Wall Plaque / Define Customer Gouging - Engraving Etc. Forum

<body> <h1>Full Version: <a href="https://www.engravingetc.org:443/archive/index.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.12">Wall Plaque / Define Customer Gouging</a></h1><a name="a1125_12"></a><p><b>From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.12">#12</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: Noel (NOELF)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.10">#10</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> <p>Noel,</p> <p>To add to your comments, my price on this job has always been in line with the competition, so we all must be gouging.</p> <hr /><a name="a1125_13"></a><p><b>From: Doug (JDOUG5170)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.13">#13</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.11">#11</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> <p>David...</p> <p>You are right..you should have showed a markup for the materials used...my fear is that a newbie would look at your post and decide that he should be able to make $220 per hour, take a job with $1700 material cost and 2 hours to make it up...and he will actually lose money at this point....</p> <p>We all establish our methods of pricing out our products, our overheads will vary a great deal across the country. </p> <p>We must establish a hourly rate based on our respective overhead and whatever wage we wish to establish for our labors...and a value should be based on our knowledge of where to source a product, the time to bring it in, the freight costs, packaging, returns of defective....you know the drill.</p> <p>To take this in another direction cuz we don't disagree on the issue...just have different ways of viewing it....how much effort do you put into purchasing American made product for whatever it is you're making....I would think that at least on this job...you had the margins to pay a little more for supporting American made product...</p> <p>Doug</p> <hr /><a name="a1125_14"></a><p><b>From: Doug (JDOUG5170)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.14">#14</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.11">#11</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> <p>You have made me curious now....</p> <p>You say that $70 per hour is your minimum hourly wage....do you mean to say this is just your straight labor charge, that it does not include any of your overhead charges such as rent, insurance.....</p> <p>If so...let it be known that as of today...I'm closing my shop and becoming an engraver since the over 80 grand of equipment investment I have,the over 25 years in the field are certainly not returning me $70 a hour wage....</p> <p>Now...as a newbie...how do I engrave, and what equipment to you recommend I begin with....I need to fast track this so I thought I'd ask you experts rather than learn it the way ya'll did! <GRIN></p> <p>Doug</p> <hr /><a name="a1125_15"></a><p><b>From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.15">#15</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: Doug (JDOUG5170)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.13">#13</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> <p>Doug,</p> <p>Buying domestic products is becoming less of an option for U.S. citizens every day. I know you are one supplier that is keeping our hopes alive.</p> <p>On the project described above, I purchase from a U.S. company who originally manufactured the product domestically. The past two years they have come with "Made in China" stickers on the bottom. I questioned my supplier on this issue last year when they raised their unit price a couple bucks but began outsourcing the manufacturing. With no hesitation, they said no one can remain competitive in today's market without outsourcing overseas.</p> <p>I have a 2" x 12" jade glass nameplate that I sell a great deal of throughout the year. My inventory was getting low so I got a couple quotes from the domestic suppliers I used in the past. Their pricing seemed to be increasing a bit aggressively, so I did a little exploring into the importing process. To make a long story short, I have a quote from a reputable manufacturer in China that can produce this same piece for $4, plus it will be in K9 optical crystal as opposed to jade glass. My best domestically produced price for a jade glass piece was $15 per unit on a quantity of 200. I know there are shipping costs and duties to pay, but it makes the decision to keep things domestic very difficult.</p><p class="edit_text">EDITED: 16 Apr 2005 by DATAKES</p> <hr /><a name="a1125_16"></a><p><b>From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.16">#16</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: Doug (JDOUG5170)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.14">#14</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> <p>Doug,</p> <p>I really need to critique my terminology. What I should have said is that I have a $70 per hour charge, not wage. That amount is intended cover my overhead and salary.</p> <hr /><a name="a1125_17"></a><p><b>From: Doug (JDOUG5170)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.17">#17</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.15">#15</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> <p>I hear ya David...I don't know that we are not so far gone in our importation role in the world that we will ever recover from it....until of course...the tide changes and the import product is costing more than it could be made state side...unfortunately by then, the production equip and knowledge will be gone.</p> <p>I fear for this country and our children (grandchildren). So few are being trained in the trades, know how to make anything. And now with so many computer related jobs going offshore, what are these young folks going to do to make a living??</p> <p>I do believe that we are all responsible to make whatever difference we can, even if just one item out of 10 today...maybe tomorrow it can be 2 out of 10 and so on and so on!</p> <p>Sometimes it is OK to put what is right before profits...especially if one is making $220 per hour (I would think).</p> <p>Of course, now that I'm an engraver (I did spell that right, right?), I can change my song and dance and think more about how to bank the green!</p> <p>Doug</p> <hr /><a name="a1125_18"></a><p><b>From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.18">#18</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: Doug (JDOUG5170)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.17">#17</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> <p>Doug,</p> <p>Welcome aboard!</p> <p>I might be interested in a used dust collector if you have one for sale now. :-)</p> <hr /><a name="a1125_19"></a><p><b>From: Doug (JDOUG5170)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.19">#19</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.18">#18</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> <p>Used dust collection...where were you about two months ago...I finally got rid of the last 3 that I had available....had something like 10- four baggers avail at one time. I have gone to one 25hp central unit now....</p> <p>Doug</p> <hr /><a name="a1125_20"></a><p><b>From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.20">#20</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: Doug (JDOUG5170)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.19">#19</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> <p>Doug,</p> <p>Too little, too late.</p> <p>Your new setup sounds great, I bet your loving it. </p> <hr /><a name="a1125_21"></a><p><b>From: logojohn</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.21">#21</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: ALL</b></p> This post has been deleted here and moved to its own thread.<p class="edit_text">EDITED: 16 Apr 2005 by DATAKES</p> <hr /><a name="a1125_22"></a><p><b>From: UncleSteve</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.22">#22</a>]<br /> 16 Apr 2005<br /><b>To: logojohn</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.21">#21</a>] 16 Apr 2005</p> Yeah! 6 times!!!!! <hr /><p align="center">Show messages:  <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=1125.1">1-11</a>  12-22</p> <h4><a href="lthread_list.php?webtag=EE">Back to thread list</a> | <a href="llogout.php?webtag=EE">Login</a></h4> <h6>© 2025 <a href="http://www.beehiveforum.net/" target="_blank">Project Beehive Forum</a></h6> </body>