The Letterville BullBoard: Crystal Ball Gazing

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Posted by Ken Henry (Member # 598) on :

Where do you see this trade going in say the next 10 years? I think that the concession has already been made that showcard writers and billboard painters are now on the "endangered species list" as a result of the inroads that the computer has made in the sign trade. Will we evolve into other areas of activity, and the trade divide into more and more "specialized areas" of endeavour?

I'm beginning to see those with strengths in the design area already beginning this trend by supplying design services to other shops. Does that indicate that some shops will confine their activity to production only, and employ "outside" designers as opposed to creating their designs "in-house"?

Will we see sign shops seeking out and building "niche" markets and areas of exclusive activity...such as "dimensional signage"? Is this trade becoming more "compartmentalized", with those "production employees" becoming specialists within that area only?

Who do you think will become the next "casualty" as the impact of the computer becomes ever more omnipresent within this trade?

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Ken Henry
Henry & Henry Signs
London, Ontario Canada
(519) 439-1881
e-mail kjmlhenry@home.

Some days you get to be the dog....other days, you get to be the fire hydrant.

Posted by cheryl nordby (Member # 1100) on :

I see all the big and not so big companies having their own in house sign shops.

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"surf" or "MoJo54" on mirc
Cheryl Nordby
Signs by Cheryl
206 300-0153
Seattle Washington

Out of my mind.....Be back in 5 minutes!

Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :

Hi Ken,

Here is my take on the situation:

Sign Painting:
I think the sign painter/artist is going to have a great future in very specialized work.
However there wont be a need for very many.
Resort areas still need gold leaf work!

Digital Printing
Every sign biz that survives in the quicky stickie market will advance to digital printing. Almost every manufacturer will
make their own graphics for boats, travel trailers, autos, and probably their own in house factory signs as well.

Hi Rise / Lighted Signs and Neon
I dont see a big change in this market.

Sand Blasted / Carved HDU / Monument signs
I think these signs will stay popular for a bit longer. What I think they will give way to is the "Factory Built HDU / stucco (Dri-vit) Monument signs with demensional letters.
These signs are pre-fabricated in various styles with plastic or steel lettering.

Pinstriping and Auto Art
No change....maybe even see some increase.

Vinyl Stencil work
I can see this becoming a big market only to be invaded by the house painting industry
who will buy their own plotters to produce this "extra" for their customers and dump the vinyl sign shops that provide this service.

Final Obsevation:
The "preceived value" of small sign work has fallen. Anybody can do it, and someone will do it even cheaper. This market will churn and shops will overturn as quick as they start up. In view of this, to survive in business, they will have to do other things as well, like Trophies, T-shirts, Engraving, Lazer Cutting, novelty type products.

Also, there are new advertising ideas popping up all the time for new business.

Example:

Huge Companies are now using anybody's personal vehicles to advertise on. Auto Wraps have become a source of income to anybody with a car, where those people are paid to have their car turned into a rolling billboard. 20,000 are are on a waiting list already.
Expect to see many more of these "auto wrap"
businesses to emerge.

Rolling Lighted Billboards mounted on Semi Trucks and parked where people hang out seems to be gaining popularity also.

There will always be an opportunity in new sign markets as they develope. The trick is to adapt and adjust.

I got this information by asking the "black plastic ball with the "8" on it. Yeah, that one...the one you ask a question and then turn the ball upside down and a little triangle sign pops up that says things like "my sources say no!" and others.
hahahahahaahhahahahahahahahhhahhh

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Go Get 'Em..... :)
AKA Raptorman on #Letterheads mIRC Chat
Draper The Signmaker
Bloomington Illinois USA

Proud 2-yr. $upporter of this Web Site (May 1999-May 2001)

Posted by PKing (Member # 337) on :

Ken
My crystal ball doesn't seem to be so foggy or ominus as yours.With words such as "endangered species" and "casualty"
Rather I see all the no talent,wannabe sign shops have to go back to thier day time jobs.
As far as specializing goes,That is where the word custom and money come into play.
I have NEVER wanted to "do it all" anyway.
My customers are perfectly happy knowing that they can get ANY kind of signage from one location known as my shop!
I belive networking with others in the industry will be,and has been nesessary in order to sedrvice all of our customers needs.
For those whom do not have the letterhead outlook(which is sharing)will not progress any farther than they already have and ever will!This includes the greedy concept of make more money if you do it yourself.
I save more time(make money)by getting someone else that is set up for that kind of work to do it for me.I pay them,charge customer upcharge,EVERYONE is happy.

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PKing is
Pat King of
King Sign Design in
McCalla,Alabama
The Professor of
SIGNOLOGY

Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :

Digital imaging is going to be in a lot more small shops. Less cutting and just print and contour cut. Possibly more niche signage to combat the soon to be ubiquitous vinyl plotters that will be in more company's in house art depts.
Sign painters are already endangered. Years ago when business was slow I looked for a job and was told everything was done in house on a computer. That's ok, for sign painters and billboard artists etc. : the skills will give them many advantages over other shops, it just won't be an employable skill.
I have been told with apparent joy by certain people that my days are numbered( I hand paint and cut vinyl). What's up with that anyways about the condesending glee some have when they tell you that you are in a dying profession? First their wrong, but why the behavior? Jealousy? Bitterness?
Used to do tons of work for a beer distributor, mostly hand painted, until they went inhouse with a plotter. They asked me to teach them how to use it. I found out they hardly use it, but still don't hear from them. Will that happen in other areas in the future? Are printers going out of business because of Print Shop, Corel Draw etc.?
As for me, I bought another airbrush,and and gearing up for more custom hand work. All signs are going to have to look more custom and creative. I will still sub-out sandblasted and offer that. Digital imaging will probably follow. That's all I can see to do in my future.
As Dave Draper says "adapt and adjust"
And be a professional.

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Wright Signs
Wyandotte, Michigan
Since 1978
http://www.wrightsigns.bigstep.com

Posted by Ken Henry (Member # 598) on :

Hi heads. This post wasnt intended to be pessimistic or purely to see doom and gloom on the horizon, but rather to get some sense or perspective on which way this business is headed.

There is a benefit in "taking stock" periodically, so that you are better able to plan and position yourself, and your business to be proactive, rather than reactive. At one meet that I attended, a story was told about the business of making Buggy Whips. In the 1800's there were dozens of businesses engaged in the manufacture of said buggy whips. With the introduction of the automobile, fewer and fewer horse drawn carriages and buggies were being used. These were gradually being replaced by the automobiles, and consequently, the demand for buggy whips began to decline. The last shop to make those buggy whips undoubtably made the finest buggy whips to be had.In the end, however, that shop also closed, secure in the knowledge that they had produced the absolute best buggy whip in America.

Moral of the story is that we ALL must adapt to change or perish...even if we produce a superior product or service.

The past dozen years have seen changes so dramatic in our business, that they have affected the livleyhoods of many...some for the better, others for the worse.I realize that nobody can accurately predict the future, but some collective insight may be beneficial to all, so that unlike that buggy whip shop, we can continue on.

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Ken Henry
Henry & Henry Signs
London, Ontario Canada
(519) 439-1881
e-mail kjmlhenry@home.

Some days you get to be the dog....other days, you get to be the fire hydrant.

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