I am new here and looking for any advice on offering these cast antler trophy buckles to the market.
I am a wildlife artist that have been making and selling these buckles as awards to the clay shooting sports for about 10 years now and have decided to make the buckles available to the trophy and awards industry so that a shop with a laser engraver can laser engrave them own in house?
I have someone that does my engraving for the plates and we have tested them and it works,so I have bought a AD in the ARA magazine and am just looking for any advice on how I should go about preparing my web site for the offer?
I am would really like to talk by phone to someone in the industry to get a better handle on what to offer on pricing ect?
I know they can be laser ingraved but I would also like to know if they can take the sublimation process? I don't plan on offering that myself I just want to sell the blanks > but before hand it would be nice to have samples to see what it looks like, so if anyone wants to test for me I would be glad to send a couple samples to test>?
I also plan on selling the cast antler part that will work on a plaque and money clips and key chains.
I have this web site I have now that I use to sell to clay shooting events http://www.buckleart.com/
I plan on useing a new web site that I will be updated before the AD release
http://www.antlerawards.com/
Thanks for your time
Jim White

Jim,

I'm always willing to try something new.....and it's an added bonus if it actually HELPS someone!

Give me a call at your convenience: (903) 438-1313.

Cody

I am printing the image and applying a epoxie resin coating over the buckle,this is the process I don't like to do but it is what works to protect the buckle from wear.
Thanks
JIm

Jim,

I see a few possibilities. Use OEM laser transfer process to apply the images to the antler, then epoxy-coat.

Look in the digital imaging/dye sub folder to read about that process.

Mick Eminger is our local expert and supplier of products for that process. See his Cactus Equipment ad in our "Special Deals" section, located at the top of this page.

If the epoxy coating itself can stand up to 375-400 degrees, full color sublimation, directly into the epoxy coating would be possible.

If your epoxy finish can't take the heat, there are self-coating solutions that will stand the heat and create a very dye-receptive finish.

Jim Cagnina, owner of Coast Graphic Supply (CGS), is always on the lookout for unique sublimatable items. He also has a couple of the self-coating options I mentioned.

I'm sure he'd be willing to work with you, in "making it work."

Coast Graphic Suply is also one of our "Special Deal" suppliers.

CGS
805.642.2220
Ventura, CA