The Going Rate, Volume II – a leather study of the candy economy

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of leather stamping studies. Volume II.

A September study.

The Going Rate is a small collection about the candy economy – the one with no money in it, where the currency comes twist-wrapped and the rate of exchange gets settled on the walk home.

First, the luggage tags. We stood six bottles in a low carrier, no two silhouettes alike, and set SIX TO GO beneath them – the sampler rule applied to packing: bring the favorites, and leave room for one you have never tried.

Black-and-white SIX TO GO bottle-carrier die artwork from The Going Rate leather collection, Volume II.

The black tag carries the bottles in gold foil. The poppy red and the pale sea-blue take a blind press.

A black leather luggage tag gold-stamped with six glass bottles and SIX TO GO in The Going Rate collection, Volume II.

A warm red leather luggage tag blind-stamped with six glass bottles and SIX TO GO in The Going Rate collection, Volume II.

A pale sea-blue leather luggage tag blind-stamped with six glass bottles and SIX TO GO in The Going Rate collection, Volume II.

Next, the keychains. Two wrapped candies circle each other mid-swap under the words FAIR TRADE – the oldest contract there is, agreed in a whisper and honored for life.

Black-and-white FAIR TRADE wrapped-sweets die artwork from The Going Rate leather collection, Volume II.

On the black fob the deal is struck in gold. The warm tan fob signs blind.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

A black leather keychain gold-stamped with two trading sweets and FAIR TRADE in The Going Rate collection, Volume II.

A caramel leather keychain blind-stamped with two trading sweets and FAIR TRADE in The Going Rate collection, Volume II.

Then the toiletry bags. One wrapped candy wears its own tiny luggage tag, checked in for the trip home, above the words BRING SOME BACK – the one instruction every traveler gets at the door. It sits small in the corner of the stack, warm tan over deep espresso brown.

Black-and-white BRING SOME BACK wrapped-sweet and luggage-tag die artwork from The Going Rate leather collection, Volume II.

Caramel and dark espresso leather toiletry bags blind-stamped with a wrapped sweet, luggage tag and BRING SOME BACK in The Going Rate collection, Volume II.

Then the catchall tray. We drew the winnings mid-count, sweets sorted into small piles the way coins get counted, above the words COUNT YOUR WINNINGS. The golden tan tray runs the same audit every evening – whatever the day paid out, in it goes.

Black-and-white COUNT YOUR WINNINGS candy-counting die artwork from The Going Rate leather collection, Volume II.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

An Arizona leather catchall tray blind-stamped with countable candy groups and COUNT YOUR WINNINGS in The Going Rate collection, Volume II.

And finally, the one we liked the most. A wrapped candy drawn as a padlock, the shackle rising straight out of the wrapper – because some trades are final. FOR KEEPS stands underneath, and a journal is where the final things get written. Deep wine first, then pale warm greige.

Black-and-white FOR KEEPS candy-padlock die artwork from The Going Rate leather collection, Volume II.

A deep wine leather journal blind-stamped with a candy padlock and FOR KEEPS in The Going Rate collection, Volume II.

A pale warm greige leather journal blind-stamped with a candy padlock and FOR KEEPS in The Going Rate collection, Volume II.

We made this out of love. Leatherius Woodman is on a mission to create and share artifacts of beauty, craft and love – this study is one of them, and we hope the feeling is mutual. Every image is a render – how we prototype before cutting a die.

If you'd like these made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.