3 Ways To Minimize the Cost of a Custom Medal

Event planning: love it or hate it, you want the big day to be the best possible while staying within your budget.

If you need incredible custom medals and awards to represent your event and reward your participants with something unique, don't make the mistake of thinking a custom medal has to break the bank.

Check out these three key tips to keep the cost of your custom medals affordable...

1. Don’t Procrastinate! Order Early

When ordering custom medals, keep in mind that most custom medals are manufactured overseas. There are two transportation methods to the states: air freight and ocean freight. Ocean freight is the least expensive method but takes 4-6 weeks* longer than air freight.

The amount of money you can save depends on the size and thickness of your medal. The larger the medal, the more you will save. For example, on a 3.5” medal, you could save more than one dollar per medal. Therefore, if you order 500 medals, you could save $500 on your order by allowing enough time for ocean shipping versus air shipping.

2. A Simple Design Can Shine

Two significant factors that impact the cost of a custom medal are size and features. Too many event directors get caught up thinking they have to give out a giant medal with the most features, but it drives up the cost.

However, with a great design, you can go with a slightly smaller medal with fewer features (enamel colors, spinners, gemstones, etc.) and still be able to promote your event and reward participants with a great custom medal.

3. The More You Order, the Lower the Price

Like most things, the more you order, the lower your price. This is true for custom medals as well. With this concept in mind, here's a specific example related to custom medals:

Multi-year and multi-event orders. You can design a custom medal that will work for several years. If you have an event that requires 100 medals, but you have the ability (and budget) to order 300 medals, you can use the medals for the event in the next two years.

For example, a 2.5” custom Die Cast Medal at quantity 100 costs approximately $6.00 per unit, depending on your design… however, ordering 300 of the same medal design drops the price to about $4.00 per unit. Over the course of two years, you’d be looking at $1,200 if you purchased 1 year at a time versus $800 if you purchased all 300 at once (a potential $400 savings!).

So, if your situation permits, you can see how it can be beneficial to order custom medals for multiple years and future events all at once.

Keeping The Cost Down

If you're looking for a professional touch that adds a wow factor to your event, don't let the cost of a custom medal discourage you. With these tips, you can get the perfect medal for your event without breaking the bank.

If you’re looking to learn more about these tips and other helpful ways to minimize the cost of your custom medal, contact us to start the conversation.

*The COVID-19 Pandemic has created worldwide supply chain delays and shortages of material, equipment, and manpower. Lead times may reach up to 8 weeks longer than the standard timeframes.