DSF

Good project to start in the New Year after the Xmas rush. Takes time to get it right and learn the pitfalls but most get there. Good luck with it.

Andrew;117190 wrote:Not wanting to needlessly argue but.......... I still disagree on both points. Strip away all of the packaging Atcham and you can still have an up market mug on the standard 10oz. What is printed on the mug dictates this. A high end, sought after artist allows a limited edition run of one of their prints on a mug of just 100 and they will sell for a vast amount more. We print many 10oz mugs and they are retailed usually between £5 and £10. £15 tends to be the max but we have produced a box set previously of 4 mugs that was sold at £80.

When they are blank they are not all equal either. Straightness, colour, flaws, coating, etc all govern the quality deeming whether it is budget or premium. Price.reflects this. You can got mugs in the low 50's but also over £1. Not always, but generally this is down to quality.might only be 30 or 40p but still 70 or 80% more.

Ultimately, it is what you make of it. Mugs can be sold for little or lots. How you get there is a whole d8fferent matter but the higher end goal Is possible.

Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong markets Andrew.

As you say, we could argue this till the cows come home! I live in the North East and know that many people in my area would reject any mugs priced at over £7 max. Around a fiver would be the norm for us, but I understand that other areas of the country are more affluent and maybe have a large number of tourists who would be prepared to pay more for a gift, or for something representing the area they are visiting.

To the OP: Nice to see you have made a decision, and one based on information gained rather than a shot in the dark. I hope all goes well for you and that mugs become a profitable addition to your range.

webtrekker;117198 wrote:Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong markets Andrew.

As you say, we could argue this till the cows come home! I live in the North East and know that many people in my area would reject any mugs priced at over £7 max. Around a fiver would be the norm for us, but I understand that other areas of the country are more affluent and maybe have a large number of tourists who would be prepared to pay more for a gift, or for something representing the area they are visiting.

2 Sellers may use exactly the same blank, one may offer a product with a higher "perceived value" than the other. Its the value that the customer places on the finished product which ultimately determines whether or not the item is purchased for the asking price. Increasing a products "perceived value" helps to increase the asking price or the rate at which a product sells.

On a basic level, putting the product in a full colour box as opposed to a plain box may change the perceived value of 2 mugs carrying the same design. If I was buying as a gift I may be prepared to pay £1 more for the same product in better packaging, its still only a mug but the boxed one in this instance meets my needs better and therefore my willingness to part with another £1 or £2 how much more someone will pay for that packaging is limited to what their level of perceived value is, perceived value changes with each potential customer.

I wouldnt pay £15 for an official Apple branded mug, some may happily part with £30 especially if the mug has added perceived value such as a limited edition design. Its still the same basic mug, but the customers perception of its value to them changes.

For the majority of decorators their offering of mugs is priced at a "commodity" level, they price in the market where they believe customers will pay the price that their product is offered at, value is nearly always relative. In your instance the ceiling on price in the North East is £7, but that same "Apple Mug" example may still well sell out at £30 in an Apple store in Newcastle.

Remember that your market doesn't have to be geographically based on where you are. We're also in the north east, but sell direct to customers all over through our own website, and other online channels, as well as selling wholesale to around 200 shops across the UK.
We have set RRP which applies to online sales and to the shops reselling our products.
We're a brand selling our own designs though, rather than doing personalised/photos on mugs type stuff.

pisquee;117230 wrote:Remember that your market doesn't have to be geographically based on where you are. We're also in the north east, but sell direct to customers all over through our own website, and other online channels, as well as selling wholesale to around 200 shops across the UK.
We have set RRP which applies to online sales and to the shops reselling our products.
We're a brand selling our own designs though, rather than doing personalised/photos on mugs type stuff.

We will be producing our own designs as well and ultimately selling from our own website. I was just going to use ebay/amazon as a way of selling straight away but maybe we should just build our site and start marketing and building traffic to that site instead of sending traffic to ebay

We can still bring in revenue selling to existing customers and local businesses whilst we build our brand

Thanks guys

Paul

Hermes is a good option for postage. It is a similar cost to sending second class Royal Mail except it includes tracking.

smiley_mug;117547 wrote:Hermes is a good option for postage. It is a similar cost to sending second class Royal Mail except it includes tracking.

I worked as a courier for many years for Hermes. They are a shower of s**t! There's absolutely no way I'd send anything fragile with them. Parcels get kicked and thrown around by depot workers who don't give a toss. I've had mugs to deliver from NEXT and gave the jingling parcel to the customer who opened it in front of me and all four mugs in the set were smashed to smithereens. I only use RM for all my deliveries.

Here's another very good reason not to use Hermes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7suDqQgbpUQ

Will.

webtrekker;117548 wrote:I worked as a courier for many years for Hermes. They are a shower of s**t! There's absolutely no way I'd send anything fragile with them. Parcels get kicked and thrown around by depot workers who don't give a toss. I've had mugs to deliver from NEXT and gave the jingling parcel to the customer who opened it in front of me and all four mugs in the set were smashed to smithereens. I only use RM for all my deliveries.

That's really useful to know, thanks

Yeah, RM are a bit more expensive but MUCH more reliable, believe me.