posted
Just entering that subject headline on Google and stopped counting after 20 pages showing various sign businesses for sale.
Does not bode well as I see it across the board...
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
It is a good thing I am semi-retiring now. We both have S/S so we don't have to hustle like we used to. I can see it happening all over...especially for us old dinosaurs.
Oh-well....t'was a good run fer sure. I have really enjoyed the ride......after all...it's just a ride.
Jackson
-------------------- Jackson Smart Jackson's Signs Port Angeles, WA ...."The Straits of Juan De Fuca in my front yard and Olympic National Park in my backyard...
"Living on Earth is expensive...but it does include a free trip around the Sun" Posts: 1000 | From: Port Angeles, Washington | Registered: Jan 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I have no idea if this means anything or not. You can also type "fast food restaurants for sale" in google and get a massive number of hits as well...and my understanding is that fast food is stronger than ever.
-------------------- Doug Haffner Haffner Signs www.haffnersigns.com 309-338-9570 211 W. Williams Wyoming, Il 61491 Posts: 211 | From: Wyoming, Illinois | Registered: May 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
the big diff between a fast food place and a sign shop.........IS WHAT THEY OFFER & WHAT THEY GET PAID FOR THEIR PRODUCT. most restaurants sell their food AT COMPARABLE PRICES to other restaurants. SIGN SHOPS, cut each others throats ON PRICE TODAY!!!! in the end NO ONE WINS!!!!
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
[ July 25, 2012, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Jackson Smart ]
-------------------- Jackson Smart Jackson's Signs Port Angeles, WA ...."The Straits of Juan De Fuca in my front yard and Olympic National Park in my backyard...
"Living on Earth is expensive...but it does include a free trip around the Sun" Posts: 1000 | From: Port Angeles, Washington | Registered: Jan 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Totally retired here...but I was just a vinyl jockey.
Earned a bunch of money by knowing how to run a business.
Signs will always be needed and the new guys will produce them.
Whether hand painted or computer produced.
Don't discount ALL of the computer guys...some like Dan S. dont do too bad!!!
[ July 24, 2012, 10:45 PM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
come on mr.wills and mr.jackson,.......... the ride only ends when ya put the kickstand down!.... i've never had an interest in retirement, and besides, i can't really affort it. Perhaps I'm lucky, but I see this as a journey to the end.....business may be dead, but artist live forever..........
posted
good Mr. Wills, you don't know how glad I am to have taken the plunge when I did and got into this sign game. To have worked with the brush. To have met and worked with you. To have met all the Letterheads I have, and to have worked with a few. It pains me to see what is happening to the sign trade, even over here. I have met a few very talented sign men here. One does a lot for the movie studios who does amazing work, but very little, if any, by hand. I can't afford to go to a letterheads meet here, 400 bucks for a weekend is out of the question. I could see this coming when the 4B showed it's ugly head. If the environment people could see the waste going into the trash, the "trade" would be in trouble.
To all of you in the CONUS, hello! I miss being there with you. Keep that paint moving.
-------------------- Bill'n'Annie Davidson Heathcote, NSW, Aus. my Aussie wife, a Toohey's Old, my Holden Ute, Retired from the rat race! Posts: 309 | From: Heathcote, NSW, Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
I can only laugh at sign shops up for sale if here in town.
70% of what is produced these days is just letters & graphics on a board, you have to study it to figure out most.
So sign shops for sale reminds me of going to sign school 10% actually came close to finishing and continuing on.
Just like anything else guess that is what makes freedom & capitalist great, ya try and do something ya like it awhile and get out others benefit or plunder what make life awesome.
What will happen to advertising surely people of all levels of economics will in the future, most will go high tech the rest low tech.
posted
haha.....my kick stand is still up, I am standing here with both feet on the ground but can't afford to put gas in the tank....but hey, I sure do look cool with this bad ass ride!
(key word) Semi-retired. Still working but not as hard. Just as Si says.....charging the premium!
Yowzaaaa.
-------------------- Jackson Smart Jackson's Signs Port Angeles, WA ...."The Straits of Juan De Fuca in my front yard and Olympic National Park in my backyard...
"Living on Earth is expensive...but it does include a free trip around the Sun" Posts: 1000 | From: Port Angeles, Washington | Registered: Jan 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
So having had the interesting ride with paint and vinyl and creating ancillary products for the industry, I say a hearty adios. I now contract to proprietary clients, my graphic design skills and have developed a colored pencil drawing program for schools and senior centers. It's not screaming hot yet but on the move. I choose to target as many people on the planet as possible under these current economic conditions. It's not easy these days but ya gotta stay on the move.
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
It's a sad testament, to a wonderful trade. I guess most of uas saw it coming.
At present, I'm very happy I have little overhead, and am gearing myself to doing work for selected customers....people who know my work and are willing to pay for hand-crafted work. There are still a number of people out there, and someone else can take the rest.
-------------------- Dale Feicke Grafix 714 East St. Mendenhall, MS 39114
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Posts: 2963 | From: Mendenhall, MS | Registered: Apr 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
When I see a sign shop for sale, I wonder what they are selling?? Is there real estate? Are there employees that can run it? Where is the value in buying a one person shop in a rented facility? If I were young, I'd go head on with the person that wanted out and start my own business. I think about what I have to sell when I want to retire. My dream was to have an apprentice that wanted to take over the business. The apprentice thing went south with the computers and vinyl for me.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6712 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
You've got a different version of Google than I do apparently. I get 20 pages of business brokers offering to sell sign shops. Things may have changed in the industry but I can point you to a whole lot of "vinyl jockeys" who are thriving right now, even in a down economy.
-------------------- Pat Whatley Montgomery, AL (334) 262-7446 office (334) 324-8465 cell Posts: 1306 | From: Wetumpka, AL USA | Registered: Mar 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Most everything I do is hand done. I don't even own a gerber 4b. Last year I needed a line of helvetica for a logo, but too much grief to drive over to get it and waste a half hour talking to the Fast Sign guy who always looks like he is about to close his doors. I banged it out and spent an extra hour loving the maul stick, once again.
I have been window splashing for now 23 years, full time. My business has been very consistent over the years. I have raised my prices to keep up with the times, but basically have the same standard of living I did when I staretd out. The key is to follow up clients and keep cold calling new ones.
There are always shops for sale. Walk into any independent body shop and ask them if they want to sell out...or any barber shop or any used car lot. Small operators always are for sale. A few fail because they don't cash flow and more fail becuase they do not like to go after it correctly. I still believe if you make signs and keep your overhead as low as possible, you will do well. There is always a need for creativity and always an overabundance of undertalented people out there trying to make it. There is no dying thing abouyt the sign business. Do you see less and less retail businesses out there? Did they stop building strip malls and new commercial buildings just because the recession hit? It is all about the basics. Work is its own reward!
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1552 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
What do I know? I am just a hapless loser... LOL!
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
| IP: Logged |
[ July 28, 2012, 09:53 PM: Message edited by: Bruce Bowers ]
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
It is an easy business to get up and going and you can do it individually or have employees. To be successful you have to be able to connect with people and provide them with the service they need.
I think once you get going you have to be conscious of making a profit. You need some luck, you need a good market, you need to be a student of your trade and you have to be willing to work your ass off. At the 10 year level if your still around you should make a decision to either keep going or get out.
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2107 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |