You want vinyl for your Cricut?

[Jane Diaz]

I just had a lady in, wanted to know if she could buy scraps for her Cricut. She said the "videos online" said to go to your local sign shop and they would give you their scraps! WHAT?!
I told her I couldn't sell supplies as I was not a retail store and then I would have to pay sales tax on it and we didn't have any scraps.
How do you handle this?

 

[HDvinyl]

$19.95/sq ft

 

[Steve C.]

I usually just give them whatever scraps I have laying around. Most of it
I would just throw out anyway. They are just hobbyist, no real threat to
business.

 

[Techman]

It is out of the box telling their customers to get their vinyl for their machines cheap or FREE from another business.

We are not a friggin marketing benefit for their friggin marketing plan.. I will sell you good vinyl for your project or even cut some figures for you.

That is what I tell them when the occasional looking for a hand out door kicker comes in asking for cricut scraps.

 

[Mosh]

I tell them vinyl cutting is a thing of the past and I digital print everything....I love the sad look on their face when I pop their vinyl sign making bubble.

How about the opposite, just this morning I had some moron bring in a roll of vinyl and wanted his race car letters cut. He couldn't afford the price I quoted him for just cutting it. He told me I won't be in business long pricing like that....I've been here since 1988 so must be doing something right.

 

[Z SIGNS]

For me it depends on their attitude.

If it was just a polite hobbyist who is willing to pay.I would probably just give them some scraps.

Hobbyist or newbies are not a threat.

If it was someone with an entitlement attitude who's going to conquer the world and make huge profits with his new toy I would hand him a fellers catalog.

 

[Steve C.]

I do agree that it's presumptuous for Cricut to tell their customers they can
get free vinyl from any sign shop. But maybe they will remember I was nice
to them and recommend me to someone after they have given up on their
part time vinyl cutting business.

 

[Billct2]

Depends on how they ask and the mood I'm in.

 

[StarSign]

$2 a running foot on 15" vinyl stock calendered colors only

 

[fresh]

We don't have "scraps." We keep a small box of cut-offs that are large enough to warrant not throwing away.

I will sell vinyl off the roll, but I charge a min of $20.

I'll also resell entire rolls for 2x my cost.

 

[heyskull]

As for scrap vinyl.

Up until last year I would give all my scraps to local schools as they always were welcome of it.
Last year I was called by one of the schools we gave to and asked whether we had any offcuts or scraps they could have.
I told them yes come and get them.
A week later I got a call back to ask if we could deliver as they were not allowed to pick up due to health and safety reasons!
I ask you " What's that all about"???!!!

Also another issue with scraps and offcuts is what is a scrap or off cut?
I had a guy looking for a scrap or off cut of acrylic last week that measured 5'x3'!!!!!
I politely said "their is no such thing as an off cut!!!"
And most definitely a 5'x3' is not an off cut!


SC

 

[SignManiac]

I think I'll put together a little box of scraps to keep on the counter in case they hit me up. Several pieces in assorted colors approximately 1" x 2" in size. They can have free of charge, any three pieces per calendar year!

 

[MikePro]

"not for re-sale. educational & recycling purposes only. limited colors & sizes may apply. cash donations for office pizza-party" ....@$10psf

 

[StopSignGraphics]

Last year I was in a craft store with the wife and opened up a box of the "Cricut" vinyl, on the back it had oracal 631 and the price was around $15 for 2 square feet. I'll be happy to resale my scrap to them for that rate. If I'm in a good mood I might even knock 10 cents off.

 

[mark-s]

I sell it to them at $10.00 a sq.ft.

mark-s

 

[GAC05]

I have some awesome 7725 that seems to have welded it's self to the plastic backer sheet - 50% off while supplies last.....


wayne k
guam usa

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

We don't have "scraps." We keep a small box of cut-offs that are large enough to warrant not throwing away.

I will sell vinyl off the roll, but I charge a min of $20.

I'll also resell entire rolls for 2x my cost.

We do this exact same thing. We will sell vinyl, substrate, VHB tape...you want it...we got it. But we do so at a retail cost to the customer of a 100% markup over wholesale. We sell 24" calendered vinyl at $6.00 a yard, economy cast at $9.00 a yard, and premium cast at $12.00 a yard. We stock quite a few 4' x 8" panels as well because we always take advantage of sales and stock items ahead. So if we get 1/8" ACM panels at $42.00 a pop and can resell them for upwards of $140.00 a panel, with no work involved, I'd be happy to do it.

Now back when I was a tattoo artist, it was way different because it's generally considered unethical to sell tattoo supplies to the general public. Some shops will argue that they are only getting safe, sterile equipment into the hands of those who are going to tattoo themselves and others anyway, but I've never considered that practice ethical.

I don't really consider it an ethical matter selling sign making supplies to the general public so I would do it all day, every day if I could. Most times, people who ask if they can buy materials aren't using them for sign making, scrap booking or anything that has to do with plotter cutting. We sold 4 yards of calendered black vinyl last year to a guy who used it across the back of his aquarium, which worked out great for him. We've had people buy it to make paint stencils, wrap a bruised up helmet visor, and we've sold coroplast panels for something that had to do with dividing a cage for hamsters? Hahaha!

As far as the off-cuts, we also save our larger pieces rolled up and sealed in a plastic tub. The tub is getting full. I would LOVE it if someone would come buy it up at roughly $6.00 a yard. We seldom ever wind up using much of it, anyway.

 

[Gino]

I just had a lady in, wanted to know if she could buy scraps for her Cricut. She said the "videos online" said to go to your local sign shop and they would give you their scraps! WHAT?!
I told her I couldn't sell supplies as I was not a retail store and then I would have to pay sales tax on it and we didn't have any scraps.
How do you handle this?

I don't know why it would be odd, if someone came in and offered to buy your scraps..... regardless of what she/he were gonna use it for ??

As for not having any scraps, I'd love to have that problem. I wouldn't have to have a dumpster emptied all the time and pay out the whazoo for it.

Besides, I thought hobbyists had feelings too and needed to start somewhere. Kicking them in the teeth sounds a bit harsh, huh ??
​

 

[Techman]

not kick them in the teeth. Let them know they were scammed by cricut.
It seems cricut has more than this little tidbit to be called scammers.

 

[synergy_jim]

When I was 18 I went to a local sign shop to buy a little bit of yellow vinyl for my motorcycle. The lady there charged me $20.00 for what I now know cost her 50 cents. I don't want to be that lady.... Or a lady at all... That person you rip off today could be that $20,000 customer tomorrow. I happily give my scraps away.