Get The Most Bang For Your Buck!
If you are on a limited budget or just looking to keep the cost down on your challenge coins, don’t sweat it. We have a few useful tips that can save you money and get you the high-quality coins you need.
Getting the most bang for your buck starts with the unit price. Unit price is the price of each individual coin in a full order. How much each coin costs depends on a number of different factors like color, size, edging, planting, numbering and countless other customizable features. The more complex a coin is, the more expensive it will be.
The best ways to keep the unit price down, and get the most coins for your money, is to focus on size, colors and quantity.
Size
Bigger coins will cost more money. They require larger molds and more material so they will be inherently more expensive. If you are looking to get the most coins for your money, smaller sized coins will always be the way to go.
Take this for an example:
Let say you were looking to order 500 challenge coins with color on both sides. Sizes range from 1.5” all the way up to as large as you can imagine, and you decide that 2.5” is perfect. The unit price for a 2.5” coin with color on both sides is $5.29, so 500 coins will come out to a total of $2,645.
Bear with us, we know it’s a lot of numbers. By getting 1.5” coins in place of the 2.5” coins, you will save over $1,000 on this order. Those kinds of savings can help meet any kind of budget! But let's take the example just a little further. Let’s say your budget for this 500 coin project is $3,000. You have plenty to cover the cost of the 2.5” coins. Now, the size of your coins plays a role in how much you are getting for your money.
For the designated $2,645, you can have your 500 coins at 2.5”. But if you decide to take an inch off your coins and get a 1.5” design instead, you can order 1,000 coins for just a measly $205 more. That means doubling the number of coins you receive for just 8% more money! No matter how you spin it, deciding what size coin to get is where you can find ways to meet any budget and get the most for your money.
Color
Color is another option that has a significant effect on the unit price of coins. It takes extra time to set up a mold that has clearly defined breaks for color patterns, ensuring that no colors bleed together. The paint itself adds up, too. If you look at a single coin, it doesn’t look like it takes that much paint, but remember, multiply the paint from one coin by 300 or 500 or however big the order is. That’s a lot of paint.
So, choosing to avoid color fills will save you money. How much, you ask? Well, let's look back at the example from above: you're getting 500 coins with color on both sides for a total of $2,645. By eliminating the color fills and getting bare-metal coins, you will save almost $700! You save $1.35 on every coin. In this example, eliminating color fills saves just over 25% on the total order.
Something you might be thinking right now is, why would I want to get challenge coins without color? The truth is, you don’t need color to make compelling designs. Check out some of these bare metal designs we have created!
If you think your design really needs color, but you’re still looking for ways to save a little extra money, we have options for color on only one side as well. This is the best of both worlds since you get to save some money, but still get a splash of vibrant color.
The last thing to consider is quantity. It might seem kind of backward but ordering more coins helps you get more for your money!
Quantity
Alight, buckle up because there are some more numbers in this section. But first, let’s talk about coin molds. Designing a custom coin is a lot of fun. You get to throw your ideas around and see how they flesh out. You get to go through revisions making artwork just right. And when you finally get to hold the first coin, you know it is a true original.
But a custom coin needs a custom mold. Mold fees cover testing the setup of the coin and the development of a unique mold. It can cost anywhere between $50 and $250 depending on the size of the coins and whether or not they are one-sided or two-sided in design. This is where quantity comes into play.
For orders of 300 coins or more, we eliminate mold fees! This means that all of your money is going towards coins, and not towards set up! Also, the unit price of challenge coins drops exponentially with the increase of order quantity, so the more you order the less you are paying for each coin.
It is easy to lose track of all of these numbers so we have created a table for our clients to look over that simplifies everything. Take a look at our pricing page and see what you think!
Before You Order
When you start the ordering process by requesting artwork, take a moment to talk with a member of our sales team. Give them your budget and they will find the best options to meet your needs. Getting smaller coins can save a lot of money on the bottom line, but maybe you really need a 1.75” coin and can’t figure out how to make that suit your budget.
Our sales team is friendly and full of experience. They will do everything in their power to help create a coin that suits your needs (both in design and budget). Check out size comparisons and custom options on our pricing page, and get a better idea of what we can create for you. Our experience has taught us that there is some wiggle room that allows our customers to save money without sacrificing high-quality design.
