Sometimes you just have to make something because it’s fun to make. That’s the idea behind HANDUP’s Red Label Collector Edition products — just a series of collabs that bring joy to the folks at the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based glove maker.
“Normally, it’s a fun idea in theory but it’s not something that makes sense for us to make as a regular in-line item,” Troy Stewart, marketing manager at HANDUP, told BikeRumor. “So we decided to make things in small batches that we think are cool or funny and that’s all the thought that goes into it.”
According to Stewart, everyone on the small, close-knit HANDUP team gets to pitch in during product design and development.
The strategy must be working. HANDUP’s recent drop was a collaboration with Nittany Mountain Works. The Red Label Collector Edition Half Sack fanny pack sold out in just a few days, and now that it’s gone, it’s gone.
Other Red Label Collector Edition products include two runs of oven mitts and an Ebbets Field Flannels cap. The cap is a good example of the spirit behind the Red Label Collector Edition line.
“We make HANDUP hats all year long, but we don’t make period-specific vintage baseball caps, hand sewn in wool broadcloth. [Ebbets Field Flannels] does! Do we think every person wants that type of hat? No. But a few lucky collectors want one!” Stewart said.
So, how to grab the next Red Label Collector item before it sells out? Follow HANDUP’s Instagram page and be on the lookout for a teaser post three to five days before a drop. All the Red Label Collector items launch at noon for maximum fairness across time zones. And if you miss out on something you love, remember: biking should bring you joy. It ain’t always about securing the bag.
Or, as Stewart puts it, “[this is] really just for fun…something that makes us smile.”
