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snowboarding decals

Posted in Snowboarding by admin on July 13, 2010

snowboarding decals

So who sells decals anyway?

Before I was recruited to sell screen-printing in 1978, I never really had a consciousness of what a decal was or how it was printed. Here is one scenario you will see about as often as a Rush Limbaugh book signing at a Democratic National Convention: When asked by their grandmother or an interested stranger, “What do you want to be when you grow-up?” a child responding, “ I want to be a decal salesperson!” No such heart beats in the chest of any child. You’ll simply never hear one say, “Decals are my desired vocation. I’ve known it since before I could know!”

Such is the oddity then that is the creation of a decal salesperson…how did we become that which is not desired by anyone seeking business success?

Some of us likely remember that one twenty something guy who came to your parent’s party’s bearing gifts, not for the adults, but for the little lads and lasses of the home. What gifts could this adult bring to wow and keep the attention of these little people long after they’d gone? This person brought with them iconic images of the day: “Surf’s Up” decals, a shredder decal of ghastly skulls and bones or the images found on the car of a fast track NASCAR winner. These kids would gladly grasp these images and slap them onto their bikes, lockers, bike helmets, skis and snowboards. Even the adult overlords of these giddy children desire some of this persons work. How about a Mustang logo or a “Not All Who Wander Are Lost” sticker? Or perhaps the more common and refined bumper image, “My Child is an Honor Student” bumper sticker?

So some of us do know a person who makes and sells decals, did such people propel those of us who sell from fascinated child into actually choosing this vocation? No, I don’t think even that caused us to choose a profession that truly gets no respect. Case in point: I remember flying one day on a business trip, dressed to the nine’s and seated next to a fellow businessman also in full regalia. He asked me the question that all businessmen ask each other on a plane: “What do you do?” The proud decal salesperson that I am, I respond (unashamed and with unbridled excitement), “ I sell decals.” As the words leave my lips I see the anticlimactic reaction of the fellow as he says (undoubtedly trying to deflate my over extended ego), “Is that a hobby?” I now have to advise him of his incredulous ignorance and I retort by pointing out that the designs decorating the fine china he has at home are in fact decals! Did I regain my respect? Maybe not. But I go on to peddle my no respect decals nonetheless.

It is interesting that many a product cannot ship unless it has a no respect decal affixed to it. The absence of a no-respect, 5 cent decal can shut down a production line. It certainly gets respect then!

So why do we who hock decals do it? It is in our blood! Screen-print inks, mixed with PVC, course through our veins. We are hooked! We love saying to family members and total strangers, “See that XM Satellite Radio decal over there? I made that.” With our egos intact and profit margins dancing in our heads, we go on selling into the sunset.

About the Author

Doug Bryant

The Decal Factory – The best decals, signs, labels, posters, stickers and banners in the industry for business and hobby.
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