Quoting Column Trophies

[Chuck Patterson]

Does anyone have a solution, ideas, suggestions, recommendatons on quoting Column Trophies for customers? There are so many variables, pieces, columns, heights, etc I am not sure how to tackle that question without telling them to wait one minute while I look all the parts and pieces.

Do you build a few display items and tell them if they choose these, it is
X amount of dollars. If they do not like those do you break out the price book and find out how much each nut, bolt, ferule, column, plate, base, and figurine costs and mark it up....and how much do you mark up?

Do you charge so much per column inch?

If you use JDS and their books, do you use that pricing? It does not seem like much of a profit?

I have cruised the Internet and looked at online trophy shops. Their pricing seems pretty low.

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

Thank you to everyone who responded to my previous post about pricing other services and products. I found it all to be very helpful and insightful.

[Gene Hobbs]

Chuck
For me I charge $1.00 per inch on 2 column trophies with cheap parts, if you start adding in the extras its gets to be more. 3 and 4 column run around $2.00 inch + or - a quater here or there. That seems to be the easy way for me.



Gene

[Dan Hintz]

The easiest/fastest would be to simply put together an Excel spreadsheet... check off the items they want and input the size, and it will give you a running total (great for determining if they really want that $5 upgraded medal at the top).

[Mike Null]

Chuck

If you're just looking to get into the trophy business be advised that in most markets it's a low margin, highly competetive, high inventory business and one that's best operated by using minimum wage help for assembly.

I do not know of anybody who has a reasonably high volume trophy business who does the work themselves. Their time is just too expensive.

[Garrett Nors]

Don't worry about online prices. They are usually very very cheap in quality and they charge for engraving sometimes. Make your customers aware that if they want dirt cheap trophies, they should look online. If they want quality, assurance of prompt turn around, and no shipping charges ( which usually make up the difference in trophy prices ) then you're the one they should talk to. Don't sell yourself short and try to compete with online prices, you will rarely beat them and if you do your profit margin will be next to zip.

As far as pricing, we use an excel spreadsheet and charge per inch, just as described above. I have a few different forms for single column, double, triple, and quad columns. I was going to consolidate them into one single file but I am far too lazy. :)

[Chuck Patterson]

Thanks for all the input. I really appreciate it. Would anyone mind sharing their spreedsheet so I would not have to recreate the wheel?

I am fortunate that my nearest competitor is over 50 miles away. My kids like putting the trophies together and they small change doing so and think they are striking it rich.

[Chuck Patterson]

When you say that you charge by the inch, is it the total trophy height or the actual column itself?

[Tim Bateson]

I'm probably the exception here. I believe in the KISS principle. I rarely charge for engraving as an extra charge. I usually price a job flat rate, regardless of the amount of engraving. I don't even charge for shipping.

1. Know your material costs
2. Know your engraving time
3. Know the material/substrate
4. Know your cleanup time & cost
5. Know your packing time & cost
6. Know your billing time
7. Know your shipping costs
8. Know the value of your time
THEN price accordingly.