Red Wing Boots
I buy a new pair of boots every 1.5 years. Spending $300 on boots can seem like a lot, but good boots can literally last a lifetime. My favorite brand is Red Wings because they’re made in Detroit and they give free shoe shines and laces for life. This model of boot is the Class Moc, but I also love the Iron Rangers.
Flat Head Jeans
Prior to the 1970’s, jeans were made in America on a machine called a shutterloom, which was a big heavy duty machine that made jeans from thick denim. This type of jean was called selvedge denim. Around 1970 though Levi’s moved production to Guatemala and decided to use weaker machines, meaning the denim had to be lighter and not as high quality. You can still buy selvedge denim, but you have to find it. Because I’m big into Americana I am willing to spend $250 or $300 on a paid of jeans like they were made back in the day. When you buy the jeans they start out really dark blue and stiff but as you wear them they wear around your body and create cool colors. This pair is called Flat Head, which is a Japanese brand that bought a lot of America’s old shutterlooms.
Sign
I used to work for that TV show American Pickers. Mike Wolfe, the main guy on the show, was my boss. We used to sell old letter signs for thousands of dollars, which is crazy. People love having their own letter. Well, I’m pretty frugal and am not about to drop a G on a letter. My girlfriend bought this bad boy off Etsy for $100.
Shop Now$100+Dog
In college I knew this guy who got arrested for selling drugs and having a gun. He had a dog and couldn’t care for it while he was locked up, so he asked me to watch it for two weeks. Turns out he had an automatic weapon, so he never got out…so I kept the dog. His name is Sydney, aka Sid the kid aka Sid Vicious. He’s my best homie. We hang out every night. Super calm and easy to get along with.
Weights
I wish I were cool enough to live in Compton. I ain’t. So instead I have to settle for looking like a g in my backyard in San Francisco. I went to college on a track and field scholarship, so fitness is important to me. I’m chubby now but I still like to pump iron a few times a week. I think anyone who buys a gym membership is stupid. You can buy used weights off Craigslist for $150. Second hand weights weigh the same as fancy schmancy weights, which is important to keep in mind. Plus, getting swole in my backyard while looking at my reflection in the mirror and having an Uncle Rico moment, reminiscing when I use to be fit, is fun.
Bees
Two years ago I started looking for a new hobby. I wanted something that was inexpensive, relaxing, didn’t require lots of work, and allowed me to be outside. After watching a documentary on Burt from Burt’s Bees I decided to get into beekeeping. It’s a cheap hobby, only costs about $300 to get started and is legal in cities. I check my hive a couple times a month and get maybe 20 pounds of honey every 6 months. I call my honey Southern Sam’s Sticky Icky because it’s sticky…and my roommates always eat it when they’re high.
Ring
Growing up I noticed that stylish old men always wore turquoise. So, seeing as how I want to be a stylish old man, I like to wear turquoise. I got this ring in a small village in New Mexico during my cross country motorcycle trip.
Shop Now$150+Books
I read one to four books a month, depending on how much time I have. I also tell people reading biographies is the best way to get ahead in life. You can see your hero’s playbook: how they won, how they loss, and how they thought. If you read enough you can see patterns in the way certain people think. My favorite books are Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, The 48 Laws of Power and Ruthless: The Story of NWA.
Buy Now$10+Homemade Tattoos
When my first company was failing I was paralyzed with fear. I didn’t know how to make my business work, so I read a book to help get my ass into shape. In one of the books, the author said something like “ceaseless action is the best way to defeat despair.” So, one night after a few beers, I decided to give myself a homemade tattoo. I did it on my feet so whenever I lay in bed out of fear I could see “ACT NOW” on my feet as they poked out the end of the covers. Giving yourself a tattoo is like building your own house. It’ll most likely turn out awful, but it’s always a good story and gives you a sense of pride. I now have a few of them throughout my body but you’re not lucky enough to see them.
Triumph Motorcycle
I’ve ridden motorcycles since I was 12. I’ve owned close to 20 motorcycles over the years because I hate riding in cars. I just can’t do it. They make me feel claustrophobic and not in control. Last summer I rode my motorcycle from California to North Carolina and back. It took 60 days and I camped most nights or crashed in dirty, cheap motels. I would rather go to the dentist for a root canal for 4 weeks straight than do that same trip in a car. Starting in college I bought a $500 bike, fixed it up, rode it for a week then sold it for $1,000. I recently bought a $6,000 Triumph doing that process using my first $500, which is cool. This Triumph is the bike that I’ve ever owned. The motorcycle I had was a 1995 BMW. Some people love ‘em. I hate it.
