A Bad Sign: When Less Expensive Actually Means Cheaper!

Be careful of what you ask for when looking for a sign company. Too often a consumer will go to a sign shop, obtain an estimate and then run to the next nearest shop and give them the estimate in order to “beat it”.The problem is that there are differences in types of vinyl, material the sign is mounted on or made of and a number of other factors.
We had a business owner contact us who had a problem with a roadside sign. Stones thrown by plows, road salt and weathering had caused the vinyl to tear and deteriorate and the salts and weather were decaying the metal substrate where the vinyl had dissolved. He wanted a new sign that would be less likely to have this problem. To make a long story short, after providing an estimate utilizing a higher grade of vinyl and a better substrate, he gave the job to another establishment. The business owner did leave a message stating that he had gotten a lower price and the other sign maker had a “lower overhead”(he worked out of his home)but went on to describe what was being used. The problem was that the vinyl he described was the standard vinyl that had decayed in the first place. We can only imagine what was used for the substrate. And on top of that, the other sign maker has since moved away.
It is important to get an “apples to apples” comparison. Signage can range from inexpensive to very costly. But given the amount of time that a good sign will last, not only will it provide excellent return on investment but will also be the most cost effective given the amount of time the sign will be in use.
We had a customer from a local township recreation committee come in with a sign that had to be replaced. The ink had run rendering it unreadable. Whoever had made it just used an inkjet printer and mounted it on foamboard. Even had the ink not run, bad weather would have done in the sign in a short period of time as foamboard is not for exterior use. We provided an inexpensive sign done on yellow coroplast (corrugated plastic) with the text done in black vinyl that will last a long time. I have held onto the original sign not only as an example of a “bad” sign but also because the almost illegible text reads: “Absolutely no manure in dumpster”. It has turned out to be quite useful in more ways than one.
So when you need a sign, find a sign shop that will listen, provide you the options that you may not have thought of yourself and work with them to produce a sign that meets your needs and your budget. The result will be signage that you both would be proud to display!