Thirty years of leather goods here, and that Chicago guy is exactly right. I learned this the hard way in the early 90s with a briefcase I waxed too soon, and it never lost that board-like feel. Give new leather at least three weeks of normal use before you put anything on it. That lets the natural oils work through the hide. I also stopped conditioning everything on a set schedule and now only do it when the leather actually looks dry. Most people overdo it, not underdo it.

Man, that's the whole secret right there... quality over quantity always wins in the end.

Wait, $200 for plugins that still couldn't beat a free tool? That's like buying a sports car to drive to the mailbox.