Theatrical hat hire

[ChloeMarsden]

Hi guys

I am looking to start a business in theatrical hat hire and it would be great if anyone could help me with some market research. It seems to me that it would solve these problems:

-Bad quality hats available from costume hire companies that do not have a good range and that are stored badly, or from companies that are too expensive to hire

-Having to have hats made which are too costly and too specialist to be used again

 

The idea is that I will have a large range of good quality historical and theatrical hats in London, at an affordable price to complement costumes being hired or made elsewhere.

 

Any comments, good and bad are very welcome so I can see if there is a market for this.

Thank you

Chloe Marsden

[ImagineerTom]

If there's one place that doesn't need something like this its london. All the professional shows don't have any of the issues you raise. At a push I could see you fulfilling a minor niche out in the regions or touring but then you're going to have to provide a nationwide service and support system (which costs) and to be honest I don't think I've ever worked on a show where hat quality has ever been an issue - what research have you done already to come up with this idea?

[ChloeMarsden]

I would have to think carefully about the target audience, and whether there would be enough short productions who value good hats enough to hire them in especially. I had the idea recently so I am just starting to do research now. There are costume hire specialists in military items, dancewear, historical, vintage/couture and burlesque. But as yet no millinery specialist so it looked like there could possibly be a market there.

[w/robe]

Chloe

 

I think, if you can make it work financially, then it is a great idea.

 

As you say even with very good costume hires the hats are often a let down but you are going to have to hold lots of very good stock to make it worth poeple spending money seperatly as you can normally get a hat for very little if you are also getting dress, shoes and coat.

I think you should be in London but with your hats on line you could easily post them round the country.

 

If you do go ahead please let me know.

 

Good Luck

 

w/robe

[ChloeMarsden]

Thanks, thats very useful. They would be the best quality hats available - although it is tricky to know how much I would rent them out for. I am also having trouble contacting costume supervisors for film/tv as I think they would be my target audience. They are quite difficult to get hold of! Any ideas? Should I get a copy of the directories?

[WiLL]

It's a question of advertising so that people are aware of your company. Otherwise they will just rely on their costumier to supply (often sub-standard) hats as well as costumes. Make sure you remember to target amateur companies as well as proffessionals. Adverts in both the Stage and the Amateur Stage would prove worthwhile I think.

[ChloeMarsden]

Its not so much the advertising but really the initial research that I need to contact them about, to ask whether they would use such a service, without sounding like I am touting for business. But I've starting to get through to some so I think it'll just take a little time.

[w/robe]

Chloe

 

Sorry it has taken me a while to think of this but I've had glass slippers on the brain.

 

Have you thought of offering a 'make for hire' to help you build up your stock. Then if someone wants a hat that may be useful to hire out in future you make it for them but charge them less then the going rate so long as you get it back at the end of the run. You may have problems if it gets damaged so you will have to word any agreement carefully but this would be little different from a standard hire agreement.

[Richard the chandler]

Thats a pretty good call. We often make up special one off stage treads, brackets for tracking etc. Its a good way of offsetting the cost of building up stock. I would suggest that a catalogue clearly showing pictures of the items you'll be holding as stock would be a good way to go. We find with our catalogue that it will live on the production managers bookcase and then be whipped out for quick reference of the pictures. I can imagine you'd benefit from that as well. Marry it up with an online on that can be updated as you make new ones and make sure that your print catalogue says to check the website for new stock etc.

 

 

 

 

Chloe

 

Sorry it has taken me a while to think of this but I've had glass slippers on the brain.

 

Have you thought of offering a 'make for hire' to help you build up your stock. Then if someone wants a hat that may be useful to hire out in future you make it for them but charge them less then the going rate so long as you get it back at the end of the run. You may have problems if it gets damaged so you will have to word any agreement carefully but this would be little different from a standard hire agreement.

[ChloeMarsden]

Thanks for the suggestions - I was intending to do make for hire since its inevitable that the first orders I would get I probably wouldn't have in. I like the idea of an online catalogue - I do like things to be organised and its much better for the customer. You have a very nice catalogue by the way - not sure my budget or computer literacy would stretch that far!

[Richard the chandler]

Thanks for the catalogue compliment. We've only got a small team, and it takes a lot of work but it shows that its possible to turn out something good that has value to it. Which is something I could imagine you'd want as a pictorial reference would always be good for your type of item.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the suggestions - I was intending to do make for hire since its inevitable that the first orders I would get I probably wouldn't have in. I like the idea of an online catalogue - I do like things to be organised and its much better for the customer. You have a very nice catalogue by the way - not sure my budget or computer literacy would stretch that far!