the bag blank.
How do you feel about the quality of the bags and how everything works? Would you change or add anything?
The quality is good. I am working on making it better for next time. I'm always looking to improve. You can never have a perfect product. That goes for anything you can buy or sell. I always think about how no matter what you do, somebody in this world is doing it better than you. Reflecting on that is very important for any business. I don't think many people are comfortable having that conversation internally.
In terms of changes, I think a stiffer fabric edition of the bag would be an improvement. The softer fabric on these works well for everyday use. A stiffer textile, in my head, will bring the silhouette of the bag out and look like a handbag. I could see more women being interested in that version.
I’m going to add a third strap at some point. Something that can be worn cross-body that has a removable option. I need the bags to be comfortable while riding a bike. Right now, it's not ideal.
It would be interesting to see if I could sell those straps as an add-on for these bags. I just thought about that right now. That could be interesting.
Based on the quality of the bags, what are your thoughts on the price?
This was tough for me to figure out because I won’t break even for a while. Boredom isn’t able to sell bags for $100+. That’s just not realistic. I want the items to be more than worth what you paid for and leave you feeling good about your purchase. That’s the most important thing to me.
I settled on $70. I don’t think I would spend more than that on the bag myself to be completely honest. It makes the most sense to me to price it that way. Even if that’s not the best business move. Morally it makes me feel better about selling them.
Is there anything else you want to mention? Anything a potential customer should know before they purchase?
Before you purchase, I think it’s important to know that Boredom is a small brand run by me, Kyle. From sampling to production, local delivery, and shipping the out-of-town orders. I touch all of that. I rely on my friends and people in the communities around me to help in areas I can't do myself. I'm super grateful for all the people who help me out time and time again. My hope is for our customers to receive their products and enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.
I want to see someone customize a bag. If you buy one and have an idea of how you want it to look, do it. If you need help, message me on the Boredom Instagram account. I can help you make it!
What’s up next?
I’m always working on new items. There’s a heavyweight t-shirt, a new hat with Ebbets Field, tons of pants, and a scented candle for a larger project that will be announced pretty soon.
I realized that Boredom should be item-based and not collection-based. The item-based format will be smoother for me to manage the production quality and give me time to write about everything. That’s more appealing to me.
I’m curious to see if any stores are interested in the item-by-item release model. I would love to work with a retail store of some sort. The goal is to have at least 1 stockist by the end of the year. That would be a goal of mine crossed off the list.
Have any questions? Post them in the comments section below and I will respond to you!
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the loop about when new items release, news, and new Talking to Myself blog posts have been published.
2 comments
Love the thought that went into this, it sets Boredom apart from the rest. Mikey made a great point though, an optional crossbody strap would be a great addition. Keep up the great work, g
Hey Kyle, so stoked on the bags! A cross body strap for biking would be awesome. Looking forward to the next Boredom products :)