posted
I know I know........"don't give quotes over the phone" and I shouldn't have.
A lady calls and asks if we do magnetic signs. She then asks "whats the price?". I ask "how many colors?" and "what is going on them?". It turns out to be pretty simple so I quote "about $50 for a set of two".
She relays the information to a man in the room. He then asks: "How much for one? and she asks me(then I hear the man in the background say: "should be $25". I say: "about $35"
she tells him and I immediately hear him raving and griping indignantly in the background: "ONE SIGN....HALF OF FIFTY SHOULD BE TWENTY FIVE"......DADGUMMIT!!!!". While he's acting like a jerk, the woman is still trying to be nice. "ok....we'll get back with ya"
Yeah right!!
He most likely has never bought a sign before and I probably wouldn't have sold the job face to face but, now he's thinkin' that I'm a crook. Which wouldn't have happened if I hadn't given the quote over the phone.
One more time Wayne: never give quotes over the phone
[ June 26, 2002, 04:00 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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Around here $80 is the LOWEST bargin basement price for a basic set, unless it is 3 or 4 pairs. $100 is more the standard "cheapie" price I'm used to. One magnet? Here's my math: $30 layout & set-up, $40 each.
I give quotes on the phone all the time. Fast, approximations with minimal references to possible up-charges for complex logos etc.
I tdoesn't take that much time to offer an approximate answer to a question that they took time to call me to ask. Good customer service starts the minute a prospect contacts you & being "the only guy who sounded like I wanted to help them, instead of hurry off the phone" has brought me a number of loyal customers. The beginning of a long & prosperous business relationship may start with price shopping & tire kicking, but even many of those type of customers value customer service & polite respectful treatment.
I agree that firm written quotes should require a little more investment on the client to visit my shop, show me their logo, or inspect & choose suitable materials, but a ballpark quote along with the invitation to stop in with their artwork for a brief initial consultation has worked for me.
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I get so many phone calls for qoutes that I am working on a list of prices for simple things like magnetic signs, standard sizes of aluminum signs and coroplas signs, banners etc.. I am out of town so people have to drive a little to me so if I don't give them a roundabout figure they will go to the guy in towns shop to get one. I just let them know that the qoute an estimate and if they need more stuff than they told me in the call, it will be more.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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Wow Doug! But I realize that it has to be a whole different economy there in Maui.
I sometimes sell magnetics with logos/graphics for $90 to $100 but you'd never sell plain ones at that price here. I've got a guy on one side of me selling them with 5 color Vinyl logo and outlined main copy complete with phone, cell numbers, license numbers, name, wife's name and houn'dog's name for $38 bucks a pair. And....on the other other side is a shop selling them for $45. How do I know?...customers tell me so.
Needless to say, I don't do a lot of magnetics.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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wayne you and i are close ....in panhandle. and prices here are as differant as the people....so quotin prices for some things on the phone and your keep the PAIN IN THE A**ES away!!! me pricing is this: MAGNETIC, no frills, 1-2 color, $60 graphic and logos extra. CORPLAST 18"x 24" plain 1 color 1 side...$12.50 2 sided $24. if i do a number of small corplast signs its $5 a sq.ft. boat numbers $10 a set. any painted on signs, windows, smooth walls, in door outside on the ground $4 a sq. ft. add climbing, price goes up accordin to height. BOAT NAMES:need lenght of boat(how much did the guy spend for boat)....will determine price on lettering...hehehehe ex. transome 1 color 24' boat: $100. transome for 30' $250, 40' $350 etc. stock cars i paint em...and i quote $125, 3 numbers ,3 colors, and 2 sponsors freehand, all other stuff is addtional.(dont do many of these, poeple give vinyl away to get there name on the track)
-------------------- 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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You guys in Flordia have the same problem I have one state up from you cheap scade customers and guys selling their work for next to nothing forcing the prices down. Nowadays, every custome it seems is worried with getting a lowball price in my area. What do you do, sell no signs at all because the folks won't buy unless your in line with everybody elses prices. I sell magnetics up to 2 colors for $65 for 12 X 24 or less and $75 for 13-18 X 24. That is with no logo or I will put a simple logo on if I already have it or it is in vinyl ready clipart. Guys around my area doing them for $30 a set and craziness at the jockey lots and elsewhere.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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Well......it makes sense doesn't it? Two for $50 should logically be one for $25? If you know absolutely nothing about the sign trade, time spent on design, layout, or "setup" doesn't occur to you right?
"You want one?" "OK"......"We've got a whole case of signs in stock with your name on them......just got another shipment in yesterday"....priced to sell!"
But.......if I had said: "one for $35(first) and then two for $50, it would sound like a quantity discount right?
I think one of the hardest things about this profession is that we can't just go back to our warehouse, pull the product (which is already priced) off the shelf and sell it.
We are all trying to sell something which might seem abstract to the customer.....something which doesn't exist......yet. But that's a whole ather story.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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I have a hard time believing that someone can make enough to cover the materials cost given some of the prices some of you have quoted.
Unless it is something very small on a set of truck doors---the "gentleman farmer" identifying his country place sort of thing---my prices start at $125 for two doors; biz name, address, phone, and on the plain side. Magnetics IMHO should go for more-- you have a higher materials cost. Shading, logos, graphics, outlines all add to the price.
Until I saw this thread, I was under the impression my prices were on the low side----- now, I am not so sure. Maybe they are somewhere closer to average.
-------------------- Bill Preston Fly Creek, N.Y. USA Posts: 943 | From: Fly Creek, N.Y. USA | Registered: Jan 2000
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I give $3 a ft for magnectic material and use calendered vinyl which I have no more than $ .50 a ft. in it including transfer tape. If I make a 12" X 24" set two colors, I will have $7 in a $65 set and it'll take less than an hour. I know I should probably get more than $58 an hour for shop time but I still have to compete with my local competition and a magnetic sign job 95% of the time leads to bigger and better stuff. Now if I have to start really start doing design work, I will get more for a set. As for using calendered vinyl, I hardly ever see a set of magnetics last more than 3-4 years without looking ratty so why use cast? Now on doors themselves, I will only use cast UNLESS it is a vehicle in which the owner and I BOTH agree won't be around in three years like a junker or I have one guy who gets a new truck every year so we both agreeded that calendered would be the route to go.
[ June 26, 2002, 09:05 PM: Message edited by: John Thompson ]
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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I have sold plain magnetics for as much as $60. As a matter of fact, I have a sample magnetic in my showroom which reads: "Magnetic Signs.....39.99 each.....59.99 per set....8 words or less. I include an offset border stripe on all plain magnets with the corners nicely rounded. The copy is prioritized and you can read the main copy when the truck is flying by. All of the other ones that I see around here are plain rectangles that look like they were hacked out with a machete, and you can't read most of them. Anyway, having heard from customers recently about the $45 sets and $38(bells and whistles) sets, I guess that I partially succumbed to temptation to lower the price.
Bill, it seems that with most of the walk-in prospects that I've encountered here, the way to get the price about right for them is to figure minimum wage per hour, don't markup your materials, and knock off another 10% for good measure. Then, you MIGHT get a 50% sales rate. I too can knock out a set of PLAIN properly layed out mags in an hour or less. Clipart or design takes extra time. I'm glad that you can get those prices where you are but, civilization hasn't reached us yet.
[ June 26, 2002, 11:38 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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the problem is the guys that sell the magnetics for way less....got the idea from the franchise shops!!!! when they 1st open up they will run specials(a lost leader item) and magnetics are it!!! so the lose a little doin em for $29-$39 a set.....but they got a new customer(for what they are worth,you start your business with all the "cheapa**es", where can that go)but they got a "customer" who will come back when they need something else CHEAP! so all the new guys try this untill they learn..that "cheap will keep gettin cheaper"...and these so called customers will waste your time and beat you up for everything they buy. are they worth it..no! so you aint losin nothin by quoting some prices over the phone...
-------------------- 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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My remark about mag pricing was not meant to start a fight.
In the past, I have been criticized by others in the biz for pricing too low. Tried to raise prices at that time, and plowed right into the Gulf War and the recession of the time.
These days, I don't try to have any particular shop rate, instead more or less flat pricing according to what the customer wants, complexity,or lack of it, etc. No surprises on either my part, or the customers, since price agreement has already been reached.
Walk-ins; I don't have many--- most customers are people I have alrady done work for, or are referrals.
Vinyl-- everybody gets the cast stuff. I don't have the room for a big stock, so it is easier--if more expensive--- to only keep one type.
"Civilization." Well aware that the economy varies widely according to location. It is pretty good around here, unemployment is down, business people are replacing trucks all over the place, new businesses are popping up, old ones are expanding, and so it goes.
One other thought---this is the edited part--- it's a lot easier to get your price when the customer is reminded that the expense of his truck lettering, and/or sign is a deductible biz item. A lot of the time, customers forget that.
[ June 27, 2002, 09:15 AM: Message edited by: Bill Preston ]
-------------------- Bill Preston Fly Creek, N.Y. USA Posts: 943 | From: Fly Creek, N.Y. USA | Registered: Jan 2000
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Most of you won't believe this but our standard mags start at $200 a pr and go up from there depending on the graphics and # of colors. True, Jackson Hole is an expensive place and everything here is priced high but here is the reasoning on the mags. To us, a magnetic is the same as any other sign as far as time for layout and design. Unless you are just doing a square mag with black lettering and Helvetica and just a name and phone number, the layout and design for a mag is the same as for any other sign. The only real differance is the substrate that you are putting your design on. Sometimes, it's flat painted MDO, sometimes routed or sandblasted signfoam, or in this case magnetic backing. I realize this is some what of a simplifaction, but never the less that's how we see it. And we do a lot of mags. In fact, yesterday I did 2 pair and we average 4 or 5 pair a week. We do give price breaks for large quanities and repeat customers who want addition mags for new vehicles, but the design is the same.
If a customer bulks at the price I tell them to go take out an ad for their business in the paper and run it 7 days a week, 365 days a year and come back to see me in a year and tell me which is less expensive. Even then it depends on someone reading the paper. When you have a well designed, good looking magnetic on your vehicle people take notice, and it's 24,7,365.
posted
Bill, Steve, You're right, price is a relative thing. The cost of living in your region may be higher. There may be much more industry etc. Here, the average per capita income is somewhere around $14k to $15k........in other words, below poverty level. Sometimes I want to pull up stakes and move to a more prosperous location.
The wierd thing is: I can sell a sandblasted redwood or HDU sign for between $72 and 100+ per square foot for the rich folks around here but I would never be able to sell $200 mags. There are no carved or gilded signs in either of the two towns which my shop is between. We have doctors and attorney's offices here with MDO signs. The courthouse has a pitiful looking layout on an MDO sign. The city entrance welcome signs are peeling, warping, cheap looking MDO. I hope to change all that.
On the other hand, I have done hundreds of sandblasted signs and consequently thousands of dollars worth of business for the regional landfill about 20 minutes from here. But, they are part of a huge multibillion dollar corporation(Waste management) raking in tons of cash. Want to see 90% of the sandblasted signs in my area? Go to the DUMP Honest, I've seen some of my $700 signs with buzzards sitting on them. Go figure
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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Yeah, I live in a not so rich area also. Most people who own businesses are so strapped that right now that they are on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Most people in my area also can't tell the difference between a well layed out sign, good materials, or good logo design and all they look at is the price. I would like nothing more than to be able to have folks come in all day just for the high end stuff but in my area, it ain't gonna happen at least not until the economy picks up some. I have made some higher end mags for over $100 a set but that seems to have dried up for the time being.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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my prices on magnetic signs start at $75.00 per pair. if the competion wants to work for nothing that is their business i regularly get $650.00 7 up for 4x8 signs. i may go to bed tired or hungry but i aint going to bed tired and hungry.
-------------------- Jimmy Chatham Chatham Signs 468 stark st Commerce, Ga 30529 Posts: 1766 | From: Commerce, GA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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In our market we do not do doors so the magnetics are all we could relate to in this post.
We've gotten as low as $85.00 to as much as $200 for a set. All depends on the customer and the complexity of the design. Design time can be just as involved (maybe sometimes even more) on the smaller stuff so we charge accordingly.
The "Sign It QuicKs, etc" are charging $85.00 for full color 12x24's, and they're running them on their digital printers.
posted
New guy here., but wanted to get in on this as I'm getting calls for magnets which I haven't done much of.
Ages ago....in the late '80's I worked for a shop that made their own inhouse magnets. This was a package delivery outfit. They would get printed clear 'material' (Acetate ?) which they would then glue to the magnet with some kind of spray on clear adhesive. Took a little while to dry. The Print on the clear stuff looked like maybe screen print (?) just guessing here, wasn't into graphics that much then.
Anyway, I'm looking to do the same thing now, with a small, nothing special ink jet.
Only stuff I can find is Avery 8.5 x 11 clear label and its not very forgiving as far as positioning goes.
Anyone have a suggestion ?
-------------------- G.R.Grall Gabe's Graphix Roanoke VA Posts: 1 | From: Roanoke VA | Registered: Jun 2002
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yea gr....if you do it in an ink jet....you will be replacing them and will lose any money you did make on them. i got an ALPS printer, and it will do outdoor stuff(had a logo on the back window of my van for almost 3 years and it was a little faded, but still readable)i dont think what your proposin will work.
-------------------- 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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Darn I thought I was cheap at $65! Yeah but what kinda magnetic material is it on? I use only .030, the good stuff. I have seen a lowball and the resulting product was on paper thin magnetic material. I don't even want to know the cost of it. Also I have a lower price ($65) for 12 X 24 or smaller as opposed to something larger ($75 or more) because I am cutting the length of the roll and use less material and I have no waste. I really want to "educate" at least my customers and hopefully more on what a decent sign is. There are a couple of othere really good sign makers in my area but there are a good many who just want a buck and put no design effort or decent materials into their stuff and I just hope that someday at least my customers will be able to tell the difference. One thing that gets me about magnetics is am I one of the few people who rounds corners? I am the only person in my area who does. Jimmy does but he is about 35 miles from me. I wonder if that is lack of learning your trade, laziness or they just don't give a shi% ?
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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I have a few reasons why I discourage customers from magnetics.
One is a psychological thing--- they have that "I'm here today, but I might be gone tomorrow" look about them, especially the less than well done ones.
Two, they are hard on the paint on the vehicle what with water and accumulated grit.
Three, they do not like cold weather, and tend to become brittle. Ever go to take one off in cold weather, and come away with just a corner with the rest still on the door?
Four, IMHO they should cost more than the same thing lettered on the vehicle because of the more materials angle.
If the customer absolutely insists on mags, in spite of what I tell him/her, then I try to talk him/her into at least letting me put on either a color coat of paint to complement the vehicle color, or a vinyl color for the same reason. Then go on and work up a layout and letter. The other thing I also try to do is give the things some shape other than square or rectangular.
FWIW from the little kid and me.
[ June 27, 2002, 03:00 PM: Message edited by: Bill Preston ]
-------------------- Bill Preston Fly Creek, N.Y. USA Posts: 943 | From: Fly Creek, N.Y. USA | Registered: Jan 2000
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I agree with the fly by night image that magnets seem to paint, Bill. Some folks just insist on them though and give my customers a little maintenance instruction sheet explaining that magnets can and will damage their paint if they don't wash very frequently, dry and wax the backs of the magnetics and the vehicle etc.
I have made them look more presentable too by cutting a custom shape using the same method I described. They don't even look like magnets then. I've made them for myself and have a few samples, that I've made, in the showroom. It's a little more labor though and, again, folks here just won't pay it.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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Hey Wayne, that is one thing that I also do is give an instruction sheet. I order from Aluma-Panel and they have the perfect one in their catalog to copy. Maintainence is everything as far as magnetics survival goes. I have had customers that didn't pay a bit of attention to it though and call back in 3 months, I can't get my signs off why? I tell them "did you follow the instructions?", it's always 'No.". Why use cast on magnetics though? I use Avery A5 or ORACAL 651. Magnetics aren't gonna' last over 4-5 years before becoming ratty looking anyways. I also do a lot of colored magnetic signs by applying vinyl to cover the whole sign the I cut them out. It works perfect plus a lot of times I will find a color that is close or complimentary to the vehicles color and they look almost as good as straight on the door vinyl. I charge $20-30 more a set for colors. An idea to make better looking mags. in case you aren't doing it all ready. Also, I apply my vinyl for the colors without transfer tape and wet using a window tint squeegee. The key is waiting for the vinyl to dry 5 to 10 minutes and then cutting it. It looks like the magnetic material was that color to begin with. I have one silver truck I did and you can't tell it has magnetic signs on it until you are right up on it. He didn't want lettering on the truck all of the time because he also uses it as his presonal vehicle.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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I don't sell many magnetics but I just got under bid on coroplast signs. Get this:
Two-sided coro signs, 4 different layered colors in the logo $15........
The same place bid $300 for a two-sided 4x8 MDO sign with 4 different layered colors plus three other companies logos on it.
I don't know how they make money. Probably because everyone in town goes to them because they are so cheap.
I ask the same question as John, do you give in and drop prices by using cheaper crap materials so you can at least get work and feed the family or do you stick to your guns and use better materials thus charging more all while preparing your cardboard "Will Work For Food" sign??
So far I have chosen to stick to my guns and only make quality products but I don't get very many jobs this way!!!
Florida is full of cheapskates Wayne. We are just like you, lawyers, doctors, etc have MDO or even regular Home Depot pressed board signs with vinyl.
Gotta love it!
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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I gave up trying to compete with the "El Cheepo" shops! I decided that after 35 years in this biz....I don't need practice...I need profit!
I have a sinle line in the Yellow pages (only so that my regular customers can find my phone number, when they lose my card)! Since I am Allen Signs, I am up near the top, and I get "I'm looking for a bid on a pair of magnetic signs!" or..."Would you come out and give us a price on changing our "Store Hours" on our door?" or "How much for a Calvin peeing on a Ford decal?" My answer is usually "Sorry, I don't do stickers!"
Now ....if they need a wall sign, or a van lettered, or a window splash....then I ask a couple of questions and give a "ballpark" price! If they don't go into shock and start to sputter, I might have a customer!
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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ami a single sided 4x8 coplast sign is goin for $150 up here...some idiots are givin em away at $100. same with small coro signs....i stick with whta i can make a living at. small 18x24 coro i color are $12.50, i dont stock the cheapo wires, mine are $3.00 ea. and are h/d. the guy down the street will bust his ass with all that business...and when all is said and done ..he wont make any money.....then he'll wonder how that happened. you make signs to make a living, if you cant make a living, dont make signs for exercise!!!!
-------------------- 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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There is one simple rule of economics - you cannot sell a thing for less than it costs to produce, and stay in business. Yet we see sign shops do this all the time and wonder how they do it.
Amy said, "I don't know how they make any money. Probably because everyone in town goes to them because they are so cheap."
The secret is that most shops like that DON'T make money. They move it around, juggle, sweat, and finally expire, all the time dropping the prices to attract more business, then complaining bitterly how cheap their customer base is. Yet despite seeing shops like this come and go, there's always another inexperienced enterpreneur who thinks he/she has the formula for turning lead into gold.
That's not to say that selling cheap doesn't work. It does, IF everything is set up to do just that, and IF the volume is high enough to cover the very small margin, and IF the buying power is big enough to exert pressure on suppliers. A corporation like WalMart is set up to do all those things. Using that model without all those factors is a recipe for failure.
Yesterday I had a conversation with a client which afforded me a glimpse into the workings of Corporate America. This client owns a small factory making extruded plastic tubing. Automakers are a major part of his market, and he does contracts worth 5 to 10 million on a regular basis. Yet according to him, it is common practice for these customers to negotiate a deal, then, on their own, knock 5 to 8 percent off the price when they issue payment.
Think about this. Suppose you sold signs amd AFTER you have a contract and AFTER you've produced and delivered, your customer said, "gee, thanks, and btw we're taking 8% off your invoice, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT."
I asked this client what reason was offered for this and his answer was very interesting: "Reason? Having to have a reason is for OUR world, not theirs. We have to justify all of our decisions."
We all make choices in life. I chose to live in a world where I set the terms for how I do business. That means I don't sell cheap, I don't tolerate swindlers and thieves, and I don't concern myself with those who do. The only thing more difficult than maintaining that kind of integrity, is to live without it.
-------------------- "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 have heard from several people customers and other sign shops that there a guys in Flordia selling screenprinted coro 18 X 24 for $2-3 a sign with a stepstake. You have to buy 200-300 or something like that but still. I know I had a customer who said that he knew some construction contractors who go down there just to get them. How can you possibly make money doing that? Any of you Flordia guys/gals heard that?
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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one of my customers ....bought them!!! he said it was $2-3 for 18x24 2 sided with stake!!!!!!! i do all his other work....he is still lookin for that guy....hahahahahha....if he finds him ill get his name...and he can do all our signs!!!!!!
-------------------- 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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That's true. There are coroplast signs at every main intersection saying 18x24 signs with stakes $2.50 for 100 or more. Personally I wish the state would start getting all the intersections cleaned up and not allow coroplast signs at all. Seems like everywhere you look there are 15 -20 coroplast signs on the corner. Who can even read all that crap!!
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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Hey Paint, when you find it out give me a hollar and next election year, I let 'em do all of my orders and I'll double or triple the price and still be the lowest guy in my town. Reckon how much they get for a 1000....$1.25 or so.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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Does it make anyone else want to puke, when you see a brand new $30,000+, loaded, top of the line pickup truck with a set of cheap-ass magnetics on it??
I often ask people driving these things, what exactly they were thinking when they ordered them. Usually they say so they can take them off when they sell the truck. I say, when are you planning on selling it? They say oh I've got at least 5-6 years to go!
I shake my head and offer them a card, and salvation from themselves and their disposable image.
Mag's around here start at $35 a set (pair of 18x24" 1 or 2 color - your choice). I get $50 for one color, 12x18 (if you're going to look cheap anyway, you might as well make it as small as possible!)
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Hey Rob, which Carolina Are you from? Just curious if this is a regional thing, ya know the cheapo prices we MUST charge for magnetics?
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
I see you have the el cheapo shops there too, Amy There's a guy less than 5 minutes from here making and selling 24x18 coroplast signs with the stake for $3.15 for 100.
I was designing them, e-mailing the vector file to a wholesaler and marking them up a little.....No more. it was costing me more to buy them than what he sells them for.
John.......
quote:You're right, price is a relative thing. The cost of living in your region may be higher. There may be much more industry etc. Here, the average per capita income is somewhere around $14k to $15k........in other words, below poverty level. Sometimes I want to pull up stakes and move to a more prosperous location.
Like I said in a post above, I have been selling them for $59.99 per set for PLAIN ones and I have sold some for as much as $100. But, they are few and far between. If you lived here, neither would you sell magnetics anyway near the rate you do now and would be hard pressed to get your price.
I had a lady come into the shop today wanting the title changed on her daughter's Miss 1999.....whatever magnetics. She wanted to put a vinyl "patch" over the title and more letters over that. I told her "about $30.......but that's probably more than you paid for the magnets."
She said: "$25"
I said: "Where did you get them?"
She: "from the guy at the old gas station..but he moved"
She finally asked me what she could use to just put some poster paper over the old title and I told her double faced tape would work.....and a magic marker. She was happy with that.
I promise you bubba, unless you're a super-salesman, you will sell very few magnetics here. I don't
[ June 28, 2002, 07:01 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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I ain't gettin much more than you Wayne. I just can't figure how guys are getting $100 plus for 'em elsewhere than the south. I kinda figure that it is probably pretty bad in Atlanta or bigger places like that too because I see those "signs like this cheap!" coro signs everywhere in Atlanta. I am sure that there are companies who get more than $50 or so for mags there too but I am sure there is a lot of lowballing everywhere right now with the economy like it is. I mean money seems tight on EVERYBODY in my area and I am sure it is down there in Flordia too. I think a lot of folks went New House, Boat, Harley and Car crazy about 1999 when they were doing decent and now they are having a hard time paying their bills especially small businessmen and women. Everybody who gets something nowadays is absolutly worried about price and nothing else. I guess it will all pass but when is the million dollar question.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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