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My sign supplier who I purchased most of my equipment with and most of all my materials has just recently started to do signs for people in the area too. Personally I think this sucks, I can't beat his prices (I wonder why) and his 'sales' people are about the most unethical bunch I have yet to meet. What really sours me is when they used to come out to deliver we would chat and I had no problem with them seeing what we were working on, but not now. I hate finding new suppliers... had to vent, thanx
-------------------- Eric Patzer A.S.A.P. Design Lafayette, CO epatzer@earthlink.net Posts: 208 | From: Lafayette, CO USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Look at it this way Eric...before long you will have to look for a new supplier anyway...No one ever survives the road they are traveling and once he looses his suplier status he will have to charge the same as you, only he will have less experience.
Do like I do...send all the "crap" jobs that walk in your door to him...he'll think you're a great guy while he's covered up with junk work and you're harvesting the good work.
Besides Midwest Ssupply is the best supplier in you're neck of the woods anyway.
Your in my old stomping grounds...I used to live just off the turnpike west of Westminster and used to decorate every baar and restaurant in Laffayette and Loisville at Christmas time...is the "Parrot" stll goin?
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
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The same thing happened to me here in El Dorado, Ark. with the supplier "Plastic Sign Supplies." They use to ask alot of questions about screen printing and I always was glad to help until one day I was asked how to do a job that I had bid on earlier in the week. NO MORE!!! They are now in the vinyl sign business also and anything else to make a cheap buck. They can't seem to understand why I no longer buy supplies from them.
I too went in search of new suppliers and as it turns out most are cheaper than the characters here locally. So don't hesitate to search out new sources, you may be surprised and save money.
-------------------- Frisby Signs, Inc. El Dorado, Arkansas Posts: 902 | From: El Dorado, Arkansas, USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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Across Canada there are a number of signshops-turned-vinyl-suppliers...slight twist on your tale, but with similarities...and I have always found it puzzling that other signshops would purchase their vinyls from these companies. The only conclusion I can reach is that anyone who does hasn't fully considered the many cons of so doing.
You might like to think that the other signshops in your area will switch suppliers as -- just as you plan to -- but if our experience has any bearing, many won't...at least not automatically.
You might want to consider getting in touch with some of your OTHER competitors and discussing the issue with them. None of the rest of you will benefit from subsidizing this new competitor's ability to undercut your prices.
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Once upon a time in the San Francisco bay area there was a supplier that opened a sign shop next door to his supply house and was doing that. After many calls to the manufacturers of vinyls and some other supplies by area shops that couldn't compete, the word came down from the top to either cease or get cut off. Get other shops together and make noise to those that need to listen.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6730 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Midwest is now going to get my business... it just makes me a bit angry that they can't do well enough doing what they were doing so they have to cut off their own hand...
Monte, yep the Parrot is still there, about the only thing thats left from the 'old' days in Louisville... I get to change the sign for the "sportsmans inn" in Lafayette this week, now "Doughty's Tavern". 'the times they are a changin'
-------------------- Eric Patzer A.S.A.P. Design Lafayette, CO epatzer@earthlink.net Posts: 208 | From: Lafayette, CO USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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i was at a sorta car show last sat. girl walkin round with flyers for their new business. i handed her a card..she tells me that my local supplier has a 48" vinyl cutter and does her cutting.......hummmmmmmmmmm wish i could afford a 48" cutter........ as for suppliers most are in the same postion signs shops were couple years ago...when there was a sign shop on every corner. now the suppliers are jockying for $$$$. i get at least 1-2 calls a week from some supplier wantin to sell me stuff. i use AMERIBAN, their sales rep came to my shop, made me a deal i couldnt refuse included freight free next day(if i order $100 & before 2 PM)ever $20 i save is money in my pocket. also ROYAL BANNER (atlanta) calls once a week, they make some nice banners(also $100 order is freight free) but like i said they make great banners. GRIMCO is now in mobile al.(50 miles from me) and they deliver daily to pensacola. yea the suppliers are feelin the pinch....which makes it better for us....now that they are into the price wars....
-------------------- 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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