Junior 11 Posted November 21, 2020 (edited) The local news done a story about me. One of my friends contacted them about some of the things ive done for just friends but still have not gotten any orders. JUST DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY. News article here https://www.wxii12.com/article/high-point-business-sandblowing-art/34742879# Edited November 21, 2020 by Junior 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted November 21, 2020 $20 for a beer mug? Yeah, uh, no. You want to jump from a hobby to a business, maybe consider looking more closely at your competition? Etsy (the premier marketplace for custom-made items) has several of these types of mugs for about half that price. Anyway, as long as you're having fun and keeping busy with friends' requests, that's important, too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted November 21, 2020 slice&dice with Etsy people charge for shipping also which is any where from $5.85 to $17.00. With the $20.00 shipping is included. So should i lower the prices. As i want to make money not keep doing it for friends for next to nothing or free. I like for advice as you all been doing this a lot longer than i have. Just needing your advice as with Etsy they charge for shipping my prices is included in the shipping. Please i am asking for your advice. As you all been in this a lot longer than i have Thanks As seen here https://www.etsy.com/listing/184559560/la-dodgers-sandblasted-mug?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=sandblasted+beer+mug&ref=sr_gallery-1-10&organic_search_click=1 Ready to ship in 3–5 business days Cost to ship$12.35 Also here https://www.etsy.com/listing/528584458/etched-glass-beer-mug-personalized-glass?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=sandblasted+beer+mug&ref=sc_gallery-1-7&plkey=4d8d9ac772dfa0221810b55c552b473aa96fa3a0%3A528584458 Ready to ship in 1–3 business days Cost to ship $13.20 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 21, 2020 if you are selling the same thing as everyone else you will only make sales to friends or make no money - trick is to have unique items that the other 200,000 people with plotters and heat presses aren't making. heck I did a sign 6 years ago for a local business and found out the person that redid their sign (due to change in business partners , hair salon) after I said I would do it again with a new substrate used a cricut to redo the big sign and when they couldn't clean the substrate good enough they tried to recover it - saw it afterwards and looked the part. don't even try to compete in a flooded market - find your own thing 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 21, 2020 your champagne flutes look nice - is that using the iconics film to do the blast? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted November 21, 2020 Dakotagrafx No body is doing sandblasting in or around my local area. Every body is doing screen printed t-shirts or vinyl decals or signage on business or car magnets. No one is doing sandblasting. I use my MH 721 vinyl cutter to do my stencils then i weed out what is needed to weed out then i put it on the drinking glasses or mirror or what have you. Then i put it in my Harbor Freight sandblast cabinet and blast away then i soak it in hot / warm water for about 20 minutes and peel it right off then rinse it with warm / hot water to clean it. Dakotagrafx thanks for the compliment thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 21, 2020 so that is how you did those flutes with the differential blasting? I was referring to selling nationally which is how most people set up their site for - selling locally is great Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 21, 2020 referring to these, usually people can't get that definition with regular mask and a blast cabinet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 21, 2020 this one looks familiar to antique glasses - great job recreating them https://www.grahamsmithantiques.com/miscellaneous-c3/sold-archive-c42/set-of-12-victorian-water-glasses-p1685 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 21, 2020 https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/522026435/north-carolina-etched-wine-glass-nc-wine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 21, 2020 so these are all your images and work? Being on the news with those images will bring more scrutinization of your business - just a heads up Copyright © 2020 sandblasting engraving - All Rights Reserved. https://www.wfmynews2.com/video/news/local/high-point-sandblasting-hobby-business-during-pandemic/83-4b7aab8b-0871-478a-8f30-b7b34feb89db Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted November 21, 2020 Yes it was a royal pain in the as_ I had to do it so many times trying to get it right went threw a whole roll of vinyl 14 inches wide by 10 feet long. As i posted in another thread how to do it on a round object and some one said about cutting out the unnecessarily things ( wasted extra areas ) then place down in the middle then smooth outwards. I went threw 14 inches wide by 10 foot long vinyl. The NC glass is mine WITH A BLACK RUBBER I HAD FOR A BACKGROUND. I hAd John at US Cutter help me with the home in the middle of the Nc state loco l even used a dimmer tool as John even said to use to go deeper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,709 Posted November 21, 2020 1 hour ago, Junior said: Dakotagrafx No body is doing sandblasting in or around my local area. Every body is doing screen printed t-shirts or vinyl decals or signage on business or car magnets. No one is doing sandblasting. I use my MH 721 vinyl cutter to do my stencils then i weed out what is needed to weed out then i put it on the drinking glasses or mirror or what have you. Then i put it in my Harbor Freight sandblast cabinet and blast away then i soak it in hot / warm water for about 20 minutes and peel it right off then rinse it with warm / hot water to clean it. Dakotagrafx thanks for the compliment thanks. You state no one is doing sandblasting. Maybe for a reason. Is it worth the time that you have into it? Your time plus supplies. Is there even a profit? You really need a special customer base to be buying from you. I would not be in your customer base, even as an impulse buyer. Plus possibly breaking your supplies, before even sold. I only sell decals, and I don't have a problem selling. But I rarely mess with anything below $15 up to $150. free ship. I sell USA wide. I have been at it since 2006. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted November 21, 2020 MZ SKEETER what kind of decals do you sell. no one is doing sandblasting. Maybe for a reason. THIS POSSIBLY WHY NO ONE IS DOING SANDBLASTING. Is it worth the time that you have into it? SERIOUSLY THINKING NOT WORTH IT... Your time plus supplies. Is there even a profit? THINKING NOT NOW SINCE THERE IS NO ONE DOING SANDBLASTING Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,709 Posted November 21, 2020 18 hours ago, Junior said: MZ SKEETER what kind of decals do you sell. no one is doing sandblasting. Maybe for a reason. THIS POSSIBLY WHY NO ONE IS DOING SANDBLASTING. Is it worth the time that you have into it? SERIOUSLY THINKING NOT WORTH IT... Your time plus supplies. Is there even a profit? THINKING NOT NOW SINCE THERE IS NO ONE DOING SANDBLASTING I cannot tell you what I sell. I created my own niche'. So that others don't have what I sell. That is why I still keep selling after all these years. Plus many repeat buyers. You have to get some experience, go buy some good designs that you can make decals out of. Some that you have the rights to resell the decals.You have to mess with trial and error on which designs will sell. Work up to a better cutter with a servo motor. People like to buy very detailed designs. They are more unusual. And be prepared to like weeding them. Shutterstock. Legal clipart. etc. Create your own niche'. My average sized decals are 20" w 90" L up to 27" w x 16ft..L Your not going to do that with an MH cutter. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 21, 2020 just got back in town, what process did you use for the elk and fern glasses - how did you get the 3d effect without the iconics film? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted November 22, 2020 I have a HF cabinet and do a little blast etching here and there. I found it was NOT a money maker for my business platform. WAY too much time investment to make it work out for me but that's just me. I now mostly do personalized gifts that I give to people from myself not as business. (although it has occasionally generated some interest that I ended up doing) For instance, I have a friend who brings over pies and I always etch her pyrex pie plates before I return them. Stuff like that. Customized wedding Pyrex sets are great gifts too. I usually do them mirrored so you can read them from looking into the pie plate or pyrex cookware. Cheap glassware from the dollar store suddenly turn into sweet personalized Christmas candy jars. Fun stuff but I can't afford to try and do them to sell. Maybe you can find a niche there, good luck. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted November 22, 2020 6 hours ago, Junior said: slice&dice with Etsy people charge for shipping also which is any where from $5.85 to $17.00. With the $20.00 shipping is included. So should i lower the prices. As i want to make money not keep doing it for friends for next to nothing or free. I like for advice as you all been doing this a lot longer than i have. Just needing your advice as with Etsy they charge for shipping my prices is included in the shipping. Please i am asking for your advice. As you all been in this a lot longer than i have Thanks As seen here https://www.etsy.com/listing/184559560/la-dodgers-sandblasted-mug?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=sandblasted+beer+mug&ref=sr_gallery-1-10&organic_search_click=1 Ready to ship in 3–5 business days Cost to ship$12.35 Also here https://www.etsy.com/listing/528584458/etched-glass-beer-mug-personalized-glass?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=sandblasted+beer+mug&ref=sc_gallery-1-7&plkey=4d8d9ac772dfa0221810b55c552b473aa96fa3a0%3A528584458 Ready to ship in 1–3 business days Cost to ship $13.20 I would drop the free ship and be closer to the competition. Most people see the bottom line before calculating the shipping. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 22, 2020 don't forget you can do mirrors for people - this is one I did. blasted from the back, black paint for the filigree and gold leaf for the lettering and then coated all for protection - used some cherry wood milled from out yard for the frame but it was a special piece 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 22, 2020 another mirror - ceiling light got caught in the bottom left Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 22, 2020 just more ideas for you Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted November 25, 2020 Dakotagrafx blasted from the back, black paint for the filigree and gold leaf for the lettering and then coated all for protection How do you protect it... I was thinking epoxy is this correct or what would you suggest to protect it ThanKS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junior 11 Posted November 25, 2020 I have also watched and done some with a dremer tool seen here https://www.youtube.com/user/lespyke also Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted November 25, 2020 15 minutes ago, Junior said: Dakotagrafx blasted from the back, black paint for the filigree and gold leaf for the lettering and then coated all for protection How do you protect it... I was thinking epoxy is this correct or what would you suggest to protect it ThanKS just a thick black paint over back when done Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mabscotthandyman 1,410 Posted March 3, 2021 On 11/21/2020 at 1:33 PM, Dakotagrafx said: if you are selling the same thing as everyone else you will only make sales to friends or make no money - trick is to have unique items that the other 200,000 people with plotters and heat presses aren't making. heck I did a sign 6 years ago for a local business and found out the person that redid their sign (due to change in business partners , hair salon) after I said I would do it again with a new substrate used a cricut to redo the big sign and when they couldn't clean the substrate good enough they tried to recover it - saw it afterwards and looked the part. don't even try to compete in a flooded market - find your own thing Good advice Dakota you have to be competitive because people look for price and assume the quality is all the same....which we all know the cheapest use inferior material and methods. I priced a sign with new substrate and premium vinyl and they wanted me to use the original substrate remove the cracked sun dried vinyl and clean up... I tried to explain that would be very labor intensive and not turn out well because of ghost shadowing ( lexan) so They got someone to do it their way ....lol then in about a month they called for me to do it right. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites