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messed on by the local sign hack... that isn't even in business anymore

Kottwitz-Graphics

Kottwitz-Graphics

New Member
I went to meet with a (hopefully) new customer yesterday, and I've been screwed by the local hack...and the problem is she is out business....priced her self out...

She sold this guy a 4 x 8 alum sign, with sign gold ( and some logos) for , get this, $350...

He almost choked when I told him that my cost (with out sign gold) $550...

Oh well... can't win them all...
 
Jester1167

Jester1167

Premium Subscriber
I was thinking the 1-2 year polyester versions like Oracal 351. The stuff that turns matte silver in a couple of years. With signgold and the 4x8 blank you have about $300 - $400 in materials depending on the coverage before any markup and labor.
 
nashvillesigns

nashvillesigns

Making America great, one sign at a time.
sign hack

ha. good one. any customer that comes here and says that gets this for a response:
"here is the real price and clearly, you can understand why she is out of business...."
 
Pat Whatley

Pat Whatley

New Member
Jillbeans said:
My local hack is selling a double-sided (poorly designed) 4'x8', installed, for $250.
:banghead:
Love....Jill
Click to expand...

$40 polymetal
$25 two posts
$15 cheap vinyl
....a couple of hours time in the evening while drinking beer in the garage to make the sign.
....and hours time to install

No insurance, no license, no permits, no taxes.

Make $210 for three hours work. I've got a legit shop and I'm not clearing $70 an hour.
 
Kottwitz-Graphics

Kottwitz-Graphics

New Member
Jester1167 said:
Are you sure it was actually sign gold and not some cheap knock-off?
Click to expand...

Yep, it is a floritine pattern, and really very thin.... Not thick like a mylar....

It was the guys shop name, about 8" tall, and a boarder, about 3/4" thick around the shape that the shop name is in...

The kick in the south end is he never hung the sign up, and now he wants to make changes. I quoted $350 to remove the vinyl that needs to come off, and replace it...but I hate working on someone else's panel...

:banghead:
 
L

Locals Find!

New Member
Pat Whatley said:
$40 polymetal
$25 two posts
$15 cheap vinyl
....a couple of hours time in the evening while drinking beer in the garage to make the sign.
....and hours time to install

No insurance, no license, no permits, no taxes.

Make $210 for three hours work. I've got a legit shop and I'm not clearing $70 an hour.
Click to expand...

The difference Pat is we are in the South and these boys are up north. $70 up yonder doesn't buy what it does down here. The lowballer there is King of the Hill here. It's all relative. This is why pricing is hard to discuss on here.

What is good money for me here wouldn't pay the electric or gas bill for a day somewhere else.
 
John Butto

John Butto

New Member
Adtechia said:
The difference Pat is we are in the South and these boys are up north. $70 up yonder doesn't buy what it does down here. The lowballer there is King of the Hill here. It's all relative. This is why pricing is hard to discuss on here.

What is good money for me here wouldn't pay the electric or gas bill for a day somewhere else.
Click to expand...
In the south the expression on Adtechia's comment is "The pot calling the kettle black"
 
Kottwitz-Graphics

Kottwitz-Graphics

New Member
Adtechia said:
The difference Pat is we are in the South and these boys are up north. $70 up yonder doesn't buy what it does down here.
Click to expand...

You have that right. I moved to Maryland from Mississippi in 1998. In rural Mississippi, I bought a 3 b/r ranch house on 7 acres of land for $32,000. Here in rural Maryland I paid $130,000 for a 3 b/r house in town with a detached garage...:omg:
 
F

fresh

New Member
Kottwitz-Graphics said:
You have that right. I moved to Maryland from Mississippi in 1998. In rural Mississippi, I bought a 3 b/r ranch house on 7 acres of land for $32,000. Here in rural Maryland I paid $130,000 for a 3 b/r house in town with a detached garage...:omg:
Click to expand...

I can't buy a roofless crack-house with bullet holes through the windows and siding for $130K near me.

edit: Oh wait! Maybe I can!!
 
Techman

Techman

New Member
The difference Pat is we are in the South and these boys are up north. $70 up yonder doesn't buy what it does down here
Click to expand...

When it comes to sign supplies that is pure bullscat. 100% pure.

I've been to both sides of the country and supplies cost the same within a few points every where.

As for building a house the costs are higher in the north because of the Gubmit regulations and the housing designs. Houses in the North demand thicker walls and other considerations for living on -20 degree weather.

As I posted on another thread. The demand for signage is strong. The demand for good low cost and quick signage is even stronger. That is why the lamers are popping up all the time.
 
SignManiac

SignManiac

New Member
That's always been my reply when they tell me so and so did it for x and x price. I ask, why are you here for a price and not getting it from the other guy? Well they aren't in business anymore. Hmmm? Maybe if they were charging enough, they would still be in business.

Don't worry about losing a job under those circumstances. Just move on the customers who say thank you, when can I pick up my sign. That's just the way the universe works.
 
TyrantDesigner

TyrantDesigner

Art! Hot and fresh.
See, if it wasn't sign gold, I could do $350 on a sign like that even if it's a 2 post guy. It's 1 hour of design time, 2 hours of production (cutting, weeding, masking, applying, pre-drilling holes in 4x4's and installing hardware, predrilling holes in sign ... 2 hours ... maybe), hour of site survey, hour of install (2-3 if rocks/roots/rabid midgets present) ... yeah even with materials that price is doable. And that is for a one man shop, if you have a designer, a production guy and an install guy, that is pretty much a 2 day turn around of just down time work for your employees. Man hours would be the same either way and if I get everything done in half the time, go me.

$250 I would do if it was more than just that one sign and I was being a REALLY nice guy and that was the cherry on the cake of big order vs no order. doubtful though. With sign gold ... I would just charge them the difference with a markup on the sign gold vs high performance or digital print.

Also, what others have said of area of the country affecting price ... pretty accurate. When I was in Orlando, I would have had to charge aroun $500 for something like this. Or if my shop had attrocious overhead.
 
Marlene

Marlene

New Member
when you say aluminum what kind? .040 is pretty cheap but with the mark up the sheet would go for approx. $100 so that doesn't leave much for labor, and the gold
 
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