Freitag Friday

Translation: Friday Friday

While traveling in Switzerland last year I stumbled on the coolest business I have ever seen. I walked into a boutique that was full of messenger bags, handbags, purses, backpacks, lap top cases, cell phone cases, pouches, wallets... pretty much every kind of bag you can think of. "Bags... how exciting...." you must be thinking.

But these bags are special.

They are made of Semi truck tarp "used truck tarpaulin", car seat belts, bicycle inner tubes, and used air bags.

Still don't think they are cool?

Listen to the story of how this company came to be, from their website http://www.freitag.ch/

In 1993 two bike riding designers (brothers, actually) lived next to a truck route in Zurich, Switzerland. Looking out of their kitchen one day, they thought it would be nice to have custom messenger bags made from one of those dirty 100,000 mile truck tarpaulins. They thought it would be unique, made only from recycled materials, and because the tarps are waterproof, the messenger bags would be waterproof, too!

They started off making the bags just for themselves, then their friends wanted them, and then shops and museums wanted them, too.

14 years later, each bag is still handmade, and still made from all recycled materials, and each one is still completely unique.

But now Freitag bags are sold worldwide! Worldwide!! Here in the United States 24 different cities sell Freitag bags!! Quite a jump from making two bags for themselves. These brothers have made their dirty truck tarps into high-fashion boutique wear.

There bag styles are called things like dragnet, night club, laura, top cat, dexter, renegade, fritz... and the list goes on.

Shop over 1,000 bags on their website. OR you can actually design your own bag online. They have a program that allows you to pick the type of bag you would like, and pick out of the truck tarps they have available, then click and drag your mouse around to make the bag look exactly how you would like it. Now tell me that isn't cool.

They even have a store made out of old railroad crates (don't quote me on that one but it was made out of old..... something.)

Being quite broke at the time all I could afford at the time was a wallet. And I believe that cost me around 35 US Dollars. And if you sniff the wallet it does have a slight stench. But it is my favorite wallet.... ever. It is in my purse at this very moment.

Why am I talking about this on my personal finance website? Because these guys are my personal finance heroes.

Unique idea.... check.

Took the chance to make it into a business... check.
Low cost of supplies.... check.
Great marketing.... can you say worldwide?.... um, check.

They literally took trash and made it treasure. Awesome treasure. Imagine if you could take something that is thrown out every day and make it into something that sells.

These guys are my heroes.