I'm officially retireing from doing race car lettering!!!!

[gnatt66]

i just charged the most i've ever charged to letter a racecar. i dont do pylon signs, electrical, etc. but i got $800 from a client for his modified (partial wrap in ij35c/200). and scored his business truck lettering work too. im SURE some of you guys make 1000+ a day. i don't but i have any problem making $$ on racecars. its a niche thing..

 

[Mosh]

Every spring I get morons...eerr Race Car guys come in and show me a design on their phone "can you do this", they never seem to have enough money.

The over the last 6-7 years there have been at least 10-20 plotters in my area for sale, Racers who got charged too much buy them, them when the racing gets old the sell everything off....Mostly junk, but I picked up an old Roland 24" PNC1100 for $50 one time.

 

[Jeff]

Funny, we're getting into the race scene more seriously. We're taking a different approach though. I've been building this off and on for the last 6 months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOarRuyulyg&noredirect=1

This is just another lovely thing the lettering industry needs. It's bad enough that there are so many "sign maker / graphic artists / hobbyists" around today producing crap let's add another easy way to make more crappy looking stuff that you can't read! (by the way this idea is not that inventive, there are several places you can design your own signs, business cards and such on line)

When I started out in this biz I was lucky enough to have what I rate as two of the best ever stock car lettering people right here locally. Jack Heiman & Roger Foss are two of the best at layout and use of color. I never did get as good as them but always tried reel hard. Here is a link to some of Jack & Rogers work. (there is stuff from other people as well, most are marked)

I still go to a fair amount of short track races here in the midwest and I personally think it is pathetic how far away from good legible lettering cars have gotten to. But I guess maybe I'm just gettin' old and crotchety

 

[Mosh]

Jack Heiman & Roger Foss would never make it today, not near "fancy" enough...LOL

 

[SignManiac]

My business partner stopped by the local career central office this morning to see if they had any graphic designer listed. We need a good in house designer and web person full time. The lady at the front desks asked him, you mean you're looking for somebody that uses the print screen button right? He just said never mind and walked out the door.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

I haven't touched race cars in years. Every one of them wants it next to nothing because some dink bag at the track "will wrap it for $500" but will also ask "if you put your logo on it as a sponsor will you drop the price?"

**** THAT!

I will stick to paying customers.

That isn't to say I wouldn't do one at almost cost ... but it would have to be for a cause I support like a charity or something and require my logo be the only one on the rear quarter fenders extremely large.

 

[Jeff]

This is one of Mr. FLORSCENT's lettering jobs. They make this same mistake time after time after time...

 

[Design it Graphics]

I love my Racecar clients! here are 3 that I am wrapping / have wrapped and maintain.

The matte black car will be a Jagermeister livery with inverted colors here in a few days.

 

[knucklehead]

I've said it a hundred times.... You want the drag racers. They spend money on their cars.... round round turn left drivers want it for free....

Absolutely, like they came from two different planets.

 

[mark galoob]

i wont even quote race cars or realators any more...just a big waste of my time to even quote them...

mark galoob

 

[Gino]

We might get some sort of a race car from time to time anymore, but the costs are discussed up front and we basically tell them what and how we'll be doing it. They either agree or move on.

I will quote a racer, real estate agent, garbage truck company or swimming pool committee..... they all have the same money to spend, it just depends on who they want to spend it with. Ya never know when one will surprise you. In the last two years or so, real estate people are paying quite well for our signs and services. In my opinion, we make a killing, but they know up front what they're getting and can't get the same deal anywhere else. From large banners to 12 or 15 site signs to fleets of skid signs. We're just turning them out all the time.

Come late this Spring and we're gonna run a real estate campaign that should work to our advantage and get us a nice amount of work. Building is starting up again and things are easing up little by little, so we'll be there before they come looking for deals.

I'm anticipating needing to hire another person partly due to this... plus another one just for instals. We'll see.

Anyway, quote your price and if they like it... great. If not, just get rid of them and sell to the next person. Don't waste time or effort on a lost cause.
​

 

[Stanton]

We might get some sort of a race car from time to time anymore, but the costs are discussed up front and we basically tell them what and how we'll be doing it. They either agree or move on.

I will quote a racer, real estate agent, garbage truck company or swimming pool committee..... they all have the same money to spend, it just depends on who they want to spend it with. Ya never know when one will surprise you. In the last two years or so, real estate people are paying quite well for our signs and services. In my opinion, we make a killing, but they know up front what they're getting and can't get the same deal anywhere else. From large banners to 12 or 15 site signs to fleets of skid signs. We're just turning them out all the time.

Come late this Spring and we're gonna run a real estate campaign that should work to our advantage and get us a nice amount of work. Building is starting up again and things are easing up little by little, so we'll be there before they come looking for deals.

I'm anticipating needing to hire another person partly due to this... plus another one just for instals. We'll see.

Anyway, quote your price and if they like it... great. If not, just get rid of them and sell to the next person. Don't waste time or effort on a lost cause.
​

I enjoy reading you.