What Are the Factors That Impact the Pricing of Custom Medals?

Understanding Custom Medals

Custom medals are a great way to promote your event and reward participants for their hard work, but how much budget should you allocate for them? Because there are too many factors that affect the cost, it is difficult to accurately answer this question without understanding some of your specific wishes and requirements. So, what factors will affect the pricing of custom medals?

Factors that affect the pricing of Custom Medals

1. Type: When creating custom medals, there are numerous materials to choose from, including zinc, iron, lead, tin, brass, silver, copper, wood, and customized PVC medals. It's essential to note that each material requires specific manufacturing methods to produce high-quality custom medals.  Whether creating unique medals for promotional events, sporting events or corporate programs, choosing the right materials and manufacturing techniques can have a significant impact on the end result.

2. Quantity: Generally speaking, the more custom medals you purchase, the lower the unit cost. This is because as the quantity increases, the unit cost of setting/molds/dies, manufacturing, and transportation usually decreases. There are usually quantity-based price breaks, but please note that they are not the same for all types of medals. For example, you may be able to purchase 1,000 medals at a cost lower than 950 medals.

3. Size/Thickness: Although real custom medals come in any size and shape, they are usually applied by size: 2 inches, 3 inches, 4 inches, etc., and by thickness. Therefore, larger and thicker medals require more materials, making them more expensive to produce. Shape also affects the price. For example, a 3-inch square medal covers more surface area than a 3-inch round medal and requires more materials. The extra weight also affects transportation costs.

4. Medal Finish: Medal finishes may affect the price, depending on the medal type and material you choose. These are some finishing options: glossy (gold, brass, silver, bronze); antique (gold, brass, silver, bronze, nickel, tin); matte/satin (gold, brass, silver, bronze); nickel (black, silver, PMS color match); powder-coated finish (PMS color match); natural finish (unplated); some finishes have higher production costs and are more difficult to apply. Your choice may affect the final price.

5. Design Features: Depending on the type of custom medals, you can choose to include many design features. Generally, the more features you add, the higher the cost.

6. Medal Accessories: Working with a skilled medals maker, the custom medals you ultimately select will often come with an array of accessories and options to complement and perfect your design.

7. Time/Logistics: All types of medals have different standard delivery times for ordering and production. Lead and production times will affect their prices. If you need medals within standard timeframes, additional fees are usually required (such as rush fees and expedited shipping). Shipping and fulfillment also affect time and total cost.