Hundreds, perhaps thousands of farms surround us. We live in a farming community. I believe each of these farms NEED a quality, dimensional sign for their property too. We've marketed to these folks for a while now. Some dimensional signs are featured in our display and on our website.
We've seen a lot of interest, done a few proposals, even done a couple of signs as gifts for friends in the hope of sparking some sales. But as of yet haven't sold a sign to a farmer... until this week.
Two guys in a big shiny black truck drove up our driveway last week. They were looking for a sign for their farm and heard 'I was the guy'. They looked at our samples and through the portfolio and liked what they saw. After a little discussion they left me to do a proposal. I did a site visit and a quick drawing which they liked... and ordered a sign for the farm.
It will be a beauty... bevelled, gold leaf lettering, routed woodgrain, with a dimensional, hand carved pictorial. It measures 8' x 6' x 6" thick.
The farm is in the middle of a agricultural area on a busy crossroads. It's our hope lots of their neighbors see it and want one for their farm too. And I hope word spreads that 'I am the guy.'
-grampa dan
[ February 22, 2010, 08:26 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
Posted by Jim Moser (Member # 6526) on :
No doubt about it ...... You are "THE GUY" !
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Photo is just a square with a red X. Kinda plain for a Sawatzky job.
Posted by Sandy Baird (Member # 4773) on :
But it does mark the spot Raymond. Less is more.
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
The 'X' mark is kinda straight... I doubt he did it himself!
Posted by Sandy Baird (Member # 4773) on :
I know when I sign with an "X", I usualy need a co-signer. Maybe it's another of his Pirate theme signs and he hasn't added the scull behind the crossed bones yet.
[ February 22, 2010, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: Sandy Baird ]
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
You sure can tell business is slow, can't you?
Posted by Jon Jantz (Member # 6137) on :
The dash beside the red X is what really sets it off. I would have never thought of using a black dash in combination with a red X... but that's why he calls it Imagination Corporation....
Great Job, Grampa Dan... Posted by Gregg Parkes (Member # 7710) on :
I think it's the woodgrain white background behind the X that really sets it off... now THAT'S imagination.
[ February 22, 2010, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: Gregg Parkes ]
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
I can see a black short horizontal line- something that I really didn't expect to see from Dr Seuss- but I guess by the time he's added magic sculpt to it, welded a few more horizontal lines to it, and painted it, it might resemble a cartoon tractor ploughing a paddock...
Can't wait to find out!
Posted by Sam Staffan (Member # 4552) on :
I have seen that before, I do believe he may have copied someone's design.
Posted by Darcy Baker (Member # 8262) on :
I don't care what you guys think. I like it.The graphic needs to be reverse blasted on 1/2 " glass and painted with lacquers.That'll teach ya to put it out there!!!
Posted by Sandy Baird (Member # 4773) on :
I think there was a lot of hard thought that went into this design.
With intricately placed juxtapose iconic slashes it transcends the boundaries of language and borders.
nuff said
I hope spring gets here soon, it think I've been cooped up indoors too long.
[ February 22, 2010, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: Sandy Baird ]
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Boy you guys are sure hard on a simple design.. I can't wait until you tear into the real deal... which I can see perfectly on my Mac without any problem...
Here's another try at posting...
-grampa dan
[ February 22, 2010, 08:23 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
Posted by Jim Moser (Member # 6526) on :
I don't know what their problem is I can see the original post perfectly on my Mac......
Posted by Jon Peterman (Member # 528) on :
the icon shows up on your photobucket but when I click on the icon it shows a little black bar again. time to get a pc...again Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
It took me a while to figure out what the problem was.... turns out I had saved it in CMYK mode instead of RGB... Mac could see it no problem... but PC's only saw the x... Oh well... it was fun anyhow.
-grampa dan
[ February 22, 2010, 08:32 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
Posted by Guy H. J. Hilliard (Member # 2529) on :
Beautiful, nice shape, the outline is attractive and distinctive without going o.t.t. The diamonds set a nice frame on either side of the copy. The gold text with green outline is very attractive. The contrasting green of the flourishes attractively picks up the colour of the crop, the graphic (is it dimensional?) yells this is my farm and it's in B.C and we're darn proud of it. But it looks an awful lot like a sign. :oP
Well done.
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
The mountains and field graphic will definitely be dimensional with 7-8" of depth from front to back. Everything else will have 1-2" of relief. The mountain is a local one... Mount Cheam. (pronounced chee-am)
I got confirmation of another farm sign today... this one is for an alpaca/llama farm locally and will feature a somewhat cartoon alpaca and llama heads in full 3D of course. It looks like I'm in the farm sign business at last!
-grampa dan
[ February 23, 2010, 01:57 AM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
No, that can't be a Sawatzky sign! There's just too many straight lines. Someone has taken over Dan's body.
It looks great, though. That new Mac computer must be tremendous.
Don't tell me that Sowhatshisname is becoming "normal"!
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
I don't think there is too much danger of me being "normal" - whatever that is... at least according to my family.
-grampa dan
Posted by Pat Welter (Member # 785) on :
Dan it looks great, Will there be a unique post application as well? I can see the 3-D of the graphic pretty sweet...colours remind me of Christmas and are a wonderful way of making people feel good about the place without them really knowing why...
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Nice design - is the sandblast texture done with your bitmap files or Photoshop?
Posted by Jean Shimp (Member # 198) on :
Congratulations on breaking into a new "market" Dan. Hope it brings you much fun and success.
Posted by Bob Kaschak (Member # 3146) on :
Looks great Dan!
Cant wait to see it come to life.
Peace, Bob
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
Just be glad you don't live in Southwestern PA, where a farmer's ideal sign is made from coroplast. Preferably blank coro so they can letter it themselves with a marker. They often come around begging for free cut offs. Last farm sign I did was small, hand painted, and traded for two medium-sized pumpkins. And the guy thought that was too expensive. Love....Jill
Posted by Preston McCall (Member # 351) on :
Love seeing these. I used to see alot of very fabcy painted cattle signs all over Kansas, but have not seen so many lately. The need is real as rain, cause who can find the place if no one knows where it is and the sign distiinguishes the homestead. Most rural people do take alot of pride in their 'estates' and a great looking sign, such as this one, certainly broadcasts quality and wholesome tidiness. Bravo for sending out the marketing to get some of them and would love to see this thing grow out here. Very impressed.
Posted by Henry Barker (Member # 174) on :
Great looking sign Dan, loking forward to seeing it in progress.
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Jill's comment reminded me of so many farm signs I see in these parts. Most are faded and peeling plywood signs done ages ago and haven't been replaced yet.
But I am positive there is a market for quality (read that expensive) farm signage. I am confident that one sign will bring the next, and as other farmers see them they will want the same for their farm. That being said I am also sure I will send lots of farmers back down my driveway without selling them a sign for I will either sell them a quality dimensional sign or nothing. I don't want to do all the farm signs in town... only the best ones.
I would happily take a bet that in the coming years a lucrative market will be developed in the area and I will sell a bunch of these signs. Selling less than top end signs may well make me a few bucks in the short term but it would do me and the market more harm by simply setting the bar too low. I certainly know which signs I want to be known for.
I want to be 'the guy' in Yarrow...
-grampa dan
[ February 23, 2010, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
OK...I'll take that bet. I'll bet you don't sell more than a thousand at $10,000 each.
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Your definition of a bunch is different than mine when it's translated into Texan...
And I don't think I'll live long enough to build a thousand of them. But I will sell and build a British Columbia bunch (which is a little less than a WHACK!) in Yarrow...
-grampa dan
Posted by Preston McCall (Member # 351) on :
OK. Now you got my curiosity up. How much do you charge for one of these?
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
This one went for just under 9K Preston.
-grampa dan
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
Really Nice... is it Double sided or Single sided?
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Single sided. We discussed making it double sided but that took it out of the budget.
-grampa dan
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
The reason it took it out of the budget was the PITL (Pain In The Line) fee. Dan couldn't do two sides with straight lines without putting that charge in.
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![[I Don t Know]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
I do believe he may have copied someone's design.