If you haven’t heard about the newest buckle sensation that’s literally sweeping the nation, you might be living under a rock. Wallet Buckle is the place to be with five booths across Las Vegas at all the major Wrangler National Finals Rodeo shopping centers. The Cowboy Lifestyle Network’s Gabi Jaffee from Rodeo Wrecks talked with Co-Founder and Wallet Buckle inventor Trevor for more information about the hottest item in Las Vegas.
CLN’s Gabi with Justin and Trevor from Wallet Buckle.
In just six months since they started selling Wallet Buckles, Trevor, and his brother Justin, have sold over 6,000 units. What started as an idea to solve Trevor’s history of losing his wallet has now turned into an extremely profitable business that is the talk of the western and rodeo world.
“I always wore belt buckles and I always carried a wallet, and every time I sat down I found myself pulling my wallet out and either putting it next to me or on a chair by me, and I always ended up leaving it,” Trevor said. “My wallet was always thin and I knew I could always hide cards behind my belt buckle, so that’s kind of where the idea came from. I remember eight years ago sitting in a P.F. Chang’s with a friend of mine and drawing it out…and I can’t draw.”
Justin and Trevor, the founders of Wallet Buckle
This practical solution to an extremely common problem spurred the start of a seven-year and three-patent journey to get Trevor and his business partner/brother, Justin, to where they are today. Over their six months officially with products, they have developed hundreds of designs that they rotate on a regular basis.
Trevor says that he is always coming up with new designs based upon the feedback of buyers in person and fans on social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. He designs every buckle. He buys raw materials and assembles each buckle by hand whether it’s grinding pendants or tooling leather, every Wallet Buckle passes through his hands.
The brothers have managed to harness the undeniable power of word-of-mouth marketing. When something is cool, you’re likely to tell your friends about it. When something is cool and gives you a free tee-shirt encouraging people to “Ask Me About My Buckle,” you’re much more likely to tell people about it.
Wallet Buckles
“I thought of the shirt in a dream one night,” Trevor recalled. “We had been going to rodeos and country concerts passing out business cards, but I had a dream that this would get the message out so much better. We made the shirts and wore them to a Blake Shelton concert in California. That night, we left without any business cards.”
At the Watershed Music Festival this year, hundreds of people in the crowd were imploring concert-goers to ask them about their buckle. All genius advertising ideas aside, Wallet Buckles are a truly amazing and revolutionary product…there simply isn’t anything else like it on the market.
“To see the joy and surprise of people’s faces…I seriously sit back and get emotional sometimes,” Trevor said. “All the hard work and money and you’re constantly second-guessing yourself…you see all your friends saving and you’re just pouring your money and time and energy into something you don’t know will even work and then after taking so long for it to come to fruition…it’s like the payoff moment.”
If, by some chance, you miss their shirts as they walk around the strip and most of the major country concerts throughout the US this year, you won’t miss their booth. The Wallet Buckle booth is the place to be wherever it’s set up. The fun and carefree atmosphere that the brothers create with their sisters and close friends who all work with them have led major music festivals like Route 91 to contact them directly and invite them to exhibit at the festival.
Wallet Buckle Team
“People come to our booth to have a good time because we always have a good time…I think a lot of people gravitate towards that,” he added.
The beauty of the Wallet Buckle is that it can be used every day. Buy a flashy buckle for the rodeo or a practical silver buckle for everyday use. The brothers also create custom-made buckles and have struck a deal with Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row.
If you want to get your hands on a belt buckle, you’ll have to act fast. Because they are assembled by hand, the brothers have already had to cancel three shows this year due to a lack of supply. Make sure you find them at the following retail locations and tell them the Cowboy Lifestyle Network told you all about them!
Booth 3435 at Cowboy Christmas at the Las Vegas Convention Center
Booth 759 at Stetson Country Christmas Western Gift Expo at the Sands Expo and Convention Center
Booth 951 at Roper Marketplace at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Booth 554 at 2015 Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Hunter & Outdoor Christmas Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center
And at the South Point Hotel & Casino
Stay tuned to the CLN, Earnhardt Auto Team and Ak-Chin Indian Communtiy for more of the best coverage from the 2015 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo!