Fundraising with Badge Making
Badges are a fantastic addition to any school fete or other fundraiser. Kids love designing and making their own badges, and they are a relatively quick buck to make. Once you have made the initial investment in a machine, with proper care they will last practically forever, and you can pull it out every year for your fete. Badge components are cheapest in bulk, and there is no issue with shelf life – they will last for years carefully stored.
Many badge machines now also support other products from keyrings and bottle openers to hair clips and buttons. Since most badge machines work with fabric as well as paper, this means you can create a whole range of beautiful products to sell at your fete, months in advance of your event, and with relatively little stress.
But if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, you can easily come up with a range of other ways to make and sell badges during the year – think slogans for sports day, reminder badges for upcoming events, vote-for-me badges for student elections, and even badges for local businesses.
Things to consider when purchasing a badge machine
Badge machines consist of two primary components – the machine/press and then the mould or ‘die’ which are the heavy metal units that are used to press the badge components together. In most models these can be interchanged – so you can buy one machine and various ‘die’ so you can make different size badges.
Die come in a variety of sizes available from the small button badge 25mm to a large 75mm (although you can technically get even bigger ones). The bigger the die, the more expensive they are, so consider what size badges you really want to make.
It is important to remember that components from one company might not fit in a badge machine from another company – so you need to look at cost of resupplying the components as well as the cost of the machine.
Buy from a company you trust, you want to make sure they will be around in a couple of years when your school/club goes back to buy more badge components. Some of the companies listed exclusively work in badge making, while others sell badge machines as part of a larger range of products. There is a marked difference in price and quality between Australian made and imported machines.
You are not just limited to making badges with your machine. Most companies also sell the components for keyrings, bottle openers and mirrors. Some also sell jewellery components such as cufflinks, hair clips and rings that you can make using fabric or paper. Any sized school could raise funds selling clips and headbands in the school or faction colours.
For ease of comparison, Fundraising Mums is looking only at the standard 57-58mm components. Since some of the websites deal regularly with schools and quote prices exclusive of GST, I have added it in where required.
Some businesses also hire out badge making machines, which is an option if you only want to sell badges for a single event, and do not want to make an investment in your own machine.
There is quite a variance in prices, which may be due to a number of factors including whether the badges have a plastic or metal back. I make no representation to the superiority of any of the listed businesses and recommend you do further research. None of the prices below includes postage.
Prices valid August 2018.
Alond
Purchase – 20mm, 25mm, 37mm, 58mm, 75mm, 1100mm machines plus interchangeable dies
58mm starter kit includes machine, circle cutter, cutting mat, and sample pack (contains magnets, badges, keyrings and mirrors) $385.00
Components available – badges, hair grips, keyrings, hairbands, mirrors, rings, buttons, cufflinks, pens, ponytail holders, paperclips, other shaped badges and more (most suitable for 25mm machine). This would be of particular interest to schools or groups who are looking to expand beyond simple badges and diversify into jewellery and other items for a fete or market stall.
Minimum purchase – 50/100
Example – 1000 x 58mm badge components $207.10
No hire option but they do offer a range of machine-free badges that you can make without needing a badge making machine, suitable for one-off or small jobs.
Badge A Minit
https://www.badge-a-minit.com.au/
Purchase – Badge-a-Minit, based in South Australia, are the only company I found which make their own heavy-duty, Australian-made machines. They are available in a fixed 57mm model or a rotary model which can fit a range of die cutters (which cost extra). Also available: imported rotary model which can fit a variety of die cutters.
Australian made 57mm starter kit $756.35 (includes cutter and badge components)
Imported 57mm machine $465 (includes cutter but no components).
Components available – badges (25mm, 35mm, 57mm, 85mm), keychains, magnets, mirrors
Minimum purchase: 100
Example – 1000 x 57mm Australian-made badge components $521.50
Machines are available to hire for only $30/day (including GST) and if you hire on a Friday and return on the Monday (from the office in Norwood, Adelaide) you will only be charged for one day’s hire.
BadgeMachine.com.au/ABC2000
http://www.badgemachine.com.au/
Purchase – machines are available in 25mm, 44mm, 58mm, 75mm and 100mm and you can buy interchangeable plates to make other size badges. The kits include a universal paper circle cutter and 100 components.
58mm starter kit S type machine – $390
Components available: badges (25mm, 44mm, 58mm, 75mm and 100mm), bottle opener keyrings, clip back badges, keyrings, magnets, mirrors, mirror keyrings and more
Minimum purchase: 100
Example – 1000 x 58mm badge components $290
No hire available.
Button Badge World
http://www.buttonbadgeworld.com.au/
Purchase – Starter kits 25mm, 32mm and 58mm – includes machine, mould set/die, multi-cutter and 100 components. You can also buy other mould sets to make different sized badges.
58mm starter kit $505.89
Components available – badges (25mm, 32mm and 58mm)
Minimum purchase: 100
Example – 1000 x 58mm badge components $329.95
Hire – $44 per 24 hours, with discounts for subsequent days (ie 50% for 7 days) Sydney metro only (25mm/32mm/58mm)
Punch cutter $11 per 24 hours
Weekend rates- Friday PM to Monday AM $66, cutter $16.50
Badgers
Purchase – starter kits – includes heavy duty machines, circle cutter, spare blades, glass cutting board and template (25mm, 38mm, 44mm, 57mm, 64mm and 75mm). You can make a badge in 10 seconds.
57mm starter kit – $423.50
Components available – badges (25mm, 38mm, 44mm, 57mm, 64mm and 75mm) plus make up mirrors, key rings
Minimum purchase: 100
Example – 1000 x 57mm badge components $495
Hire – $24.75 per 24 hours, weekend (Friday PM to Monday 9.30am) $49.50 plus deposit
Hire machine available in all sizes 25mm, 38mm, 44mm, 57mm, 64mm and 75mm
Cutting Art
Purchase – Starter kits 38mm, 57mm – includes machine, mould set, cutter and 50 components $490
Components available– badges, keyrings, magnets
Minimum purchase: 50
Example – 1000 x 57mm badge components $350
Hire – $50/5 days Melbourne metro only (38mm/57mm) plus deposit
Circle cutter and cutting mat included – plus minimum order of 50 badge components ($25), keyrings ($50) or magnets ($50).
Educational Art Supplies
http://www.edartsupplies.com.au/Badge-Making-Machine.html
Purchase – 32mm or 58mm – machine only
58mm machine $361.90
Circle Cutter Rotary $54.95
Components available – pin backed or magnet backed badges
Components sold individually at 88c each, no minimum purchase.
Example – 1000 x 58mm badge components $880
No hire option
JK Trading
Purchase – 25mm, 32mm, 44mm, 58mm and 75mm machines
58mm machine plus 100 badge components $302.99
Components available – badges (25mm, 32mm, 44mm, 58mm and 75mm),
Example – 1000 x 58mm badge components (plus bonus 100 components) $178.50
No hire option.
Klubs
Purchase – 25mm, 37mm, 58mm, 75mm machines
58mm machine starter pack includes variable circle cutter, cutting mat, 100 badge components plus a sample pack containing mirrors, key chains, magnets, bottle openers and lanyards $385.95
Components available – badges (25mm, 37mm, 58mm, 75mm), key chains, bottle openers, mirrors
Minimum purchase: 50
Example – 1000 x 58mm badge components $230
No hire option.
Author: Shannon Meyerkort
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