GCU Forum - Be a Local Looney Bird

Mary__137064

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Re: Be a Local Looney Bird
Reply #60 - Oct 27^th, 2009, 6:03pm

This is a super thread and while I am not able to do a run for card selling, I will add my 2 cents...it has been mentioned but worth focusing on for a moment.

Whenever people touch the cards, even if they are very clean people, the lotion or hand cleaner can leave a trace, or a corner can get dog eared when someone is not looking where they are replacing the card, and no one wants to buy an imperfect card. If I were to sell cards in the real world, I would have one sample card out for display and other cards tucked away. Also. I remember one GCU artist saying that the glossy cards mark up easier than the matts.

If you do put your card in plastic, their can be a verse on a sticker as part of the protective wrapper on the back of the card so that people don't have to look inside for the verse.

Good luck all you Looney's! I'll be looking out for ya!

Bright

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DENISE_132110

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Re: Be a Local Looney Bird
Reply #61 - Oct 27^th, 2009, 6:44pm

on the cards that had an inside verse i made up an additional insert, about the size of a business card with the inside verse and put it on the back side of the card where they could read it. most all of mine are blank so it did not matter. my supplier has had the sleeves available that you can slip over the card and it can still be opened. having a sample card and the rest tucked away would not work in the busy store where mine are, i cannot expect them to come and get the cards for each customer.
i will say in the two years mine have been displayed i have be pleasantly surprised... i have not had any cards i needed to remove for shop wear.

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Damyon_138209

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Re: Be a Local Looney Bird
Reply #62 - Oct 27^th, 2009, 7:48pm

Quote from DENISE_132110 on Oct 27^th, 2009, 6:44pm:

on the cards that had an inside verse i made up an additional insert, about the size of a business card with the inside verse and put it on the back side of the card where they could read it. most all of mine are blank so it did not matter. my supplier has had the sleeves available that you can slip over the card and it can still be opened. having a sample card and the rest tucked away would not work in the busy store where mine are, i cannot expect them to come and get the cards for each customer.
i will say in the two years mine have been displayed i have be pleasantly surprised... i have not had any cards i needed to remove for shop wear.

Let me get this straight. Your supplier has plastic sleeves that slip over the flattened out card covering all four sides and allowing the card to be opened to read the inside text but still under plastic?

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DENISE_132110

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Re: Be a Local Looney Bird
Reply #63 - Oct 27^th, 2009, 8:18pm

damyon he does not have the size available now for the open card which would be a 5x14 or 10 x7 approx but i did try it with one of mine and yes i could slip the open card in and then fold it over as a closed card. he has recently redone his store and added panorama sizes and large format sizes. if i remember i will check with him to see if he will do those again.

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Tom_133317

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Re: Be a Local Looney Bird
Reply #64 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 5:01am

OK, fellow Looneys ... here's a good deal. A 12-pocket 5x7 metal display stand for $19.95 plus just $7.56 UPS ground and a $3.50 handling fee ($31 total). These 12-pocket ones will run you almost twice that elsewhere! This one is right from the manufacturer in Illinois. White, black, or almond.

Model UDR12

Full line here and the lowest prices you will find on card display racks:
http://orders.uniteddisplaycraft.com/CatalogResults/tabid/55/searchBy/catalog/cr iteria/055/Default.aspx
Their shipping costs are "stupidly low." - the 48 pocket floor rack ships for $17.

This is a reasonable way to get started with a real set of YOUR cards. Load it up with one or more of your best cards in each pocket and start showing it off to retailers. Once they see your cards in a nice stand, ready to go, they are more likely to want to give it a try. Perhaps even spice it up with some local cards, like a graduation card with a photo/painting of the local school or a Christmas card view down main street.

Look, many of us are stuck with rather weak daily sales on GCU even though we have 100s to 1000s of cards. Don't you think putting your best cards in good local spot(s) will allow you to sell 2-3 more per day than just at GCU? Seek out a great location and make a deal with the retail/gift shop owner to split the profit. Your cost per card is $1.90, or so, if you buy wisely. Retail the card at a price of $3-$5 based on what the store owner thinks will sell. Split the difference either by selling them the cards outright (preferred) or having them send you your share of the "difference" for each card sold (they would have no money invested which is a big plus!). It might take a while to find a situation that is workable, so be ready for that.

In the right situation with some really great cards (even locally themed), you could do 10 or more sales a day, somthing that may take years to happen just online. You likely also will pick up some high volume custom work for invitations and thank you cards once you are "known" and word gets around. It's worth a try verses devoting 99% of our efforts doing endless numbers of designs and expecting a proportional impact on sales. Not gonna happen. You will be far more satisfied having your cards on display and seeing them really sell, and enjoying the feedback from the retailer as you tailor your offerings to increase sales further. This is not a replacement for GCU, but complimentary to it.

Yes, I'm going Looney. My UDR12 is on the way and I'm now working on the sign for it - Perhaps a nude risqué image of me stretched out on a tiger-skinned blanket with a GCU greeting card placed tactically in front of my naughty bits with the sign caption saying “Sorry, I don’t sell Note Cards.”

Or maybe not.

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Joan_135833

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Re: Be a Local Looney Bird
Reply #65 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 5:58am

Quote from Damyon_138209 on Oct 27^th, 2009, 7:48pm:

Quote from DENISE_132110 on Oct 27^th, 2009, 6:44pm:

on the cards that had an inside verse i made up an additional insert, about the size of a business card with the inside verse and put it on the back side of the card where they could read it. most all of mine are blank so it did not matter. my supplier has had the sleeves available that you can slip over the card and it can still be opened. having a sample card and the rest tucked away would not work in the busy store where mine are, i cannot expect them to come and get the cards for each customer.
i will say in the two years mine have been displayed i have be pleasantly surprised... i have not had any cards i needed to remove for shop wear.

Let me get this straight. Your supplier has plastic sleeves that slip over the flattened out card covering all four sides and allowing the card to be opened to read the inside text but still under plastic?

http://www.clearbags.com/5-1-4-x-7-5-16-card-jacket-for-4-bar-env-and-card.html

This link is just one example of the sort of thing that is available. It seems, as a general rule (for further research of suppliers), that "sleeve" is used to refer to coverings that stay flat and "jacket" implies a folded cover.

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Joan_135833

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Re: Be a Local Looney Bird
Reply #66 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 6:14am

Quote from Tom_133317 on Nov 1^st, 2009, 5:01am:

Yes, I'm going Looney. My UDR12 is on the way and I'm now working on the sign for it - Perhaps a nude risqué image of me stretched out on a tiger-skinned blanket with a GCU greeting card placed tactically in front of my naughty bits with the sign caption saying “Sorry, I don’t sell Note Cards.”

Or maybe not.

Or maybe: ~TOM - For Sale, Not RENT - Here~

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Tom_133317 Gold Member artist Posts: 2169	Re: Be a Local Looney Bird Reply #67 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 6:52am Ha ... Rent jokes. Can't get enough of them. I thought of another one "Want a big laugh? ... take my card." (or similar)
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Joan_135833 Gold Member artist Posts: 591	Re: Be a Local Looney Bird Reply #68 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 6:58am Sorry about that. "He's a card."
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Tom_133317 Gold Member artist Posts: 2169	Re: Be a Local Looney Bird Reply #69 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 7:18am Quote from Joan_135833 on Nov 1^st, 2009, 6:58am: "He's a card." Not bad. Short and sweet. The saying I mean. Another is "See what's behind these cards." I'd have 2 covering the "subject."
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Joan_135833 Gold Member artist Posts: 591	Re: Be a Local Looney Bird Reply #70 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 7:29am Pick a card, any card. Be sure to pay on your way out.
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Pamela_135500

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Re: Be a Local Looney Bird
Reply #71 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 8:32am

Hi Tom ,
You had me laughing heartily this morning with your 'proposed advertising' Grin

and then the back and forth with Joan.

Sorry, unable to pass up the opportunity to add a couple of my own..

Cards so funny they should be illegal...
Buy yours before they are!

No relatives were harmed in the making of these cards...only my reputation.

Happy Sunday!

Pamela

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Joan_135833 Gold Member artist Posts: 591	Re: Be a Local Looney Bird Reply #72 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 9:07am Good job, Pamela! As my sanity for the day has been disCARDed, one parting remark: Tom, if you are really going to shlep that UDR12 (isn't that the name of a rock band? No, wait - someone in "Star Wars") all around, in and out of stores, how's about Take me for a spin... (Talk about a can of worms!)
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Pamela_135500 Gold Member artist Posts: 1945	Re: Be a Local Looney Bird Reply #73 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 9:17am Joan, Another good one! Good idea to stop before you give someone a CARDiac arrest Au revoir. Pamela
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Tom_133317 Gold Member artist Posts: 2169	Re: Be a Local Looney Bird Reply #74 - Nov 1^st, 2009, 9:46am Oh, you two. I had one other idea (simulated reality):
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