Hello T-Shirt Forum folks:
I'd love some help on the e-commerce front; I'm totally naive about the process. I'd like to set up my own tshirt website etc. How did you all register your domain name? With Network Solutions? Does anyone have a web designer that they used who was reasonable? What are the mid-range costs to establish an e-commerce site? Typical costs to maintain a site?
I wouldn't use Network Solutions, there are less expensive registrars with equal quality.
Try GoDaddy.com for domain registration (although I wouldn't use them for anything else like hosting or ecommerce services).
I wouldn't use 1and1 for domain names or hosting because of bad experiences I've had with them and many experiences I've read about from others regarding their domain name services.
You can find a web designer at sites like rentacoder or designoutpost.com. You can set your budget and have a designer meet that. I really like using designoutpost, but you don't really need a fancy web design to sell t-shirts.
Where ever you get hosting at should have some sort of ecommerce setup available. For complete novices with no interest in messing with programming, you may want to try one of the off the shelf solutions provided by many hosts (like Miva or Shopsite).
If you don't mind getting your hands "dirty" by messing with HTML and php code, then zencart and oscommerce are some choices to look at.
I've been with oneandone (the UK original branch, not the newer US wing), for 5 or 6 years for various projects, some small, some major. Always been superb, and great staff.
that's true, I do have to specify that the problems I had and the problems I heard about regarding 1and1 were specifically about the US version of their site.
that's true, I do have to specify that the problems I had and the problems I heard about regarding 1and1 were specifically about the US version of their site.
Given the very different nature of e-commerce tech facilities in the UK vs US, I'm not sure you could really call them the same company at all. I've also heard a few horror stories with the US site. The two markets evolved very differenty (Tthere are some major industry-leading monsters we don't have to deal with in the Uk), and so different corners will be cut to match prices in different markets.
I have my domains registered with godaddy.com because they often have good deals. Make sure to google some coupons before you go to the site. I ended up paying like 8 bucks for a domain and private registration (normally $20 or so).
I too had bad experiences with the US 1and1 so wouldnt advise you to go with them. There's alot of decent hosting out there, just make sure theres good support. My first hosting account, I had problems and nobody ever answered my help ticket. I provide my own hosting and could host you for a reasonable price. PM for details.
Although you can set your budget, there are industry standards for websites and don't expect to pay much less. A decent ecommerce site could cost you about $150 but start putting the bells and whistles and the price will rise. I have a designer who is really affordable and who's done my other business site. I opted to design my tee site on my own because I needed to customize the backend and am familiar with php.
You can use a free shopping cart like oscommerce and even get it fully loaded with features via http://www.crealoaded.com too.
My advice would be not to skimp on hosting You don't want your site down for hours or days and not have a way to get decent support.
You don't have to blow your budget, but I would go with the lowest price because it's the lowest price. There are still "bigger" names that are competitively prices (like LunarPages and even some Yahoo plans).
Domain names, website set up? 
I'd like to set up my own tshirt website etc. How did you all register your domain name? With Network Solutions? Does anyone have a web designer that they used who was reasonable? What are the mid-range costs to establish an e-commerce site? Typical costs to maintain a site?
You don't want your site down for hours or days and not have a way to get decent support.
