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SALT LAKE CITY — Two Utah-based Kickstarter campaigns have received an overwhelmingly positive response for a unique product — minimalist wallets.
Svelte Wallets and Thread Wallets each raised thousands of dollars more than was originally asked for on Kickstarter.
Andrew Titensor created Svelte Wallets due to the frustration of “the inconvenience of large, bulky wallets that kept getting in the way,” he said.
Made from a synthetic, paper-thin material called tyvek, Svelte Wallets are about the size of a credit card and have two folds and three slots on the inside, which can hold up to nine cards. There is also a money pocket that holds regular and international bills, Titensor said.
The trifold design enables the wallets to easily fit inside someone’s front pocket, Titensor said.
After Titensor built his own wallets, people began inquiring where he got them, and he decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign.
Originally, Titensor asked for $4,500 on his Kickstarter. His goal was reached within about 48 hours, and he eventually raised more than $29,000.
Titensor said he is still trying to figure out why it is so popular, but he thinks more people than he realized are looking for a smaller wallet.
“People are looking for any kind of way they can slim down and minimize that inconvenience,” Titensor said. “My minimalist wallets help overcome that problem and give people a more comfortable solution to carrying their cards and cash.”
Svelte Wallets come in six different colors and start at $20.
Colby Bauer, founder of Thread Wallets, originally launched his Kickstarter last year for a school project at Brigham Young University. He noticed wallets were doing well on Kickstarter, but didn’t see any that were his style.
Bauer since moved to Hawaii for school, and after revising the product and creating a better brand, Bauer relaunched the Kickstarter in March, along with his wife and co-founder, McKenzie and another couple, Pierce Tews (director of sales) and Paris Tews (public relations manager).
Bauer said he idolizes what Shaun Neff with Neff Headwear and Rick Alden with Skullcandy and Stance Socks have done to make a simple product fun, and wanted to do that with the wallet industry.
“Thread Wallets are a more unique, more expressive way of holding a wallet or carrying your cards," Bauer said. "It’s the first wallet that allows you to really express your lifestyle."
With “trending patterns,” “really unique, funky designs,” and “creative style” Bauer said their main goal is “to bring personality to the wallet industry.”
Bauer originally asked for $5,000 on the Kickstarter campaign, a goal that was reached on the first day. In the end, they raised more than $35,000.
A slim elastic wallet with creative style, Thread Wallets have two pockets on the outside, Bauer said.
Thread Wallets start at $12. They come in different designs, and can even be customized on orders over $30.
