# What would you charge?



## VictorConcepts (May 27, 2013)

Hello All,

So when we first got into the rhinestone side of the business we had a customer who we really hooked up on the price, as our intro into this side of the business (I know can bite you in the butt!)

Long story short we had bought a massive amount of stones for her to keep her cost down as per an agreement we set forth with her.

Just recently she broke our agreement and started using someone else's transfers, which now we will not give her the current prices.

The transfers are koozie size about 3"x3" crystal stones. We were doing them for $3 each, this included us digitizing the custom design template, making the transfer, and pressing it on her items!

Now since she broke our agreement we charged her $5 each, which I think is extremely reasonable for only an order of 24 items! Then 12 for $7! She has not bought anything in 6 months and now is balking at the prices saying blah blah blah she didn't know...

Just wondering if $5 is more then fair and what you would charge!? 

Here most of the info:

-Crystal Stones SS6
-Pressing her items
-around 200 stones per design
-12-24 items total per design
-digitizing the design


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## treefox2118 (Sep 23, 2010)

Put the stones on eBay or Craigslist or the TSF classifieds here. Seriously. Stop throwing good money after bad money, and stop throwing good time after bad time.

I would suggest to her that you're in business to keep the doors open, and you had hoped that your agreement would do that for both parties. Since she felt it was necessary to go elsewhere, you wish her luck, and you're happy to provide her service at your normal retail price.

$5 sounds ridiculously low. Figure out how much time the order takes to do -- INCLUDING your sales time with her. Then figure out your labor rate. Be good to yourself. Figure out your item prices, and waste prices. Then quote a reasonable quote.


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## joey1320 (Feb 21, 2012)

As stated above, you're in business make a living, not to apply for food stamps. 

If this person thought it was best to go someplace else, then why would you worry about how she feels? She broke the agreement, so don't worry about it anymore and try your hardest to make a profit out of every possible sale.

Sent from my HTC One X using T-Shirt Forums


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## VictorConcepts (May 27, 2013)

I know it's stupid low, it was my own fault for even doing them in the first place. Just wanted to see what everyone else would charge!? 

We told her to go use that person as they won't be in business long and eventually she will come crawling back to us, since her first person went out of business as well!


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## Teacherprint (Aug 17, 2011)

We deal with this every week with new customers arguing about our prices, but the last person they used is no longer around. I plan on being around for awhile.


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## VictorConcepts (May 27, 2013)

Exactly! We just bought the entire software...etc for it and she was a good cusomer for a bit till she started getting shady. Plus we did all our coat accounting at the end of the year and it's not even worth it working with someone that thinks they decide the prices. We have many different waya with dealling with customers like this, just wanted to hear from others, it's always good after a long day of dealing with this stuff! Haha


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## treefox2118 (Sep 23, 2010)

NEVER burn a bridge by telling a customer to get lost, if you're new.

I can afford to burn bridges, and do at least once a week, because I am happy to help upstarts make a profit even if it costs me money in the short run. So I always have people knocking on the door.

If a customer screws you to a 2x4, just be cordial. Tell them that you can't meet that price, but you'd love to be a backup if and when needed at the price you're quoting now.


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## joey1320 (Feb 21, 2012)

treefox2118 said:


> NEVER burn a bridge by telling a customer to get lost, if you're new.
> 
> I can afford to burn bridges, and do at least once a week, because I am happy to help upstarts make a profit even if it costs me money in the short run. So I always have people knocking on the door.
> 
> If a customer screws you to a 2x4, just be cordial. Tell them that you can't meet that price, but you'd love to be a backup if and when needed at the price you're quoting now.


X2
Great advice 

Sent from my HTC One X using T-Shirt Forums


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## treefox2118 (Sep 23, 2010)

It's OK to get so and so famous and so popular that you can shove a bad customer into the wreckage you call your competition. But get to the top first, and only say it verbally, face to face, with no witnesses. Then deny deny deny.


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## ifusion (Jun 3, 2011)

I dont know what your overhead is, but I would estimate your material costs to be around $8.00-10.00 for 24 transfers or about 30-40 cents a transfer.

Personally, I would probably sell that to a wholesale customer for around $3.00 each and maybe 6 tops for a retail customer.

I've found in this business that your wholesale customer can be your bread and butter and your retail customer is your desert. 

For my good customers, I will digitize their items for free or a very minimum charge. I usually layout a regular text proof for style approval and then stone it from there.

I ultimately look at it like their success is my success. If I can keep them selling stuff, then they are going to keep me busy to produce their stuff. If my prices are too high, I am sure they can find someone else who can copy my work and make the same things.

I dont know how new you are to the industry, but if your just ordering a higher volume of stones for 1 customer, your always going to behind in the game.You need to put together the money to buy in full bags, 500gross, 1000gross, etc to get reasonable pricing and you need to create other designs to use those stones so that you arent dependent on 1 customer. 

If your ordering 50 gross here and 50 gross there, calculate all the shipping costs, and your never going to get anywhere.

It takes a little to find good vendors for materials, but once you do, there is money to be made.


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## VictorConcepts (May 27, 2013)

ifusion said:


> I dont know what your overhead is, but I would estimate your material costs to be around $8.00-10.00 for 24 transfers or about 30-40 cents a transfer.
> 
> Personally, I would probably sell that to a wholesale customer for around $3.00 each and maybe 6 tops for a retail customer.
> 
> ...


Ifushion is the $3 pressed onto your customers garment or just the transfer itself?


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## ifusion (Jun 3, 2011)

VictorConcepts said:


> Ifushion is the $3 pressed onto your customers garment or just the transfer itself?


I would probably charge an extra dollar to press it into a customer's own garment if I was running a bunch of them. If it was a small number of them I'd probably do it for free (because my heat press is always running).


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