'They have some neat character': How old baseball gloves end up as new wallets, phone cases

Russ Riendeau of Lake Barrington admits he stops at every garage sale he sees. He doesn't stay long and always asks the same question: "Do you have any baseball gloves?"

Riendeau, an avid baseball fan, searches for old leather gloves and then turns them into accessories including wallets, phone cases, business card holders and Big League Chew pouches.

"They have some neat character," he said of the gloves that he reconstructs as a hobby when he is not running his full-time business, New Frontier Search Company, an executive search firm. "I have always enjoyed leather products. I also was the person who liked fixing up the little red wagon," said Riendeau, who is also a behavioral psychologist.

Riendeau said he has created about 100 pieces and that they will be sold in Everythingbaseballcatalog.com. Riendeau said he hand sews and glues everything himself. The pieces sell for between $70 and $200.

Riendeau, who grew up in Rolling Meadows, creates the products under his side business, Lucky Savage Leather Goods, something that might occupy more of his time down the road when he retires.

The president of Everything Baseball is looking forward to the new partnership with Riendeau.

"Everything Baseball is always looking for new and unique baseball products and the Lucky Savage line is both new and unique," President Mike Hurm said. "We're excited about joining forces with Lucky Savage and we know our baseball customers are going to enjoy their handmade, one-of-a-kind accessories."

Riendeau, 60, has always found creative projects to keep him busy. He has created 15 sculptures, including a massive easel that he donated about two years ago to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington. It weighs more than 1,500 pounds and is about 15 feet tall.

He has also written several books, including "The Big Swing," a book that involves baseball and business.

"What the Chicago Cubs are teaching business leaders about capitalism, commitment and culture," is the subtitle and sums up the idea behind the book available on Amazon Kindle. It features about 70 short vignettes, scattered with humor, addressing an array of topics including goal-setting, leadership, sales and marketing, accountability, time management, health and wellness, sleep management, game plans and practice routines. All of these are needed to transform a sports franchise and an organization, Riendeau said. Over the years, Riendeau said he has worked on more than 6,000 search assignments and hundreds of Fortune 500 companies, as well as emerging private and private equity-backed firms. Early in his career, Riendeau spent many years in construction management with one of the largest homebuilders in Illinois.