Wally World offering engraved picture gifts

[Bob Cole]

I was in wally world the other day and saw a brochure for your photo etched in glass.

They have several different styles including a couple that have lighted bases and one that is 3-d engraved (with lighted base).3-d

The 3-d was very impressive. How are they able to do this?

[Luke Phillips]

I haven't seen this offered by Wal Mart in our area yet (No.Virginia), might be someone worked a deal with a regional manager. I had inquired about doing this in my area - they said they would consider it. As far as 3D is concerned - been around for a while - links to some info below. Equipment is expensive, of course.

http://www.crystalmagic.com/OurTechnology.htm
http://www.inspeck.com/products/crystal/crystal.asp

[Anthony Scira]

I despise Walmart with a passion. Root of all evil.

We just have to have better products and customer service. The better products should not be hard. Looks like they have pretty cookie cutter things going on there.

Did I say I hate Walmart ?

[Kim Haubert]

I hate Wal-Mart more than you do. I have a Wal-Mart sucks tee shirt too. And...I am about to order my 1ST laser...Maybe Wed.

Universal V-460 (Not sold in any Wal-Mart)

Kim

[James Jaragosky]

I hate Wal-Mart more than you do. I have a Wal-Mart sucks tee shirt too. And...I am about to order my 1ST laser...Maybe Wed.

Universal V-460 (Not sold in any Wal-Mart)

Kim
my mother-in -law a very kind hearted and loving god fearing church going woman who probably never said a unkind word to anyone in the last 50 years,
says with quite a bit of venom that WALL-MART IS EVIL. i personally don't like their small town killing tactics. put up a big box, fill it with zombies that don't know what they are selling or how it works. and crush the life out of all the local business. the thing is all those people that lost their good paying jobs to wally world are there everyday shopping i know this because the parking lot is always full. and i am now one of the guilty , because all their local competition has closed down and now i have to shop there as well.:(

[Larry Bratton]

my mother-in -law a very kind hearted and loving god fearing church going woman who probably never said a unkind word to anyone in the last 50 years,
says with quite a bit of venom that WALL-MART IS EVIL. i personally don't like their small town killing tactics. put up a big box, fill it with zombies that don't know what they are selling or how it works. and crush the life out of all the local business. the thing is all those people that lost their good paying jobs to wally world are there everyday shopping i know this because the parking lot is always full. and i am now one of the guilty , because all their local competition has closed down and now i have to shop there as well.:(
Yep,
We know, you been over there buying those cheap LEDS:)

[James Jaragosky]

Yep,
We know, you been over there buying those cheap LEDS:)
YUP and they are half off right now. i bought 10 sets at $1.50 a set yesterday:)

[Larry Bratton]

YUP and they are half off right now. i bought 10 sets at $1.50 a set yesterday:)
Dang, those evil devils are selling them at 50% off. They should have just dropped them to 75% off. Heck..FREE would have been better.

[Ricky Gore]

Wal-Mart is the Devil, but they wouldn't be doing this if people weren't so greedy. I'm as guilty as the next. However I have stopped going there if I can help it. We now shop at Publix or Kroger for groceries and only go to see the devil if we can't get it anywhere else. I don't mind spending a little more to avoid them. I know it doesn't make a difference to their bottom line, but it helps my conscience a little. But, I too have bought the leds at clearance. :o

Sorry, I got off subject. I can't believe their horning in on our engraving business... UghhH!!!

[Kim Haubert]

I always here they have the best prices. What a bunch of baloney. Shop around!!! They are not that great. I haven't been to walmart in years. And I'll do without LEDs if they are the only ones who have them.

Wal-Mart sucks

[James Aldrich]

I have seen a couple of laser engraved samples at my local Wally World. In most cases when people on this forum displays a photo of there work, the photo does not do the etching justice. In Wally Worlds case, the photo looks beter than the actual engraving. The far right picture in the first post has a girl with a soccer ball. I have seen this etching in our local store, and I was not impressed.

[Frank Corker]

Hey guys, not being a Wally World kind of guy, (never even seen a WW come to that) isn't what they are doing sub-surface lasering? If it is then you have nothing to worry about. Sub-surface is really no where near as good in my humble opinion. It does photograph well. I even went to see some at the nearest shop to me (25 miles away) because of a couple of photographs that I had seen. I have to say that my face lit up when I saw it close up. I wouldn't have bought any of it. Sub-surface, I thought, sub-standard. The texting was reasonable, not great but reasonable but the photographs were just plain dull. I was hoping it just wasn't my opinion and that was confirmed by a neighbour of mine who had seen the stuff. There opinion was that it was nice, but not 'that nice' and most certainly not as nice as the stuff I do.

However this Wally World certainly has the one up on most people. Bulk buying of goods to be engraved and a shed load of money to throw at it even if it doesn't work well.

[Bill Cunningham]

I don't have a lot of customers that want to spend 18-20$ on a keytag, and their 2-d 5x7 and 4 x6 photos are over $2.00 a square inch.. And, based on experience, you just KNOW the customer is going to give them a 75dpi .jpg to work from, so frank is right. Not only are the 3-d images going to look like crap, so are the 2-d's Remember, that display was put together by a professional, with the whole idea of making 'those' samples look good..somewhere on that display card, or order form will be the standard disclaimer they use in the weightloss industry, "Results not typical"!!

[CW McClellan]

Fellers do you know how these 2 work --they only supply the building and sale people --the goods in each section are rented and stocked by mostly American co. --they pay walmart a % for the floor space and sales --Old Sam had this dream to get out of dept and make a dollar --The people working there need a job and not asking for welfare -It all boils down to our So here making the fast buck on foreign goods -use to be Germany and Swiss had best machinery and watches -then Japan came in with junk and later perfected top goods and now -don't blame it all on the China they like to eat to -but its our own causing the delimas with not having quality and safety of goods checked --our own brothers getting to be a fat cat and not caring what they make it from or to tolerances as we were forced to do in years past here in the US --the almighty dollar in some pockets will sell us and our country out -- even our own military has been touched and a few good men in higher places have raised mortal" Hell " because of inports of goods which were inferior to ours for our own military --GOD BLESS AMERICA and we turn our backs on HIM till the bomb hits us . We ARE Being sold :mad:

[Scott Shepherd]

I'm with Frank and Bill. Nothing to worry about. Who's going to remove the backgrounds on those photos like was done on the samples? Someone working at Wal-Mart? It ain't gonna happen. Heck, I can't even supply my own photographs that work right, much less having someone pick up their 3" x 5" photos from the photolab at Wal-Mart, then go through them while standing there and hand one back to them and say "make me a $50 gift item from this". It's just not that automated or easy and I don't think there's anything to worry about.

I had another thread where I mentioned a local camera shop who just put a laser in to do almost the same stuff. They are using Photoshop. They charge prices that are close to being on the high end. Guess what? They deal with all the things I don't want to. Crappy photos and orders of one.

We all know it takes a professional to make these things work well, and we also all know that Photoshop and laser gurus don't usually work for $8 an hour. Don't sweat it, they'll weed out all the people we don't want :)

[Mike Null]

Fellows, we are treading on thin ice here as far as our TOS is concerned. I can understand and even agree with some of the passionate feelings regarding Wal-Mart but we are entering a political discussion area which has no place on SMC.

While it may be hard to find a supporter of this retailer on this forum their stores are full of them. Let's try to keep this a civil dialogue and on topic.

[Frank Corker]

Mike, I agree that this is not the place to specifically have a go at a company or policy.

Now, I know that TOS is a TLA (you know, three letter abbreviation).
Can you tell me what it means please?

[Mike Null]

Frank

I'm glad somebody else didn't know. It took me a while to figure it out. Terms of Service.
It is located at the lower right of the screen and contains the SMC rules.

[Kim Haubert]

It took me a few days to realize SMC was not the infomercial site. I was able to figure it out all on my own.

[Kim Haubert]

I have delayed my decision to buy a laser for now due to the WM debate. I went to our local WM and they also have the display shown above. It was not shown in a prominent place and I had to be shown twice before I found the display. If this is the best they have I am a little less concerned. Is it much harder to make an 8x12 for the same price as their 5x7, $63? I don't know pricing so please let me know if I am way off.

[Mike Null]

If you are developing your marketing/business plan around what Wal-Mart does I would advise you to take some more time before buying the machine and re-think your strategy and your purchase.

[Stephen Beckham]

He He He.... I'm printing this and keeping it in my store to show customers.

The funny thing is that they are showing black and white etched parts in the glass. You will only get the white when etched - so this is false advertising at it's best. "Results may vary" has got to be somewhere in the small print... Unless they are etching with Atomic Art ability to put black in there....

As far as the prices - these guys are great! Come guys (& gals) think about it - we can do this far cheaper than they are offering it - when customers come in and say that no body can be Wal-Mart prices... WRONG!!!!

I sell this keychain with LED flashlight and 2D image for $12ish - and that's with a profit!

I sell the flat glass piece without the LED stand for <$20 finished - and that's with a stinking profit - to the point I feel guilty for making too much on it....

By the way - I do it while you wait - how long to you have to wait to go back to Wal-Mart to pick it up?

Did I say "He...He...He...?"

[Bruce Page]

Another Wall-Mart hater, I had to go in to one to get the new Eagles CD as a Xmas gift – they’re the only ones that sell it…
First time I have been in one in ages, it made my skin crawl.

[Kim Haubert]

I believe I read 3 weeks for delivery. Overseas job.

My emotions as I was there will not be mentioned due to the warning.

[Lisa Walter]

I haven't seen this in our local Walmart yet, but I have a "friend" (I use that loosely) who let me know at Christmas time that Sam's Club was selling engraved ornaments and other things and "if" I could beat their prices she would order from me. I told her to order them from Sam's Club. This is the same girl who supported me at my first craft show by buying nothing, and letting me know all about the craft show at the next town she was just at and spent money there. But I am supposed to let her know when my open house is so she can come have free coffee and donuts. I'll have a special cup waiting just for her ;) No I wouldn't really do that but it's fun to think about.

Lisa

[Anthony Scira]

Bring own coffee cup to Lisa's open houses ;)

[Lisa Walter]

Bring own coffee cup to Lisa's open houses ;)


Hey I just thought of something........I could sell them the coffee cup, engrave it then fill it with coffee! HAHA!

[James Jaragosky]

Hey I just thought of something........I could sell them the coffee cup, engrave it then fill it with coffee! HAHA!
just make sure it's a SMC mug:)

[Barbara Buhse]

But I am supposed to let her know when my open house is
Lisa

Lisa,
I'd like some more details about your open house... (you can leave the details about whats in the special cup for your friend a secret ;))
I have been contemplating "home parties" which are very big in my area for things like Home interiors and jewelry.
Do you do it at your house... do you ask for hostesses to do it at their house? What kind of compensation would you give a hostess?

[Lisa Walter]

Lisa,
I'd like some more details about your open house... (you can leave the details about whats in the special cup for your friend a secret ;))
I have been contemplating "home parties" which are very big in my area for things like Home interiors and jewelry.
Do you do it at your house... do you ask for hostesses to do it at their house? What kind of compensation would you give a hostess?


The open house I will have will just be something simple where people can stop by and have a cup of coffee, maybe some cookies or donuts (I have a shop on my property separate from my house). Just a little something to get people inside to see what I can offer them :) Maybe a couple of coupons or something as door prizes.

I have an internet friend who lives in Pittsburgh, PA that has a laser. I don't think she is a member here.......but she has home parties to show her things. I have been meaning to get details from her because I am interested in the same thing. In fact, she is the reason I bought a laser. I had read about them several years ago but never knew any one with one. I met her on a game site (pogo) and she does mostly Italian Charms and other things on the side....but I believe the bulk of her business right now is Italian Charms. I asked her if she could make me a few glass dishes (casserole and pie plates) for Christmas and she said when she made them she showed them to a few people and they loved them and started carrying them as one of her items :) I will get some more info from her and share it with you. In fact, maybe I will just ask her to come here if she isn't already a member.

Lisa

[Jesse Anderson]

Think they would have strict Monopoly laws in the united states.

[Chuck Stone]

You have a knack for reviving 5 year old threads

[Mark Ross]

People people people...

Just remember Walmart might be evil but without it we would have that website called people of walmart...its hilarious!

[Chuck Jarrett]

I was reluctant to jump in on this thread, as my opinion, and that is all it is, certainly is probably not the popular one. With that said I am neither pro or against Walmart, but how is it we can call a company evil etc. when they have been successful in the arena of retail---something that most on this forum are trying to do with their own businesses. Do they hold a gun to their employees head? I don't think so. Do they hold a gun to my head when I go there to shop, never have.

[Chuck Stone]

Do they hold a gun to their employees head? I don't think so.
Do they hold a gun to my head when I go there to shop, never have.

Depends on if you're speaking figuratively or literally.
People in my area work there because they have no choice. WalMart put the other retailers
out of business. People shop there for pretty much the same reason.

People consider them evil because of some of their business practices. On average, for every
two people Walmart hires, the city or town loses three jobs in the community. On average,
WalMart employees make 30% less than employees in other large retailers. On average, each
employee costs the state about $2,000 per year in public assistance because they don't make
a livable wage. In California alone it cost $86 million in food stamps and medical care last year
for WalMart employees who could not make ends meet. And now they are shifting full time
workers to part time in order to avoid paying insurance premiums. They blame "Obamacare"
(as if they didn't have a decades old record of mistreating the employees and the communities
they do business in) Several states are considering fining Walmart (and other large retailers)
as much as $6,000 per employee who needs to go on public assistance while working there.
They were the subject of numerous class action lawsuits for secretly taking out life insurance
policies on their employees, with WalMart as the beneficiary. And even after settling the cases,
they denied any payments to families of an employee who died without a will in place. They
still profited on the deaths of employees even after losing in court. They offer low prices only
when they still have competition in the area. Once that is removed, their prices go up. and often
their prices are above MSRP. They get their low prices by squeezing the suppliers. Many successful
companies have gone out of business by doing business with WalMart. Many go out of business
because they refuse to do business with WalMart.

Yeah.. I'd say 'evil' pretty well covers it..