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Or bad idea?

Marketing Idea

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lance, do you give one away with each commision? I have been thinking of doing just that. I sponcer my bowling team and our shirts have my logo. I have got one commision from a leauge member that saw my logo on our bowling shirt. Just the one but it more than paid for the teams bowing shirts.

Michael - i dont, but its a good idea .

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lance, I think you are asking this question a little too late. Sounds like you already have done this. However, it is a great idea for name recognition. I like Michael's idea, give one away with every guitar purchase, customers choice. I know that ovation guitars puts a catalog with every sale and in the catalog is shirts, caps, mugs, etc. So you are on the right track.
Tracy

I've been giving a shirt or hat with my logo for some years. It's an add-on,
after the sale, nice touch. It doesn't make for more sales but it does add
some brand loyalty, I suspect.

Anyway, it's a hoot to see the shirts and hats at Festivals and shows.

Me too, sort of. I sell my t-shirts for $2,400. They then get a free guitar.

A few years back I had "varsity jackets" made for my entire staff with our logo embroidered on the back.... I thought it would be something nice to get everyone excited about the company...

As it turned out it became excellent advertising. We got a lot of calls because people would see those jackets.

I think this logo'd merchandise is a great idea if it is high quality stuff.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

If my Customers come buy my shop to pick up their guitar they get a free Cuban Cigar and a glass of Port Seriously I've been thinking of doing up some T shirts to wear at booths and maybe have a few for sale but at this point I wonder how many people would want to Buy an Arvey Guitars Shirt.

Brock - I have 6 shirts from this company - a golf shirt and 5 tees, and there all very good quality stuff. You might expect cheap material, but thats not the case here.

Here is my walking bill board from last years Riverfolk festival where I displayed my guitars



On the back is says "My Daddy builds acoustic guitars!"

I know I know -- I have no shame

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Hey... whatever it takes right....   

I think another cool idea (for healdsburg or whereever) is to make up a batch of guitar picks and put them in a fish bowl and let players & potential buyers take a small handful.

They could have your logo and contact info on them.

I would have to imagine they would be cheap to have made up and then everytime the guy played his guitar he gets reminded of your work.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I think the shirts are a good marketing idea, and very nice to have. How many guitars have you made to date?

Those two guitars in the pic look great!!

Thanks Colby -

How many have I made? Or how many would I be willing to bring out of the closet and show

Just putting the finishing touches on #10, When I finish what I currently have going, which should be later this summer, ill have completed 14. The first few will forever stay hidden away - locked in the closet

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lance,
These days I give shirts with my logo and a hat to everyone who buys a guitar and a hat to those who just have a good deal of repair work done ( say over $400).

I once owned a t-shirt business so it didn't cost me all that much. I would give a shirt or hat to anyone I met who played guitar (who would take one)...I know, that's a bit much but I felt then, and still do, that overall ( people in FL wear t-shirts all year long) the advertising and exposure was worth it. People LOVE that kind of stuff. Another good one was coffee mugs...they sit on someones desk all day long. I used to think it was better than magazine ads until I heard Tom Rebbecke comment that he felt the Mag ads gave credibility and name recognition to his company. He said that he didn't think people bought guitars because of the Mag Ad but that they expected to see him there with the other builders.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Yes. And it helps keep the value of his instruments high which gives buyers a warm & fuzzy that their investment will hold value (or possibly even appreciate).

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

The hats and shirts definitely work. I received some inquiries after my wife wore her OLF hat to the Farmer's Market. Next time I send her with business cards.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

[QUOTE=Bob Steidl] Me too, sort of. I sell my t-shirts for $2,400. They then get a free guitar.

[/QUOTE]

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Wow, Lance I am surprised! Only ten so far, to look at your guitars I would have guessed at least 25-30. Wish mine were that good. I also have some of those “closet guitars”.

We've done the T-Shirt thing for a couple of years too.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com