Airstream in New Mexico

Trying something different from MPix – Making a 2010 calendar

Richard Charpentier Arizona, Photography, Prescott, Prints, RLC Design Leave a Comment

My business partner is getting ready to order in his 2010 calendars.  Today I’ll be uploading his images for the calendar to his calendar printer.  The 2010 calendar will feature 13 of his fantasy pieces.  Folks like those paintings!

All the calendar talk got me thinking, and I decided to give the MPix Calendar service a whirl.  Yes, MPix can print calendars for you!

Last week I submitted an order to MPix for 5 calendars.  Hey, it’s an experiment, and I don’t know if I’m going to do it or not.  The 5 calendars, with shipping, cost me $100.  That works out to $20 per calendar.  Yeouch!  If I’d ordered more the price goes down, so that’s a positive.

Now, I was thinking of reselling the calendars for $22.50 each.  That’s a lot more expensive than any of the cool calendars you can find at Barnes & Noble for instance.  I went there yesterday to check out the prices of calendars and I was a little disappointed.  Can’t compete on the price level against $13-17 calendars.  Ah well.

Ian on the other hand will be selling his calendars in the “average” range.  He’ll also be ordering more the $3,000 worth of calendars.  Like MPix, Ian’s print service offers deeper discounts the more you print.

Personally, I’m not willing to order in several hundred calendars and lay out too much capital.  Just trying to be a prudent business owner.  Now, my partner already knows his demand for calendars, he’s been doing this for years.  In my case, in business for just under a year……I think I’ll take the cautious approach.

So, my plan on the calendars?  I’ll offer them for $22.50 each so I can make a few dollars for the trouble of taking the photos, laying them out, ordering the calendars in, etc.  Fortunately MPix turns around short orders really fast!  So, if I find customers are interested in getting an “Everybody’s Hometown 2010” calendar maybe I will order bulk and drop the price as well.  We’ll just have to see.

Any thoughts or suggestions from the readership would be GREATLY appreciated!  🙂  Oh, and if you want to see a calendar stop by the gallery.  I’ve got 5 on hand that MPix shipped me, and they look great!  Seriously, I love the quality of products MPix provides.  My business cards, calendars, and 5×7 metallic prints are all provided by MPix.  Someday I’ll be big enough to compete with them.  Until then, I’ll use their services when I can.  🙂

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