Question in bulk order of vinyl

[cd1k 11]

Hi everyone my first post. I've got my plotter about nine months ago and been having a lot of fun with it and making some cash one side from full time job.

I'm about to order 10-20 rolls of 651 30x150 and was wondering if anyone else would know if uscutter offers a discount after so many items or $$$ amounts?

Thanks for your help.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Not that I ever heard and I have never seen it cheaper anywhere else.

[mopar691 281]

your going need to order a lot more than that for any significant savings. But if you do frequently order I do suggest going to a local supplier. In a short time prices will be below what online places have unless you only order bits here and tads there. Call around. Talk to your local area reps. There is better pricing out there if you go for it and actually talk to suppliers rather than look at websites. 

[rdrgrafix2 30]

Yeah I order everything thru Fellers and I have noticed my pricing go down several times.  And with free freight over $75 I think it is and warehouses all over the place I get stuff faster than I would thru USCutter

[kal259 18]

 How long would it take you to use 10-20  50 yard rolls? Vinyl does have a shelf life, it gets shorter if not stored properly. I try not to keep more than I need, for large jobs I order fresh rolls from local vendors. If i can't pick it up they can usually deliver next day.

[cd1k 11]

I'm not registered as a business yet. I'm trying this out before I start to go into it to deep. And most places I've called around my area wants to be a business.

It wouldn't be the same color lol. It would be all different colors. I've gone through a lot of vinyl in the last 9 months. Maybe not as much as you guys but for me just having this in my basement.

[xpaperman 719]

If your only part timing it, I don't see why you would want to tie up so much money on inventory you don't need.  In most cases, once you find the right supplier, you should be able to get most things next day anyway.  I have built up a nice little stock over time but nothing crazy....  

 

I mean, if you are working out of your home its not like you have a lot of walk in traffic that wants/expects stuff "while they wait".

 

Stock a few "stock" colors in smaller rolls and go from there.

[Vermonster 111]

Call US Cutter, tell them what you want to do, and see if they're willing to work something out (if nothing else, free shipping maybe).  Most they can do is say NO.  

Fellers does allow you to pick it up too - if there's one close, and you're not in need of THAT much vinyl, I'd suggest slimming that order down some.  As mentioned, you'll not want it to sit around for long periods of time (or maybe look at 15 yard rolls or something)

[jaybyrd 3,770]

If I were going to spend that much I'd buy 10 yard rolls in a bunch of colors. Oh wait that is how I did it lol. I get more sales due to variety than quantity

[cd1k 11]

well I'm not using my own money except for the initial investment which wasn't much. so every dollar i make i put right back into the stock of vinyl i have. I've gotten up to enough $$$ to spread the variety of colors... i will go through all of it in a couple months some slower than others but will go.. and the slow colors i use for testing stuff and using for screen prints(experiment lol). i have plenty of room to store the stuff and very organized with it. like my scraps i use pizza boxes(new ones not used). and always looking for new ideas on here on the forums.

my main thing is i hate waiting for shipping for colors that customers want. it delays the project.

i just emailed fellers to see what they say about my questions. there is two in my area one 20 mins away the other 45 mins.

i just want to keep building up stock on color and series of vinyls. so if i go into being a real registered business. i already have everything i need. well close to it anyways.

[Go-C Graphics 856]

Hi everyone my first post. I've got my plotter about nine months ago and been having a lot of fun with it and making some cash one side from full time job.

I'm about to order 10-20 rolls of 651 30x150 and was wondering if anyone else would know if uscutter offers a discount after so many items or $$$ amounts?

Thanks for your help.

If you want to be successful you really need to sit down and work up alittle business plan.

For example

Do you have ANY idea how much work you'll need to do before you even break even with buying that much vinyl?

I'd be willing to bet it's going to take a while.

My advice.

Take the order from the customer. Order what you need and while you're waiting for you vinyl to come in do all the design work.

Your vinyl will come in and you'll be all ready to cut.

Do it this way and you won't have all this money tied up in vinyl and you'll feel better about it because you'll actually start making a profit sooner.

[cd1k 11]

not worried about making profit right this minute i realize starting a new business I'm not going to make the $$$ up front so why not roll it into the stock and keep it going and get more work.

 

this money isn't out of my pocket so it isn't any loss. i know how long it will take. I'm not looking for a quick $$$. my mind is set if i can do this I'm in it for the long run and to just putting the cash back into it. my normal job supports my bills and life.

 

plus i want this tuff on hand because we all know people on ebay don't want to wait to get stuff... plus if i have on hand i don't have to worry about the listing of colors on ebay and other sales. i always order the colors when they get low. just want to get more variety of colors.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I think fellers needed a copy of my license but it's been a while since I dealt with them and that might have been for my tax status only

[Wildgoose 4,200]

I bought a bunch of colors when I started up thinking I would need it on hand and still have two of those unopened. White, black, gold metallic and light red are steady sellers. The blues and greens have so many shades they're tough to have any that works unless it's a repeat customer. I don't stock much 751 besides the aforementioned 4 and a couple that my regulars use but always order extra so I end up with decent amounts of all colors/types with a few yards on the roll. 

[rdrgrafix2 30]

In reality it is money out of your pocket.  You could take a third or half of the profits from jobs and put that into more stock and put the other half into newer better equipment or advertising or even better in your pocket.  Take the advice from those of us that have done this for years and order it as you need it.  I have rolls of stuff here that only needed for one job etc and there it sits unless you talk someone into it.  Just order it as you need it and you will get it the next day from Fellers.  Whats the chances of you getting a job that is 24 hr turnaround or less?  Not that high.  Shops like us get them all the time but there is a limitation that they want it that fast they go with one of our normally stocked colors.  Sitting on inventory and inventory that has a shelf life just is not a good idea

[cd1k 11]

I just hate not having what a person wants on hand and not getting that task done right away and getting out behind. Lol I'm sure you guys know what I mean.

And since a kellers is only 20 mins away I'm going to try them out.

Maybe that will solve my solution to this question. Hopefully they don't want a tax id number or anything at this time. Hopefully they will let me order with out. I want to get my bus lic and tax id. But at this time in my situation in going on right now I'd like to stay off the books. If you know what I mean.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I still like to stay off the books when I can

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

   My situation,  I have ran my online stores for years now, and only have 50 yd rolls. In over 35 colors. I would never do it any other way.  I sell large decals  8-16 ft, x 2 and would never consider buy as I go or 10 yd rolls.  My buyers make a direct purchase, and I have a 2 day handling time. (Buyers complain about more handling time). Those orders have got to roll out my door in 2 days,or I would be getting bad feed back.  and piled up on orders, waiting on vinyl. No way   I ship same day/next day always..  Maybe if you sold little decals, you might be able to get away with it.. But not large decals. And I have never had a problem with old vinyl...  I started with 10 yd rolls, made a sale and then purchased that color in 50 yd...until I had everything in 50 yd rolls.. If you have a successful biz, you are using that vinyl. Depends on what the OP is selling, If you have a successful biz you cannot sit there and order vinyl everyday, and wait for it to come in, just so you can work.  And when I get down to 1/2 a roll, I am ordering vinyl.   I sell online only..

[rdrgrafix2 30]

For online sales I can understand that.  My perspective is more from a walk in shop where most stuff is 3 - 5 day turnaround.  Also normal colors are stocked on hand until you get into some blue's green's stuff like that.  Helps that Fellers is 15 mins away

[jaybyrd 3,770]

3-5 day turnaround, I wish. We do most in less than 48 hours and on 4x8 or similar we get into 3-4 days. If I tell them more than 4 days they store shopping around.

[jarrotto 78]

3-5 day turnaround, I wish. We do most in less than 48 hours and on 4x8 or similar we get into 3-4 days. If I tell them more than 4 days they store shopping around.

 

I wish i could get supplies in 24-48 hours like you said before.

 

Where i live only one "local supplier" delivers substrate in their own trucks.  But they only deliver once a week.  UsCutter delivers in 2 days which is great.

 

Grimco will ship me a 4x8 sheet of Coroplast UPS for $160 + price of Coroplast.     

 

Grimco is 3.5 hours away.  The "local supplier" is 2 hours away.

[rdrgrafix2 30]

Yeah around here 3-5 days is going time.  Dont get me wrong we do get a good amount of rush jobs but the majority have no issues with that turnaround time

[KYSIGN 233]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Mz SKEETER" data-cid="367348" data-time="1407342731"><p>

My situation, I have ran my online stores for years now, and only have 50 yd rolls. In over 35 colors. I would never do it any other way. I sell large decals 8-16 ft, x 2 and would never consider buy as I go or 10 yd rolls. My buyers make a direct purchase, and I have a 2 day handling time. (Buyers complain about more handling time). Those orders have got to roll out my door in 2 days,or I would be getting bad feed back. and piled up on orders, waiting on vinyl. No way I ship same day/next day always.. Maybe if you sold little decals, you might be able to get away with it.. But not large decals. And I have never had a problem with old vinyl... I started with 10 yd rolls, made a sale and then purchased that color in 50 yd...until I had everything in 50 yd rolls.. If you have a successful biz, you are using that vinyl. Depends on what the OP is selling, If you have a successful biz you cannot sit there and order vinyl everyday, and wait for it to come in, to work. And when I get down to 1/2 a roll, I am ordering vinyl. I sell online only..</p></blockquote>

Wow Mz Skeeter. Are you using 651 or 751? That would be some serious coin for 751. It hurts my wallet just thinking about it.

[djque 246]

I have a few 10 yrd's in stock but If I need to buy more I'm 15 minutes away to 45 minutes away from for pickup. but im not really big time as I only been doing vinyl for 1 year now. I just upgraded to a Graphtec cutter so I feel more better about selling vinyl cut really neat. with my other cutter I had a lot of baby sitting the cutter to make sure it tracked right or cut long graphics

 

what kinda of equipment does to OP have.

[cd1k 11]

I mostly do small decals on eBay and some store front stuff locally and misc other stuff. Most of my new business has been for a friend that makes custom corn hole boards.

Us cutter lp 2. Only problem I've had with the plotter is that it drops the project on bigger cuts. Guessing it's the low memory in the machine.