Sign in to follow this  
Guest Triple2Graphix

First Sponsored Race Car!

Recommended Posts

Nice lookin numbers, far under priced . IMO

You learned a hard lesson Quick, always get at least 50% upfront before any cutting is done.

Be thankful you only lost $30.00 in vinyl, but you also lost your time, effort, pay for yourself, and any kind of a profit to reinvest in more vinyl etc.

Hobby or business just starting out, you have to run it like it's a full blown business, even as a hobby thing, you need to get paid for your time, upkeep on your cutter (future replacement unit or parts) and enough to reinvest in more vinyl.

In your linked for sale post you should use those 17's as advertising for yourself.

Turn a bad loss into a positive, drop the clients name that was gonna buy the 17's and RAISE the price of your car lettering "Kits" use those 17's to earn you more money.

Show them with a going rate price and have a 20% off SALE for the next week only, blah blah blah.

Make a few other styles, colors, in a mini size. (mini size to use less vinyl,  taking closeup pics as Examples of whats available and they will look full size)

Mentioning that Custom Lettering and Numbers are available.

I stayed out of the OMG you guys are pricing far too low posts earlier but felt i'd comment now so you can at least try turning this into a positive for yourself after the fact.

Good luck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Triple2Graphix

I am going to hold off on doing anything but a couple of cars i was working on and waiting till they want it and have the money. I'm gonna try to get a storefront shop in the local shopping plaza and hopefully turn it into a full blown graphics shop. Going to get a printer tomorrow so i can start making booklets of custom designs, numbers and lettering that i have done so far. Maybe then i will catch some attention in the area and get it really noticed. I will raise the prices but still won't be to high. More like affordable graphics and charge about 15% less than what i have been charged befor.

I have bright ideas, sometimes i just like to ramble about stuff.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice work on those #'s I like the color combo.

I've been advertising a # kit for $50 locally. Basic Black or White, doors, roof and two 6x6's. Firestorm Graphix has an ad in Circle Track starting at that price point so I've used that as an entry point for my stuff. Lots of guys have been interested in Fluorescent, and kind of stammer when I quote $100 right off the bat :thumbsup:

I'll usually throw in a dozen or so wheel decals and a Driver name & crew at that price.

When I started out this year I picked 3 cars in some of the more popular classes and sponsored them about 50% the cost of the materials, labor was all free. Two of them just wrapped up class championships so it worked out pretty well for me this year!  :thumbsup:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Don't want to hurt any feelings but I too offer the $50.00 special here in Oregon (numbers, basic colors, driver name and a couple of small sponsor names in basic font). Custom orders go up accordingly. I bought my first cutter 4 years ago because I got tired of the prices charged locally for decals for my own car ($150.00).

I now have three cutters and a fairly decent 2nd income. I'm not sure what you folks are using for vinyl but with race cars I use Oracal 651 or 751 as the decals are temporary at best.

I figure I'm using about 3 to 4 yards of 24" material at a cost of $10.00 to $15.00, including tape for the kit.

The folks who buy the kit usually upgrade which brings in more as the year goes on. I know that if I quoted a $100.00 price to most of my customers the rattle cans would come out and the numbers would be painted on so only Krylon would be making any money.

Tom.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If they are only willing to pay $50 for a set of #'s, then a rattle-can job will suffice for them.  They want to pull on the track looking like half-assed amateurs, it isn't my loss.

Racing costs money, and $150 for a decent set of numbers, names and logos isn't breaking the bank.  Most of these guys probably spend that much in fuel for one night vs. a set of decals with (ideally) should last the season.

Stop selling yourself short.  Raising your prices later isn't as easy as you think, and the word-of-mouth advertising you are going to get is "the guy who sells decals REALLY cheap".  You'll never be able to afford a shop with a 15% profit margin on $50 jobs.

Just my two-cents.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Triple2Graphix

I am only selling these at $50 so i can replace the vinyl that was used to make them and so i wont be stuck with numbers i'll never use on my car. Just trying to turn this one negative screw over into a positive sell to replace the vinyl.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well you see I'm a racer myself for over 25 years and remeber when all numbers were painted on. I know first hand who at my local tracks can afford spend money on flash and who can not. Its a fact that many of the Hornet/4cly cars can not afford to spend a lot of money because they don't have it. When they have $300.00 in a race car its hard to justify $150.00 for decals.

I know the kids work real hard all winter to build, and I think they deserve to look their best on race day.

When I talk to the new guys I encourage them to spend money of safety gear not flash.

I sponsor (for free) our local High School team and the kids are very proud of what they do in the shop and I want it to look good on the track for them.

You see not everyone is in NASCAR or drives a late model. The upper classes don't want a basic number kit and when they come to me we start to work on a price.

And you are right, I am known as the cheap (price) sticker guy to the low buck people, but I am also known as a guy who will do a good job at a fair price to others.

I don't make stickers to make a lot of money, I do it to help off set the cost of my hobby (race car) and to help others who share my hobby and love of the sport. Because I'm not a shop owner I guess I should have stayed out of this conversation. But please don't assume when the guy says he needs stickers for a race car he has deep pockets.

Tom.

Ya know they may be willing to pay more than $50.00 but I offer it to them for that price so I just don't know I never asked.  :thumbsup:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My shop is my garage and my overhead is my house payment ;) I grow my business when possible, but profit margins are low in any market now and I refuse to finance this operation until I know I have the business to support it. Prob. not the best business plan, but the only option I have right now financially is to make and keep this a self-sustaining operation.  :thumbsup:

Just about every order I get is an upgrade to the entry-level package, and you're right most guys want a flashy color or two color at the minimum. Anything below that the duct tape and/or kryon comes out  :rolleyes:

I've even had those guys request my company decals to put on their cars (I'm usually 'out of decals' by that point)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this