Need recommendations for a coffee mug supplier

[Morticia]

http://www.discountmugs.com/
My friends just ordered from them and they are very nice. Got some good specials. They also ordered some totebags and ball caps. I did their logo for them.
Look here at the bottom of the page for a picture. http://pineyhillbb.com/packages.html
The only problem was they wished they had gotten a darker green for the imprint..but they are still ok..

http://www.discountmugs.com/
My friends just ordered from them and they are very nice. Got some good specials. They also ordered some totebags and ball caps. I did their logo for them.
Look here at the bottom of the page for a picture. http://pineyhillbb.com/packages.html
The only problem was they wished they had gotten a darker green for the imprint..but they are still ok.

It's always a good idea to get a proof when it's the first time you've ordered so you'll know the color is exactly what you want it to be.
.

It's always a good idea to get a proof when it's the first time you've ordered so you'll know the color is exactly what you want it to be.

OK, here's the deal...I ordered mugs 2 years ago from this place that did the mug I bought TEN YEARS ago at a bookstore. I got a sample, approved it, good to go. Mugs came, I liked them. They have held up just like my now 15 year old mug!
Placed the same order, same mug, same logo 3 months ago. Mugs came and they are nowhere near the same quality. I called and they said to send an old on and a new one and they'd check.
Long story short, I called today after waiting a month for someone to get back to me. The guy who answered said he thought I was wrong. The NEW mug was better than the old one. 'If you don't hold them side by side, I don't see what the problem is.' (The problem is they WILL be side by side and they are not the same color or the same quality!) Plus, if I do sell them, I don't want guests looking at the mug and thinking 'poor quality!'
They are not completely 'finished' to my mind. The bottom edge is not glazed so they will scratch the counters, tables, etc and absorb moisture. I have mugs like these that I have bought elsewhere for myself- the insides scratch from the spoon, they look worn out quickly.
So, he said he would refund my money for this shipment. I asked how can I get the mugs I want and he told me, 'I don't know, we don't want your business.'
He also said that even if I had sent for a sample this time there was NO guarantee the mugs would have looked like that when they arrived.
I got fired as a customer! Now I have to start over!
.

He also said that even if I had sent for a sample this time there was NO guarantee the mugs would have looked like that when they arrived.
I got fired as a customer! Now I have to start over!

That's ridiculous. Discount Mugs always asks if you want a proof. Sometimes I've said no (and sometimes I was sorry for that) but they are always happy to send a proof.
What on earth would be the point of getting a proof if the order might not match? That's absurd.
Discount Mugs has a huge selection. Some are glazed on the bottom, some aren't. They may not be able to match the cups you got 10 years ago, but it is probably worth a try.
I get all kinds of things from them (mugs, wine glasses, pens, sports bottles, insulated picnic packs, whatever) and there's no setup once they have your logo on hand from prior orders.
.

Discount Mugs always asks if you want a proof.
Yes they do, but my friends said "they sent us a proof, but it didn't and doesn't include the color, just the graphic. I think that is a waste of time if they aren't going to give you exactly what it looks like. Oh well.... live and learn."
.

You can get an electronic proof or a real proof. The electronic proof is exactly as your friend described. Get the real thing.
.

I got a real mug the first time around as my 'proof'. Even if I had gotten one this time the rep told me the product run might not have used the same mug!

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

http://www.discountmugs.com/
My friends just ordered from them and they are very nice. Got some good specials. They also ordered some totebags and ball caps. I did their logo for them.
Look here at the bottom of the page for a picture. http://pineyhillbb.com/packages.html
The only problem was they wished they had gotten a darker green for the imprint..but they are still ok..

http://www.discountmugs.com/
My friends just ordered from them and they are very nice. Got some good specials. They also ordered some totebags and ball caps. I did their logo for them.
Look here at the bottom of the page for a picture. http://pineyhillbb.com/packages.html
The only problem was they wished they had gotten a darker green for the imprint..but they are still ok.

It's always a good idea to get a proof when it's the first time you've ordered so you'll know the color is exactly what you want it to be.
.

It's always a good idea to get a proof when it's the first time you've ordered so you'll know the color is exactly what you want it to be.

OK, here's the deal...I ordered mugs 2 years ago from this place that did the mug I bought TEN YEARS ago at a bookstore. I got a sample, approved it, good to go. Mugs came, I liked them. They have held up just like my now 15 year old mug!
Placed the same order, same mug, same logo 3 months ago. Mugs came and they are nowhere near the same quality. I called and they said to send an old on and a new one and they'd check.
Long story short, I called today after waiting a month for someone to get back to me. The guy who answered said he thought I was wrong. The NEW mug was better than the old one. 'If you don't hold them side by side, I don't see what the problem is.' (The problem is they WILL be side by side and they are not the same color or the same quality!) Plus, if I do sell them, I don't want guests looking at the mug and thinking 'poor quality!'
They are not completely 'finished' to my mind. The bottom edge is not glazed so they will scratch the counters, tables, etc and absorb moisture. I have mugs like these that I have bought elsewhere for myself- the insides scratch from the spoon, they look worn out quickly.
So, he said he would refund my money for this shipment. I asked how can I get the mugs I want and he told me, 'I don't know, we don't want your business.'
He also said that even if I had sent for a sample this time there was NO guarantee the mugs would have looked like that when they arrived.
I got fired as a customer! Now I have to start over!
.

He also said that even if I had sent for a sample this time there was NO guarantee the mugs would have looked like that when they arrived.
I got fired as a customer! Now I have to start over!

That's ridiculous. Discount Mugs always asks if you want a proof. Sometimes I've said no (and sometimes I was sorry for that) but they are always happy to send a proof.
What on earth would be the point of getting a proof if the order might not match? That's absurd.
Discount Mugs has a huge selection. Some are glazed on the bottom, some aren't. They may not be able to match the cups you got 10 years ago, but it is probably worth a try.
I get all kinds of things from them (mugs, wine glasses, pens, sports bottles, insulated picnic packs, whatever) and there's no setup once they have your logo on hand from prior orders.
.

Discount Mugs always asks if you want a proof.
Yes they do, but my friends said "they sent us a proof, but it didn't and doesn't include the color, just the graphic. I think that is a waste of time if they aren't going to give you exactly what it looks like. Oh well.... live and learn."
.

You can get an electronic proof or a real proof. The electronic proof is exactly as your friend described. Get the real thing.
.

I got a real mug the first time around as my 'proof'. Even if I had gotten one this time the rep told me the product run might not have used the same mug!
.

Discount Mugs does their own work on premise.
I'm guessing that rep (and really there are a lot of other words I could use to describe him but I'll stick with rep) is at a firm that sells the imprinted ware but the work is done elsewhere. But even assuming that's true, what an outrageous thing to say to a customer. Here's a sample of the cup but the final product might not be the same cup. Really just ridiculous that rep.

 

[Morticia]

We were happy with Discountmugs for ceramic mugs and for imprinted wine glasses. For those prices they won't be able to send a real product sample, just a confirmation of the graphics. As for "side-by-side", there is no way two orders will look exactly the same due to unavoidable variation in print color, print position on the mug, and different ceramic lots of the stock mug (color of "white")..

The mugs I got are about the same price as the 'same' thing on discountmugs. The place I used was able to send a sample for me to approve on the first order. My problem wasn't so much with the color not being the same as the quality wasn't even close. The mugs I have in boxes here right now have divots, little chunks of extraneous ceramic stuck to them, are not the same shape as the originals and aren't fully glazed (which I think is where the color difference comes in).
However, the next set I get I will not try to get white, I'll get a completely different color. Probably just swap the colors around so they're mirror images.

 

[Morticia]

http://www.discountmugs.com/
My friends just ordered from them and they are very nice. Got some good specials. They also ordered some totebags and ball caps. I did their logo for them.
Look here at the bottom of the page for a picture. http://pineyhillbb.com/packages.html
The only problem was they wished they had gotten a darker green for the imprint..but they are still ok..

http://www.discountmugs.com/
My friends just ordered from them and they are very nice. Got some good specials. They also ordered some totebags and ball caps. I did their logo for them.
Look here at the bottom of the page for a picture. http://pineyhillbb.com/packages.html
The only problem was they wished they had gotten a darker green for the imprint..but they are still ok.

It's always a good idea to get a proof when it's the first time you've ordered so you'll know the color is exactly what you want it to be.
.

It's always a good idea to get a proof when it's the first time you've ordered so you'll know the color is exactly what you want it to be.

OK, here's the deal...I ordered mugs 2 years ago from this place that did the mug I bought TEN YEARS ago at a bookstore. I got a sample, approved it, good to go. Mugs came, I liked them. They have held up just like my now 15 year old mug!
Placed the same order, same mug, same logo 3 months ago. Mugs came and they are nowhere near the same quality. I called and they said to send an old on and a new one and they'd check.
Long story short, I called today after waiting a month for someone to get back to me. The guy who answered said he thought I was wrong. The NEW mug was better than the old one. 'If you don't hold them side by side, I don't see what the problem is.' (The problem is they WILL be side by side and they are not the same color or the same quality!) Plus, if I do sell them, I don't want guests looking at the mug and thinking 'poor quality!'
They are not completely 'finished' to my mind. The bottom edge is not glazed so they will scratch the counters, tables, etc and absorb moisture. I have mugs like these that I have bought elsewhere for myself- the insides scratch from the spoon, they look worn out quickly.
So, he said he would refund my money for this shipment. I asked how can I get the mugs I want and he told me, 'I don't know, we don't want your business.'
He also said that even if I had sent for a sample this time there was NO guarantee the mugs would have looked like that when they arrived.
I got fired as a customer! Now I have to start over!
.

He also said that even if I had sent for a sample this time there was NO guarantee the mugs would have looked like that when they arrived.
I got fired as a customer! Now I have to start over!

That's ridiculous. Discount Mugs always asks if you want a proof. Sometimes I've said no (and sometimes I was sorry for that) but they are always happy to send a proof.
What on earth would be the point of getting a proof if the order might not match? That's absurd.
Discount Mugs has a huge selection. Some are glazed on the bottom, some aren't. They may not be able to match the cups you got 10 years ago, but it is probably worth a try.
I get all kinds of things from them (mugs, wine glasses, pens, sports bottles, insulated picnic packs, whatever) and there's no setup once they have your logo on hand from prior orders.
.

Discount Mugs always asks if you want a proof.
Yes they do, but my friends said "they sent us a proof, but it didn't and doesn't include the color, just the graphic. I think that is a waste of time if they aren't going to give you exactly what it looks like. Oh well.... live and learn."
.

You can get an electronic proof or a real proof. The electronic proof is exactly as your friend described. Get the real thing.
.

I got a real mug the first time around as my 'proof'. Even if I had gotten one this time the rep told me the product run might not have used the same mug!
.

Discount Mugs does their own work on premise.
I'm guessing that rep (and really there are a lot of other words I could use to describe him but I'll stick with rep) is at a firm that sells the imprinted ware but the work is done elsewhere. But even assuming that's true, what an outrageous thing to say to a customer. Here's a sample of the cup but the final product might not be the same cup. Really just ridiculous that rep.
.

You're right. The place I used sends the order out to a facility in another state. It's really too bad because the first order really was very good.

 

[Joey Camb]

I'm gutted that they don't deliver to the UK they are an an absolute bargain

 

[JBloggs]

Can I ask, how do you use ALL those mugs? Do you use them for every day with guests and let them purchase them, put them in packages as well? I just don't know what I could do with that many.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

Can I ask, how do you use ALL those mugs? Do you use them for every day with guests and let them purchase them, put them in packages as well? I just don't know what I could do with that many..

Can I ask, how do you use ALL those mugs? Do you use them for every day with guests and let them purchase them, put them in packages as well? I just don't know what I could do with that many.

Sell them. It's amazing how many guests ask to buy the cups and when you can sell them at a good price, they say yes. I'm always happy to sell these simple mugs in the $5-10 range and guests never say no at those prices. They think of the inn with every sip. Everyone wins.
For the stainless sports bottles, those are really not only big sellers, I use them for specials. Picnic special for a 3 day stay, for instance, might include a stainless bottle and an insulated lunch pack. Or as a special gift for a frequent guest, either through an email special or just as a surprise gift when they arrive.

 

[JBloggs]

For years I go back and forth on this. I love inn mugs myself, I have a couple here from some innmates which I cherish! I know I am pathetic. I just don't want to order a gross of them.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

For years I go back and forth on this. I love inn mugs myself, I have a couple here from some innmates which I cherish! I know I am pathetic. I just don't want to order a gross of them..

Then just order 36 of them. Although usually the prices are so much better at 72, it's almost the same total in the end.

 

[Morticia]

Can I ask, how do you use ALL those mugs? Do you use them for every day with guests and let them purchase them, put them in packages as well? I just don't know what I could do with that many..

Can I ask, how do you use ALL those mugs? Do you use them for every day with guests and let them purchase them, put them in packages as well? I just don't know what I could do with that many.

Everyday use. We have about 36 of them out for guests to use at breakfast and for evenings. We put them in packages, too. So, 2 years ago I ordered 144 and I'm now down to the ones on the shelf. Less the one someone walked off with 2 weeks ago.

 

[Morticia]

Can I ask, how do you use ALL those mugs? Do you use them for every day with guests and let them purchase them, put them in packages as well? I just don't know what I could do with that many..

Can I ask, how do you use ALL those mugs? Do you use them for every day with guests and let them purchase them, put them in packages as well? I just don't know what I could do with that many.

Sell them. It's amazing how many guests ask to buy the cups and when you can sell them at a good price, they say yes. I'm always happy to sell these simple mugs in the $5-10 range and guests never say no at those prices. They think of the inn with every sip. Everyone wins.
For the stainless sports bottles, those are really not only big sellers, I use them for specials. Picnic special for a 3 day stay, for instance, might include a stainless bottle and an insulated lunch pack. Or as a special gift for a frequent guest, either through an email special or just as a surprise gift when they arrive.
.

My guests don't buy them, they steal them. I think the price I quote them makes them think, 'OK, that's not like I'm really stealing anything,' and they take them. So, I raised the price. They still walk off. NOW it's an issue because I don't have replacements.

 

[JBloggs]

That Primland resort had a really nice set up in the bathroom with their specialty shampoos/soaps and on it was a little recycled paper on a cord that mentioned if we really enjoyed these and wanted to purchase we can have them added to our bill.
I thought it was a very classy thing to do, if we wanted MORE of these same products to take home. Have you considered putting a set in each room with a little card on them like this? Enjoy Black Rock Mugs at home - buy this pair for $11 or one for $6. Something like that? I ask as again, still considering this. But have a lot to put on them and it is a major decision on what goes on there. I have the line drawing and logo but you know me and my sayings. I would want it regional so they will really want on.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

That Primland resort had a really nice set up in the bathroom with their specialty shampoos/soaps and on it was a little recycled paper on a cord that mentioned if we really enjoyed these and wanted to purchase we can have them added to our bill.
I thought it was a very classy thing to do, if we wanted MORE of these same products to take home. Have you considered putting a set in each room with a little card on them like this? Enjoy Black Rock Mugs at home - buy this pair for $11 or one for $6. Something like that? I ask as again, still considering this. But have a lot to put on them and it is a major decision on what goes on there. I have the line drawing and logo but you know me and my sayings. I would want it regional so they will really want on..

That's exactly what I do. A simple notecard that lets them know they're for sale if they want to buy some, sitting discretely near the mugs.
I also put a page in the guest welcome book letting them that says pretty much the same thing about all of the items that are available to take back home - and the price.

 

[muirford]

That Primland resort had a really nice set up in the bathroom with their specialty shampoos/soaps and on it was a little recycled paper on a cord that mentioned if we really enjoyed these and wanted to purchase we can have them added to our bill.
I thought it was a very classy thing to do, if we wanted MORE of these same products to take home. Have you considered putting a set in each room with a little card on them like this? Enjoy Black Rock Mugs at home - buy this pair for $11 or one for $6. Something like that? I ask as again, still considering this. But have a lot to put on them and it is a major decision on what goes on there. I have the line drawing and logo but you know me and my sayings. I would want it regional so they will really want on..

Have you considered putting a set in each room with a little card on them like this? Enjoy Black Rock Mugs at home - buy this pair for $11 or one for $6.

I can't remember where I heard this - one of the inns we were looking to buy, maybe. They had the expensive Deneen pottery mugs but they would put two in each room rather than in the common area, so guests used their 'own' mugs for their stay. They felt it cut down on pilfering and often at the end of the stay guests wanted to buy 'their' mugs. I've had that happen once with the robes - at a family birthday celebration they all came to breakfast in our robes. They bought six, but the dad who's birthday it was didn't want a fresh one in a package, he wanted his robe.

 

[user 26]

That Primland resort had a really nice set up in the bathroom with their specialty shampoos/soaps and on it was a little recycled paper on a cord that mentioned if we really enjoyed these and wanted to purchase we can have them added to our bill.
I thought it was a very classy thing to do, if we wanted MORE of these same products to take home. Have you considered putting a set in each room with a little card on them like this? Enjoy Black Rock Mugs at home - buy this pair for $11 or one for $6. Something like that? I ask as again, still considering this. But have a lot to put on them and it is a major decision on what goes on there. I have the line drawing and logo but you know me and my sayings. I would want it regional so they will really want on..

Have you considered putting a set in each room with a little card on them like this? Enjoy Black Rock Mugs at home - buy this pair for $11 or one for $6.

I can't remember where I heard this - one of the inns we were looking to buy, maybe. They had the expensive Deneen pottery mugs but they would put two in each room rather than in the common area, so guests used their 'own' mugs for their stay. They felt it cut down on pilfering and often at the end of the stay guests wanted to buy 'their' mugs. I've had that happen once with the robes - at a family birthday celebration they all came to breakfast in our robes. They bought six, but the dad who's birthday it was didn't want a fresh one in a package, he wanted his robe.
.

I can't remember where I heard this - one of the inns we were looking to buy, maybe. They had the expensive Deneen pottery mugs but they would put two in each room rather than in the common area, so guests used their 'own' mugs for their stay. They felt it cut down on pilfering and often at the end of the stay guests wanted to buy 'their' mugs.

i can't wrap my head around this.
if guests stay more than one night, surely they'll want their mugs washed in the morning? and i wouldn't want guests rinsing out expensive mugs (that they might not buy) in their bathroom sinks?
i would think it would be harder to keep track of the mugs ... i can imagaine guests saying 'i brought my mug down, didn't you see it?' or 'my husband/wife is bringing down the mugs (and then the other half of the couple saying the same)' or 'the chambermaid must have brought down our dirty mugs' and, worst of all, 'mugs? what mugs? there weren't any mugs in our room'
so interesting ...

 

[Morticia]

That Primland resort had a really nice set up in the bathroom with their specialty shampoos/soaps and on it was a little recycled paper on a cord that mentioned if we really enjoyed these and wanted to purchase we can have them added to our bill.
I thought it was a very classy thing to do, if we wanted MORE of these same products to take home. Have you considered putting a set in each room with a little card on them like this? Enjoy Black Rock Mugs at home - buy this pair for $11 or one for $6. Something like that? I ask as again, still considering this. But have a lot to put on them and it is a major decision on what goes on there. I have the line drawing and logo but you know me and my sayings. I would want it regional so they will really want on..

I won't put anything in the rooms that I then would expect a guest to pay extra for. I might put a line in the guest book tho.

 

[muirford]

That Primland resort had a really nice set up in the bathroom with their specialty shampoos/soaps and on it was a little recycled paper on a cord that mentioned if we really enjoyed these and wanted to purchase we can have them added to our bill.
I thought it was a very classy thing to do, if we wanted MORE of these same products to take home. Have you considered putting a set in each room with a little card on them like this? Enjoy Black Rock Mugs at home - buy this pair for $11 or one for $6. Something like that? I ask as again, still considering this. But have a lot to put on them and it is a major decision on what goes on there. I have the line drawing and logo but you know me and my sayings. I would want it regional so they will really want on..

I won't put anything in the rooms that I then would expect a guest to pay extra for. I might put a line in the guest book tho.
.

I won't put anything in the rooms that I then would expect a guest to pay extra for. I might put a line in the guest book tho.

I have the robes in the rooms, which guests can use while they're here but need to pay for if they want to take them home. Putting the mugs in the rooms wouldn't be worth it to me unless they were more expensive and I could figure out how to manage all the issues that SS mentioned. For what it's worth, the innkeepers who did that had the Deneen mugs (which I'm sure sell for more than $10) and seemed to have figured it out. Maybe they didn't have a lot of guests - we never got to financials with them for other reasons.

 

[Morticia]

That Primland resort had a really nice set up in the bathroom with their specialty shampoos/soaps and on it was a little recycled paper on a cord that mentioned if we really enjoyed these and wanted to purchase we can have them added to our bill.
I thought it was a very classy thing to do, if we wanted MORE of these same products to take home. Have you considered putting a set in each room with a little card on them like this? Enjoy Black Rock Mugs at home - buy this pair for $11 or one for $6. Something like that? I ask as again, still considering this. But have a lot to put on them and it is a major decision on what goes on there. I have the line drawing and logo but you know me and my sayings. I would want it regional so they will really want on..

I won't put anything in the rooms that I then would expect a guest to pay extra for. I might put a line in the guest book tho.
.

I won't put anything in the rooms that I then would expect a guest to pay extra for. I might put a line in the guest book tho.

I have the robes in the rooms, which guests can use while they're here but need to pay for if they want to take them home. Putting the mugs in the rooms wouldn't be worth it to me unless they were more expensive and I could figure out how to manage all the issues that SS mentioned. For what it's worth, the innkeepers who did that had the Deneen mugs (which I'm sure sell for more than $10) and seemed to have figured it out. Maybe they didn't have a lot of guests - we never got to financials with them for other reasons.
.

The first time we stayed at a place that had robes in the rooms I didn't know if we were allowed to touch them or if we were supposed to buy them. Just a brief 15 years ago at that! Heck at over $400/night I was afraid to touch anything for fear of breaking it!

 

[Joey Camb]

We have mugs in the rooms but they are to go with the tea and coffee making stuff and are not branded and so far none have been taken. I quite fancy mugs for sale and we have a display cabinet in reception which is empty and would be perfect for this it is glass fronted and locks. I was thinking of putting in a selection of local/branded things ie Red bus money box/ Branded mugs/ Harrogate water etc. But have been struggling to find somewhere to produce them cheap enough it is worth it.

 

[Morticia]

We have mugs in the rooms but they are to go with the tea and coffee making stuff and are not branded and so far none have been taken. I quite fancy mugs for sale and we have a display cabinet in reception which is empty and would be perfect for this it is glass fronted and locks. I was thinking of putting in a selection of local/branded things ie Red bus money box/ Branded mugs/ Harrogate water etc. But have been struggling to find somewhere to produce them cheap enough it is worth it..

I have a red double decker bus tin! I thought it came with candy in it, but now I don't remember. It's made by The Silver Crane Company if that helps you any. It's not a bank, tho.