# mug pricing



## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

What is everyone charging for sublimated mugs. I have a customer that wants 15oz mugs with his business logo.


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## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

how many mugs?


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

He wants about half a dozen or more deppending on the price.


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

If it were me, I'd charge $10 each. If he wants a dozen, cut back another buck. However, the market is different depending on where you are. You'll end up with a lot of answers for this one.


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

I normally do not discount for volume for sublimation items as there is no savings of time/material in doing multiple units as you have to make an image for each and every one...unlike screen printing or pad printing where you use a screen or plate for multiple copies.

I charge $10 for 11 oz and $12 for 15 oz...but that is what my market will take


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

There is definitely a time savings in doing multiples. You only need to do 1 design and click print 6 copies. Also, it's an incentive for the customer to order more.


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## jmj (Feb 24, 2008)

When your doing mugs do you use a mug press or an oven (if oven what type)?


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

I use a mug press. If I ever get to where I'm doing grosses per year, I may invest in a convection oven and wraps. I just started last year and mainly sell wholesale. Of course, I get much less than $10 per mug.


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

I use a oven and wraps. I made a mistake in buying a small oven tho, shoulda gotten a bigger one. I can only fit 3 mugs at a time.


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## Air Art Girl (Mar 29, 2007)

I charge $12.95 for 11oz and 15.95 for 15oz. 
I have 2 mug presses, production is pretty fast. If I do a dozen I knock a $1 off
I do give better prices for cases. Work goes pretty fast with 2 presses.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

We sell 11& 15 oz mugs for $5.00 all day long.


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

skdave said:


> We sell 11& 15 oz mugs for $5.00 all day long.


WOW $5.00 How do you make profit? After shipping cost's, a quailty 15oz mug cost's me about $3.50 then add in paper, ink, and production time, that puts me at about $5.00. Am i paying too much for my mugs? I use high quailty hard coated mugs from thailand. I buy from conde. They had the best deal that i could find for these mugs.


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

Santos...I am with you...hell I would not do a mug for $5 for ME..


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

charles95405 said:


> Santos...I am with you...hell I would not do a mug for $5 for ME..


Lol.. I thought maybe i was over paying for my mugs. Charles, whats your thoughts on what im paying for mugs? Is that a good price for high quality mugs?


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

Conde's price on 15 oz. mugs, if you order 240 is $2.09. Depending on where you are, shipping could be as high as 70c per mug. I think they average me 60c for shipping. Even so, with shipping, you are at less than $3 per mug. I do wholesale 11 oz. mugs for as little as $4.75 in large quantities. I figure my total material cost in these with shipping, is about $2.25. If I do just 12 per hour, I'm making $30 per hour. I can live with that. I would need another buck for 15 oz.


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

mn shutterbug said:


> Conde's price on 15 oz. mugs, if you order 240 is $2.09. Depending on where you are, shipping could be as high as 70c per mug. I think they average me 60c for shipping. Even so, with shipping, you are at less than $3 per mug. I do wholesale 11 oz. mugs for as little as $4.75 in large quantities. I figure my total material cost in these with shipping, is about $2.25. If I do just 12 per hour, I'm making $30 per hour. I can live with that. I would need another buck for 15 oz.


I havent gotten to big quantites like that yet, so im stuck paying higher shipping. In the future i would love to import my own but i havent found any manufactuer that i want to do business with.


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

I don't believe you need to worry about the shelf life on mugs.  Stock up and save.


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## Air Art Girl (Mar 29, 2007)

Conde' is not the cheapest by any means and yes, you have to figure in the shipping when buying mugs. You should try to buy your mugs from as local a supplier as you can. Fortunate for me, I have 2 in state suppliers for mugs. Here is a link for one where 15oz mugs are $1.65 at 1 case.
Mug Sublimation Gloss White 15 oz. | Joto. Bringing Images To Life
Joto Paper has warehouses in Vancouver, BC, Blaine, WA and Columbus, OH


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

Air Art Girl said:


> Conde' is not the cheapest by any means and yes, you have to figure in the shipping when buying mugs. You should try to buy your mugs from as local a supplier as you can. Fortunate for me, I have 2 in state suppliers for mugs. Here is a link for one where 15oz mugs are $1.65 at 1 case.
> Mug Sublimation Gloss White 15 oz. | Joto. Bringing Images To Life
> Joto Paper has warehouses in Vancouver, BC, Blaine, WA and Columbus, OH


Wow, Thanks alot this will save me big.


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

Air Art Girl said:


> Here is a link for one where 15oz mugs are $1.65 at 1 case.
> Mug Sublimation Gloss White 15 oz. | Joto. Bringing Images To Life
> Joto Paper has warehouses in Vancouver, BC, Blaine, WA and Columbus, OH


Probably China made? I'll stick with the Thailand mugs from Conde or Johnson Plastics. I don't trust the quality of anything made in China. I'd prefer the U.S. made mugs, but at the wholesale level I wouldn't be able to move them, due to the higher cost. If I were to add $1.50 to my wholesale prices, the retailer would add $3 to their price and they'd be a much tougher sell.


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

mn shutterbug said:


> Probably China made? I'll stick with the Thailand mugs from Conde or Johnson Plastics.
> 
> I agree with you, if they are china made i might not get them. All the mugs ive used have been thai made. Im sure there is a few china made mugs that would be just as good. I would love some input from anyone that has used both thai and chinese mugs. As far as made in china products, its hit or miss. Ive imported many products from china, some were crap and some were better then anyplace else.


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## Air Art Girl (Mar 29, 2007)

they are made in china, I have also used Thai made, there is no difference in the quality of the end product. The coatings are uniform and images come out just as good as the more expensive mugs.

Many repeat customers of large orders.


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

Air Art Girl said:


> they are made in china, I have also used Thai made, there is no difference in the quality of the end product. The coatings are uniform and images come out just as good as the more expensive mugs.
> 
> Many repeat customers of large orders.


Thanks again ellen, you have been very helpful. Do you use a oven and wrap or do you use a press?


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## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

mn shutterbug said:


> Probably China made? I'll stick with the Thailand mugs from Conde or Johnson Plastics. I don't trust the quality of anything made in China. I'd prefer the U.S. made mugs, but at the wholesale level I wouldn't be able to move them, due to the higher cost. If I were to add $1.50 to my wholesale prices, the retailer would add $3 to their price and they'd be a much tougher sell.


I believe you are right made in china no way or any thing else. If I can find us made I will try to use the item I agree that thailand mugs are much better then china made mugs. I use thailand made for large orders of over 48 mugs anything less I use usa made mugs.


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

selzler said:


> I believe you are right made in china no way or any thing else. If I can findus made I will try to use the item I agree that thailand mugs are much better then china made mugs. I use thailand made for large orders of over 48 mugs anything less I use usa made mugs.


PAT have you used both thai and chinese mugs?
I would love to use all american products, but i just cant afford them.


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## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

Air Art Girl said:


> they are made in china, I have also used Thai made, there is no difference in the quality of the end product. The coatings are uniform and images come out just as good as the more expensive mugs.
> 
> Many repeat customers of large orders.


 
After many uses look inside the mugs. The china made mugs seem to always have like a spider web cracks in their coating. Yes I have found that in Thailand mugs also but very few china made mugs almost everyone if used every day.


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## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

deenastee said:


> PAT have you used both thai and chinese mugs?
> I would love to use all american products, but i just cant afford them.


I would bet you can in my store we have signs were the usa made products are that read.
This item made in the USA to help put people back to work please buy USA made products.

These signs have sold many products even tho the imported product is next to it and is cheaper.


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## Air Art Girl (Mar 29, 2007)

selzler said:


> I would bet you can in my store we have signs were the usa made products are that read.
> This item made in the USA to help put people back to work please buy USA made products.
> 
> These signs have sold many products even tho the imported product is next to it and is cheaper.


I'm all for buying as many made in the USA products as I can but my suppliers don't carry them. I'd love to check some out, who are you buying made in USA mugs from?


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

selzler said:


> I would bet you can in my store we have signs were the usa made products are that read.
> This item made in the USA to help put people back to work please buy USA made products.
> 
> These signs have sold many products even tho the imported product is next to it and is cheaper.


I wish i had your kind of market. I will give my clients that option from now on, but in this tight economy i doubt they will bite.


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

Air Art Girl said:


> I'm all for buying as many made in the USA products as I can but my suppliers don't carry them. I'd love to check some out, who are you buying made in USA mugs from?


ellen, i know that conde has them.


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## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

Air Art Girl said:


> I'm all for buying as many made in the USA products as I can but my suppliers don't carry them. I'd love to check some out, who are you buying made in USA mugs from?


conde is were I get the mugs from, right now I'm working with a company and they want 2400 mugs usa made, should find out next week if the order is a go.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

1. You need to buy right and enough at a time to get free shipping.
2.You need to need to multi -task. While printing shirts or talking on the phone selling more.
3 Have a printer that uses over 42" paper so you are not paying 3 times to much for your ink and paper.
4. Use at least 2 mug presses not one.
All this =$5.00 15oz mugs. How many can I make for you?


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

skdave said:


> 1. You need to buy right and enough at a time to get free shipping.
> 2.You need to need to multi -task. While printing shirts or talking on the phone selling more.
> 3 Have a printer that uses over 42" paper so you are not paying 3 times to much for your ink and paper.
> 4. Use at least 2 mug presses not one.
> All this =$5.00 15oz mugs. How many can I make for you?


WOW you must be buying them by the boat load!!. Im not that big yet so i cant offer them for 5 bucks a piece.


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## deenastee (Mar 31, 2006)

Dave, what kind of mugs do u use, chinese or thai? For 5 bucks for 15oz, maybe ill sub my work out to you?


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

They are made in China and sold my one of our Preferred Vendors. I'll make them for you any time, and drop ship them for you.


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

As far as I'm concerned, China has enough of our money.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

mn shutterbug said:


> As far as I'm concerned, China has enough of our money.


Yes I agree, but we can't do a thing to make a differance talking about mugs so don't go there.


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

mn shutterbug said:


> As far as I'm concerned, China has enough of our money.


  Nuff said.


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## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

Starting Monday in our store, we will print a 15oz coffee mug with a Easter print on one side and a persons name on the other side. We also have bought 100 little starter plants to place in the mug retailing them for $19.99 us should all give this a try last year we ran out of plants but we only had 50 plant we are using made in usa mugs only for this. Each coffee mug will have a lable stating who printed the mug. We are also going to be doing this for mothers day and we have bought mothers day cards which cost us $.25 each. The plant and card add $1.25 to our cost and we feel that we should be able to sell around 250 mugs. So find a craft show, flea market, or swapmeet, or street corner. I know you can all make some money doing this. Get creative in your sales.


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

Dang Pat, you are sure the innovative dude.


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## Cathy91722 (Feb 26, 2010)

I guess I'm lucky having a mug supplier here locally. The way I was taught to quote mugs (it works out ok for me) is price of mug including shipping times 3. 50.04 + 2.50(local pickup)=52.54 divided by 36=1.46 X 3 = 4.38. So $5 or $6 works for me too. But now that I hear what some of you are making I may have to rework my numbers...


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

We do many different types of printing. $5.00 wholesale for a mug is enough for me.


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

For imported mugs, I get from $4.75 - $5.25, depending on quantity. USA made mugs require another $1.50.


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