Fundraising for churches - commemorative bells, plates, mugs and candles
Commemoratives
Plates, Mugs, and Bells

Frequently Asked Questions

If we order 2 or 3 different items, do we have to meet the 72 piece minimum for each? No… any combination of product will do as long as your total order is at least 72 pieces.

How do I know how much freight will be for my order? Good question! Actually, it’s difficult to determine the exact amount for a number of reasons. We try to ship “the best way” possible, i.e. get the plates to you safely at the least possible cost. Usually this means shipping by UPS, but not always. To minimize freight, have the plates delivered to a commercial address because UPS charges more to deliver to a residence. … please call the factory for an estimate.

Is there an extra charge to number our plates?  Yes, we charge 50 cents per plate to hand number the back of the plate in 24k gold. This would be appropriate for plate that you want to make “a limited edition.”  We rarely do this for churches.

How much history can we put on the back?  Generally 150-200 words works well. On the 8-9” plates, we have a 4” circle in which we can reproduce your church history or other narrative. The 10” plate has a 5” circle.

Can we put two churches on the front? (Our old and new)  Yes, we do quite a lot of these! We must, however, charge an extra $40 art charge for each additional image. See our sample page for actual plates we’ve done.

Can we put our Pastor’s picture on the front?  Yes, we can draw people. There is one drawback and it’s that we are limited to black color for the plate image. The reason is that with “people images,” the toning required must be consistent and black color gives us the best results.

Do you produce plates other than churches? Yes… we can produce schools, historic buildings, train stations, any image … you name it!

Do you have products other than those shown? Yes… we’ve been producing custom chinaware for more than 20 years and our “attic” is quite large. We carry dinnerware, giftware… you name it!  Just let us know what you might be interested in and give us the opportunity to help!

Do you have rush service?  This all depends on how busy we are. We can produce an order in as little as two weeks but we won’t sacrifice quality or another existing order commitment. If you need your product faster than our normal 4-6 week turnaround… please call and we’ll let you know if it’s possible.

Will we have the chance to look at the art before we see our plates?  Yes, we will prepare the front art and history for the back and email or send it to you for approval prior to producing actual plates.  We prefer email because it’s fast! Faxing art isn’t good since the image “thickens” and doesn’t come through as a fair representation.

How do we know how many plates to order?  Many churches take advance orders before placing an order with us. If you don’t take advance orders, we recommend that you be conservative in ordering.

Can we specify our own style of type?  Yes, while we have hundreds of type styles, it’s helpful if you specify the font name and provide us with a printed sample. We may not have the exact font but we most likely have something very close. If you don’t specify a font, our artist will choose one.

Are the plates food-safe?  No, you should not use the plates for food because the ceramic color may contain lead or cadmium necessary for color fidelity. We routinely fire a warning on the back of the plate and also place a remove-able label on the front as required by the FDA. Rest assured, your plate is completely safe to handle. If you require a food safe plate, please let us know and we can quote separately.

Can we order less than the 72 minimum pieces?  Yes, but unfortunately, we must charge more in order to cover fixed costs already built into the 72 piece price. Best to call the factory for a quote.

Can you reproduce color photographs? We can, but it becomes very expensive for small quantities. Since it’s a different process altogether, proofing alone could be $1,000. Accordingly, for a 100 plate order, the cost of a full color image might be $25.00 per plate or more. For this reason, we recommend line art, which provides a value added artistic dimension at a very reasonable cost.

How much are extra line art colors? We can add extra colors for $1.00 per color per piece. Please let our art department make suggestions for multi-colored plates. We can often add dimension with shaded versions of the same color thereby minimizing your cost without sacrificing “effect.”

Can I reorder less than 72 pieces?  If you reorder quickly… the answer is yes.  We generally produce 20% more components than we need to cover production losses, produce extras for samples, etc. Accordingly, it’s not unusual for us to have components available for a few extra pieces. The best thing to do is call us! 

How do I care for my plate?  The image on your plate has been fired at temperatures approaching 1500 degrees and is permanent. It won’t wear off, scratch off… it’ll be there a long… long time! Accordingly, care is easy… a hot soapy towel will clean the plate. Be careful of using anything abrasive on the gold or platinum banding since they are precious metals and will wear. 

What if my plate has flaws?  Keep in mind that your plate has been hand decorated and minor variances are both inherent and characteristic of the process. During our production process, each plate has been inspected at various stages of production according to existing “collector” standards. Please feel free to contact us if you have any quality questions.

Call 1-800-966-3098 or email us below to learn more!

Contact Information

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