I just bid on a 48"x 120" Grand Opening banner and 48"x48" sandwich sign. I got the sandwich sign, but the client bought a 48"x96" banner on line (shipping included) for $19.99...is that even possible? It is, cuz he showed me his invoice. WTF? Of course, it's a piece of crap, but still...
[ May 15, 2008, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: Terry Baird ]
Posted by Anne McDonald (Member # 6842) on :
The piece of junk won't last long and he will be back looking for something that lasts. You get what you pay for eh! I bet the sandwich signs last forever
Posted by Bill Lynch (Member # 3815) on :
Yep, especially generic banners like that can be had cheap, and how long does it need to last anyhow? Even more upsetting is the customers I have that are getting their CUSTOM banners online for about my cost.
Posted by Bill Modzel (Member # 22) on :
Poly banner flexo printed like the garbage bag political signs. Probable costs $5.00 and most of that's sewing the rope in.
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
Had a kid come in this morning asking about a price on a "poster". I told him $50 and he said we were high. He said he could get one done at Walgreen's for $20. I asked if theirs would last 3 years outdoors. Apples to oranges.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Terry,
$20 for a "grand opening" banner is pretty common. My wife gets POP catalogs on a regular basis for her retail business. You'd be surprised at whats available at those kinds of prices.
Posted by Tony Ray Mattingly (Member # 469) on :
I have often thought of making a few "Grand Opening" banners and either rent them out, or offer them for "free" rent when they purchase all the other signs from me.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
www.creativebanner.com page 61 of catalog: GRAND OPENING/NOW HIRING/NOW OPEN/SALE/OPEN 3 FT X 5 FT =$16.99 3 FT X 10 FT =$25.99 FOR 1, 6 0r more $19.99 resale em for $50 each.....
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
Tony, I rented one and go it back in the same shape that it went out. Just never had much of a call after that. I should have made up 'GOING OUT OF BUSINES" ones.
Posted by Tony Ray Mattingly (Member # 469) on :
quote:Originally posted by Laura Butler: Tony, I rented one and go it back in the same shape that it went out. Just never had much of a call after that. I should have made up 'GOING OUT OF BUSINES" ones.
Yep, it a seems there is more of a demand for going out of business signs than grand opening signs.
Posted by Dawud Shaheed (Member # 5719) on :
it seems like when they go out of business they just leave...not like the furniture stores that "go out of business" for months , then decide to open back up under a different name.
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Geez, if he cranks out 20 at that price he might be able to fill up his gas tank next week.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
well now. What material is he using? I just saw a $29 buck special.. it was made from the remains of a billboard stretch sheet. With material costs at zero why not sell em cheap.. and then use them as a loss leader..
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
the CREATIVE BANNER ones are the same poly plastic that the COKE/PEPSI banners are.CHEAP........
Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :
I am getting to where I dont even touch banners anymore. Especially when the competition buys that cheap crap on a roll and they just roll it out and letter it. no hems, no sewing, i cant compete with that.
if i cant order it printed, i dont bother
Posted by Mark Fair Signs (Member # 289) on :
same here Bruce. I used to do quite a few banners but cannot compete with the low prices of other companies. If I can't make money, i just decline.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
the PRINTERS are what is taking the banner sales to new lows. the least i can do a banner for on 8 0z material would be $4 sq ft, and that is for other sign people or someone i do a lot of work for. i mainly stay in the $5.50-$7.00 range. got printers in this town RETAILING banners at $2-3 sq ft mulitcolored.
Posted by ScooterX (Member # 2023) on :
A couple of years back I had a customer who had a cheapo banner digitally printed. It faded in about 6 weeks. He brought it to me and I wiped it down with TiCote and painted right over it. I used the printed banner as its own pattern, so it was basically a paint-by-numbers job. He's had it up for 3 years and it still looks good. I think I charged him $200 to repaint it. He didn't gripe about the price - he'd already learned what a cheaper banner was worth.
Posted by jake snow (Member # 5889) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ricky Jackson: Had a kid come in this morning asking about a price on a "poster". I told him $50 and he said we were high. He said he could get one done at Walgreen's for $20. I asked if theirs would last 3 years outdoors. Apples to oranges.
....then he asked if he was free for dinner...
what a freak
Terry, in all honesty, my "red flag" was that you had to "bid" on a banner to start with. Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
LOL, Jake you dork!! It's insanity to me to spend $30,000 on new equipment just to sell it cheaper. I get $5 lineal ft. for 15" cut vinyl or $7 ft for 20" cut. Why in the world would someone spend thousands of dollars on a printer, software, training and consumables that will be obsolete in 5 years to sell a product at half the price a $2,000 vinyl printer doing simple (i.e. less time) cut lettering can do? That's a long sentence so someone will have to break it down for Jake.
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
I just hand painted in ink a 15ft x 3ft banner including a 3 color logo in 4 hours! $400 !!!
Banner cost: Zero ... customer provided
Material cost: Peanuts! maybe $20 worth ink and thinners.
Experience cost: Priceless.
Customer Satisfaction: Tops .... wants two more done.
[ May 16, 2008, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: Jon Butterworth ]
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jon Butterworth: I just hand painted in ink a 15ft x 3ft banner including a 3 color logo in 4 hours! $400 !!!
Material cost: Peanuts! maybe $20 worth ink and thinners.
Experience cost: Priceless.
Ewwwwwwww, I still remember the smell of vinyl ink to paint banners and the countless brain cells it killed. I love the smell of 1-Shot and especially Edge but vinyl ink... no thank you.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
Hi Jake, It's just my terminology. Any time I give an estimate, I've always called it a bid. I bid out a job.
Posted by jake snow (Member # 5889) on :
gotcha
Posted by Patrick Whatley (Member # 2008) on :
quote:Originally posted by bruce ward: Especially when the competition buys that cheap crap on a roll and they just roll it out and letter it. no hems, no sewing, i cant compete with that.
$3 psf doesn't allow much time for sewing, taping, layout, or spelling. You know they're selling cheap when they're taking orders away from the Coca-Cola Company.
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