Metal Lace Tips: The $5 Fundraiser Upgrade

Metal lace tips cost 7 cents more per pair than clear tips and sell for $5 more. See why metal should be the default finish for custom fundraiser laces.

9/14/20261 min read

worm's-eye view photography of concrete building
worm's-eye view photography of concrete building

If your group sells custom laces, the finish on the ends is the easiest profit you'll ever add.

The math is simple

Clear heat-shrink tips cost about 33 cents per pair of laces. Metal tips cost about 40 cents per pair. That's seven cents more, but a metal-tip pair sells for $25 instead of $20.

Per roll, that means $50 gross instead of $40 for about thirteen cents of extra material. At the 25-roll price, margin goes from 68% to 74%.

Make metal the default

Present metal-tip laces as the standard option and let supporters choose clear tips if they want the lower price. Most people keep the default, and most of them won't think twice about a premium finish on a personalized gift.

Buying tips for a full run

Metal tips come in packs of 200 ends, exactly 50 pairs, which matches the output of a 25-roll run. Clear tips come in 120-end packs, so a 25-roll run needs two packs with 40 ends left over.

Finishing is quick

Metal tips crimp on with an aglet crimping tool. Clear tips shrink on with a heat gun, which is included in every starter kit.

Figures are planning estimates based on current pack prices.