Pits in Mugs

[John G]

Hi Mike, Yes but by supplying mugs you have become exactly what your speaking out about "a supplier lining their own pocket". You may have excellent mugs but the price is too steep - i'd rather buy from xpres, BMS, transfer etc and have guaranteed quality and support if needed.

Thanks for the offer though - pop it in the member to member offers section and you might get a few sales - bring the cost down to a realistic price and you'll get loads of sales.

Cheers John

[xpert]

Sorry mate, i probably mislead you a bit, i don't want to be a mug seller, just wanted to give people the chance to buy some decent ones, which was the main aim of this topic, let's face it, even the so called reputable sellers offload some pretty shoody goods at times. Xpres and support hardly seem to go hand in hand do they.

[Andrew]

I know where you are coming from Mike but can't say I agree. Most of the main suppliers have decent mugs and do their best to ensure quality. Tarring them all with the same brush is not right. There are batches that come through now and then which aren't great. Whether you get the Orca coated mugs from the UK coater or the Chinese owner then I personally rank them as a medium quality mug. It is actually a better coating than the UK supplier previously used in fairness. I also know the cost and am assuming you go direct rather than through a supplier.

If you try to encourage dye sub printers to cut out the suppliers then where do people start getting all the other bits and pieces from as without their bread and butter lines like mugs there won't be many left. Without many suppliers there means far less choice of blanks and higher pricing. We are a very niche industry and the printers and suppliers need to work together.

[xpert]

That's one way of looking at it, and probably true. My opinion is that it's a cartel, who keep the prices high, don't you think it's a coincidence when they all price the same goods within a couple of pence of each other.
I don't want to pay a supplier an extra 20-30p per mug, just so he'll stay in business, loyalty means nothing nowadays, even the Government would rather hand contracts to johnny forieigner, so as to save a pound.

[Andrew]

Slightly ironic though with you offering the mugs at 95p inclusive of vat as there is a 20 - 30p profit there for you....... or atleast there should be unless you bought them over the odds.

I don't personally go for the cartel theory, just the cost of a grade A mug with dishwasher safe coating and then a sensible mark-up would generally place the main suppliers in a close price bracket. I think if anything, mugs are available a bit cheaper now than what they were a couple of years ago. Like I said before, suppliers need to be supported to encourage different products and competition as blanks are limited. It personally wouldn't make a difference to me as I print only a small selection of blanks and most of which I can buy direct due to the quantity but for many who print on a smaller scale then the suppliers are key.

Mike, it's always good to have someone on the forum who thinks a bit differently though so hope you don't think I am having a go at you. No harm in a difference of opinion and a bit of straight talking. I'd be interested to hear more on what you do.... mug presses/ oven, artainium/other, paper choice and so on. Don't know to many larger scale printers so opinions are always welcome........ even if they are wrong (joke)