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Getting out of the neon end of things


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I've been doing a lot of thinking on where my business was going and how to get revenue back on track. Living in a depressed economy like the one Nova Scotia currently has is adding stress and bringing health issues to the list of priorities I need to deal with. So after 2 years of trying to convince retail and wholesale clients that neon is a superior product compared to most LED products I'm getting tired of being told it's too expensive and seeing those same clients opt for LEDS more and more. I had to take on a 30 hours a week outside job to make ends meet. In fact I'm down to one wholesale client and they were only bringing in a half dozen repairs each month towards the end. So my neon shop gets shut down as of Sept. 30th.

My vinyl cutter had been collecting dust in the basement office for months and months but in the last month I've made more money on simple magnetics, coroplast and aluminum signs compared to what the neon shop would have brought in over a 4 month period. Calls have started to come in for commercial printing quotes and actual sales (all out-sourced) along with promotional product orders. I'm going to focus on marketing this stuff and hopefully I can go back to fulltime self employment next year.

As for the neon shop, the decision is made and once I do an inventory everything will be up for sale. Boxes and boxes of #300, #200 and 200p housings, 1.75, 3.5 & 5" glass tube supports, brass electrode caps, D-2 and D-2S housings, all kinds of stuff plus the equipment (newly purchased factory rebuilt 1402 and a 2 year old Transco bombarding setup), remaining glass and electrode inventory and a new Kitco glass cutter. Eventually the neon room will be transformed into a cutting and painting area for wood sign panels.

Sad to leave that part of the industry after 20 plus years but I can't see any other way of pulling out of the downhill slide the economy has taken me on. I'm not willing to lose the house, truck and other stuff just to save an idle neon plant.

Jean-Claude

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JC,

Just so you know you have a hotmail/outlook account so you won't be getting a email notification. Microsoft is preventing this site. Please do me a favor and complain that you're not getting your mail from here.

Thanks!

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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Thanks Gary, yeah the situation sucks but I worked too hard get into a house and decent vehicle over the past 5 years, some of that time working in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Things will come around and eventually the self-employment income will be enough to support myself again. At present the other job has me working Sunday all day then afternoon-evening on Monday to Wednesday. Off the other days. So I can still do some sign work early in the week and all day Thurs/Fri/Sat if the work is there. Just won't be standing over hot burners and playing with high voltages.

Did a vinyl window frost application yesterday and made the same take home cash as I would in 4 days at the outside job. If I could do that 2 or 3 times a week I'd be thrilled. I see light at the end of the tunnel... hope it's not from LEDs :P

I don't have any more neon jobs to do and will work on a couple of small personal projects before the end of the month. I want to make 6 neon candy canes to light up my walkway at Christmas and also plan on doing some under the cabinet lighting for the kitchen.

JC

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Last thing I would get rid of is my neon bench.

I don't do much neon anymore.Couple of repairs now and then.

Tube benders are dropping like flies.

I am keeping my bench and equipment for retirement.

When I am the last tube bender standing I will be getting big bucks for my hard earned skills

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Maybe it hasn't reached you yet but there has been a big jump in Neon here in So Cal, anywhere north of San Diego. Even wholesale shops are getting busier with Neon. George has a point but I don't think it's that far away. As I've been stating, we've been shipping out a lot of Neon Supplies. The pick up is definitely there and coming. Anyone who still has the ability and capacity will get much better money with low competition making it more attractive than anything else in the electric sign industry

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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I hate to say this Erik but your shipping out more neon stuff because too many other suppliers aren't stocking it any more. All they want to sell is print supplies. Thanks for sticking for us.

And good luck Jean-Claud we all know what it's like fighting to come back from this economy things are turning lately though.

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I hate to say this Erik but your shipping out more neon stuff because too many other suppliers aren't stocking it any more. All they want to sell is print supplies. Thanks for sticking for us.

And good luck Jean-Claud we all know what it's like fighting to come back from this economy things are turning lately though.

There is a lot of truth to that!. At the same time, the wholesale shops that I have talked too, they do say that they have had an increase in the demand for Neon

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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  • Board Patron

We do a bunch of repairs the none. Really up and down.

Installation & Maintenance Services

Brian Phillips | expresssignandneon@sbcglobal.net | P. 812-882-3278

Express Sign & Neon | 119 S. 15th Street - Vincennes - IN 47591

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