The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

Industry Trends & Reports

Haartz Talks Knockoff Convertible Tops

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The trend of customers buying subpar convertible tops online and asking auto upholstery shops to install them is a problem we’ve discussed in great length on The Hog Ring. It decreases our sales, disrupts our workflow and – when the product inevitably fails – damages our reputations. Fortunately, we’re not alone in the fight against inferior-quality products. Haartz … [Read more...] about Haartz Talks Knockoff Convertible Tops

Shop Profile: Auto & Upholstery Center

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Press of Atlantic City recently published a profile of Custom Auto & Upholstery Center, a Pleasantville, N.J. shop that's been in the business for decades and maintains a pretty positive outlook on the industry's state of affairs. The article is interesting, not just because it allows us to peer into a another trimmer's shop, but because it provides some interesting … [Read more...] about Shop Profile: Auto & Upholstery Center

Read the Fine Print: It’s Not Leather

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In 2012, we inducted Kia Motors into The Hog Ring's "Hall of Shame" for fooling customers into believing that its popular Sportage SUV was trimmed in genuine leather — when, in fact, it featured almost no real leather at all. In 2013, we inducted Toyota Motor Corporation when it attempted to do the same. Sadly, it's come to the point where we may soon have to induct the … [Read more...] about Read the Fine Print: It’s Not Leather