Sign Up Graphics
New Member
Sign Up Graphics
ChicagoGraphics, where do you get a 4'x8' MDO for $45.00 a sheet
ChicagoGraphics, where do you get a 4'x8' MDO for $45.00 a sheet
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Giving away the farm/Sign shop..... Very Scary
- Thread starter calbanner
- Start date
rydods
Member for quite some time.
I get 1/2" MDO primed 1 side from Grimco anytime for $45 and at one time a sales rep upgraded primed 2 side at that price because one of the branches was out of 1 side. I mention that every time I place an order for MDO and it works like a charm so I stock primed 2 side. You never know when you'll need it and if I only need one sided...I'm not at a loss. They'll bargain with you. Problem is their packing...corners come smashed almost every time so I tend to design signs with rounded corners now. Looks better anyway. 
Si Allen
New Member
Most people don't realize that there are different grades of MDO.
The MDO that you get in most lumber yards and big box stores is OK for making furniture and cabinets ... but falls way short on durability for signs!
Sign supply houses sell "sign grade" MDO ... that is why it is more expensive.
The MDO that you get in most lumber yards and big box stores is OK for making furniture and cabinets ... but falls way short on durability for signs!
Sign supply houses sell "sign grade" MDO ... that is why it is more expensive.
WeekendDirectionals
New Member
Why use MDO instead of ACM?
Baz
New Member
Joe .. I know it's still an expensive product. But You can either buy the pre-painted stuff with either the primer or with a finish coat from the factory which is total crap or you can buy the MDO slightly cheaper but prep it yourself and you will have a far superior product. We can coat 15 boards in an hour ... So just sanding once and adding a second coat (another hour of labour). It doesn't make it that much more expensive. Totaly worth it IMO.
And why use MDO over ACM? .. Like i said in another thread .. I'm buying less and less MDO since it's just easyer and faster to use ACM. Deadlines are tighter and the material holds up very good outdoors. I will say that MDO is tougher as far as taking a beating over the lifespan of a billboard. Storms or accidents that cause the signs to fall .. It's easyer to repair with MDO than ACM. The aluminum product you pretty much have to replace the whole sheet. Once you screw MDO on a frame it adds to the strenght of the structure. ACM not as much.
TXFB.INS
New Member
While the price for the MDO board is too low, the banner cost is not that out of line.
While it is a good idea to "educate" the customer that there are different grades of material/capabilities it is NOT professional to talk down on the other sign makers.
It is ALWAYS better to show what you can do and if you have an example of their product for a comparison then let the customer see how your products compare.
With all the different prices being thrown around on MDO boards, it raises the question what everyone uses/deems acceptable for use as a sign substrate.
and yes why even use/offer MDO when ACP is so much easier to use and usually cheaper.
The most important that is being overlooked so far is why this customer is looking for another sign maker when the price they are currently paying for rigid signs is so low.
While it is a good idea to "educate" the customer that there are different grades of material/capabilities it is NOT professional to talk down on the other sign makers.
It is ALWAYS better to show what you can do and if you have an example of their product for a comparison then let the customer see how your products compare.
With all the different prices being thrown around on MDO boards, it raises the question what everyone uses/deems acceptable for use as a sign substrate.
- Unprimed
- Primed
- Prefinished
and yes why even use/offer MDO when ACP is so much easier to use and usually cheaper.
The most important that is being overlooked so far is why this customer is looking for another sign maker when the price they are currently paying for rigid signs is so low.
Baz
New Member
I just looked at the quote. Maybe they are using 5'x10' boards? I know it's still a really low price for these signs (way to low) ... but ... It's for Coldwell Bankers .. a real estate company. They probably do many of them and maybe use 5'x10' sheets regularly? If so i'm sure they have many off cuts, easy access and good pricing for that type of material/size? and the layouts on these signs are done in less than 5 minutes.
Pat Whatley
New Member
The Sign-A-Rama quote says "SPECIAL PRICE" next to the MDO. How do you know that special price wasn't a one time deal? Maybe they screwed up an order before and told her they'd do her next sign order at half price. Maybe they had a cancelled order and had two sheets of 3'x5' MDO sitting in the back they were desperate to get rid of. That's the reason price matching is ridiculous....you never know the whole story about what you're bidding against.
HulkSmash
New Member
Bad example. VW > Cadillac.
visual800
Active Member
I agree with Pat I also noticed the "special price" comment and one of the most important things to look at that I dont think no one mentioned...your quoting a real estate dude. I can tell you right now, send his a$$ packing!
As far as the prices being was out of line they ain't as bad as some Ive seen. I do like the way you handled it What more can you do
As far as the prices being was out of line they ain't as bad as some Ive seen. I do like the way you handled it What more can you do
CP Signs
New Member
Wow! Maybe it's the small town difference, we don't have O-Rama places around here, just a few local shops. I charge more for coroplast signs. I don't do a lot of little stuff, but when I do,,,, I charge! Minimum for boat #'s is usually $45. Did a set last week for $90. Our printed banner prices, $10.50 sq ft. We do tons of banners. Again, most times there is a reason for a price like that. Customers never tell the whole story. A few years back, did some signs for a realtor, dirt cheap because he knocked off the 5% commission when selling our house. Now who knows, he could bring that invoice to another shop and ask for a price match. We are told all the time that we are more expensive then most,,,, yet still come to us. Everything has a reason. Good for you,,,, stick to your good services and good quality products. If everybody would do that, this industry would become what it once was. Yes I remember opening a shop and being desperate for work and saying yes to every price match. Ended up being too busy making no money! Stick to your grounds and rock on!
John Butto
New Member
Looks like Signarama is giving VW prices to snare the client and then will slowly move up to a Ford price and down the road get the Caddy prices. That is why the "special" was put in the quote. Note: in today's car market it would be Nissan being the cheapest, Honda in the middle and Lexus being on the high end, Gino is dating himself to the 1960 car market where a VW was about $2,000 and a Caddy was $6,000.
John_jcmotorsportsnj
New Member
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I wish we could get it cheaper.
Mountain Surf
New Member
Signarama - Don't even try
Seriously - Signarama, don't even try. I price very competitively with all the other local joes in my area. I think $350 for what you've described sounds more than fair. There are two Signaramas in the state I'm in, and they slaughter the rest of us with their uber-low prices and 'one hour turnaround.' The only way I can think that they do it is with massive bulk materials ordering. They are, after all, a national franchise. In the past I've tried competing and at this point have realized it's seriously just not worth it.
And PS - people can say whatever they want, but I've inspected the local Signarama's work first hand, and it's crap. Cheap materials, rough edges, direct printing. I don't need to compete with them on the front end, their customers end up coming to me on their own eventually.
Seriously - Signarama, don't even try. I price very competitively with all the other local joes in my area. I think $350 for what you've described sounds more than fair. There are two Signaramas in the state I'm in, and they slaughter the rest of us with their uber-low prices and 'one hour turnaround.' The only way I can think that they do it is with massive bulk materials ordering. They are, after all, a national franchise. In the past I've tried competing and at this point have realized it's seriously just not worth it.
And PS - people can say whatever they want, but I've inspected the local Signarama's work first hand, and it's crap. Cheap materials, rough edges, direct printing. I don't need to compete with them on the front end, their customers end up coming to me on their own eventually.
Gino
Premium Subscriber
While Sign-A-Rama is a well known name, due to their large central advertising campaign, they tend to get a bad rap, due to the many bad ones around years ago. However, many of them today are using the exact same equipment many of you are.... or even wishing for and still outdoing ya.
There's a bunch of them around here and while the most local one is of no competition to us, I know of some turning out really nice and yes........ even high-end work.
I don't think it's fair to judge them all at the same level of incompetence, cause it just ain't so.
There's a bunch of them around here and while the most local one is of no competition to us, I know of some turning out really nice and yes........ even high-end work.
I don't think it's fair to judge them all at the same level of incompetence, cause it just ain't so.
biggmann
New Member
We also have guys offering graphics out of the trunk of their cars and when people come in and want us to match their price I simply ask them are they using the same high quality materials we are and most importantly will they be there for you if their is ever a issue. If they want to go with them I dont hold a grudge or put our competitors down, i let our work speak for ourselves.
We had a customer right across the street from the shop come in and wanted his sign changed and seeing he was part of our community we gave him a super good deal, using our bucket truck we would take his sign down, strip it and apply new graphics. He took the quote and found someone cheaper. This is when the amusement started, these two kids showed up with one ladder and started to slide the face out of the frame, the other guy holding the sign still from the ground with a long 2x4 and as the face came out farther and farther we could see it flex from across the street and of course it snapped and smashed. I saw them pick up the pieces and for a few weeks there was no sign and then we had a visit from the same guy asking us to replace the sign. Now he is into more money with replacing the glass on top of it all, so cheaper is not always better so if they want to save a buck then I wish them good luck.
We had a customer right across the street from the shop come in and wanted his sign changed and seeing he was part of our community we gave him a super good deal, using our bucket truck we would take his sign down, strip it and apply new graphics. He took the quote and found someone cheaper. This is when the amusement started, these two kids showed up with one ladder and started to slide the face out of the frame, the other guy holding the sign still from the ground with a long 2x4 and as the face came out farther and farther we could see it flex from across the street and of course it snapped and smashed. I saw them pick up the pieces and for a few weeks there was no sign and then we had a visit from the same guy asking us to replace the sign. Now he is into more money with replacing the glass on top of it all, so cheaper is not always better so if they want to save a buck then I wish them good luck.