Can anyone point me in the right direction to purchase display stands or racks for selling note cards? I am interested in others experience with different types of racks. Have you found free-standing or countertop stands or racks to be better? How do you package your note cards? I am considering packaging my cards in sets of 5 and 10 cards. Is this the standard? I have found a few places to purchase packaging bags at reasonable prices, but I am unsure what size bags to get to hold 5 or 10
cards. My note cards will be 5" x 7". What size bag should I purchase to hold 10 cards?
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Posted by Alan Olander on July 27, 2008 at 7:58 PM
I think clear boxes might be better for 5-6 or more cards with envelopes. This company has a wide variety of clear bags and boxes to choose from:
Hi Randy, As Alan suggested, I also have used clearbags.com for 5 years. They have offices/warehouses in CA and TN. I use their clear boxes (plastic) in two sizes that both hold 5X7 cards. The smaller ones easily hold 6, the larger hold 12. They come with small circle clear gummed disc to seal the end flaps. Clear bags also carries clear envelopes with sealable (pull strip) ends that hold individual 5x7 cards.
A work of caution! I experimented with a few different type card stocks (clear bags carries the card stock and envelopes also). I spent 5 years marketing my cards, you can find the card racks on ebay, both floor and counter stands. I designed and had a local plastic firm make 2 rotating countertop stands and spent almost $500 for the pair. The work of caution and what I have learned is while folks rave about my cards and they are nicely displayed for shows, I never sold a volume that would justify the cost of materials and making of the cards. You may have luck with tourists and speciality shops that are willing to display and sell on a consignment basis (making even less on a small profit margin.).
What I did find is that while the cards were popular and I do have a handful of loyal repeat customers, THE TREND IN PAST YEARS IS AWAY FROM WOMEN USING/SENDING NOTE CARDS AND MORE TOWARD THEM USING EMAILS AND ECARDS TO SEND NOTES TO THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
I even had an extensive Photo-Note Card section on my former website, which I dropped when I developed my new one.
My suggestion is to proceed cautiously and on a small scale. You will never know if Note Cards will work for you and/or in your area unless you try, but don't purchase a ton of card stock, packaging, etc that you may be looking at for a long time. Then if it does work, you can build on the idea!
Another card company with a nice look that you may want to check out is Photographers Edge,
http://www.photographersedge.com/
They carry a very nice line of card stock, with a cutout window and flap with sticky tape that you simply insert a card into. Some are plain, some have writing for occasions, the beauty is you can purchase one or two styles and then just insert the photo's as ordered by customers, or what you want to make up.
I have just begun to do some craft shows. I will post on my experience this weekend on another thread so as not to hijack this one. However, I find that about 20% of my sales are note cards. I use Red River paper stock in glossy finish and get the envelopes from them as well, and get the bags from clear bags.
I use old floppy disk cases (the plastic boxes) with the top removed for display. I just couldn't bring myself to pay upwards of $250 - $500 for racks. The old floppy disk boxes allowed the patrons to flip through the cards easily.
BTW, some people bought the cards for actual cards and some wanted them as a small picture. I market the cards in the 6.25 X 9 inch size with a 4 X 6 image on front.
I do a great volume of 5x7 cards at craft shows. At $1.50 each price point almost everyone who stops at my booth buys something. Scripture ones go particularly well. I use the clear pop up boxes from clearbags to hold sets of cards. For display there is a cheaper option. Photographer's Edge mentioned above for cards also has some cardboard tabletop card displays. Vertical hold 2 designs and horizontal holds 3 designs. They are $10 each. They also have traditional countertop and floor spinner racks for $65 and $140. Their spinners actually have horizontal and vertical slots instead of just one or the other like most places.
Like mentioned above, I also use Red River Paper stock. Although I use the semi-gloss paper that is only coated on one side so its easier to write inside the card. With the Red River paper they are a true 5x7 size so they can be easily framed if someone wants it as a small print.
I found a used spinner rack on Craig's list that was very cheap and works and looks fine.
Clear bags that are a little to a lot bigger than your cards will work for up to 4 cards. Clear boxes have a more elegant look tho.
I charge $8 for 4 3.5 by 5.5 inch cards and $3.50 each for one 5 by 7 inch card. They sell at fairs very well.
The only draw back I see with cards is that they compete with your prints. A local (and very successful) photographer who has years of experience with fairs stopped selling cards because of that. For me it insures that I will make some sales altho I've never failed to sell prints along with cards.
Food for thought.
Frank
Posted by Allen Pearson on July 28, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Hi Randy,
I sell my cards in three ways. First, I sell individual cards that I have created from www.photographersedge.com. They offer great selection, easy to use and great customer service. I use their plastic bags too. I purchased their countertop rack and like it's ease of use (in other words, takes minimal room in my car when I travel). Second, is I sell cards in
boxes of 10 with a small cord to hold the lid on. This created a nice gift set which has been fairly popular. I buy my supplies (boxes, ties and plastic bags for products) from a company called www.uline.com. The customer service is excellent and delivery is very quick. The third way is another artist creates handmade cards with my images. These are especially popular. I order my envelopes from Action Envelopes for the handmade and the boxed set. I've been happy with their product and quick delivery. They also send an email to remind me to order which helps! Unfortunately, I am not sure of their website, you could probably google it.
As Craig mentioned, I would proceed with caution and not invest too much money at first. I sell my cards along with my prints as this tends to give me a variety and reach a larger group of people. I started out with purchasing a few cards from PhotographersEdge to see what might be popular or if the product was even popular at all. I've had quite a bit of success with all the cards I've sold but have proceeded slowly. Testing your audience and documenting the sales will help in the long run.
Posted by Randy Hargett on July 28, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Thank you all so much. Reading all of the replies has certainly made me think differently about my ventures into note cards. While I never dreamed of making a living at selling them, I was maybe having visions of grandeur more than I should had. I initially thought about note cards from friends asking me if I could make some for them. I think I will heed the advice given here and just do some small time stuff, perhaps just to get my name and images out there in the local community. I have no interest in doing shows on the weekends. I doubt I will ever depend on photography for a living, and I surely do not have enough friends to profit enough to buy a new lens cap. I think I will just have a little fun with it and see what happens. I will play it like I play Vegas. I will only gamble what I can afford to lose.
Randy - I have a counter-top spinner that I got free from Photographer's Edge recently - it was one of their recent promotions...spend $x and get a free rack. They also sell a floor model. You might want to check with them to see if the promotion is still on.
Like Allen, I package my cards in sets of 8 in a clear top box (A6 size I think). I include envelopes and seals, wrap the box with a stretchy gold cord and include a business card for re-ordering. The note cards are all blank inside. I have theme sets - usually 4 pictures (2 of each included in the set). People like to buy the box as a gift to give. The cards are nice - several have mentioned that they frame the cards.
Photographers Edge sells the boxes, but I found them cheaper at Xpedx (a paper supply store...not sure if they are in your area...).
I feel that when considering selling note cards, much should be thought out, such as space for transport, space in booths, time and cost involved in printing, For me it has not been worth the effort. I have a floor stand and do sell, but not enough to warrent the hassel of hauling the cards and stand around. It takes up a lot of space in my booth, and when folks stop to thumb through the cards, others , who might buy a matted or framed print ,can't move around in sided the booth.to view my framed prints. I guess it works well for some photographer, but not for me.
Discussion
10 repliescards. My note cards will be 5" x 7". What size bag should I purchase to hold 10 cards?
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
http://clearbags.com/
A work of caution! I experimented with a few different type card stocks (clear bags carries the card stock and envelopes also). I spent 5 years marketing my cards, you can find the card racks on ebay, both floor and counter stands. I designed and had a local plastic firm make 2 rotating countertop stands and spent almost $500 for the pair. The work of caution and what I have learned is while folks rave about my cards and they are nicely displayed for shows, I never sold a volume that would justify the cost of materials and making of the cards. You may have luck with tourists and speciality shops that are willing to display and sell on a consignment basis (making even less on a small profit margin.).
What I did find is that while the cards were popular and I do have a handful of loyal repeat customers, THE TREND IN PAST YEARS IS AWAY FROM WOMEN USING/SENDING NOTE CARDS AND MORE TOWARD THEM USING EMAILS AND ECARDS TO SEND NOTES TO THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
I even had an extensive Photo-Note Card section on my former website, which I dropped when I developed my new one.
My suggestion is to proceed cautiously and on a small scale. You will never know if Note Cards will work for you and/or in your area unless you try, but don't purchase a ton of card stock, packaging, etc that you may be looking at for a long time. Then if it does work, you can build on the idea!
Another card company with a nice look that you may want to check out is Photographers Edge,
http://www.photographersedge.com/
They carry a very nice line of card stock, with a cutout window and flap with sticky tape that you simply insert a card into. Some are plain, some have writing for occasions, the beauty is you can purchase one or two styles and then just insert the photo's as ordered by customers, or what you want to make up.
Best of Luck, Craig
I use old floppy disk cases (the plastic boxes) with the top removed for display. I just couldn't bring myself to pay upwards of $250 - $500 for racks. The old floppy disk boxes allowed the patrons to flip through the cards easily.
BTW, some people bought the cards for actual cards and some wanted them as a small picture. I market the cards in the 6.25 X 9 inch size with a 4 X 6 image on front.
Like mentioned above, I also use Red River Paper stock. Although I use the semi-gloss paper that is only coated on one side so its easier to write inside the card. With the Red River paper they are a true 5x7 size so they can be easily framed if someone wants it as a small print.
Clear bags that are a little to a lot bigger than your cards will work for up to 4 cards. Clear boxes have a more elegant look tho.
I charge $8 for 4 3.5 by 5.5 inch cards and $3.50 each for one 5 by 7 inch card. They sell at fairs very well.
The only draw back I see with cards is that they compete with your prints. A local (and very successful) photographer who has years of experience with fairs stopped selling cards because of that. For me it insures that I will make some sales altho I've never failed to sell prints along with cards.
Food for thought.
Frank
I sell my cards in three ways. First, I sell individual cards that I have created from www.photographersedge.com. They offer great selection, easy to use and great customer service. I use their plastic bags too. I purchased their countertop rack and like it's ease of use (in other words, takes minimal room in my car when I travel). Second, is I sell cards in
boxes of 10 with a small cord to hold the lid on. This created a nice gift set which has been fairly popular. I buy my supplies (boxes, ties and plastic bags for products) from a company called www.uline.com. The customer service is excellent and delivery is very quick. The third way is another artist creates handmade cards with my images. These are especially popular. I order my envelopes from Action Envelopes for the handmade and the boxed set. I've been happy with their product and quick delivery. They also send an email to remind me to order which helps! Unfortunately, I am not sure of their website, you could probably google it.
As Craig mentioned, I would proceed with caution and not invest too much money at first. I sell my cards along with my prints as this tends to give me a variety and reach a larger group of people. I started out with purchasing a few cards from PhotographersEdge to see what might be popular or if the product was even popular at all. I've had quite a bit of success with all the cards I've sold but have proceeded slowly. Testing your audience and documenting the sales will help in the long run.
Like Allen, I package my cards in sets of 8 in a clear top box (A6 size I think). I include envelopes and seals, wrap the box with a stretchy gold cord and include a business card for re-ordering. The note cards are all blank inside. I have theme sets - usually 4 pictures (2 of each included in the set). People like to buy the box as a gift to give. The cards are nice - several have mentioned that they frame the cards.
Photographers Edge sells the boxes, but I found them cheaper at Xpedx (a paper supply store...not sure if they are in your area...).