arabensburg
Member
N. J. Rabensburg went to Austin not to work for A. W. Brill but to buy it.
In about September 1935, the A. W. Brill Company ceased to exist and immediately became the “N. J. Rabensburg Company”. The turning point for Rabensburg had been a few years earlier…he had to specialize or get out. He decided to specialize with emphasis on holsters and belts.
To limit his products to mostly holsters and belts, then a much larger market with an expanded customer base was needed. Austin was the nearest and best, and Rabensburg had perhaps a willing seller, namely, the Brill family, who had more money than him and was looking to do something else and leave a dying market.
Over the course of the 1st half of his leather making career, Rabensburg modus operandi had been to search the trade magazines for viable markets with saddleries for sale. When the time was right, he would make his move. He did this in Price, Utah, in Llano, Texas and in Austin. For La Grange, it was a partner, who retired.
Rabensburg was never willing to work for someone else. He had to run and own the show. This was true at the A. W. Brill Company as well.
The 3 year plan between September 1932 and about September 1935 was during a time of economic depression nationally. Nevertheless, the price in the Austin market was going to be a greater investment than he had experienced previously. Austin was a much larger than in Price, La Grange or Llano and was going to cost him more with a downtown E. 6th Street location.
The A. W. Brill Company was a survivor and controlled much of what was left of the saddlery business in the Austin area. The acquisition, however, required the 3 year plan in order to determine suitability and an understanding of company operations. The delay in purchase would afford Rabensburg the time to properly market his Rabensburg-made holster. In return for purchase, he would get the A. W. Brill reputation, its customer base, its inventory, location and the company stamp.
This was a real estate deal. Rabensburg needed time to test the market in Austin and a 3 year period (probably not to exceed) was negotiated into the deal to complete his due diligence. This may have been to the chagrin of the Brills, but a requirement by Rabensburg before he would part with his life savings.
A true test of the Austin market for Rabensburg was the sale of his holsters and belts. His brief time at A. W. Brill was to promote these leather products and was not for the benefit of the Brill company, which was about to go out of business.
Prior to his move to Austin, Rabensburg had operated his own business for 12 years in Llano, Texas as the N. J. Rabensburg Company. He planned to be in business for many more years following the purchase of the A. W. Brill Company as a continuation of the N. J. Rabensburg Company of Austin.
Rabensburg was never a part of the Brill operations. He was there for the moment in a real estate transaction. He planned to move-on should the purchase not work out. He would take his Rabensburg-made holsters and belts with him. They were not a Brill commodity.
Fortunately for Rabensburg and the Brill family, the deal did go through, and Rabensburg got what he wanted. The A. W. Brill Company went out of business in 1935, and the N. J. Rabensburg Company took control and continued for another 26 years making mostly holsters and belts.
The A. W. Brill stamp was also a part of the deal. The stamp could not fall into the hands of another competitor, such as Charles W. Kluge, who continued to make holsters in Austin into the early 1940s.
Rabensburg use of the A. W. Brill stamp was to have been short lived expiring at the time of purchase in about September 1935. However, he changed his mind and did so for marketing purposes.
The Rabensburg-made holster carrying the A. W. Brill maker mark was in demand. He had made his holster notable in Austin and would keep the Brill mark for an unknown time into the future. If Rabensburg had decided differently after purchase and stamped his holsters properly with his own personal name, that is, “N. J. Rabensburg” as maker, then there would be no discussion today about Brill eras.
N. J. Rabensburg marketed his holsters as N. J. Rabensburg holsters, not as A. W. Brill holsters.
By Neale Rabensburg
In about September 1935, the A. W. Brill Company ceased to exist and immediately became the “N. J. Rabensburg Company”. The turning point for Rabensburg had been a few years earlier…he had to specialize or get out. He decided to specialize with emphasis on holsters and belts.
To limit his products to mostly holsters and belts, then a much larger market with an expanded customer base was needed. Austin was the nearest and best, and Rabensburg had perhaps a willing seller, namely, the Brill family, who had more money than him and was looking to do something else and leave a dying market.
Over the course of the 1st half of his leather making career, Rabensburg modus operandi had been to search the trade magazines for viable markets with saddleries for sale. When the time was right, he would make his move. He did this in Price, Utah, in Llano, Texas and in Austin. For La Grange, it was a partner, who retired.
Rabensburg was never willing to work for someone else. He had to run and own the show. This was true at the A. W. Brill Company as well.
The 3 year plan between September 1932 and about September 1935 was during a time of economic depression nationally. Nevertheless, the price in the Austin market was going to be a greater investment than he had experienced previously. Austin was a much larger than in Price, La Grange or Llano and was going to cost him more with a downtown E. 6th Street location.
The A. W. Brill Company was a survivor and controlled much of what was left of the saddlery business in the Austin area. The acquisition, however, required the 3 year plan in order to determine suitability and an understanding of company operations. The delay in purchase would afford Rabensburg the time to properly market his Rabensburg-made holster. In return for purchase, he would get the A. W. Brill reputation, its customer base, its inventory, location and the company stamp.
This was a real estate deal. Rabensburg needed time to test the market in Austin and a 3 year period (probably not to exceed) was negotiated into the deal to complete his due diligence. This may have been to the chagrin of the Brills, but a requirement by Rabensburg before he would part with his life savings.
A true test of the Austin market for Rabensburg was the sale of his holsters and belts. His brief time at A. W. Brill was to promote these leather products and was not for the benefit of the Brill company, which was about to go out of business.
Prior to his move to Austin, Rabensburg had operated his own business for 12 years in Llano, Texas as the N. J. Rabensburg Company. He planned to be in business for many more years following the purchase of the A. W. Brill Company as a continuation of the N. J. Rabensburg Company of Austin.
Rabensburg was never a part of the Brill operations. He was there for the moment in a real estate transaction. He planned to move-on should the purchase not work out. He would take his Rabensburg-made holsters and belts with him. They were not a Brill commodity.
Fortunately for Rabensburg and the Brill family, the deal did go through, and Rabensburg got what he wanted. The A. W. Brill Company went out of business in 1935, and the N. J. Rabensburg Company took control and continued for another 26 years making mostly holsters and belts.
The A. W. Brill stamp was also a part of the deal. The stamp could not fall into the hands of another competitor, such as Charles W. Kluge, who continued to make holsters in Austin into the early 1940s.
Rabensburg use of the A. W. Brill stamp was to have been short lived expiring at the time of purchase in about September 1935. However, he changed his mind and did so for marketing purposes.
The Rabensburg-made holster carrying the A. W. Brill maker mark was in demand. He had made his holster notable in Austin and would keep the Brill mark for an unknown time into the future. If Rabensburg had decided differently after purchase and stamped his holsters properly with his own personal name, that is, “N. J. Rabensburg” as maker, then there would be no discussion today about Brill eras.
N. J. Rabensburg marketed his holsters as N. J. Rabensburg holsters, not as A. W. Brill holsters.
By Neale Rabensburg
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