Selling Yourself at the "Table"/Dealers room

[Dregg]

First I like to say that the Burning wheel sticker/Cards were a nifty thing, everyone likes stickers and they make a great advertisment. I have been thinking of ways to promote myself in 2004 and have been running into brick walls (ouch)...

A color run of stickers looks expensive, so I don't know if having them done is in my forecasted 2004 budget (Luke if you know a good inexpensive printer, let me know), I had thought about buying "Afro" picks and putting the "Bad Muthas" logo on them, but who in the hell would use it? Then I thought  BUTTON MAKER!

So before I throw away money on a paper weight that makes buttons, can anyone give honest opinions about the usefull ness of buttons as advertisments?

As with stickers, buttons do well, and might be cost effective.

Thanks in advance

[Luke]

First off, I think this thread should be in Publishing. I'll try to move it with my super moderator powers. If i can't do it, the powers that be will have to prevail.

The benefits of buttons vs stickers.
Buttons are flashy, wearable and individually cheap. They can also be made (and look professional) right at home.

Nice 4c stickers aren't as easy to make, and they aren't as easy to display/wear/use as a button is.

However, initial set up for a button maker is going to run you roughly the same cost as a run of a couple of thousand stickers. Of course, once you have the button maker you'll be able to make buttons any time you want for very cheap. But the time/labor commitment for said project is substantial.

I printed 5000 stickers for about $300 and I think it was one of the better business decisions I've made for BW so far.

-L

[Dregg]

For the moving of the post and such... It shows how much of a terminal newbe I am.

I am pricing Button makers and they are quite pricely, but mayhaps in the long run a Button maker would be the way to go. I do like Sticker Idea too, Alot of people will not wear buttons, but Stickers are fo ever =)

I have priced a new button maker at about 250.00, and a used on on E-bay for about 125.00. So I guess it's a matter of which way to go.

Thanks again

[jdagna]

It's my experience that buying the means to produce something rarely pays off.  It takes up a lot of space and time and generally doesn't work as well as the big machines used by people who produce these things in bulk for a living.

BTW, you might already have the ability to print sickers if you have a decent color printer and access to Avery labels.

Anyway, I'll have to think about trying stickers or buttons.  My most successful marketing item was imprinted pencils.  We had them (sharpened) at cons, and gave them out from the table or to people who played demos.  Quite a popular item and at $100 for 1000, very affordable.  Granted, I'm not sure if they have paid for themselves yet or not...

[Dregg]

Anyway, I'll have to think about trying stickers or buttons.  My most successful marketing item was imprinted pencils.  We had them (sharpened) at cons, and gave them out from the table or to people who played demos.  Quite a popular item and at $100 for 1000, very affordable.  Granted, I'm not sure if they have paid for themselves yet or not...

The Pencils sound like an awsome Idea as well, everyone can alsways use a pencil. I should check oriental trader or some other magazine that sell Chotsky (Sp?) Items.... Ooooh Archie McPhees has some nifty stuff too.
I forgot about the capabilities of my printer and should use the cheap sticker option for Ubercon, and then by the time I'm ready to have my "Homegrown" Editions for sale at I-con I can try for buttons or better stickers.
Here's a related question...
Is it in bad taste to sell a Kinkos printed, spiral bound version of ones game? or should I wait and till i have the money to do something more professional?
I think Memento Mori did a spiral bound version of OctaNe and sold it at cons, I should write an email over to Jared.