Discuss the wholesale blanks industry: Factory direct, custom labels. You can also use this forum to locate a wide variety of wholesale products including t-shirts, hoodies, mousepads, coffee mugs and other imprintable products.
can i get some info on importing t-shirts from far away places ?
this topic has come up around here lately and with the USD being so low... is it a good time to start importing and not buy US made ?
can i get some info on importing t-shirts from far away places ?
this topic has come up around here lately and with the USD being so low... is it a good time to start importing and not buy US made ?
some thoughs on this is appreciated.
With the US dollar so low, wouldn't you want to take advantage and actually buy MORE US made products?
I wouldnt say that all the 'quality' t-shirts are located in the US. Plenty of companies use factories in China/Vietnam etc. And a well known brand doesnt mean a sale, as long as the quality is comparable I don't think many people would be able to tell the difference between a AA t-shirt and one from a Chinese factory. Heh.....I use an overseas supplier anyway. Personal choice I suppose and cost factors make my mind up... I'm pretty sure I wouldnt be using a UK based supplier myself though.
Although I'm not sure how many people would have overseas contacts....plenty of manufacturers to choose from though.
Alot of people in my industry use South America, Turkey, India, and South Africa. I still like the US distributers because of shipping time and lower quantities. Getting shirts shipped on time keeps my sanity in check.
I wouldnt say that all the 'quality' t-shirts are located in the US. .
I don't mean that the US is the only place to get good shirts. That's blatantly not true, given many high end shops have their products made all over the place.
What I mean is that, for our industry, the vast majority of blanks with a brand name *perceived* as "quality", are made in the US.
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Also depends on whether or not you're willing to go through the hassle of dealing with custom manufacturers. Can you get high quality shirts made in offshore factories? Absolutely. Can you buy those easily, pre-made, off the rack, styled, coloured, here-you-go-sir? Not so much.
Of course that's where agents come in, but that's just exchanging one hassle/cost for another. It's definitely an option (and one I know some specific brands that are moving to, having previously used local production), but it's not for everyone. Particularly, it's not for those who aren't dealing in quantity.
Particularly, it's not for those who aren't dealing in quantity.
Admittedly, while this is the perceived wisdom that I've taken on assumption and run with... it's actually contrary to what at least one of those designers who is now producing offshore said (i.e. I was told part of the advantage of it was being able to do smaller runs).
For those of you that did have clothing imported, what kind of minimums did you have, and how did the customization process of your garment work for you in dealing with a distant company?
For those of you that did have clothing imported, what kind of minimums did you have, and how did the customization process of your garment work for you in dealing with a distant company?
So far the Product quality has always been good.
Only had one problem with imported Bulk goods. All other times 100% satisfied.
Importing from China (for example) is complicated here in Canada.
I find the best way is if the company has a rep where you are located ( or in our case in the USA at least ) to deal with.
Never the less, importing is "risky" with customs etc. an import brooker helps alot.
The one and only problem we had was a $ 30,000 order that turned out to be knock-off's. Yep, started noticing the same goods on High Fashion model magazines, in Gucci, Dior etc... stores.
What the heck ! of couse we did not know they were knock offs cause they were being made at the same time as the real ones and i guess these were leftovers or something.
Anyways, we voluntaraly pulled all the goods from the retail stores and got the the Legal involved. 2 years later it all finaly got sorted out, returned the goods and got the cash back.
Other times Importing from Farway places has worked out great.
It pays to import in bulk when hot items are not available local or for a better price ( to save cents, dont bother importing).
From Canada, We like to import from FarWay places via USA, NYC or LA and deal with reps there that import much larger volumes then us. It is cheaper and Easier to bring them into Canada from the USA then importing them directly into Canada from Farway places. ...i find.
The lower USD helps too, when buying with CND from the USA. Way better then a few years ago.
.... importing from the UK is easy for us, we have a connection there ..... the Queen. Bwahahahah
i am an Aussie new in shanghai , china and involved in this industry - one year
a lot of factories are suppling quality blanks for below 3 usd fob.
i sell wholesales finished products but has got enquiries for blanks from australia and is considering this trade.
qualities coming out of china are good - blanks. but good printers are few.
Importing from FarWay places ? 
lol
