Youth fund raising project

[Jack Milchanowski]

I have a plan for a fund raiser for youth shooting programs. It will be artwork pertaining to our shooting sport made into a computer mouse pad.

The first pads that I have had made so far are too expensive for each piece. I am trying to find a company that is less expensive. This would allow for a little more profit and allow the pads to be sold at a “reasonable” price.

Obviously the more pads that are manufactured the price is lower. I cannot afford 500 or more at a time. I have found a few companies who have a good price but the minimum order is too high for me.

I am searching for a company that might have a low minimum number of pads (100) along with a low price ($5 U.S.)

Does anyone have any contacts or knowledge of such a company that I might approach?

Come see us in the woods!
Jack

[Casta Marketing Group Inc]

Hi Jack,
I was referred to you by a friend who saw your posting regaring the mouse pads. I would be happy to discuss this with you. I own a Promotional Marketing Company and we can certainly do mouse pads in your budget.
Feel free to email me and we can chat!
Cathy Verhage
cverhage@castamarketinggroup.com

[Tom Amlie]

Hi Jack -

A quick check via google turned up lots of places that will do custom work at prices well below your cap.

http://www.1stpads.com/sections/clothpads.php

http://www.custommousepad.com/pricing.html

etc.

Tom

[David Levene]

Just a thought Jack, are you sure that people want mouse mats nowdays.

With the old ball based mice being largely superseded by optical and laser mice, I can't remember the last time I saw a mouse mat being used (apart from one person I know who uses a mat with a padded wrist rest).

If you think you can sell them then it's a good idea; heaven knows it's difficult enough finding funding for anything. I just wouldn't want you to be out-of-pocket if they don't sell.

[roostonu]

It feels better to me to slide the mouse on a mat than across a hard surface. Just my 2 cents.

[Jack Milchanowski]

Thanks to everyone for their help. I personally emailed Cathy. I want to thank the person who had her reply to me.

David-no I am not sure about mouse pads selling. I have a shooting related painting with the four shooting fundamentals printed on it that I have had made into mouse pads. One club has purchased some of them as "awards" to be given out. My largest concern was the cost of these initial pads was too high to have any profit in them. I am active with two clubs that have great youth programs and had the wild idea of trying to sell the mouse pads and throw the profits to the programs.

Tom-I thank you for the great resources that you found. I honestly thought I did a great deal of searching using Google to start with also. I never came up with the two contacts that you did. Most of what I found had extremely high minimums in numbers of pads. I deal with several photographic printers with my work and asked them for contacts. Everyone they led me too also had very high minimum number of pads that had to be ordered to reach a suitable price. Your effort and time is appreciated.

After my initial post I received no replies. In one day four helpful responses came in! Thanks!

Come see us in the woods.
Jack

[Wiley-X]

I like a mousepad because it reserves an area of my desktop where I can't pile junk.

[David Levene]

I like a mousepad because it reserves an area of my desktop where I can't pile junk.

Get a bigger desk ;-)

[Spencer]

Picture two ISSF Judges sharing a room

NZL Judge (if you're reading this, Hi Col) arrives first; and by the time this AUS Judge arrives the NZ Judge is settled in and trying to get his computer working...
...U/S optical mouse

This AUS Judge 'politely' suggested that to expect an optical mouse to work on a clear glass tabletop was asking a bit much - mouse pads still have a place!

[Wiley-X]

Get a bigger desk ;-)

A bigger desk is just like a bigger closet, it allows one to accumulate more stuff.