Blue Water Navy

where are they?

frankly i'm sick of seeing in-country stuff. all over cafe press.

I set up a demo store but never got an OK to pursue it.
I put up some mugs, hats and this.

Bill,
get up with JR and see what is happening. I know we could use some more sales. What does everyone think?? If you could get the costs for things to him it would help.

Exie,

Carl has wore his t shirt out wearing it to the VA. I just have to order another one soon.
We can check with JR and see if there can be a larger insignia. We only keep so many in stock now as sales have slowed. BUT if you post your ideas on things, perhaps we can accomadate something. We had been asked about decals but they were pricey if we did them in color- which is what we wanted to do.

Everyone - we still have pins, shirts and the AO Pin for those who help take care of their veterans. PLus we still accept donations !

Carl thinks ball caps would do good too.......you know the thing is, we have to be sure we can sell them so you need to let JR know or post here.

HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK YOU'D LIKE TO BUY AND HELP SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE BWNVVA.

ExIntrepid wrote:Damn, Dak—Hell Yes!

Only change is I want the top slot on the licence plate holder to show the biggest VSM we can fit on it. Maybe with stick-on Bronze Stars...

By the way, the bottom should read BLUE WATER NAVY VIETNAM VETERAN!
.........

—ExIntrepid

I could build a graphic with the VSM, BWM logo and the url for the top.

The bottom DOES say Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veteran.
I can send you some reading glasses.

I didn't put back graphics on the initial samples because the graphics I was able to get wouldn't blow up and keep a clean resolution.

Marcella wrote:Bill,
get up with JR and see what is happening. I know we could use some more sales. What does everyone think?? If you could get the costs for things to him it would help.

Marcie, I contacted JR a long time ago about it, right about the time I posted this thread;
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1698

There is no cost to start up, only the labor involved in working the graphics. I asked for high-res graphics but no response. What is on there as samples was made up from the small graphics I was able to get from the Blue Water Navy site.
I used a 10% markup figure. If anyone wants to see what is there to this point, and the suggested prices, they can go here; http://www.cafepress.com/BWNVV
Obviously the price could be 5%, or what every the BWNVVA leaders want.

I've emailed JR to look at email and your info. I know he is in a huge project right now, so it may be a bit...give us a bit of time. Thanks for bringing it up again. Sometimes we need bumped up- or over the head!

ExIntrepid wrote:

daklander wrote:I could build a graphic with the VSM, BWM logo and the url for the top.

The bottom DOES say Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veteran.
I can send you some reading glasses.

I didn't put back graphics on the initial samples because the graphics I was able to get wouldn't blow up and keep a clean resolution.

Yeah, well that graphic on my screen looks like Blue Water Nay... Maybe post a bigger jpg?

We gotta remember not to make it too busy, hard to read from behind, and not much room on top. I'd thought a BWN logo on one side, and a Tonkin Gulf Yaht Club patch on the other, with a big bright VSM in between... Dunno, I'd have to see it.

Great Idea, though! And I agree about the ball caps, too.

—ExIntrepid

Yeah, I suppose I could edit and enlarge the photo but I'm not inclined to put too much time into it without and OK. As I said, the stuff I posted pictures of are strictly samples put up with limited graphics resolutions and a very limited amount of time spent on getting the print to fit the print areas as fully as possible.
As far as the biggest graphic, ie; VSM that will fit, it would be somewhere around 3/4" to 7/8". That's all the room that's available on a standard plate layout and as to the plate layout... There is one layout and it is what it is. It's pretty much the standard license plate layout with the upper and lower statement areas. This is not something that BWNVVA has to pay for design and layout up front so it's a take what you can get scenario, IMHO. Even paying for other custom frames will result in very nearly the same letter space size simply because they have to fit the standard US license plates and also fit within a particular range that's been determined by the mounting hole layout. They must also not obstruct any of the numbers or letters on the license plates so that limits the layout as well.
I don't think anyone is going purchase an odd sized plate frame that would require them to drill holes in their cars to mount the frames.
There are, I'm sure, places to get the goods at a cheaper cost to the organization but all would require the items be paid for, shipped to John, Marice, or whoever wanted to take that store management on, sold and distributed from there. Cafe Press and the others that are similar web stores have the payments done there and produce and ship the items and no one at BWNVVA has to put hands on the items unless they purchase them for their own use.

There are bumper stickers, button, BBQ aprons and a heck of a lot of other items available All are no cost upfront to the store owner and the site if free unless the store owner wants an unlimited amount of designs on a particular item, say coffee mugs. In this case, I would suspect the BWNVVA would only need the BWN logo on the coffee mugs. If there were two logos they want to use there are two sizes of mugs so they could go with one logo on one mug size and a different logo on the other.

If the store were to prove profitable enough the BWNVVA could pay for a store that would support the multiple logos on the same type of item.

This, "a BWN logo on one side, and a Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club patch on the other, with a big bright VSM in between" could certainly be done but would be limited to the size in that area. My personal opinion is the Blue Water Navy website should be on the plate. If it's on the bottom it would work as well.
Again, I'm not going to spend more time on something that was presented quite a long time ago and that does not have a go ahead. You're more than welcome to come up with a design as well. My feelings aren't going to be hurt.

ExIntrepid wrote:

We gotta remember not to make it too busy, hard to read from behind, and not much room on top. I'd thought a BWN logo on one side, and a Tonkin Gulf Yaht Club patch on the other, with a big bright VSM in between... Dunno, I'd have to see it.

Great Idea, though! And I agree about the ball caps, too.

—ExIntrepid[/color]

Here's a sample for you Exie.
I didn't place the Shellback design because I'm sure there are Blue Water Navy Vets who are not Shellbacks but the vast majority of us crossed the date line.


I did get an email from Rossie so I've started working more on the project.

ExIntrepid wrote:Kidding aside, Dak, I think that's a great idea. I don't know the cost / quantity deal on something like this, but I can't believe we might find a deal somewhere.

'e-mail me and let me know where this goes...

—ExIntrepid

For the situation as it is, there is no upfront cost and no minimum quantity, no need to warehouse product and so no need to handle and ship and no cost for the store though the product designs do have limits. It's all handled by the service and that's why I suggested this way to go about it. When enough product sells, reaching a predetermined dollar amount those funds are mailed via check to the store owner who, in this case would be Rossie.

Great Design. Keep us informed and I know Carl is going to want one for the Truck!