posted
If I could post pictures I'd show you some food or a dog,or a old bus,When I was in Virgina to visit Billy Pickett I did get a picture with him and Anna Nicole, but I'm stuck. Oops, I mean I'd show a picture of signs.
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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This is the time of year I cringe. But not this year!
November 2006 and December 2006 were my bad months.
By February 16 we will have completed 9 monument signs (mostly for other sign shops and one we did for a fire dept in a small town who walked in off the street and saw what we were building for other sign shops and got excited.
Plus we have had truck and cargo van letterings, stickers and banners out the wazooo so far.
We have over 350 signs shops (mostly in the MidwestUSA) pitching our monument signs. Very few of those are actually "selling" it to their customers.
We have several (I can count them on 1 hand) that are extremely successful selling our monuments signs. One shop in Springfield, IL has sold 4 since January 1st.
I asked them, "How in the heck are you doing this? They admitted they are having an incredible run on monument signs lately, but "WE SELL IT!"
They went on to tell me that since they are a "big" sign shop (electrical, high rise, neon, channel letters) they get new customers in the shop who are relocating businesses and new start up businesses.
The first thing they do is offer lighted sign cabinets (expensive) then offer monument signs (extremely affordable compared to the lighted medium rise or high rise sign.
We built them a 12' x 12' monument (800 lbs in the crate) for a company that sells ceramic tile. They saved over $15,000 going with our monument over the lighted cabinet sign. (biggest sign we have ever built and almost didn't go out the shop door)
So the work is out there, but you got to offer it, you have to make it available. Many of you who read this board are our "authorized dealers." Sadly, we don't hear from you at all, while other sign shops are selling our monuments left and right.
You don't have to be a big electrical sign shop to fall into these type customers. They probably do get more interest because those customers "think" they need a "high rise" electrical neon channel letter sign. Once they see they can get just as much exposure for way le$$...its a done deal!
Just my observation.
[ February 10, 2007, 02:21 PM: Message edited by: Dave Draper ]
posted
I got a life outside of signs. My red hot smoking wife, the Masons, my dogs, my new house, etc.
I got a job.
I run the SOTM.
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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Thanks! I really am delighted to be this busy, which is unusual in early February. Besides that, it is stuff I LOVE to do, like painting and logo design, not just schlepping out coro. I almost have to pinch myself. Last year was my deadest ever! Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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You don't need to pinch yourself, Jill... there are plenty here that would volunteer to do that for you!
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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I've become a moderator on another board (not sign related) and I've been spending the vast majority of my free time over there.
I'm also insanely busy with work, just went through a complete kitchen remodel and my husband has been working 24/7 to open the new restaurant at the hotel. Haven't had too much time to come up for air these days.
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3722 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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If it was any slower, Id quit. Has to be the worst January I have ever had. Im pushing myself towards clipart design, caricaturing,custom artwork, etc. more and more, so it may turn out that doing signwork will be a thing of the past for me in the near future. I still do most of the custom work in my area, but there are so many vinyl cutters here now, banners, coros, mags and the like Im not getting much of that work, and it is profitable. The custom stuff does make more, but takes longer also. Im checking on getting a versacamm to do decals and such, as I have been subbing alot of that out, and I have a local screenprint shop that wants to work with me on full color decals and such. We have done alot of work together and have a good working relationship, so Im hoping that will work out for us both. I have three people here that bought a cutter just for their own business and then started doing signs on the side. Got about 16 of them here now, and this is a very small area. Ill survive though. Always have, always will.
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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Busy with work, got a life, You Tube takes time, improving my website, behind on my reading...
Letterville is great and I'd like to meet some of you guys in person. It wouldn't hurt to pay my taxes here and post my mug. Or would it?
-------------------- Frank Smith Frank Smith Signs Albany, NY www.franksmithsigns.com Posts: 807 | From: Albany, NY USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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ive been dead...dead..since bout nov....and we got a BOOMING ECONOMY....so says gedub... and many more here are feelin the same. since o got no work iam out "visiting my clients"....and gettin the same story from all of them..."DEAD...BEEN THIS WAY JUST BEFOR XMAS".... they dont get business, they dont buy signs!!!! dont fell alone john....more of us..then those makin a killin. and i will say this, 101 seems to be alot busier as for newbie posters......not as much sensorship.
[ February 11, 2007, 03:11 AM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I remember in the 90's coming to the BB everyday, and posting quite a bit, couldn't believe, how the internet could bring communties together, and especially signpeople.
I got divorced in 97, I my chat profile is about 10 years out of date.
I have a really busy little shop, we do lots of commercial signs, and sets for TV and theatre, I now have 4 kids and a great lady employed my 3rd guy in november, so its hard to find time over to sit in front of this when Åsa wants attention too
Just gone through pneumonia, in january, not really right yet, went to see my doctor who said you don't look good go home and rest, I went to the rental store for a bucket truck and realised that night that maybe he was right!
I have really enjoyed all the heads I have met at the last couple of meets I've been too, and am really looking forward to going to David Kynastons meet in Wales in August.
I log in here quite often but don't alays get time to post, but like Bruce find my time is busy with lots of other things after work.
Just bought a smallholding/farm a few hours away, 20 miles from the nearest shop to have a place to get away from the daily stress, as and when time allows.
This place goes in waves....but is somewhere you always want to keep in touch with.
posted
Hey Tim ...Look-up way up...we're posting...just get yourself thinking...Maritime Letterhead Round-Up 07 ....we just started something special..
-------------------- Brian Hansen Heritage Signs & Graphic Designs 6003 Route 495 St.Marie New Brunswick (506)955.8885 Posts: 315 | From: St. Marie , New Brunswick | Registered: May 2002
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