Images Magazine Digital Edition October 2018

KB MARKET INTELLIGENCE www.images-magazine.com 42 images OCTOBER 2018 Erich Campbell is an award-winning digitiser, embroidery columnist and educator, with 18 years’ experience both in production and the management of e-commerce properties. He is the partner relationship manager for DecoNetwork in the USA. w www.erichcampbell.com Usedmachines The guidelines above are doubly important when you’re considering purchasing used machines. You should also be sure to ask about the machine’s service record and, ideally, have a technician look at it or at least ask the servicing technician for the machine about its condition: confirming a machine’s current operability is not enough. Make sure to ask the manufacturer about necessary manuals, support and availability of parts, particularly electronic parts, for replacement or repair. Check in on the community to see if the machines are still in circulation and being used. Evaluate the support system with even more scrutiny than you would for a newly minted machine. If the machine in question is an addition to your existing line-up and you are an embroiderer who can maintain, tune, and run machines without issue, there’s no reason not to buy used, provided a machine has been consistently maintained and still offers ready availability of support for repairs and operation. Additional considerations No matter what machine you choose to buy, you should always ask what accessories are included. Chief among these are hoops and frames. For proper production, every machine will need at least twice the number of hoops or cap frames as it has heads: you always want the option of hooping a run of garments while the current run is on the machine. Make sure you factor in the cost of hoops when costing a new machine purchase, and make sure if you are adding a brand of machine that’s different to your current machines that the hoops are interchangeable. It may not be a deal-breaker for you, but it’s a nasty surprise if you are expecting to use your hoops universally only to find that they won’t lock in to your latest acquisition. Remember that for each machine, you will require a hooping station, with or without a hooping and placement aid, and storage for the machine’s tools, accessories and materials. Though you may double up on some things, basics like hoops need to be a part of your calculation. Bringing it home The next time you’re determining the cost of any equipment purchase, consider why and how it can be of use, who will be there to support it and how it will integrate into your particular shop. Take time to establish what a new purchase needs to do specifically for your situation in order for you to consider it a necessary and successful addition. When more than one machine fulfils those needs, evaluate the ‘intangible’ qualities that come from the manufacturer’s desire to get you running or the community that keeps the machine in operation in their own shops. Consider more than features or the dealer’s price – seek the real world stories from the decorators doing the kind of work you want to do. The benefits and costs of a product are never contained in sales brochure alone; know your business, ask pointed questions and make sure that you’ll have support when you’ll need it most. [Above, left] When spare parts for an older machine are no longer available from the manufacturer and you can’t obtain them from other sources, it’s high time to purchase a new model [Above, right] Don’t forget your set-up and supplies: in order to maximise productivity, every machine needs a place for equipment and a full complement of hoops, even if that means creating a home- made station