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Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Notes To Financial Statements  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]
9.  COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Operating Leases

We lease our store locations under five-year lease agreements that expire on dates ranging from February 2012 to February 2017.  Rent expense on all operating leases for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, was $2,750,373, $2,721,281, and $2,513,297, respectively.

Future minimum lease payments under noncancelable operating leases at December 31, 2011 were as follows:

Year ending December 31:
     
 2012
  $ 2,738,498  
 2013
    1,890,193  
 2014
    1,429,629  
 2015
    976,776  
 2016
    402,824  
                       2017 and thereafter
    11,062  
Total minimum lease payments
  $ 7,448,982  

Legal Proceedings

On March 16, 2011, two former employees of ours filed a lawsuit, entitled Mark Barnes and Jerry Mercante on behalf of themselves and all other similarly situated v. Tandy Leather Company, Inc., Tandy Leather Factory, and Does 1-50, in the US District Court for the District of Nevada.  The lawsuit was subsequently amended on May 9, 2011 to add another former employee, Donna Cavota, as a third named plaintiff.  The suit alleges that we violated requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as well as various state wage laws.  Plaintiffs seek to represent themselves and all similarly situated U.S. current and former store managers of ours.   Plaintiffs seek reimbursement for an unspecified amount of unpaid overtime compensation, liquidated damages, attorney’s fees and costs.  On May 17, 2011, the district court in Nevada granted our request to transfer venue to the Northern District of Texas.  Trial is currently set for the week of May 29, 2012.

A Proposed Settlement Agreement was signed by the parties in January 2012 and submitted to the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth Division) on January 24, 2012. The Proposed Settlement Agreement is contingent on the Court's approval of the terms of the proposed Agreement as well as the Court's consent to certify the proposed class and collective action class described by the parties. The Court has not yet ruled on the Proposed Settlement Agreement or the proposed class descriptions, and could either approve, reject, or suggest modifications to the Proposed Settlement Agreement. In the event the Proposed Settlement Agreement is not approved in its entirety by the Court, either party has the right to withdraw from the proposed Agreement, in which event the litigation between the parties would proceed.

In the event the Proposed Settlement Agreement and proposed class descriptions are approved by the Court, any payments pursuant to the Proposed Settlement Agreement are conditioned on the members of the proposed class submitting a Claims form approved by the Court. The total amount of payments under the Proposed Settlement Agreement to the members of the proposed class who have submitted Claims forms is conditioned further on the number of claims submitted.

At this time, it is not possible to predict we will incur any liability, or to estimate the ranges of damages, if any, which may be incurred in connection with the matter. We intend to vigorously defend the lawsuit.

We are periodically involved in other various litigation that arises in the ordinary course of business and operations.  There are no such matters pending that we expect to have a material impact on our financial position and operating results.  Legal costs associated with the resolution of claims, lawsuits and other contingencies are expensed as incurred .