|
|
|
|
|
HoofPrints Newsletter
|
June 10, 2014
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THIS NEWSLETTERFarriers Greeting Cards was started by Gina Keesling in 1986 (in a very small way) to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. Along the way the company became HoofPrints.com, too, adding a selection of fun horse and dog products geared toward women of a certain age. This newsletter is emailed to subscribers a few times a month, depending on how often I have something to share. Watch for special sales, interesting stories, uplifting quotes and more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All Greeting Cards on Sale - HALF PRICE!
All fall/winter we take calls from budget-minded farriers and other equine professionals - trying to decide if it's worth the cost to send Christmas cards to their clients. If you're one of those - now might be the time to reconsider.
Anyone who has been getting this newsletter for very long probably has noticed that we aren't doing big sale promotions every time you turn around. We pretty much need to sell everything at regular price in order to stay in business. We are not Wal-Mart, and we hope that low prices are not the reason folks shop with us.
However, when we DO have sales, I try to make them memorable. And this one falls into that category, I hope. A special reward for those out there who are clever enough to anticipate how many cards they might need at Christmas time, AND organized enough to REMEMBER that they've already purchased them and WHERE they put them. That's not me. But I know you folks exist - I've heard stories...
This glorious sale ends June 30, some of the card designs are low inventory and will NOT be reprinted, so make your selections early. To see them click here.
 We frequently get request specifically for cards that say MERRY CHRISTMAS. Shown above are 4 of our favorites that say just that. The one on the far left was actually painted BY A HORSE, and there's a story on the back that tells about the horse artist, along with a photo of him painting. #2 is a design that often doesn't get considered because folks don't realize how it works. It's got little slots cut through the paper so you can stick your own business card in there - looks just like they're holding it in their mouths! The white square and "YOUR BUSINESS CARD GOES HERE" is NOT printed on the card; you see the rest of the horses - the palomino wears a wreath around his shoulders. The back of this card shows the horses (and the dog's) backsides. It's really cute.
Also, PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE read carefully the wording options available for the insides of the cards when you order. The website defaults to withOUT "thank you for your business" - but some cards are ONLY available WITH this option, so if you click those, that's what you're going to get. Rejoice! and Peace on Earth are 2 examples of cards that are ONLY available WITH thank you. To get started click here
|
In this delightful collection of pithy and hilarious essays, stories and poetry, Gwen Petersen explains how her philosophy of life comes with a good dose of horse sense.
There's advice on how to fall off a horse with style, dressing to avoid embarrassing your equine friend, 1,001 uses for bag balm, perfecting the care and feeding of veterinarians and farriers, cattle drives and brandings, and falling in love all over again (with a horse, that is).
Petersen's words are as amusing as they are instructive, and whether you're a horse lover or simply someone in need of a down-to-earth laugh, this is a book you won't want to miss. Hardcover, with lots of black & white illustrations, engravings, antique and current photos.
About the author:Gwen Petersen is a writer and rancher near Big Timber, Montana, where she raises miniature horses and works on her attitude.
The Gift Horse (from Everything I Know About Life I Learned From My Horse)
"No, thank you," you say, don't need another horsie,
I've way too many, now don't try to force me!"
"But he's a baby, just nine months old,
Raised on a bottle, a poor orphan colt.
"Dog gentle and loving, you really should
Give him a home, he's so sweet and good."
"No, thank you," you say, "I've plenty of steeds,
More than enough to meet my needs..."
Click here to read the rest of the poem. To order the book, click here
|
A Look At Life From The Saddle
Stories & Inspirations from a Cowboy
by Armour Patterson, Paintings by Chris Owen
This book is all western / cowboy, and spiritual, making for a very powerful combination. At 48 pages it's not very thick, but each page really packs a punch, featuring relevant quotes from famous folks, cowboys, unknowns and the Bible. It's beautifully illustrated, printed on heavy, glossy paper - makes a great gift - the inside front has a space to write the recipient's name, the presenter's name, and the occasion - for an added special touch.
One of my favorite quotes is the COWBOY CODE from page 6:
- Speak the truth and let your word be your bond. - Never betray a trust or desert a friend. - Protect and care for those who can't help themselves. - Be gentle with women, children, and the elderly. - Care for animals and protect the land. - Be courteous, polite, and neat. - Learn all you can and cultivate wisdom. - Speak straight, speak properly, an don't speak too much. - Do the job you're paid to do with pride and honor. - Never quit when times are toughest. - It's fine to feel fear, but don't let it back you down. - Remember that good never prevails without courage and grit. - If something sounds too good to be true, expect that it is. - Keep your sense of humor and don't meddle. - When you've done all you can, rest in your faith.
This special little hardcover book makes a great gift. It's available here
|
What to do about the Christmas Lights?
HoofPrints has carried these cute lights for years. now, I am in a bit of a quandary as to whether to continue to do so.They are fairly large (boots are 3" tall x 3" wide, horses are 3" tall x 5" wide) so a 10 foot strand comes packaged in a rather large box. They're not terribly heavy, but by the time I put them in another protective box and add any additional items to the order, the whole works can get up to around 5 pounds. At which point my cost on the shipping far exceeds the $6.95 that customers are paying based on the $0-$29.99 shipping charge tier. Right now I've got the lights priced at $19.95. I can recoup some of that additional shipping cost by raising the price (how clever is that?) <--sarcasm. But will people feel good about paying $25+ for PLASTIC CHRISTMAS LIGHTS? I hate more than anything for customers to feel like they didn't get a highest quality product for their hard-earned dollars. These are so cute, and I have flip-flopped on this decision for a couple years now. They aren't just for Christmas time, either, they make for great ambient light strung around the awning of a camper. Or in a kid's room as a night-light...What do you all think? Raise the price and take my chances on folks thinking I over charged them and thus being less inclined to place future orders? Stop selling altogether? Or another solution I've not thought of? For now, the price remains at $19.95 - if you're so inclined you can order here.
|
Clutter busting continues at HoofPrints
My efforts to clear the warehouse (and my house- house) of accumulated oddball products continues to gain momentum. I've written about it before. The point continues to be, sometimes the space becomes more valuable than the items that are occupying it. So this is where most places say... "our loss is your gain!" Well, check out this super-cheap stuff and BUY IT. And your gain will be my gain, too. Because I need that space on the shelf.
The Half Price Page is here - check this often as they're one-of-a-kind things that will sell quickly and be replaced with whatever else starts to get on my nerves. I am currently going through a large stash of samples* - so many wonderful things, it's hard to choose just a handful for the catalog. And the rest have got to go! Only one of each available so act fast if you see something you like.
*A note about the samples - Someone made a comment on the HoofPrints Facebook page that the samples are free to me and implied should thus be priced accordingly. Just to set the record straight - I pay for almost every sample I acquire. Occasionally an author or publisher will send me a book unsolicited, but I prefer to buy these anonymously so if I review and don't think it is a good fit for the product line, I don't feel guilty about not including it.
Half Price PRINTS are here - there are a lot of lovely prints languishing in drawers here that really should be hanging on folks' walls making them smile and beautifying their homes. Fall/winter is busy season here and I don't encourage print sales then - I don't have the extra time it takes to wrap these carefully for safe delivery. Now that Christmas is past, I've marked them way down now to sweeten the deal.
ALSO New is Half Price JEWELRY here
The more I got to digging, the more I found. Jewelry doesn't take up much room - suffice to say there is a LOT of lovely stuff that needs to find a new home. Then there's that whole problem I have with the beads. It's getting worse. Stay tuned for details on that.
Newest is Half Price Books & Magazine Back Issues here
This represents a major turning point for HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling. This treasure trove of magazine back issues has been lovingly collected and hoarded for many, many years. It's getting to be a space problem, keeping them all stored AND due to the sheer volume of them, along with my busy schedule, they rarely get any attention. But even now, as I go through them to write sales descriptions, I am feeling sad at the prospect of letting go of this vast collection of pictures and articles about all the things I love - Horses, Dogs, Farriery and Blacksmithing, The West, Pretty Western Clothes and Jewelry, Awesome Country Homes, Recipes for Hearty Food, Healthy Living, Spirituality and more. I'll do my best to mention the content that stands out to me in the descriptions. Prices on these back issues reflect the fact that I am still very much in love with them, however they are at or below what the publishers are charging. The current sales list is small, but I'll be adding more as I am able; going through these is a slow process, as you can imagine, I get sidetracked frequently by all the fascinating content that lead me to hoard these in the first place.
The Closeouts Page is here
It features items that are being phased out - still lots of good deals to be had there, too.
|
|
|
|
Here's what we talked about last time
Last newsletter is here ALL newsletters are here
|
|
MISTAKE in the Horses & Hope Calendar
FATHER'S DAY IS JUNE 15 NOT June 22 - read what happened here
|
|
Farriers Traveling Desk
Corral your paperwork on the road! And it's HALF the cost of the previous version here |
|
BEST NEWS EVER!
BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY movie is in the works! Morgan Freeman has signed on as the star! In celebration, the book is $9.00 OFF here
|
|
Cute Thermometer
ON SALE!
BIG 17" tall! Makes a great gift! Durable enough for outdoors!
Order here
|
|
This Hug's For You
Equine Sympathy Cards here |
|
Horsewoman's
HAIR CONTROL IDEAS
HORSEwork before HOUSEwork Plad Cap here
|
|
WHAT'S NEW?
SALE on Spring T's
3 Springy Horsey T-shirts less than $10 each here!
|
|
HoofPrints has it! The classic print "FOUND"
12x16 Print available here
|
|
A HORSEWOMAN'S PRAYER
is printed on parchment, double matted in a fancy mat with a brass Epona Medallion inset in the corner. The frame is an antique horseshoe pattern. You can order here
|
|
Copper HoofPrint Bracelets in 7 colors!
Hand tied right here at HoofPrints - see them all here
|
|
3rd in the Series!
I Make Horse Calls, More Horse Calls & Call Dr Tebow - She Makes Horse Calls (new) Books about living a dream with horses here |
|
HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly Order here |
|
Message
I love hearing from customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at gina@hoofprints.com |
|
Find us on facebook
Be sure to LIKE our facebook page - it's where we announce special sales, breaking news and everything else we find interesting. To see it go here |
|
|
Share our emails
| |
Viral marketing... it sounds bad, doesn't it?
You can ask my husband - a frequent topic around here is that of forwarded emails - and the psychology behind them - just WHAT prompts people to decide; "I am going to send this to everyone I know!".
We receive a lot of them. Some are pretty good, and others are dumb. Dumb in a myriad of ways... Alarmist email rumors that have been around forever - that folks keep sending "just in case it's true" Pictures of someone's butt (or worse) - don't even get me started about the firecracker butt - but at least that one was timely when it showed up around July 4. Christian messages that are uplifting - until you get to the end and you're threatened "if you're not ashamed that you love Jesus, forward this - if you are, then delete." Pictures of cute puppies and kittens (awww)
I enjoy writing these newsletters - and sharing all this stuff with you all. But the fact is, it's also a way to help us stay connected with customers and sell products during the time between catalog mailings (which is only once a year) So I really, really like it when someone new stumbles upon the newsletter and is excited to "discover" our company and the products we offer.
In all my efforts to make the newsletter interesting and forward-worthy - it never occurred to me to JUST ASK you all to send it! Duh. Sometimes the obvious is elusive, I guess. So here goes - my request to ask you to forward our email newsletter to your horsey friends. All we ask is that you please be judicious and only send to folks who might be interested. Otherwise we are no better than the "firecracker butt". Click to get started. (please note - using this form does NOT subscribe anyone to our list - it is a one-time only forward)
|
|
|
|
|
