The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

Why Are Detroit Books So Hard to Find?

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One of the questions that we often hear auto trimmers ask is: “Why are Detroit Books so hard to find?” Seeing as upholstery shops need them to order original automotive fabrics and suppliers rely on them to market their goods, it seems almost counter intuitive that they’re not so readily available.

We decided to contact Detroit Body Products, which publishes the Detroit Book, as well as De Leo Textiles, which produced the comparable “Lion Book” up until 2009, to get to the bottom of this issue.

Why is it so hard to find Detroit Books?

Detroit Body Products publishes a new Detroit Book every year. However, they’re so expensive to make that not a lot of extras are produced.  The company publishes a set number of books based on demand figures received from suppliers like Miami Corporation, DLT Upholstery Supply, Three Rivers Supply and Lindsey & Hall. Detroit Body Products then distributes these books to suppliers, who in turn brand them with their company’s contact information and sell them to auto upholstery shops.

Detroit Body Products does not sell directly to auto upholstery shops. Nor does it reproduce old books. According to the representative we spoke to at Detroit Body Products, there’s not enough demand to warrant bulk reproductions and single reproductions are just too costly.

So how can I get my hands on an old set?

There are two ways to acquire a set of Detroit Books – neither of which is ideal.

The first is to wait for an old auto trimmer to retire or pass away and buy them from him or his descendents. But in a fairly disconnected trade like ours, it’s difficult to know who is about to retire. The Hog Ring, however, aims to change all that by connecting trimmers in a way never done before. (Check out our auto upholstery forum!)

The second is to piece together a collection from a variety of sources. Representatives at both Detroit Body Products and De Leo Textiles advised us to cold call suppliers – as they may have a book or two lying around collecting dust. They also advised us to contact upholstery shops, as you never know what you might find. Some may have doubles or specific-year books they hardly use.

However, be prepared to pay a hefty price. Books can run as high as $150 each. So a set from 1990 to 2010 is easily a $3,000 investment.

What do I have to do to build a new set?

To receive a new book and start building your collection from the current year onward, simply contact a supplier and ask to be put on its Detroit Book list. The supplier will include your shop in the figure it reports to Detroit Body Products and a book will be produced for you.

The De Leo representative that we spoke with advised us to submit our book request to the supplier that we do the most business with. According to him, suppliers will place a higher priority on reserving a book for shops they view as regular customers. Infrequent customers, on the other hand, are given lower priority.

He also advised us to submit our book requests before the Spring of each year – as that’s when Detroit Body Products gears up to sell its new book for the upcoming year.

Tips / Advice? If you have any tips or advice on how to acquire a set of Detroit Books, please let us know in the comments section below. Also, feel free to use our auto upholstery forum to let other auto upholstery shops know if you’re in the market to buy or sell.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. BEING RETIRED, I SOLD SHOP AS A LUMP SUM, ILL AGREE THAT THE BOOKS SHOULD BE EBOOKS ALSO IT WOULD CUT DOWN ON EXPENSES FOR NEWCOMERS TO THE TRADE AND GETTING OLDER BOOKS IN GOOD SHAPE IS SOMETIMES HARD TO DO. THE ONLY TROUBLE I WOULD SEE IS THAT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE THE FEEL OF THE REAL MATERIAL AND THE CUSTOMER MAY WANT TO SEE A SAMPLE FIRST HAND .BUT YOU CAN LOOK AT IT ANOTHER WAY THATS WHAT BUSSINESS IS ABOUT , IF YOU COULD JUST PURCHASE A COMPLETE SET ALL THE WAY BACK LIKE A SET OF LAW BOOKS OR EITHER WE SHOULD HAVE A BETTER LIBRARY HU. BE GOOD TO HAVE AN ORIGINAL MATERIAL HANDLER IN EACH STATE TOO.

  3. Every once in awhile I come across some single books bought 2006 and 2004 for 75.00 each like you say hard to find. I got them from a original fabric supplier. got lucky. I know a guy who has sets going back but wants gold prices too.

    • Hi Tom. There’s someone selling a set that dates all the way back to 1960 in the ‘Buy, Sell, Trade’ section of our ‘Auto Upholstery Forum’.

      Then again, chances are 80% of those materials are probably discontinued…

  4. Over the years we have bought out a couple of shops. I just had one of my guys inventory my extra Detroit Books here’s what I have:
    1 each from 1990-2010
    1 each from 1990-2003
    1 each of 1994-1997
    1 each 1957-1989
    2 each 1964
    1 ea 1965-1968
    1 ea 1970, 1971, 1973, 1989, and 2001

    If you or anyone you know is interested, just email me at durhamupholstery@aol.com.

    • I have 1957-2001 detroit books and am interested in getting some of the newer books if you still have extra copies. Even though most of the fabrics are not available it saves time in finding out. Please let me know if you still have any books to sell.

    • i am interested in any books you might have left. i have had some book fall apart,also destroyed in a flood in my shop, along with a couple gone or disappear. so if you have any left i would be interested in those. please email me back and let me know if possible thanks

    • judy do you still have 1990-2000 books? if you do can I have you phone number to call you.

  5. I have for sale a collection of Detroit books from 1973 to 1991. Sold as complete set only. Includes a “World Book” of import fabrics. Email me with your offer, Thanks

  8. Does anyone have an ISBN number from the back of the book?? Please let me know. Thanks! 🙂

  9. I have Detroit and DeLeo books from 1956 on.
    The worst year for the books was Detroit book 2000. The adhesive did not hold the samples . I have two – never out of the box. Please contact me at autoweave@comcast.net if I have the year you need we can negotiate the cost.

  10. I HAVE A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF BOOKS FROM THE EARLY SIXTIES THROUGH TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO SELL THEM AS A COMPLETE SET IF POSSIBLE.
    IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED EMAIL ME AND I’LL GET AN EXACT YEAR / QTY / LIST / ETC OUT TO YOU, WE HAVE RECENTLY SHUT DOWN THE UPHOLSTERY SHOP AND NEED TO CLEAR OUT SOME ITEMS.

  12. Hello!
    I have 1971-2009 Books in fantastic condition! If anyone is interested please don’t hesitate to give me a call 775-787-7134

  13. i have several books mostly 1080’thru 90’s.detroit,larry dennis co.cooke supply,j&j supply,southwest fabrics,etc.all are original automotive interior trim,fabrics books.18 total books. call 214-578-1754

  14. So glad I found this web site. It has been so well needed for years. I am soon to be retiring after 40 years. Trimmers seldom get notarized for their hard labor of love. Oh the days when nothing was premade and perfection was a must. The time has come for me to call it quits. I have a set of matchup books from 1953 to 2013. Most are Detroit but a few Lyon tossed in. I will probably sell the set when the time comes.
    Keep up the good work.
    All the best. Mike

  15. Hi have several duplicates of the Detroit books for various years. I purchased my set from a closing shop and have purchased more from other sources, mostly the 1980’s on up, so get a hold of me and let me know what you need. I hadn’t received my new 2015 book so I contacted my supplier and they informed me, NOW, that they didn’t put any orders in. WHAT!!! SO, now I am trying to find one. I use them almost everyday in my upholster shop. Please let me know if anyone had a source for the 2015 book. Mitch @ Total Automotive Interiors

  16. I’m looking to buy the Detroit books I been looking for couple months I been posting it on facebooks please if someone have o knows somebody who wants to sell it please let me know. thx

  17. I’m looking to buy the books 1980 thru whatever new one you have please let me know.thx

  18. Hello,
    My father was the owner of John’s Upholstery & Auto Trim from South Jersey. He owned and operated his business for 40 years and has sadly just passed away this past July. I have nine Detroit books of his that I am selling. I will be posting them on ebay, but if anyone is interested- the years that I have are 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2007.

  20. I have a lion book 73 through 77 single years of 86 through 89 and Detroit books 90 2 2000 willing to sell

  25. I have Detroit books 1963-2014 with 6 missing. I figured I would offer them for sale here before I put them on eBay. Accepting offers on the whole set.

  28. i have a set of detroit/deleo original books from 1980 to 2003. That is 24 books total. I am asking $200. for the set. I will have them at the hershey car show this week! Oct. 3 thru 7. If you are interested please call George at cell #610-223-9395. thanx.

  29. I have a bunch of Original Automotive Interior trim books coming from long history of auto upholstery, let me know if someone could feed me insight or is interested. Appreciate it.

  30. Does anybody have book that covers 1969 GM truck and Blazer? I need info on the Dark Green Metallic and Light Aqua two tone seats. Think they are on year only and very hard to find Metallic Dark Green vinyl to match the Aqua sheen.

    Thanks in advance
    Andy
    andybarnettjr@hotmail.com

  33. I also have Detroit Books for sale. We had a shop for many years and have retired.
    Years available are as follows. All books are in good condition.
    1982-83-84
    1990-91-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-99
    2000-2001-2002-2005

    If anyone is interested, I can be reached at Hooterville67@yahoo.com Thanks!

  37. We gave up buying them every year, the cost was not recoverable in a reasonable amount of time.
    We buy every other year and lately not that.
    Every third.
    The problem is that frequently the material is identified and no longer in stock.
    My hunch is that some materials get cut for tip-in samples and there is a meager amount left for yardage orders. The local distributors sell off yardage after about 7 years, we are only beginning to see these vehicles after 8 years in service.
    Just how it is.
    Add to this, side airbag systems where inside the OEM cover is a Do Not Resew tag…
    A trimmer who ignores that is I think one bad wreck away from ruin.
    30 years ago there was a steady business of goodwill warranty work fixing outboard backrest bolsters that were sent from the new car dealerships. Those days are gone. A number of reasons, SUV’s and Crossovers wear out the seat bottom first now.
    The new hurdle is the CNC field pattern stitching and non repeat pattern perforation
    We just did a leather Prius in vinyl, plain, both front seats, we found a good color match, the Wave perforation pattern is non existent. Like the special multi-size diamond pattern used on the Ford Flex, Ford no longer supports that as a cover, I Could buy a panel that matches, the customer laughed at the material cost.

  38. Just to update everyone that doesn’t know. Detroit Fabrics closed in Feb of 2021 due to family health issues. Coast to Coast bought all there vinyl but I haven’t heard of anyone picking up the cloth side. So all that is left is what the suppliers have in stock now.

  39. I got married in 1977. I meant my husband and call it I was studying to be a veterinarian. After I married him he was one that believed that a woman should stay home have children and keep at the house. My husband was a Vietnam vet knowing years into our marriage my husband developed a mental illness due to being in Vietnam I had to divorce him. His illness made him very violent and there was nothing that they can do about it back then the only thing I knew how to do and take care of my children why so I moved back home to Ohio. I tried to work factory work but I hated it my dad had a 1939 Ford rumble seat convertible is it hey Patty do you think you can still seats and I did my dad thought they were just the best. Mind you my dad worked 4 GM since 1964 Assembly Plant. Then my dad says you think you can do the convertible top and I did it’s beautiful I open up an upholstery shop. It was 1989. I route to Florida went through two hurricanes and lost everything I went back to Ohio to my family they open up an upholstery shop I had so much work I couldn’t keep up with it . I had to expand into a big shop and and had to find employees that were experienced. Things were going good. In 2020 when the pandemic hit our governor made a mandatory shutdown auto upholstery shops for mandatory because we weren’t essential. During a few months of the shutdown people went on unemployment and found that the president was going to give him $600 more a week just to stay home and do nothing when a mandatory shutdown lifted too much later in May. I open myself back up and none of my workers came back they decided why not sit at home and get paid twice as much to do nothing. My shop always was so busy we were booked anywhere from six months to a year ahead. There is so much work to be done in my shop and I had to do it by myself and try to catch up. My landlord raise my rent at my commercial shop 250 bucks a month gas prices tripled in my heating bill was outrageous anyway I tried to keep up with finally 2022 I couldn’t wait any longer for them to come back to work after all those years I close my doors. I have a lot auto upholstery stuff I need to get rid of. I have two full sets from 1960 to 2020 Detroit books rid of. I have a very rare first Detroit Book 1959 Detroit OEM. A supplier told me that that was the first but they published to see how many people would be interested in it and the cover is paperback. I have tons of original color key molding that’s never been open in boxes of old Regional colors bet you can’t buy anymore vinyl tops that are hard to find I have a lot of old stuff because I had an uncle it was in the business since 1935 and I’ve got some of his old stuff I need to sell it I need to get rid of it are you the pollsters be safe don’t let the president win by running all of us small business people out of business I couldn’t wait any longer I had to sit down

  40. My dad has a trim shop and a full set of Detroit Lion upholstery books from 1971-2019. He’s interested in selling the full set.