Closed...

A friend kindly gave me a Tandy gift card and I finally went over to the local Tandy store to see about buying some hide (was looking at their pig suede splits on-line) but the store is closed and gone, bummer. I am a bit surprised...granted they never had a lot of customers but there was always someone in there and they offered classes. Web shows the only Indiana stores are in Ft Wayne & Indy, too far to go but happily there are stores in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa!! I plan to drive home very soon and will be in both towns so I can shop happily in a land where cowboys and Indians still do leather craft.

I didn't go to the local shop very often as it was a bit out of my usual path but I liked it; they had a variety of items not found at other area craft stores and the employees were nice. In retrospect I should have shopped there more often but that wouldn't have been enough to keep it open I suppose; I can still buy on-line but I like to touch the materials before I buy if possible. I recently purchased cheap deer hide from Crazy Crow and was shocked at its inferior quality and nasty smell...I had tossed the receipt so couldn't return, so I shipped it to Oklahoma where a friend happily accepted. I then placed an internet order with Wandering Bull and received one of the most beautiful deer hides I have ever seen or touched so I guess its just luck of the draw.

I'll shop at Tandy in Oklahoma and wait to start my bag; just as well as I need to do other projects. Still I will miss my local store...