The printed yearbook will always be around and will always be relevant. When young people state the printed yearbook is is not relevant, that is because they ARE young, and their yearbook has not realized its true value. Only time will increase your yearbook's value. As the years pass, life happens, and memories fade, your yearbook will instantly return you to your youth, your era, your teen fads, music, state of the world. It is like a time machine that takes you back to old friends, faces in the hall, quirky teachers, sports, plays, and a less complex time of your life. The girl who said " A yearbook goes on a bookshelf and is never taken down" is wrong. How would she know? She is young, and, yes, the yearbook may stay on the bookshelf for years, but when it is brought down, its value is instantly realized. Over the years, the complexities of life will make every yearbook read a wonderful trip to a simpler, less chaotic time.

I have been involved in the yearbook industry for over 30 years, and can honestly say that when the yearbook arrives and is distributed at a school, it is likely the coolest day of the school year. Creating memories that tens of thousands of people will hold onto for a lifetime is a great career to be in.

The biggest problem in North America is the cost of a yearbook and the poor quality of the end product. Three or four companies control the market, and charge outragious prices for a low quality publication. As technology changes, and the schools do most of the work, they have not been compensated with lower production costs. There is no way any yearbook should cost $70.00 as one blogger stated. I created a company that prints an extremely high quality yearbook on 100# paper, in offset full color, with a heavy hard embossed cover. Our prices are half the cost of the BIG FOUR. We have partnered with Canon, Nikon, and Epson to offer every school, every year, high-end digital SLR cameras at no charge. Why? Because a yearbook is only as good as its pictures. It's a win, win, win, for my company, the school, and the students.

My yearbook company is able to do this because our yearbooks are printed in Hong Kong. Our printer in Hong Kong offers world class quality and included options never offered in the US or Canada. Our books are so much better in quality, so much lower in price, and include so many benefits for the school, that  "Made in Hong Kong" becomes a non-issue. We are printing yearbooks over 260 pages in full color for less than $20.00 per book. We are doing extremely well, and growing at a rapid pace.

Every student should be able to afford a yearbook. A large number of teachers are unwilling to take advantage of this opportunity at the students loss. Their reasoning is quite predictable: They do not like change, it is not their money they are wasting, they are friends with the printers rep., they do not want to learn a new system, etc., etc.. These are the same people who buy a foreign car without a second thought about a domestic made vehicle. Why? Foreign cars are made better and hold their value.

Am I using this blog to sell my company? ABSOLUTELY! We have the BEST product, BEST price, BEST educational experience, and we want everyone to benefit from this.

I would like to talk to others who would like to open a dialogue about the printed yearbook, its value, its relevance..

Regards,
Yearbooks Rule