How much inventory?

[cdiesel]

The other thread about how to determine how much vinyl is left on a roll got me to thinking about an old question I have. I've always read in the magazines that do the annual reports that a lot of shops only stock like 20 rolls of vinyl, not counting digital media. I've always thought this was crazy, as we stock about 200 colors, and carry back stock on a lot--we almost *never* run out of anything, or have to order anything to complete a job.
That's in addition to the digital media. I'm wondering a guestimate of total vinyl inventory value.. So where's everyone else stand on inventory?

 

[Samm]

I keep 30ish colours of premium vinyl, and 12 of short term (use this for speedway)

No digital media here.

 

[Pat Whatley]

You stock 200 rolls of vinyl? My local supplier doesn't have 200 rolls of vinyl. We keep anywhere from 20-30 rolls in stock, depending on how much is left from special orders. I've got 16 colors that I have on hand all the time. When I can call Fellers today and have my vinyl tomorrow there's no reason for us to stock every color known to man.

How many shades of green will I actually need?

 

[WOODBS]

i got about 40 rolls of colored vinyl.. 75 rolls of 30 inch various print vinyl..just got the oracal reflective too. not a big shop like yours though///

 

[iSign]

I voted over $5000, but that's counting digital media too.
If I count inks, foils, substrates... I'b over $15K

 

[cdiesel]

Haha Pat.. That's what we tell our suppliers sometimes--that we stock more vinyl than they do. I've even threatened to go direct and start wholesaling if they can't keep what I need in stock!
But yes, we stock over 200 unique colors.. not rolls. Roll count is more like 260 by the time you count all the backstock. Then we've got another 75 or so rolls of various digital media (3951, 3651, 13oz, 18oz banner of different sizes, etc).. We do a lot of truck lettering, and the drivers don't have time to wait, and won't be back in town 'til who knows when. If we can't match the color they want then and there, we don't get the job. For greens, I think we have about eight, plus another five or six metallic greens!

And Brett, our shop's NOT big! My first apartment was 100 sq feet larger than our shop is!

 

[WOODBS]

oops, sorry. didn't mean to seem out of line. i just knew you and bro had a good shop.. well, send me pics of the new and improved when it happens..

 

[cdiesel]

Not out of line at all! You should see how crowded everything is. As I've posted before, we actually had to more our screen printing press to one of our employee's houses to make room. Thank God we're all skinny here!
Permit applications are going in next week, as I just signed off on the drawings yesterday. We're getting antsy now!

 

[511graphix]

I had a shop about 15 min drive from me( they alway helped me in a pinch wish I didnt move for that reason.) they had 120 colors on the floor, and 4 to 5 stock in the back, all 50 yd 651 to 851 and they had just add their 64" printer so they didnt have much yet...........nice shop and nice people.

 

[freehand]

You must be very rich to keep so much money in your stock.
I have about 20 rols of vinyl, and 5-6 rols of printing materials.
And dont sdee no need to have more, cause everything is coming next day after the order.
And there are no such emergency jobs around to have that a lager.

 

[ndemond]

We stock about 20 -25 rolls various colors and quality. Anything we don't have in stock gets delivered next day. We also order smaller amounts 10-15 yards for odd off the wall colors that will only be used once. Also make sure to order enough to do it twice just in case. (oops)

 

[onesource]

I'm figuring I have about 3-5g's at the shop but it's just what's there.
My shop is not open to the public so I don't really need to keep much.
I think if your doors are open to public your stock is going to be proportional to the amount of business your doing, then you know what's needed from there

 

[GregT]

I'm sitting here counting about 200 rolls of vinyl on the shelf. Some is digital, some is calendared, some cast, reflective, and metallic. We normally have what the customer wants when they walk in the door.

I had a customer (paint and body shop) stop in today and need striping for a truck that needed to be done this evening. I was able to match the color and made a very nice profit from the 4ft of vinyl that we cut for him.

 

[woolly]

sorry but think incorrect question cos of stock value will go up and down according to turnover. a company with 5 workers would have far more value in stock than a person on there own.

possibly better question would be how may different rolls are on the shelf.
as a business becomes more established it will hold a wider range of materials but not necessarily much of each, except black red white etc.

i keep 10 mts each of some 6 odd colours for shading etc but would have a 50 mtr roll of black.

having been established some 20 years you could imagine there are quite a few left over bits from special orders. which have to be flushed out every now and again.
over the last few years been keeping both 610 and 1220 rolls of popular colours. so we can get better use from the material.

another question could be what is the percentage of stock value to annual turnover.

just trying to make the thread more meaningful

woolly

ps. the worst thing i think you can do is show a customer a colour swatch

 

[signguy27]

i wish i had 100 rolls on the wall..lol i have about 20 cast 24". and 5 digital rolls (including banner.)

 

[Replicator]

got at least 30 rolls 24" vinyl and at least 30 rolls 15" all the time !

 

[Ken]

Inventory is an expense. I keep a minimum of full rolls( it does have a shelf life)..just the standard stuff that is required. I can order vinyl by the yard..it arrives the next day, maybe 2 days. Haven't lost a job because of waiting for material.
I'm voting less than 3K.
Ken

 

[D&Tgraphics]

I have about 20 rolls of 24" vinyl in stock and about 10 rolls of digital media. I'm trying to weed my vinyl rolls down to only stock about 10 of my standard colors. I do more print than cut these days and if I do need a certain color I will either print it or order it per job and have it next day.

 

[high impact]

I am shocked!

We a very small shop and I just counted over 165 rolls of vinyl, calendared, cast, reflective, metallic and digital. This doesn't include heat press material, banner and magnetic.

hehehe...you don't want to know how many shades of green we have! ;-)

 

[ScottyDoo]

We're a large shop, but we've easily got about 250+ rolls of vinyl ranging from 15" rolls to 48" rolls, and then on the digital side, my department, I have about 30 rolls of 54" media, banner, cast, calendared, laminates, etc.

Our supplier is huge and only 5 hours north. We can get nearly anything overnight to us at no extra charge as we get free freight due to how much we order from them. Largest customer by far.