A Few Questions, A Few Answers...
When Considering a Mascot Ornament Project
We have helped many groups make their ornament projects a reality and
along the way we have been asked many questions. In order to help you and
your committee in the discussion phase of your project, we thought that
perhaps these questions and answers might be helpful and make the decision
process just a little easier.
All of this information is on our website.but just not all on the same
page. We hope these pages help! Where appropriate, we did insert the links
to our website in case you wanted further information. Please feel free to
share this information with your co-workers/committee members either via
email or by printing it out and taking it to your meeting.
Here we go:
Q. Tom, what are your ornaments made of?
A. The ornaments are made of brass which is then taken and chemically
photo etched and finally plated to give it its final tarnish-resistant
finish. If you wish to learn more about the process of creating an
ornament, please visit the following page. Make sure you read that page all
the way to the end to learn about the entire process.
The Process
of Creating Custom Ornaments
Q. Will our art be custom designed just for us or do
you use clip art?
A. Tom Pollard Designs (TPD) will take any image you provide us with
of your mascot and converts them into artwork. That artwork will be sent to
you via email to review. Our Art Department works year round designing
mascot ornament artwork and our artists have many years of experience. Your
ornament will be unlike any ornament in the world as it is designed just for
you.
Q. We have a goal to reach. How much profit can we
make by selling mascot ornaments?
A. Please refer to the mascot page from our website at the following
link for more information on our
mascot ornaments and our
special pricing just for these pieces. Since each ornament project is
unique, there are variables to consider when coming up with a profit margin.
Some of the things to consider are the number of ornaments ordered and at
what price you chose to sell your ornaments for. Our mascot ornaments have
a minimum quantity order of 200 ornaments and the price per ornament is
$6.50 each. This price includes the art and tooling of the ornament, the
additional color added to the ornament as well as the packaging of the
ornament. Pieces similar to our mascot ornaments on our website sell for
$10.95 to $14.95 each. You can set your own selling price.
Q. Is there a minimum number of ornaments that must
be ordered for mascot ornament projects?
A. The minimum number of ornaments for a mascot project is 200
ornaments.
Q. Can we make changes to the initial artwork
produced by the artists at TPD?
A. We're happy to make changes to the artwork. We want you to have a
design you will be proud of.
Q. Will
we have to pay extra for changes to the artwork?
A. No.
Q. What are your ornaments like? Can we see some
samples?
A. We are happy to provide you with some samples to review. All you
have to do is ask. There is no charge for this. We will try to pick out
some samples from projects that are similar to yours.
Q. How thick are your ornaments? I've purchased
some brass ornaments in my travels that are wafer thin; you can bend them
with little or no effort. How sturdy are yours?
A. As you know, ornaments that are too thin bend and break over time.
Ornaments made of metal that is too thick can weigh the Christmas tree
branches down and just look bulky. We use a thickness of metal that is both
durable yet light enough to hang nicely on the tree. Our artists also take
care when designing the ornament to make sure that the ornament is designed
in a way that will not make it too fragile to hold up for many years to
come.
Q. How long will it take from the time to decide we
want to have an ornament made until we actually have the ornament in our
hands?
A. Ideally we like to have eight to ten weeks from your initial
contact with TPD to the delivery of the ornaments into your hands. We have
done projects with less time, but in order to do so, decisions have to made
quickly. We always do our best to reach your deadline in time. See the
following link for a little timeline.
The Process
of Creating Custom Ornaments
Q. I imagine that if our order is large, that there
can be more than one box to ship to us. How much can we expect to pay for
shipping?
A. We pay all shipment costs for mascot ornament projects, including
any reorders.
Q. Tell me about packaging. How much does it cost?
A. The cost of the packaging is included in the per ornament price.
The mascot ornaments will come to you in our slimline gift boxes. The lid
and base are totally clear and there is a black peach board liner on which
the ornament sits. With this packaging we have the ability to display in
the back side of the box an ornament information sheet. This information
sheet has a lightened grayscale image of your ornament as the background and
on top of that some text, up to 140 words, that you choose to tell the
history of your school, display the school motto, etc. You choose what you
want to say. The wording on the ornament has to be very simple but this
info sheet gives you the ability to say more. After you send us the initial
text, we will format it and send it back to you via email for review and
final approval before we print it. We format and print the info sheets at
no extra charge to you. The link below will take you to our website so that
you can see a photo of our slimline boxes. Packaging
Options for Ornaments from Tom Pollard Design
Q. Can we add extra colors to our ornament?
A. Yes, you can add one color to the ornament at no additional cost
over the $6.50 per ornament fee. If you wish to have more than one color on
your ornament, the second color is $100 for the whole order plus an
additional 10 cents per ornament; three colors would be $200 for the whole
order plus 20 cents per ornament.
Q. I'm not sure I want a gold ornament. Do you
offer any other finishes on your ornaments?
A. We can also make the ornament with a silver finish. Although gold
is the most popular, the silver ornaments look just as nice. It is really
up to you. The costs are the same either way.
Q. I notice on your website that the pop-up
ornaments are the same price as the flat ornaments. Why is that?
A. Although pop-up ornaments can provide you with a little 3D effect,
they really use the same amount of metal as a flat ornament. Most of our
mascot ornaments are flat ornaments as it provides a larger area for the
actual mascot image. With the pop-up there is a frame that runs around the
outer edge of the ornament with the mascot inside thus making it smaller. The
Process of Creating of Custom Ornaments - Pop-Up Brass Ornaments
Q. How are payments handled?
A. When the artwork is approved a deposit of $500 is then due. An
invoice will be sent to you for the remaining balance when the ornaments are
ready to be delivered to you. Payment of the remaining balance is due at
that time.
Q. What if our sale goes really well and we run out
of ornaments and we want more? What do we do?
A. Just let us know. It takes approximately four to five weeks for
us to produce the ornaments and get them into your hands. The minimum
number of ornaments in a reorder is 100 pieces. As with the original order,
there will be no charge for shipping.
Q. I really have no idea how many ornaments we will
need. Can I take orders for the ornaments before placing an order with you?
A. Absolutely. If you have the time in your schedule to take orders
in advance and still have ample time to allow us to get the ornaments
produced, by all means do so. If you have already approved the ornament
design, we can provide you with the image to use on any flyers or other
advertisements you may have.
Q. Do you have references as we would really like
to see what past customers have said about your ornaments and working with
your company?
A. I have a testimonial section on my website. I encourage you to check
it out.
Testimonials
If there are any more questions we can answer, please do not hesitate to
contact us at:
tom@TomPollardDesigns.com
412-761-4788
800-231-4788
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