About GlengarryHats.com
 

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GlengarryHats.com is a website owned and operated by Ian Parenteau, under contract to King Industries of Malta.

I have a lot of different job descriptions, including:

  • Photography
  • Photo Editing
  • Web Page Development
  • Supplier Management
  • Customer Management
  • Inventory Management
  • eBay Auctions
  • New Product Development
  • Order Specifications
  • Quality Assurance
  • Bookeeping
  • Shipping
  • Receiving

I will try to offer periodic updates on the state of GlengarryHats.com below:

Date           Topic
2022
  • We are no longer able to continue to offer the same prices we started with in 2005.
  • Our prices had remained virtually unchanged from 2005 through 2020, with small exceptions.
  • Material price increases have been creeping upward for the last 17 years.
  • International shipping costs have increased significantly.
  • We have absorbed material and shipping cost increases as long as possible.
  • All pricing will be updated site wide in 2022 to reflect current costs.
  • “Same great products, Near Wholesale Prices, Fast Delivery”
2019
  • 15 years selling highland pipe and drum band products online!
  • To celebrate we are thanking our customers old and new by rewinding the clock on our prices
  • Made to Measure items now usually shipping within 3 weeks
  • Volume (up to 20) band tunic / doublet orders ship in 6 weeks or less
  • “Same great products, Near Wholesale Prices, Fast Delivery”
2018
  • After starting and running GlengarryHats.com for over 13 years, Ian Parenteau has had some medical issues that require me to hand over responsibility for my website to my long time overseas manufacturing and business partner Mr. Zafar Iqbal via King Industries of Malta.
  • Online PayPal orders will now be paid directly to the new operator of GlengarryHats.com, King Industries of Malta.
  • All orders will now ship direct from my overseas manufacturing partner of 13 years.
  • Same great quality products, with faster service delivery times
2017
  • 2017 was a life changing year for me, I have been having trouble keeping up with running Glengarryhats.com
  • I had three major events towards the end of the year that has revealed my inability to operate Glengarryhats.com if I am out of commission and have no backup 1) my mother-in-law dying, 2) nasty flu, and 3) severe back injury
  • Unfortunately I was unable to keep my head above water during this time (again, no backup) and after much discussion with my trusted supplier for 12 years I have decided to take myself out of the selling equation as middleman for most shipments.
  • This should have the beneficial effect of customers receiving their orders in a more timely manner
2016
  • Another busy year for GlengarryHats.com
2015
  • 2015 is starting to look like my busiest business year yet.
  • Web hosting company updated my server, including newer PHP that temporarily affected my "Enter your tunic measurements" form.
  • I had not changed many prices since I started GlengarryHats.com nine years ago, so a site wide pricing update was required.
  • As I have to pay my suppliers in US dollars, the US Dollar prices have always been the standard used to calculate my website prices in other currencies.
  • With the wild increase of the US dollar exchange when compared to other currencies, many non-US Dollar prices have had to go up drastically this year. (You might still catch a deal on eBay before I get a chance to update all of my eBay pricing)
  • I will alter my website's non-US Dollar pricing whenever currency exchange rates warrant.
2014
  • 2014 was somewhat of a rebuilding year for me. Business remained steady while introducing and testing out a few new products on eBay.
  • Selling tartan Christmas stockings and embroidered brooches on eBay, while experimenting and learning how to make short product videos.
2013
  • Finally after 10 years since leaving my previous employer of 13 years, an actual vacation! Long overdue pilgrimage to visit my wife's long lost family in Ukraine. GlengarryHats.com closed for most of the month of May.
  • Overworking myself into an early grave glued to a computer chair running GlengarryHats.com not a good option anymore, so I am now working out regularly on a treadmill and walking our little dog more often.
  • Bad start to January when I was slapped down hard with double blood clots in one leg. I quickly learned I truly did not understand the meaning of PAIN before as I was unable to sit or stand without excruciating pain.
2012
  • Reasonably stocked up for busy Christmas season, but unfortunately nagging pains behind one knee left me with limited mobility.
  • Designed, photographed and put up on eBay hand embroidered clan cap badge designs, many with genuine black leather "belts" on the crest design.
  • Spent the month of August tearing out and rebuilding my bathroom (long overdue), another great vacation.
  • GlengarryHats.com is now distributing Canadian manufactured L&M Highland Products in addition to our current line of overseas manufactured products.
2011
  • Canada Post rotating strike action and lockout restricted product delivery throughout June and July, thank you for your patience.
  • Introducing highland dance tartans provided by McAleer Highland Gear on Zazzle products.
  • After maintaining my wife's family home in addition to our own home for about the last 10 years, we will finally be reducing our workload down to a normal single home. This requires a lot of work apartment hunting, packing, painting, moving relatives and selling the old homestead, but we expect to be free from the burden of maintaining a second home sometime this fall.  I thank all of my customers for their patience and look forward to being able to devote more time to managing and growing GlengarryHats.com.
2010
  • Sales increase in Highland Dance Vest and Jacket sales
  • Sales increase in tartan print shoes and iPhone cases on Zazzle
  • Introduced new Scarlet Red Balmorals and military style Khaki Tam o' Shanters on eBay
  • New inventory of Gold and Silver on Navy Blue shoulder rank slides on eBay
  • Summer slowdown allowed me to re-work inventory storage, including custom Glengarry hat storage and shipping cartons.
  • Photographed and auctioned many items on eBay.  I still have a lot of miscellaneous products to sell on eBay.
  • Improved inventory and re-ordering to ensure more timely deliveries of stocked products
2009
  • I designed about 500 variations of tartan shoes on Zazzle, then in 2010 Zazzle discontinued their line of custom printed shoes :(
  • I experienced a slowdown in sales in the early part of 2009, but business again picked up in the fall.
  • I have learned that not all products that I offer actually sell, and that the list of products I carry must
    continually evolve to meet customer demand.
  • Click here for general GlengarryHats.com Questions and Answers
2008
  • Migrated to new computer system
  • 2008 was another sad year for me, as I spent much of my time assisting my good friend and neighbor
    who was dying of esophogal cancer.
  • Despite my preoccupation, customers continue to support GlengarryHats.com
  • I experienced unexpected quality and delivery problems from a primary supplier who had been supplying
    mostly good products for the past 3 years, and I was forced to seek out alternate suppliers for many items.
  • Many vendors started using my personally photographed images in their web and print catalogues,
    so I developed my copyright notice web page demonstrating my ownership of all images shown
    at GlengarryHats.com.
2007
  • Another strong growth year for GlengarryHats.com, but was also the last year of my mother's life.
  • On many occasions I had to put my family before business.
  • My mother's death prompted me to quit smoking after 30 years. This proved very difficult for me.
  • Many repeat customers continued to support my efforts at GlengarryHats.com
  • My older computer started failing in December, so I worked on getting a replacement
2006
  • 2006 was a strong growth year for GlengarryHats.com. 
  • I was learning how to manage suppliers and customers while developing my website catalogue content. 
  • Continued learning about product photography and photo editing for web presentation. 
  • Some ups and downs ensuring continued quality product from suppliers. 
2005

 

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