Yeti Mugs

[Roger McDowell]

It appears that Yeti mugs have become very popular in recent days. I have done several with Cermark with good results. The mugs were supplied by the customers. Does anyone have a good source for these wholesale. Has any looked at making a group order through Alibaba. I saw them listed at $5.95/ea but the minimum order was 3000 and I don't know that I can move that many.

[Keith Winter]

I'd be in if it was legit, too many issues involved with black market copies. I called Yeti the other day. They told me Yeti is not selling to engravers right now, because they are offering that service themselves now.

[Kev Williams]

Below are two screenshots, first from Alibaba, the second is the answer to my google...




http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/yetibaba.jpg





http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/yetiwhere.jpg


I have a dumb question: how much money does it cost to ship thousands of $30 retail Yeti coolers to China that will be sold at $6 and shipped right back again...?

[Jacob John]

I'd be in if it was legit, too many issues involved with black market copies. I called Yeti the other day. They told me Yeti is not selling to engravers right now, because they are offering that service themselves now.

Was coming to post this. YETI isn't selling to engravers, and according to the rep I spoke with, they won't be anytime soon either. Kind of an interesting conversation, but they feel as though there's no point because they sell themselves and they have all the distribution that they need/want at this point.

[Scott Shepherd]

Yeti Coolers might be made in the USA, but Yeti Tumblers are made in China. I bought two as gifts last week and always thought they were made in the USA, only to find the "Made in China" decal on the bottom.

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[Junior hall]

I have bought several things from Alibaba with no problems....

Where does one buy the Cermark cheapest.... I found laserbit . Like to know where the cheapest is at to purchase Cermark

[Keith Winter]

Interesting those are made in China. My concern stems from you won't be able to sell them as Yeti glasses even if they are because you won't be an authorized Yeti dealer. Those are considered black mark goods or knock offs. I haven't bought much directly from China, but I've had a number of times I've bought from a reseller who I later find out isn't authorized to sell a brand named good. They send you a cease and desist letter telling you to stop selling the item and to give them records of all sales and to repay them for all sales. Typically you just end up eating all the inventory, but if you sold enough, you might end up repaying them for infringing on their patent. It's a real risk. These big brand names police their products like a hawk. They have people searching online and also the authorized vendors reporting back to them. Even if you do not intend to sell online it takes only one person having a bad glass and calling Yeti to get a refund. They ask them where they bought it, they list you, and all the sudden you're sent the aforementioned cease and desist letter.

[Kev Williams]

What may be the best approach in this situation is to do what I've done for 40 years; engrave the customer's parts (if you're okay with the risk)...

[Chris Edens]

I would just order some stainless version that DO NOT SAY Yeti on them. The majority of people will not care. If they do care they can bring their own in to engrave.

[Brent Franker]

From my experience and most the people I know here in this area of Florida, it doesn't matter if it's an exact duplicate of a Yeti cooler or mug that is 90% less than one with "YETI" on it... if it doesn't say YETI in big bold writing so everyone can see, they aren't going to want it. LOL

[Matt Geraci]

I have been engraving a lot of stainless Yeti tumblers over the past year. I use a sandblaster and paint fill with really good results. There's a market for them, the trouble is #1 the mugs are very expensive, so the cost to engrave puts some people off #2 a lot of people want copyrighted images (e.g. NFL team Logos or other TM'd logos) that I won't/can't engrave. That being said I've done a lot of them from images to names to corporate logos with really good results. It's a high end fad that will change when the next cool mug comes around... I have found alternative tumblers on Amazon and turned some corporate customers and individuals on to Klean Kanteen (pic#1), Hydro Flask, and Go4th tumblers (pic#4) -- they're all Yeti tumbler copies (which came first?!?!...) I personally like the Go4th bottles, they're like Nalgene bottles, except double walled, vacuum, stainless, a few top/lid choices as well. My wife uses hers that I engraved for her daily. I also have a double walled steel coffee mug that I buy 100 at a time that sells well -- solid product, leak proof, engraves well, people love em. Engrave the trend and enjoy the business until it fades away, find solid products that will stand the test of time as well. The Yeti coolers (large plastic things/their original product) may be made in the USA, but I think ALL of the stainless steel tumblers/cups/mugs you're going to find from any company are made in China. I don't own a Yeti Tumbler, $40-50 for a cup is a little pricey for me (I don't need my ice to last 17 hrs, I have an ice maker close by most of the time), but they are kinda cool. ;) I do have a fiber laser as well and have been able to engrave deep inside onto the bottom of the tumblers - it's kind of a blind shot, but they turn out well!! (See pic #3)
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