So, I just look up a Repro Sign Company I did business with years ago. Amazing how their prices haven't surged too much was my 1st shock in a good manner of course.

For example, you could buy a 12" round metal Cadillac sign for $5 wholesale.

So afterwards, I see that Sears online is selling this company's sign at their On-line website for (get this....are you ready?)...

$27.18!!!

That's more than 5X the buying price! That was my 2nd shock in a bad manner!

Does anyone else see anything wrong with this overpricing RIP-OFF? Is Sears taking lessons from Ebay sellers? LOL!

I would buy signs for $5 and sell them for $12 or 3 for $30 (still almost doubling my money. I realize that my space for the day at the auto swap meet is only $25 and I have to sell 4-5 signs just to cover that. I know that Sears pays rent too, but 5X cost to retail prices? YIKES!

Doc, I don't think that's out of line for a retailer that has to support a large store and distribution network. What do you get for a photo that cost pennies to produce? (I'm a photographer so I have a pretty good idea it's more than 5x's, at least in my end of the photo world.) You hit the nail on the head when you said you could double your money at a swap. Big retailers
need the high margin items to keep the doors open. The people decorating with signs from sears are probably not your swap customer and most likely feel they paid a fair price. I think there are many shockable mark-ups in retail but that's just the nature of the beast. I think I would rather be blissfully ignorant than to know the cost of my retail purchases lol.

This is how they make a profit.

If you think Sears has a high markup on signs check out the American Pickers website !

There are a LOT of variables between my being an individual seller and a retail operation. You might be surprised to find that after the cost of doing business their profit margin might even be less than mine.

Doc I just wanted to chime in and say that sears restructured their website to be almost like an amazon type company. They allow regular people and other business to post their items to the sears website and sell through them. It may not be the actual sears company selling them, but just some vendor trying to make a quick buck.

Doc

I wrote on here a while back about some ebay sellers over pricing on signs. Watch out for the oldgas police. Wouldn't want to offend the god almighty out there. Especially in retails. LMFAO

Doc, We carry a line of "retro signs" which we take to shows. They are usually in the $20.00 price range. The reason we find the need for this stuff is that the actual costs of doing fleas/shows has increased to the point that without the cheap stuff bringing in gas money, we might not be able to attend? Everyone has their opinions on this stuff but remember that at all the shows......what an item is priced is not always what is paid. The sticker shock on our "good stuff" keeps the novis from buying at most affairs. We give them an opportunity to participate in a small way. I see nothing wrong with Sears or anyother retailer pricing items for whatever they can get. If they don't sell at that price, they lower it.....kinda like we do at shows? I too have been contacted by the above mentioned "police" but until they send a check to pay the groceries, they can call someone who cares. Paul www.severngaspumps.com

After more years in the retail business than I care to remember,I'll just say this:charge what the market will bear,because if you don't,a competitor will and will become a stronger competitor because of it.

I'm kind of going along with Paul;let the market set your prices.It shouldn't take long for you to know if you are too high or too low.The trick is to know when to adjust your prices and by how much.