To add to your story.....We ocasionally vend t-shirts and other custom imaged items at some local hockey tournaments in our slow season. We recently had to bring in extra parts of trophies from our own stock to help the host organization fix the junk that they recieved from an online low cost source. Many of their trophies were falling apart, or had broken parts, and had to be put back together on site (yes we helped).

Since then, we have been able to provide the trophies for them. :) 

Brian,

I didn't touch upon the accuracy-of-spelling issues.

I'm not out to slam DB, (since I have no personal experience with the company) but I've heard first-hand accounts of so many spelling errors, (individual names) that even though engraving was included in the cost of the trophies, the hassle-factor in having plates redone, with no guarantee of perfection on the re-engraving, the company elected to re-engrave their own.

I only recommend (as I'm sure you do) outsourcing to companies who have a track record of quality and stellar performance.

I've lost orders to web based companies being able to provide a much lower costs. I have thought about ordering and tacking on shipping and a cost to be the middle man but not sure it would be really worth the trouble.

I have a client that uses Triple A trophies. I can't be their prices since they work in volum. It hurts the little guy and forces us to make our living on specialized items.