Walked in to see if Thoroughbred sells to the public, and they do. The space is a large warehouse piled with sorted leather hides of all thicknesses and colors. A full hide will run around $120, but they have scraps and cast offs for much less. I bought a great strip that I can get at least 2 belts and a few knife sheaths out of for $11.
Jeff Ballard was managing and he was super helpful for a noobie like me who's just starting out in the trade.
If you're in the market for raw leather for craft projects, I can't recommend this place highly enough. read more