posted
My shop is about halfway between two small coastal towns. Both these downtowns have an interesting mix of architecture, are relatively pedestrian-friendly, clean and pleasant. Both have active art associations and active Chambers of Commerce.
One town is crowded with pedestrians all day, every day until when into the evening about nine month out of the year. The other town has virtually no foot traffic, and the sidewalks roll up at 5pm every day. Businesses in one town thrive. In the other town, they come and go, and there's almost always a few empty storefronts.
One town has a main street with a lot of color, different storefronts with, for the most part, attractive and very individualistic signs, both fascia and projecting. The other town has trees lining both sides of the street. Most of the storefronts are black or brown, and the vast majority use signs consisting of cut-out letters, mostly of the sort purchased from a hardware store, and lmost all painted "gold" with a $5.95 spray bomb - the kind of gold that turns baby-sh*t brown in six weeks outside. Merchants don't buy projecting signs ecause their's no decent sight lines because of the trees.
In one town, I've done a lot of work. It's not all showpiece stuff; but and interesting mix of commercial work. In the other, months go by between calls, and I've pretty much written it off as a viable market. Although I have done some high end work there, those jobs are so few and far between that I really don't bother marketing there anymore.
Comments? I honestly don't know why this is, and nobody seems to be able to provide much insight. All I know is, I find my potential market essentially cut in half by this, and that bothers me.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'd say the members of our boro council need to visit these towns and see them first hand. They are trying to create the one you described with trees obstructing the storefronts, disallowing hanging signs, a junk new sign ordinance that only allows signs so small you would have to be standing under them to read them, empty storefronts, restricting options on storefronts and rolling up sidewalks at 5 pm. Add in a severe lack of parking, along with parking nazis who stand and WAIT for the meter to expire should you actually find a spot and you would have nailed the boro here. The term "anti-business climate" has been used so frequently to describe the boro here, it's almost like it's part of the name now.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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They haven't outlawed projecting signs, but the trees make them pointless because the sidewalks are narrow and you can't see them.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Some years ago, Signs of The Times conducted a survey on why some small down towns died while others thrived. Number one was sign restrictions. It was found that generally, within one year after restricting signage, and forcefully removing overhanging signs, business suffered dramatically.I have lived in several small towns where this happened. Now we have so called "Beautifician Committees" and unqualified politicians writing sign codes and, yes even color schemes for ALL SIGNS, in a downtown area. And we sit and ponder why? I could get on this soap box every day, how about you? Peace brothers and sisters of the brush. Don
-------------------- Donald Miner ABCO Wholesale Neon 1168 Red Hill Creek Dobson, NC Posts: 842 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Apr 2006
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Specifically, the towns are Mystic, Ct. and Westerly, Rhode Island. And oddly, the sign regs are no more restrictive in one place or another. I know that can be the root of all evil in a lot of places, but not here.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I'd say it's a case of follow the leader or monkey see monkey do type of thing. We travel around the area a lot. Once outside the metro area, the towns are all 15 miles apart ( something to do with how far a mule could pull a wagon in one day ) Some you go through and the sign work all looks pretty good, the next one the signs might be horrible
I've also seen the gold sprayed hardware store letters used A LOT! I've even seen it where small strip malls in Memphis will all have signs made out of that stuff. I guess they think it looks classy
The more I stay in this business the more I am convinced that some psychology courses are needed to understand customers and what drives them.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
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Sometimes there is a progression towards quality, distinctiveness and a pride in being different and unique. I have seen it start with a few businesses that inspires others and then takes off on a life of it's own. After a while more gravitate who are like minded and years later you have the positive example you mentioned. Resale shops, and low end type businesses take a look and decide they fit better in the other community.
Of course I have seen these lower end types take hold and start to take down a good one too.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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I once had a ten thousand square foot free standing building in Rockland county NY which needed fifty foot of signage to the front header. I read the laws and paid for the permit, designed it on both a sketchbook and computer and I took all my computerized drawings to the sign permit board from their approval. At first they didn't like the black background, then asked me why I hadn't had this done at a professional sign shop, I was bewildered and then they said they would make up their mind the following month or two and send me a notice on when to appear and that's when I screamed, keep the money and donate it to mental health on your behalf as I will paint my building black and white like a Zebra without signs and I'll make black and white Zebra business cards and open by next week. As I was entering my truck in the parking lot, there was a guy calling my name with permits in hand and apologies which didn't amount to much because my Zebra idea was what I went with no sign necessary as I had the only building painted like a Zebra in the whole county
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
posted
I don't think the towns are comprable, Westerly's downtown was always more "blue collar", and the tourist don't stop on their way thru.Mystic is a whole nother animal, major tourist town wuth the marketing mentality that goes with. You see the same thing in Vermont,Maine & New Hampshire, they'll be one really attractive vibrant tourist town and the next town will be scruffy and tacky.
[ October 02, 2009, 03:51 PM: Message edited by: Bill Lynch ]
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no sign necessary as I had the only building painted like a Zebra in the whole county
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