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  1. #1
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    Cost to produce and post a printed mug

    Hi All
    We are looking into producing printed mugs and sending them through the post and we are trying to get an accurate idea of the costs including postage and ebay/amazon fees

    We are yet to buy our sublimation equipment and we are holding off until we know for sure that we can make a profit on posted mugs.

    I have just spoken to a supplier of dye sub equipment and supplies and they reckon a printed mug including a box will cost £1.30 but these are the first people I have asked so I don't know if that is typical or not.

    I have just taken a mug in a box to the post office and was told it would cost £2.85 to post anywhere in the UK second class.

    So at the moment we are looking at £4.15 per mug before any advertising or sellers fees.

    Would you think this is in the right ball park or can we do it cheaper?

    Paul

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    Nope that's about right give or take a few pence by buying mugs by the thousands.

    Be aware that there are foreign sellers on ebay offering mugs printed and delivered for less than it will cost you for postage !!!!

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    Skarekrow (19-11-2016)

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    Senior Member webtrekker's Avatar
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    In my experience, give it up as a bad job and consider doing something else. To try to sell mugs on ebay is, if you'll pardon the much-used pun, a mug's game.

    If you're planning on flaunting copyright and selling personalised Disney mugs etc. then you may be in with a slim chance, but the risks are much greater.

    I love Dyesub ................................ as a hobby! :D

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    At the moment I am looking at £4.45 cost to me for a printed mug in a decent box posted second class.

    What other costs should I be looking at?

    How much does it cost to sell a mug on ebay or amazon and then there is the cost of paypal or some other payment system.

    I am looking into where to market my mugs today so as I learn the figures above I will post them up here.

    Where else can I sell my mugs?

    Paul

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    Senior Member webtrekker's Avatar
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    First off, it's ok sending things 2nd class, but what happens when people say they haven't received their parcel? My daughter has a very good ebay business (not dyesub stuff) and this is a regular occurrence, which is why she sends everything 2nd class signed for. That costs her another £1.10 in postage and remember, ebay take their fee on the selling price + postage. You could, of course, take the risk, and replace any goods not received at your own cost. Ebay supports buyers, not sellers.

    You shouldn't be asking in here about ebay and PayPal fees. You need to do proper research before you commit to the expense of a sublimation business. I know we all like quick answers, but you'll learn far more by researching the subject properly. Everyone runs their business differently, with different levels of acceptable risk.

    Pricing depends on a lot of factors. Have you considered all the scrap mugs you will be producing along the way? How long does it take you to make, package, and ship a mug? Heat presses use a lot of electricity, have you factored that into your calculations? These are all things that will push up the cost of producing a mug and need to be taken into consideration.

    I admire your enthusiasm, but believe me, you need to know exactly how much a mug costs you and exactly where you are going to be able to sell them successfully before you even think about buying printers, presses, and all the other paraphernalia you'll need. It's a very cut-throat market with small profits.

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    Maidiniceland (18-11-2016)

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    I would not bother trying to sell mugs on ebay, as others have mentioned the competition is too high and the profit is too low, you can post using royal mail (online postage £2.80) but I recently discovered that you can post upto 4 mugs in smash proof boxes for £2.80, to the same address. I sell my mugs on Etsy for £12.99 each plus shipping and sell more than I ever did on ebay etc, my cost is around £1 for the mug, 25p for smash proof box, less than 10p for the paper and ink (expensive papers dont work or me) so you are in the right ball park with your costs, but tremember that postage cost is covered by the purchaser and some of my customers pay £6.90 for postage if going to America for example, that give me a profit (before taxes) of around £10 per mug, I am not the most expensive mug seller on Etsy as I have seen one woman who charges £24 per mug and has over 60.000 sales (not all mugs) so find the market that suits your product. also bear in mind that the service that you provide is more than just a mug, personalised products take more time and effort to produce, I will also send my customers mock ups before I make the mugs if there is a chance that I will get the wrong name with the wromg image and I believe that my customers like this level of service, plus I generally ship the same day, etsy charge 3.5% I think and 20c (american) to list your item for 3 months with the first 40 listings free.

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    Senior Member webtrekker's Avatar
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    Can I just add that, although you seem to be only interested in mugs, things often change and you may decide the profit is not worth the effort and start looking into sublimating other items. This is where you'll get your biggest shock! Sublimation blanks, other than mugs and coasters, are EXPENSIVE!

    This was my first mistake, thinking that if mugs don't work out I could easily move onto something else as there seemed to be so much choice.

    My second mistake was not realising that a lot of these blanks can be crap. Money boxes, in particular, have caused me nothing but grief, and I have wasted many hours and hard-earned cash on them.

    As I've said before, this is a nice, enjoyable hobby, but hard-going as a business venture.

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    Most ebay buyers could fairly be characterised as greedy cheapskates, so value for money is everything to them. The only way I would consider selling mugs on ebay or Amazon is to go for a larger ticket 'multisale'.
    Six identical mugs for £24 might work, but 6 for £20+ shipping would be more likely to succeed. Working on your £1.30 a mug, plus ink and paper, you would be slightly more than doubling your money. More work, but at least you would only be 'designing' once. You would be limiting your potential customers, but at least you would be earning a tenner+ from each customer. You might even pick up some cafes or shops as customers.

    Ebay is not really a commercially viable proposition for a 'proper' business ( unless you are just 'shifting boxes'), but if it is something you are doing on the dinning room table while watching Coronation Street, then it could be an earner.

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    Listen to the advice given, you are too late. Forget it and find something else that will give you a chance of earning a living. And dont be thinking the advice is being given to keep you out of the market. You are more than welcome to give it a go if you are prepared to work for nothing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by webtrekker View Post
    First off, it's ok sending things 2nd class, but what happens when people say they haven't received their parcel? My daughter has a very good ebay business (not dyesub stuff) and this is a regular occurrence, which is why she sends everything 2nd class signed for. That costs her another £1.10 in postage and remember, ebay take their fee on the selling price + postage. You could, of course, take the risk, and replace any goods not received at your own cost. Ebay supports buyers, not sellers.

    You shouldn't be asking in here about ebay and PayPal fees. You need to do proper research before you commit to the expense of a sublimation business. I know we all like quick answers, but you'll learn far more by researching the subject properly. Everyone runs their business differently, with different levels of acceptable risk.

    Pricing depends on a lot of factors. Have you considered all the scrap mugs you will be producing along the way? How long does it take you to make, package, and ship a mug? Heat presses use a lot of electricity, have you factored that into your calculations? These are all things that will push up the cost of producing a mug and need to be taken into consideration.

    I admire your enthusiasm, but believe me, you need to know exactly how much a mug costs you and exactly where you are going to be able to sell them successfully before you even think about buying printers, presses, and all the other paraphernalia you'll need. It's a very cut-throat market with small profits.
    I appreciate you taking the time to post such comprehensive replies. This is why I decided to join a forum like this to talk to people actually doing it before going off half cocked and just forking out for the equipment without doing the research.

    Ebay and Amazon are just a couple of outlets that we are looking into. We have been running a sign making and t-shirt printing business since 2004 and so we have a sizable client base that may be interested in mugs and other printables. We are also looking into selling to local shops, restaurants, hotels, guesthouses etc.

    We live in a very touristy part of the world that hosts many festivals and other events throughout the year and we are researching these as well.

    I believe we can make money from the mugs. It is not our primary source of income but I think we make some money however I do not want to go into a business based on what I believe or think. That is why I am here asking the experts for their input so hopefully we can build a business based on hard facts.

    Keep the answers coming. They are all useful.

    Paul

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    Maidiniceland (18-11-2016)

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