18" by 9" Car Door Magnets

[Jeron]

Hey everyone,

I just quoted a job for someone. It was 2 car door magnets. Super simple 1 color business name in text and phone number along the bottom. The overall magnet will measure 18" wide by 9" tall. The text will fill the area as much as possible with probably 1.5 to 2" margin around the sides.

I quoted them $22.50 each plus tax.

What would you be at for something like this?

I am a screen printer that bought a vinyl cutter to do one off heat press vinyl on t-shirts, but am getting the once in a while sign job as well. So I'm not super great at pricing the sign stuff.

thanks
Jeron

 

[Gino]

If word gets out, you should become extremely busy in the near future.

Start figuring out now, what your next item to butcher will be.



Less then $50 to advertise a vehicle ?? Really ??

Glad ya don't live near me............. ​

 

[visual800]

when we did mags we got $60 per set 12x24. I stopped doing them cause of low balling from others

 

[Jillbeans]

That is ridiculously low.
I have a minimum charge of $25 and even $50 is too cheap for that.
I have been doing mags for $100/set 12"x24" since the late 90s.
Luckily people get them cheaper online or at Kinkos, because I hate doing magnetics.
I will on occasion do a custom shaped set, and they bring in more $$.
Love....Jill

 

[Jeron]

Sounds like i should raise the price on it. I haven't given him the quote yet so i have time to change it. I only have about $10 total in material costs, then i added about a half hour of labor costs.

I definitely don't want to be the low guy. I fight that with screen printing. i don't mind losing jobs if I'm not low, but i don't like feeling like I'm gouging the person either If i do get a bid. I'm just not experienced enough in sign pricing yet to know what is average. That's why I'm here asking all of you.

Thanks for the responses

 

[Jillbeans]

Always multiply your material costs x3 (I've done that for 30 years) then add in your time. Also consider your costs to keep your lights on etc wear and tear on machinery etc.

 

[Jeron]

Ok that should get me a good base to start from. Like i said i didn't know what was typical. And all my overhead is built into my shop rate, but i may raise that slightly also.

Thanks.

 

[Graphic Destruction]

When I price magnets, I always price them at my 12x24 price. There is no waste at this size, think of all the waste on a 9x18. You can have any size you want under 12x24, but it all costs the same.

 

[SameDay Signs]

I see all these $60-$100 for a set of magnetics and think to myself boy if I can get that I'd be rich. We get $40 a set for full color 12" x 24". That's the most we can even charge because the pricing of the other shops in my town. I'm not talking about out of my garage shops either I'm talking about respected good size shops. I think I need to move to your guys area and start making real money

 

[SignManiac]

I'm just happy I don't let my competition set my prices...

 

[Jillbeans]

I'm one state over from Ohio and I have charged $100/set since about 1998, it helps weed out the tire kickers.
Even at $100 a set of mags pays for itself for the customer the fist time they stick them on their vehicle. If people want them for less, they can go right to the cheap shops, and look as if they did.
Magnetics are a cheap-looking form of advertsing...these are the same clients who want banners as permanent signs or coro as their main sign.

 

[SameDay Signs]

You can be the greatest sign shop in the world but where I come from you can make your pricing competitive or you can be out of business. My competition charges what they charge and you either compete or get beat. I used to charge $60 a set for about 4-5 years and barely did any, switched my prices to be closer to competition (still not as low) and I boosted sales my a tremendous amount. Enough that we kept them. All I'm saying is you can be a great sign shop and be doing well but in NW Ohio where I'm from we can't touch the prices as mentioned above

 

[Gino]

So, if you got a huge rush on magnetics, doing a week's worth of them.... you'd be making almost $160 a day. How can you or anyone run a business on that ??

If I was in a business where I couldn't make some decent money, I'd be looking for another line of work. Heck, get a job running an elevator. The tips aren't good, but the route is pretty easy.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Sounds like i should raise the price on it. I haven't given him the quote yet so i have time to change it. I only have about $10 total in material costs, then i added about a half hour of labor costs.

I definitely don't want to be the low guy. I fight that with screen printing. i don't mind losing jobs if I'm not low, but i don't like feeling like I'm gouging the person either If i do get a bid. I'm just not experienced enough in sign pricing yet to know what is average. That's why I'm here asking all of you.

Thanks for the responses

Labor costs should be in the neighborhood of $50 an hour. You shouldn't get used to charging half hours. One hour min is our shop standard and that is low. Most shops are a 2 hour min for all orders with design. Then add in you material used 2x. Not your material on the sign. Then you would be around $70 which is right in the ballpark. If they were easy give him a discount say $60. Never sell yourself short. You can always come down but you cant go back up.

 

[bob]

Always multiply your material costs x3 (I've done that for 30 years) then add in your time. Also consider your costs to keep your lights on etc wear and tear on machinery etc.

Multiply by 5, not 3, and don't fret overmuch about time. Time normally is accounted for in the 5x multiplier. Unless this is some really weird job that requires an excessive amount of time. If that's the case, then add that in as well. At least the delta.

Make sure that you include ALL materials, not just the few square inches that went out the door but the material that ended up on the scrap pile as well

 

[reQ]

12x24 set of magnets $85 (not including set ups/designs etc)

 

[SameDay Signs]

So, if you got a huge rush on magnetics, doing a week's worth of them.... you'd be making almost $160 a day. How can you or anyone run a business on that ??

If I was in a business where I couldn't make some decent money, I'd be looking for another line of work. Heck, get a job running an elevator. The tips aren't good, but the route is pretty easy.

If this was implied toward me 4 sets a day for a week isn't a weeks worth of work (atleast for me). We can pop out 50 sets in a day without a problem provided materials in stock. Again all I've said is the pricing listed above we could never get where were located. If you can charge $100 a set more power to you

 

[royster13]

2 for 86.00
4 for 108.00
Shipped direct from supplier....

 

[Gino]

If this was implied toward me 4 sets a day for a week isn't a weeks worth of work (atleast for me). We can pop out 50 sets in a day without a problem provided materials in stock. Again all I've said is the pricing listed above we could never get where were located. If you can charge $100 a set more power to you

Okay, let's break this down for you, since this went over your head.

You said you're getting $40 a set. You have about $15 to $20 in a pair. You hafta. This means you're making about $20 a a pair which includes your overhead, as you didn't mention it.

Now, you go on to mention you can pop out 50 sets a day. Does that include layout, setting type/copy and whatnot as the OP explained ?? I don't think it really matters, as who would wanna churn out all those cheapie signs making little to nothing, when one nice job could do it in an few hours without any of the muss or fuss ?? That's my point, if you're doing Okay in other areas of the business, why not just take the few good paying jobs and let the other losers fight for the scraps you don't need or want ?? Put your magnetics up to a price to make money and not worry about racing to the bottom of the barrel.

We have set prices on many low end items..... magnetics being one of them. They cost the same to produce no matter what is going on. Put 16 million colors on it with 4,266 words and it still costs the same to produce as a one color single word. They go through the flatbed when we can fit it in the schedule. The customer either takes it or fingers his nose and leaves. Don't hurt my feelings.

No, I don't get $100 a set. Our rock bottom price is $135, while most of the time, we're getting closer to $165 a pair. Custom.... or out of the ordinary will cost still more, but not many idiots buy expensive magnetics. However, as mentioned, when the size goes smaller, the price is not reduced, but stays exactly where it's at, unless multiples of the same layout are done at once.

Not telling ya how to run your business, not at all, just discussing things which don't make sense........ like $40 magnetic sets. Add $100 and you'll be much happier not doing that garbage.
​

 

[sardocs]

I don't know how to make magnetic signs for some of the prices quoted above. Gino's post makes the most sense to me. I guess if I took a piece of white mag and just handed it to the client and supplied them with a sharpie marker I could. Or if I only did black helvetica text, all caps, no kerning, no borders. I haven't sold a set of mags for less than $220 ever. What's the point? They are still a form of advertizing, they require some design time. Generally I am able to talk the client into permanent lettering on their vehicles.