I'm just curious.

[Jolten]

I'm a professional designer. I've been at it for years. Mostly print design but lately more and more web-based design.

I run a forum and a couple web sites so I'm always surfing vBulletin sites to see if there are any new hacks or template mods I may find handy.

As I look around the sites I constantly see requests for skin designers. And I also see the skin sites. The thing that really amazes me is that people offer $20 - $50 for a logo and skin design. I'm curious of people are really working for that amount of money. I understand the skin retail sites sell skins for around $30 but I assume volume makes up for that price. I would never even think of creating a logo for anyone for $50.

Do custom designs really only run $30 in the vBulletin community?

Thanks.

[Tony G]

The reason why the skins you see on skin sites are $30 is because they are pre-made. Pre-made meaning, made beforehand for no site in-particular. With a custom design, you're making a skin for that site only, with their ideas. And generally in the vBulletin community, custom skins (images, style and everything included) go for $100+

[jimmyboy]

and also, premade skins can be sold to more than one person, or companies.

the custom skins are only made for a specific community, and will NOT be sold to another person or company.

[Jolten]

I realize premade skins are dealt with in quantity. I posted that, in fact. I was just curious if the individuals that stop by and post "I need a logo and skin for $40" actually get work. In my opinion a logo alone is at least $500, the skin (based on my skinning my own forum) would be at least another $500-$1500.

I was mearly curious if there were those working for as little as $30.

[CannonFodder]

$500 for a logo is like paying $100,000 for a stock toyota celica. that's bloody outrageous, anyone who would pay that much deserves to be slapped, but thats just my opinion, and i'm entitled to it. i cant see anyone paying more than $75 for a logo, and i think thats still high.

[Ryan Ashbrook]

Originally Posted by iHCF

$500 for a logo is like paying $100,000 for a stock toyota celica. that's bloody outrageous, anyone who would pay that much deserves to be slapped, but thats just my opinion, and i'm entitled to it. i cant see anyone paying more than $75 for a logo, and i think thats still high.

Even $75 is outrageous to me, I can say something looks good, but it can look just as good as the free ones I see floating around. Why pay for something I can get, or make myself, for free?

[Tony G]

$500 for just a logo? That IS outrageous. Nobody will pay $500 for one logo. $500 for a professional skin (The WHOLE thing including images and such) is a bit more acceptable, but it's still alot.

[Jolten]

Ahh, well, you guys obviously don't deal with professional designers. $500 for a logo is cheap. Really cheap. Remember I'm not talking about a 16 year old with Photoshop creating it. I'm speaking of a professionally designed logo.

I guess I got the answer I was after.... Yes, the vBulletin community isn't one where professional designers are considered necessary.

Thanks.

[Tony G]

ScottW, there are many professional designers in the vBulletin community. You are not the only one to exist. A decent professional design goes for $200 and onwards, but rarely over $500. These prices do NOT mean they are not professional, it's just the general standard in the vBulletin community. These are not designs for sites, you're editing a forum. It's two different things.

If you really expect someone to pay $500 for a header logo, and you think that's cheap, then you must realise it's far from cheap. Don't expect anything cheaper than your $500 logo to be "un-professional," they might just be as good as anything you can create.

[assassingod]

The only time i've seen a design exceed over $500 was the hideously overpriced & overrated YaXaY design.