Sometime before Christmas, I sent in an order to CAPMart for some flags (we just stood up a new charter number) - specifically a squadron flag, a guidon and some miscellany (like poles and spear tips), hoping against hope that they'd be able to put in the order before handing ops over to Vanguard.
Well, that proved a futile hope.
I got a call yesterday from a very nice person from Vanguard in Norfolk who very politely told me that CAPMart's prices weren't thier prices and that the costs had gone up. By about $50 on the squadron flag and a few bucks here and there on others.
So, does anyone out there have any good recommendations on other sources? Personal experiences? I'd like to be able to get that squadron flag for something less than the $225 that it'll end up costing us.
Thanks,
www.paradestore.com
The Parade Store would only have a CAP flag as a Custom Flag. And They may not be able to produce it due to National claiming copyright of the emblems. Anybody get a CAP flag from them? If so what was the cost
Well did you order your things before or after they became Vangaurd? If you ordred it before they changed if so you should be able to see if you can get the price that you ordered them at. If not then you are in a little bit of trouble.
Did CAPMart charge your credit card for your order?
No, I didn't use a card. I sent a unit check, which as yet hasn't cleared. I'm not really sure exactly what's going on with that, since we did make the check payable to CAPMart.
We'll be shopping around for better prices before we actually do "complete" the order.
please be sure to post a followup here, once you post your order. :)
Just to recap...
Before Christmas, I ordered a new unit guidon, flag, a flag pole, and several spear tips for poles from CAPMart, hoping to get the order in before the switch-over to Vanguard. Unfortunately, I was a bit late, and a few weeks later I got a call from Vanguard explaining that their costs had gone up. So I did a bit of research, and as I couldn't find a better price, the squadron paid the extra cost.
Several months went by, with nary a word. Wisconsin's Cadet Competition came and went, and we were well on our way to Memorial Day, so I called Vanguard a couple of times. Both customer service people I talked to couldn't pull up the info directly (because Vanguard doesn't actually make the flags; they contract with the Annin Flag Company), so they promised to get right back to me after talking to the CAP manager.
Hearing not a word, I called back and spoke to Vanguard's CAP manager, a fellow named Charles. Once again, he couldn't pull up the info I needed, so he said he would call Annin and then phone me with an answer. To my surprise, he called me back (the next day, IIRC) and told me that Annin said they'd shipped the flags to Vanguard, but couldn't provide a tracking number, and as the order hadn't been received by Vanguard he'd have them done again.
I asked if we could have the flags before Memorial day (about 10 days away at the time), but that was hoping against hope. Memorial Day came and went, and as our wing Encampment was over July 4th, we didn't need the flags for that occasion, either. I'd just about forgotten about them again when Charles called me last week. There's good news and bad news... The good news is that the guidon was in and just fine. The bad news was that they'd misspelled my unit's name on the flag and Charles had sent it back to be fixed. He asked then if I wanted to have everything shipped as one when he got the flag back, or whether we wanted what they had available shipped now.
Ship now, of course.
So this morning a knock comes at my door before 9am. It's FedEx with a package! I ripped into it like a kid on Christmas morning... And what did I find? See the attached picture.
Notice anything wrong?
I called Charles a few hours ago and explained the problems. He promised to get back to me.
I'll post the next installment as I find out more...
Quote from: ctrossen on July 28, 2006, 07:31:54 PM
[...] And what did I find? See the attached picture.
Notice anything wrong?[...]
ummm.... Bummer. I guess this means no flag for us for another 9-months.
Yeah... That is no where near CAPR 900-2 specs for a guidon.
Quote from: ctrossen on July 28, 2006, 07:31:54 PM
Notice anything wrong?
Double-U Tee Eff, mate. That's tore up from the floor up. If they couldn't get it right in that length of time, it would seem as if Vanguard's subcontractor doesn't care at all.
That's sad. Sorry your squadron has been getting screwed while Vanguard and their subcontractors figure out what they should have figured out about 6+ months ago.
Looks like its time to go back to the MESS one :clap:
Quote from: MIKE on July 28, 2006, 09:04:34 PM
Yeah... That is no where near CAPR 900-2 specs for a guidon.
Well, the *size* is about right. Within less than an inch. And while it's not the same dark blue that the other three guidons in the building are, it is the same color as the squadron flags, so I guess one could call it "Ultramarine Blue."
Take a look at the spearheads they sent. Kinda hard to pick up on in the pic if you don't look at it full scale...
Quote from: Matt on July 28, 2006, 08:37:19 PM
ummm.... Bummer. I guess this means no flag for us for another 9-months.
With luck, we'll have them in time for Cadet Comp in '07...
QuoteLooks like its time to go back to the MESS one :clap:
It's still around, along with the Squadron 9 guidon. Maybe we should alternate between them...
And the saga continues...
We just got the flag. Take a look.
Note that it measures 36" tall (Hoist) x 62 1/2" wide (Fly). 900-2 specifies either 36"x48" or 36'x68 3/8". Also note that the peak of the CAP triangle is supposed to be 8 1/4" "down" from the top of the flag.
I'll be calling Vanguard back on Tuesday to talk about it and the guidon (of which which we still have yet to see a new one).
Quote from: MIKE on January 20, 2006, 12:14:02 AM
www.paradestore.com
For anyone who has used paradestore.com, do you know the price range for a custom squadron and how long it takes for one to be sent?
Quote from: ctrossen on September 04, 2006, 02:37:14 AM
[...]
I'll be calling Vanguard back on Tuesday to talk about it and the guidon (of which which we still have yet to see a new one).
I don't suppose we can have a tape of this conversation for the meeting on the 11th (in place of a flag and a guidon)?
Quote from: caphornbuckle on September 04, 2006, 03:29:05 AM
Quote from: MIKE on January 20, 2006, 12:14:02 AM
www.paradestore.com
For anyone who has used paradestore.com, do you know the price range for a custom squadron and how long it takes for one to be sent?
This is what I got from Glendale (paradestore.com) back in February when I started looking around for other options:
The pricing for your custom Flag is as follows:
Quote
(1) 3'x4' flag, appliqued, single construction, nylon- $276.60
(1) 3'x4' flag, appliqued, double construction, nylon- $513.60
(1) 3'x4' flag, digital print, single construction, nylon- $202.74
(1) 3'x4' flag, digital print, double construction, nylon- $593.14
(1) 3'x5'8-3/8" flag, appliqued, single construction, nylon- $279.80
(1) 3'x5'8-3/8" flag, appliqued, double construction, nylon- $520.48
(1) 3'x5'8-3/8" flag, digital print, single construction, nylon- $202.74
(1) 3'x5'8-3/8" flag, digital print, double construction, nylon- $396.82
The pricing for your Guidon is as follow:
(1) 20"x27-3/4" guidon, appliqued, single construction, nylon- $180
(1) 20"x27-3/4" guidon, appliqued, double construction, nylon- $314.70
(1) 20"x27-3/4" guidon, digital print, single construction, nylon-
$164.20
(1) 20"x27-3/4" guidon, digital print, double construction, nylon-
$330.40
An additional art charge of $50/hr. will be charged if emblem is not
provided in vector format, totaling $100.
I think I would contact the nearest ladies sewing circle. Tell them exactly what you need and offer to pay for the labor and materials. They might want to do it as a group project. They certainly can't do any worse and you might get a recruiting opportunity out of it as most of their members have children/Grandchildren etc.
That's not a bad idea, but at this point we've sunk $420 of unit money into this, so for the time being I'm going to keep on them until they deliver what they've been paid for.
Talk to the ladies and if they're willing to do it, tell Vanguard you want a refund.
So, Chris, any updates? Did Vangard ever make with the (correct) goods? Inquiring minds want to know. ;)
Well, after two failed attempts that I know of, they finally were able to produce a proper Squadron Flag.
The guidon is a different story... since their last attempt, I have yet to see a new guidon from them. I gave them details, exact specifics and even pictures of what a good guidon should look like and where their attempt was wrong. Never heard back from them. It's been probably ten months or so.
The horror story continues.