A quote for a first run often hides four different costs behind one number. Each has a reason, and each can be negotiated differently.
Minimum order quantity (MOQ)
A minimum exists because every run has fixed work in it: setting up the casting, preparing the model, finishing. Spread over one piece it is heavy; over twenty it is light. Ask what the minimum counts: per design, per metal, per size, or per order. The answer changes what a small test run costs.
The sample
A sample proves the design before the run. Ask whether the sample is charged, and whether that charge is credited against your order if you proceed. Also ask whether the sample is made the same way as production. A hand-finished sample can look better than the pieces that follow.
Molds and tooling
For repeat quantities, a master and a mold let a maker produce many identical pieces. That is a one-time cost that pays back across the run. For small quantities, printing each piece from the file can cost less than making a mold. Ask which approach is quoted, and who owns the mold when it is paid for.
The reorder
A reorder should be cheaper and faster than the first run, because the work is already done. Confirm that your files and masters are stored, for how long, and that the price will follow the metal market on the day you reorder. Our note on the 24-hour gold quote shows how to handle that in your own pricing.
Five questions that make a quote comparable
- What does the minimum count?
- Is the sample charged, and is it credited?
- Is tooling in the price, and who owns it?
- How long are files and masters kept?
- How is a reorder priced and timed?
With those five answers, two quotes that look different become two quotes you can compare.