I've put the important items in bold for those who like shorter threads!My demographic has around 46000 people currently and a huge variety of retail choices. I am interested on ideas that anyone could give me as far as pricing. I have a dye sub set up (epson 1280 and cis from Conde and an old model 720 heat press from Insta), and have found the wonder of plastisol. There are several companies offering t-shirts usually farmed out to larger companies, once you buy 100, price drops to about $7 ea. I contacted a private sporting goods store (the only store that I'm really considering as competition) and they told me that they would do 50 for $7 ea. screenprinted. Is that where I should put my price for plastisol transfers?Are any of your customers bothered by a 3 week wait, to get in the transfers and complete the job? I bought my first box of tees from shirtsupplier.com ie S & S Activewear because they where the cheapest price, best quality that I've found so far, is there a better deal than $2.40 per shirt? I got my transfers from first edition based on high recommendation on this forum. I don't yet know what the market is for dye-sub but I'm hoping it will be successful. I'll probably start out at $18 for a custom dye-sub shirt. Do a lot of you use Vapor Apparel or someone else for dye-sub shirts? Vapor seems to be the best price so far, and best variety for the price, are they good quality? Is there a better deal?
The norm for turnaround time on new orders is around 2 weeks (ten business days) 3 weeks is pretty high if you ask me. Im sure lots are fine with that yet My customers would go to my competition for a quicker turnaround time.
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I'll probably start out at $18 for a custom dye-sub shirt
Is this for one shirt or large quanities? If large quanities like 50 and up youll be in a battle against traditional printers as far as price and turnaround times.
I say 3 weeks because first edition said that their turn around is usually 6 to 8 days for non rush orders and then ups ground so I'm figuring on about 2 weeks to get them in house and then a few extra days to press if I'm backed up with other things. The price for the cotton t's and plastisol transfers would be (I'm guessing by the quote that the screen printer gave me) would be about $7 per shirt to be competitive.
The dye-sub shirts quantity of 1 I'm saying that I would start around $18.
I was just saying that in the screen printing industry normal turnaround times are right about 10 business days. Thats how mine and all my contract clients is. With my contract clients they get a 5 day turn around time on reorders from the time I have goods, art and PO in hand. New jobs get ten so as to give us 5 days on art and getting the goods in house & 5 for production
As far as the norm for transfers your probably in the right range. Sounds like you got it covered. As far as price it all depends on the job at hand and your area of the country/market as well as competitors.
Depends on the t-shirt brand, style, quality and color. But there are much less expensive t-shirts than that.
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Do a lot of you use Vapor Apparel or someone else for dye-sub shirts? Vapor seems to be the best price so far, and best variety for the price, are they good quality? Is there a better deal?
If you don't get the answers you need in this thread, you are welcome to repost them in the different subject sections of the forum. For example, some members who do dye sub might not see this post since they don't know what printing method it's about by the title, but if you post just the dye sub part of the question in the dye sub section of the forums, you might get more responses.
Thanks Richard, that helps. I guess to really compete with screen printers I'd have to rush the art work but that gets pretty expensive, especially with overnight shipping costs. Hopefully by contacting potential customers by late winter, early spring, three weeks (or 2 1/2) won't be a problem for summer orders for contractors, electricians, etc.
How to compete properly. 
My demographic has around 46000 people currently and a huge variety of retail choices. I am interested on ideas that anyone could give me as far as pricing. I have a dye sub set up (epson 1280 and cis from Conde and an old model 720 heat press from Insta), and have found the wonder of plastisol. There are several companies offering t-shirts usually farmed out to larger companies, once you buy 100, price drops to about $7 ea. I contacted a private sporting goods store (the only store that I'm really considering as competition) and they told me that they would do 50 for $7 ea. screenprinted. Is that where I should put my price for plastisol transfers? Are any of your customers bothered by a 3 week wait, to get in the transfers and complete the job? I bought my first box of tees from shirtsupplier.com ie S & S Activewear because they where the cheapest price, best quality that I've found so far, is there a better deal than $2.40 per shirt? I got my transfers from first edition based on high recommendation on this forum. I don't yet know what the market is for dye-sub but I'm hoping it will be successful. I'll probably start out at $18 for a custom dye-sub shirt. Do a lot of you use Vapor Apparel or someone else for dye-sub shirts? Vapor seems to be the best price so far, and best variety for the price, are they good quality? Is there a better deal? 
