Keeley

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Posts posted by Keeley

  1. Posted

    5 hours ago, slice&dice said:

    Whoa, Keely, don't walk away quite yet from that unit!

    Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 / Vista / XP are all compatible to run that cutter.

    Furthermore, keep in mind that the basic underlying mechanics of all plotters were developed by H-P back in the late 1950's - early 1960's. The cutters we all use today are essentially the same 'under the hood' as those.

    Also, the seller of this Roland might accept less than $300. Maybe even $150. Ya neva know.

    In any case, never buy any used cutter from someone without first having them demonstrate it works. And if it works, it works. The fact of the matter is probably even SignBlazer will be capable of getting this thing to cut.

     

    Good to know! Maybe I'll contact him after all 

  5. Posted

    On 7/31/2018 at 2:46 PM, julian keller said:

    ABSOFREAKINGLOUTLY! Trying to compete with the crafters over there with no overhead other than the fees is next to impossible. They buy the cheap vinyl and sell dirt cheap. While you by quality and only offer the best, people are looking for a cheap option hence going to Etsy. If it lasts 2 months then they are fine with it as they only spent $2 for it. I took some advice from here and only do large items now.  I might not get as many but I make a profit. I also do T-shirts and was just able to acquire a press so I can knock out those 50-100+ jobs I have been wanting to sink into from contacts i have made going to the networking get togethers that the chamber of commerce has every so often.

     

    I was wrong 2x and 15 years on the 3rd, 3 strikes or 3rd times the charm right...LOL

    Which vinyl do you speak of? :blink: 

  6. Posted

    2 hours ago, Wildgoose said:

    I'm with all the previous posts. We usually recommend to buy the best you can afford but the water gets a little murky in the middle. There is the super budget MH which is truly for the very timid and also one that is the hardest to make work well. The next few steps up are pretty similar until you start into the servo motors and then there is another jump up to higher quality. I think those who have the servo titans have good luck and the new SC seems to do pretty well for itself as a stepper. I started with a Creation P-Cut which they no longer offer but was at the time a small step above the SC. Probably below the new SC2 would be my guess. I ran it for a couple years and got by. Learned a lot of valuable lessons that you won't learn with a higher end because they just work without a bunch of adjustment. I saved up and finally dropped a few thousand on my current cutter and wow what a difference. 

    If you buy a cutter and take the time to learn the whole gambit you will definitely earn a return if you are even remotely savvy. The whole gambit includes graphic work, using your cutter, application, and most likely other offshoot branches such as heat transfer vinyl (t-shirts).  For me this started out as a new hobby and POTENTIAL revenue stream. 7 years later we did 80K gross income in our dining room in the evenings and weekends. Even if I ever get tired of it being WORK I will never be without a vinyl cutter again in my life (if I have any choice in the matter.) WAY TOO MUCH FUN and the absolute first hobby I have ever had that actually MAKES money instead of costing. I still do lots of freebie funs stuff for friends and family which is why I bought the stuff in the first place. 

    Dining room table..sounds familiar!! Lol. Do you sell online or in person?

    • Like 1

  8. Posted

    I wanted to be as budget conscious as possible, but I also don't want to turn out bad product. I also live on a 2nd floor so a servo motor would be ideal. It's just the fear of taking the plunge, spending almost a grand, and not being successful. I also worry that if I were to make my own website I wouldn't get the widespread audience that I would with Amazon Prime. I so appreciate all of your comments. I think I need to call USCutters and request they bring a showroom to northern ca :D

  9. Posted

    1 hour ago, MZ SKEETER said:

    For under $1000,  the Titan 2,  it has a servo motor, more accurate, and quiet.   A 24" width is standard width for a vinyl cutter.  12" wide rolls work just fine on a 24" cutter.  The  value cutters can do smaller text, but not as good as a cutter with a servo motor. Will take a lot more tinkering with it. You do not want a cutter below 24". 

    The Titan 2 is on sale right now for $799, best bet for a servo cutter.  Saving $200

    https://www.uscutter.com/Titan-2-SE-Vinyl-Cutter

    Why are you worried about what others are doing in the Bay Area?   I thought you are selling online.. I live in a small town in the midwest.  I only sell online and have no problems doing it. I sell to 50 states.    It also takes a lot of hoops to jump to sell on Amazon. A guy on here just went thru that.  

    I suppose I just assumed that large decals were sold more in person to help them apply the decal. Or maybe falling asleep lol

  12. Posted

    1 hour ago, MZ SKEETER said:

    Stay away from the MH cutters, they are bottom of the barrel cutters and very prone to static issues,  limited memory, as well as tracking problems.    Anything higher is best.  I would not consider running any type of business with a Cricut or Cameo.  What has your friend suggested?

    If your going to sell decals, first find a niche'. Not copy from what everyone else does, or your just competing against the lowest price.  Small decals have no profit.    You would just be spinning your wheels and going no where.  And do not do copyrighted items.   Even if you see others selling them.  You can be sued and kept in the courts a very long time. Those lawyers just look for people doing their copyrights and those businesses have more money to pay their lawyers than you do. 

    Personally my niche' is large decals.  And I mean large   I would much rather sell large decal sets for $50-$150 which takes no longer than 60 minutes start to finish.  

    Thanks for your reply! I make all my own graphics or purchase extended licenses for the vectors that I think will sell well. No way in hell do I want to get sued! I have my niche picked out and I'm raring to go. My friend makes around $5000 a month utilizing amazon prime. I'm comfortable with that! He uses a Titan 2. Yes I had a feeling that the  MH models sucked. I would love to spend $1500 on a better model but it's just not in the cards right now. What do you recommend for something under the $1000 range? Since I'm in the Bay Area there's a ton of local competition for big decals

  13. Posted

     

    Hey all,

     

    I have a friend who successfully sells on Amazon who suggested I delve into the world of selling decals! I have a Cricut Air Explore 2 which would work well for a marketplace like Etsy but I want to reach Amazon. The Cricut Explore Air2 can only cut up to 24 inches at a time. A similar machine, the Silhouette Cameo, can cut up to 10 ft but I've read mixed reviews. I cannot hear the Cricut once I behind a closed door which is a plus because I work out of my home. I can't find exactly how fast it cuts vinyl so I can't really compare to anything else. I've read that the Cameo is slower than the Cricut.  I need faster output. Since I haven't sold a thing yet I can't justify purchasing anything top of the line, but I eventually plan on it. I read lots of mixed reviews on the USCutter MH Line but I need something where I can successfully produce more. How loud are these things? You can't hear the Cricut if the door is closed but it can take 10 mins to cut a detailed sq ft of decals. No contour cutting required! I'm comfortable learning any software. For now I can only spend at the very most $400.

     

    Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm in the SF Bay area and I can't find anywhere that I can see equipment in action to decide for myself. It's hard to shop for an investment online!

     

    Thanks everyone!