About us
Our Story
Remember when summer felt endless?
For three glorious months, there was no homework and no teachers. After that final bell, there was nothing but fun, sun, and a little bit of mischief.
The vintage style of Sandlot Goods’ hats, wallets, and accessories is inspired by days of years past, where kids played from dawn ‘til the lights came on. Our throwback look instantly transports you to chasing the ice cream truck and playing games of “Home Run Derby,” where no one has ever managed to hit one.
Like most creative endeavors, Sandlot Goods started simple. After years of working as a photographer stuck in the digital world, our owner and CEO, Chad Hickman, got the itch to make something tangible. After learning the basics of leatherworking, he got started creating wallets inspired by his lifetime love of baseball.
In 2014, Chad’s world was forever changed after the sudden loss of his older brother. He started channeling his grief into creativity by tapping into the nostalgic memories of their childhood.
Today, everything made at Sandlot Goods is created with equal parts form and whimsy. Each product is handcrafted at our facility in Kansas City—and we mean that. We design’em, cut’em, stitch’em, literally the whole nine yards.
It’s a labor of love but we’re in it to win it.
Made in Kansas City
Our hats and wallets are entirely handmade at our Kansas City facility.
Before the 1960s, Kansas City was a textile town. In the old days, our local garment industry was only outsized by New York City. Unfortunately, the textile industry has almost completely been sent overseas for mass production.
And you know what? That sucks.
Have you ever noticed the difference between something slapped together in a factory and something made with care?
Think about it like a cake. Which is better, the one your mom made you for your birthday or that little shrink-wrapped one from the vending machine? Sure, the vending machine one is fine, but it lacks the balance, care, and love of something homemade.
Just so we’re clear, our hats won’t pass any taste tests. But slap one on your noggin, and you’ll feel the difference. The attention to detail, quality stitching, and unique designs come together to create a look and feel that is distinctly, well, us.
Each of our products is designed, cut, then produced by hand at our shop. By keeping our manufacturing local, we can honor Kansas City’s past while building a future for a lost trade.
Our Core Values
Our core values are infused in everything we do. They’re what drive us to develop new ideas, find our niche, and build the future for Sandlot.
CREATIVITY
Hats are a medium of endless possibilities. Wallets and leather goods are a canvas of untapped potential. We’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg for textile potential. We chase ideas with boundless energy and aren’t afraid to try, try again.
No matter what project is hurled our way, we’ll grab some coffee, throw caution to the wind and dream up the possibilities.
CRAFTSMANSHIP
You can’t just skirt by on being “American made” without the quality to back it up. We hold ourselves to the highest standard. We’re constantly refining our process and checking our work to continuously improve everything we do.
So, when we say we do it by hand, we’re also saying we do it right. We always cross our T’s and finish our stitches to create products that will stand the test of time.
ROOTED
We love Kansas City. We grew up here, got our start in the Cultural Crossroads,
and have watched our business flourish thanks to the community. No matter how big Sandlot Goods grows, we’re always energized by our local creative scene, strive to build jobs in the area, and give back to the city that took us from a fledgling idea to a fully formed business.
WHIMSY
Life is too short to shut out your inner child. We can work hard, but we can play hard, too. There’s always time to find joy in the simple things or chase that golden (but a little offbeat) idea.
No matter how big we get, we won’t forget the childhood joy that drives everything we do.
Our Vision
The future is always uncertain. You can build a business plan that accounts for every possibility you foresee, but reality always finds a way to surprise you. We
don’t have a crystal ball or one of those fortune-telling machines, but this is how we see it.
Bring back American-made. Nothing bums us out more than the state of textiles in this country. It’s a weird bone to pick, sure, but we’re passionate about it. Baseball is America’s pastime—so, let’s rep that U.S. pride with American-made hats! Cities throughout the country sell hats that represent their local identity—yet they’re lining the pockets of factories overseas.
Let’s bring American-made back. Let’s bring textiles back to the U.S. and create jobs in an industry that almost feels forgotten. Step-by-step, day-by-day, we’re working towards this goal.
Make it fun. Hats and wallets aren’t just accessories, they’re wearable art. Each accessory someone sports makes a statement that projects their identity, style, and personality. Whether they’re hats for a fun minor league or a trendy look for the fashion-forward, we’re always looking to push the envelope on hat design.
Transform textiles. The textiles industry is so much more than hats and accessories. We’re always looking ahead to see what else we can do and how far we can push the medium. As we forge ahead, we’re always on the path to innovate and create new fabric-based opportunities.
Our Process
We aren’t just decorators—we’re makers. When a new client comes to us with a project idea or is just looking to create new concepts for our retail operations, a new hat takes some time and know-how to complete.
Design
Before we can start a new product, we’ve gotta design it. While we sometimes develop new hat types, we’re usually working on projects where we customize the hat’s front design and build color. So, to start, we tend to lay it all out there.
Most new hat designs begin with a brainstorming and sketch session where no ideas are wrong. After we get some concepts down, we work on narrowing and refining our artwork and fabric choices until we find the right concept.
Materials
We’re always on the hunt for new materials. Right now, we are a big fan of wool because it’s all-natural, moisture-wicking, and doesn’t harm any animals in its creation. However, it can get a little heavy in the summertime.
Countless hours are spent at researching and working with textile distributors to find the ideal fabrics for our products. This is true not only for custom projects but also as part of our dedication to continuously improving our storefront offerings.
Crafting
When a hat goes into production, it is hand-cut, sewn, and decorated by hand in our manufacturing space. After its sewn, we carefully check it for miss-stitches or defects before tagging and batching it to send off to its final destination