Political signs...

[Deaton Design]

I just messaged a guy on Facebook who was showing his new signs for his local election that he ordered on the net. Told him that by doing that, he was not giving any of the local sign guys a chance to make the money and pour it back into the local economy. He told me that he got 50 4x4 signs for 700.00. That comes out to 14.00 per sign. Dont know how they do it, but I cant even come close to touching that. Im going to leave that part of the business to whoever wants it. It only comes every now and then, and not a big profit, and more and more are going online, so Im going to stick to doing custom work and leave the political signs to the others. Never been one to turn down work, but Im going to turn down any political stuff from now on. Just aint worth it.

 

[SignManiac]

Either screened or flatbed printed John. Very few can compete with that. Sheer volume pricing. Stay with the custom stuff, that's the only way you will make any money. Do something nobody else can.

 

[d fleming]

Been screenprinting all my life, no way I do that order at that price. I can go broke fishing.

 

[royster13]

Been screenprinting all my life, no way I do that order at that price. I can go broke fishing.

Why not?.....If you are buying substrates right, there is no more than 200.00 in materials and a few hours in a job like this.....

 

[d fleming]

Let me take a guess, 4'x4' probably coro, most likely 10 mil. Also most likely two color and at least one reverse. Time, overhead and supplies eat $14.00 quick. Doesn't leave much for bait. Just guessing on the particulars.

 

[wedosigns]

I think the politician is blowing santa's magical reindeer dust out his butt!
Who would give such a price break on just 50 signs?

Sorry wife had me watching Christmas movies already, last night

 

[CanuckSigns]

Why not?.....If you are buying substrates right, there is no more than 200.00 in materials and a few hours in a job like this.....

just checked, this is well below my wholesale single colour screen print pricing.

I've only ever done 1 job for a politician @ election time, and i charged what the job was worth, and they paid it.

 

[rjssigns]

Probably came from China. We had a good Ebay business selling rear window graphics printed on perf. Couple places in China started doing them for less than our input. Took us right out of the market.

 

[binki]

So even politicians outsource work outside of the local area. Tells you what they will do when in office, send the local money elsewhere.

 

[Pat Whatley]

You know, I don't mind a politician subbing printing out to somebody out of town if they are significantly cheaper.....it's just smart business. What ticks me off is when they don't even bother to let local companies bid on the job.

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

Most political signs are printed by union shops.

50 - 4'x4' 4mm corro for $14.00 per sign probably 2/C 2/S, do a 100+ orders like that and see how big the profits are. When you buy skids of coroplast it's very cheap beyond cheap.

 

[401Graphics]

ive seen 4x8's sell for around $20 each

 

[visual800]

Why not?.....If you are buying substrates right, there is no more than 200.00 in materials and a few hours in a job like this.....

so i would assume that YOU are one of those that can get their substrates at a licka$$ price that others cant? How low can you go on paying for these materials

There is NO profit in political, I dont bid and I dont entertain.

 

[CP Signs]

We are in a small town with 2 sign shops and neither of us ever had a chance to even bid on political signs.

 

[klemgraphics]

I did a couple of political jobs, charged full retail. No way I will try to match any prices at all though. Mind you these were locals that I knew personally though too, didn't even quote any others that I recall.

 

[SignManiac]

You win a few, you lose a few. That's what the sign business is all about. If you charge properly on the ones you win, you shouldn't have to worry at all about the ones you lose.

 

[genericname]

We are in a small town with 2 sign shops and neither of us ever had a chance to even bid on political signs.

That angers me for a few reasons. Knowing the area, there's no bloody way politicians and parties should be looking anywhere other than locally. Things are cheaper around you and I than they are in most places in the country (housing excluded).

 

[royster13]

so i would assume that YOU are one of those that can get their substrates at a licka$$ price that others cant? How low can you go on paying for these materials

No not me.....But a couple years back I got a quote on a container load of coro blanks from China....I was doing some research into setting up a specialty printing operation....18x24s were less than 0.60 cents landed and 48x96s were under 5.00....

And when you look at USA prices, Denver Sign Supply has skids of 48x96 blanks for 7.19....So say 8.00 with delivery on a truckload.....That makes a 48x48 4.00 each.....

These specialty shops move volume so even at what seems like an insane price, they are making money.....Maybe not much on a single order but do 100s a month and it adds up....

 

[d fleming]

50 4x4's do not =truckload.

 

[SignManiac]

Everyone can bi!ch and complain all they want but cheap pricing is never going to go away. It's a fact of life. Even we ourselves are looking for the best price on everything else we buy, except when it comes to signs?

Bottom line is you get what you pay for. Quality work cost more than shoddy work. When you buy cheap, don't be surprised if the product fails.

We are a nation of the Walmart mentality. We complain about the Chinese taking our jobs away and yet we support them in doing it. You can't have your cake and eat it too.