I was going to print on American Apparel, own artwork, high quality prints, more then 1 color ink and custom tags. I also planned to do the packaging hand by hand. When I added all of this up, the price gained extremely. Leaving me no choice but to raise the price of the final product because at smaller quantities, wholesale isn't that great. Do you guys think $25 is too much?
I planned to print 100 maybe 200 shirts. Is that too little. Do you think I can sell well over that? I can't provide samples of my word as of now, but, do you guys sell way over that? I'm still very new to the business and am not sure what little to alot is when it comes to shirts. How much do you guys sell and how much do you buy wholesale, at what quantities.
I am in a difficult position. Why don't I start off with cheaper materials and such you might ask. Well because I don't want to waste my designs and would like them to be limited, instead of reprinting a better copy down the road.
Last edited by Darkodarko; December 18th, 2008 at 12:32 AM.
It would be impossible for anyone, especially without seeing your work, to tell you how many shirts you will sell. Just know that good designs sell, bad designs don't.
$25 is on the high side. If you visit any other site, the most you'll see is $20, maybe $22. Of course, there are sites selling those shirts, with multiple colors, for only $10 (www. shirt.woot.com)
Have you considered printing your designs to plastisol transfers instead of shirts? This will greatly reduce the amount of inventory you would have to stock, you would simply print on demand.
Last edited by splathead; December 18th, 2008 at 11:14 AM.
If your cost on the shirts is $25 then I think you will have a hard time selling the shirts. There are shirts out there (Ed Hardy, Affliction, etc.) that do sell at over $50 /shirt but they have the brand recognition to do so.
It depends how much you are paying for the shirts to be printed, and how much profit you're looking to get out of it. Also - here's a little bit of advice. In the beginning, you shouldn't shoot for big profits. You should just be getting your name out there and doing whatever you have to do to sell those first couple hundred shirts until things really start picking up. Once you're a little more experienced and established as a business/brand, then you can start thinking about money... Until then, just cover your costs and build a good reputation!
Just curious - how much were you quoted to have each shirt printed with the specs you listed (AA, multiple colors, printed tags, etc)???
I know alot of indie smaller companies that sell at $20. But how can I reduce the price if I am making such quality shirts. AA is so expensive and adding little touches just increases so much.
Quote: Fruit of Loom garments 100%, garment color black, front print, 1 color, foil gold. Custom printed tag, one color. $7.08 per shirt for quantity of 100
Quote#2: American Apparel 100%, garment color black, front print, 1 color, foil gold. Custom printed tag, one color.
$11.92 per shirt for quantity of 100 Note: I plan to have some white garments printed as well so that may reduce cost slightly.
Last edited by Darkodarko; December 18th, 2008 at 12:19 PM.
Why don't you sell them at $20 then? Most independent clothing companies sell shirts for about this much, give or take a few bucks. I don't know how much profit you're looking to make, but I can tell you for sure that once you sell out of your first run, you'll have enough money to print larger quantities thus reducing the cost, which then translates into even more profit for your next run.
You're all right. I just don't know what a good profit is I guess I'll sell them $19.95, is that good? I'm not really charging for the designs, its more the quality of everything I am charging for. Lburton, thank you because I really wasn't thinking about it like that. I would really like to sell more then 500 shirts and I am going to do my best to do so. I'll start with 100. When all the process are done I will show you guys and get even more advice
I would really like to sell more then 500 shirts and I am going to do my best to do so. I'll start with 100. When all the process are done I will show you guys and get even more advice
More than 500 shirts? During the entire history of your company? I think I mis-interpreted something haha, please explain.
My first run of shirts is being printed right now (about 200) and I hope to sell them in two weeks (1 month on the long side). I don't know if this is realistic or not, but it's my goal and I'll do whatever I need to do to achieve it! ..even if it means selling the shirts (purchased for about $7.50 each) for $10.
haha not throughout my history, but in a short time. See, I have no idea how fast shirts are actually sold. What are your methods of promoting, do you really think thats the key to fast sales, and the design for sales. By the way, your shirts say they cost 1000 and 10000 dollars on your site. Is that a glitch?
haha not throughout my history, but in a short time. See, I have no idea how fast shirts are actually sold. What are your methods of promoting, do you really think thats the key to fast sales, and the design for sales. By the way, your shirts say they cost 1000 and 10000 dollars on your site. Is that a glitch?
I'm in the same boat - that's why I really don't know how long to expect to sell this first run, so I just created my own personal goal! All I know is what I've gathered from reading here and a few small t-shirt company blogs, and it seems like the first month of sales could be anywhere from a few shirts to a few hundred shirts, if not thousands (highly unlikely though). I'd be more than happy with a few hundred sales in the first month though!
Thus far, I've done a little bit of promotion, but not tooo much because I don't actually have any shirts for sale yet. I've just been trying to get the word out a little bit at a time, but sending e-mails to t-shirt blogs and t-shirt review sites, and being a part of t-shirt communities like this one and emptees (where most my hits come from). Word-of-mouth is also good, especially w/ friends and family. I ordered 1,000 stickers, which I plan to stick anywhere and everywhere. The biggest thing I'm planning on doing is ordering 5,000 or 10,000 custom flyers to get the word out on a larger scale. I will give these to absolutely everybody, and I'll give them to all of my family and friends to hand out to people as well.
No - the $1,000 shirts on my website is not a glitch. I was doing a little testing with my shopping cart and "buy" buttons, and I didn't want anybody to accidentally buy a shirt (because I don't have any yet...) so I priced them at ridiculously high prices to avoid any mistakes lol. I have since removed the "buy" buttons because my testing is done for now, and I haven't changed the prices back yet. It'll be updated by the time I actually sell the shirts though - worry not!
More than 500 shirts? During the entire history of your company? I think I mis-interpreted something haha, please explain.
My first run of shirts is being printed right now (about 200) and I hope to sell them in two weeks (1 month on the long side). I don't know if this is realistic or not, but it's my goal and I'll do whatever I need to do to achieve it! ..even if it means selling the shirts (purchased for about $7.50 each) for $10.
What blanks are you using? Gildan or American apparel.
I'm in the same boat - that's why I really don't know how long to expect to sell this first run, so I just created my own personal goal! All I know is what I've gathered from reading here and a few small t-shirt company blogs, and it seems like the first month of sales could be anywhere from a few shirts to a few hundred shirts, if not thousands (highly unlikely though). I'd be more than happy with a few hundred sales in the first month though!
Man few hundred shirts sold in a month would be amazing for me let alone a hundred :0
Quote:
Originally Posted by lburton3
Thus far, I've done a little bit of promotion, but not tooo much because I don't actually have any shirts for sale yet. I've just been trying to get the word out a little bit at a time, but sending e-mails to t-shirt blogs and t-shirt review sites, and being a part of t-shirt communities like this one and emptees (where most my hits come from). Word-of-mouth is also good, especially w/ friends and family. I ordered 1,000 stickers, which I plan to stick anywhere and everywhere. The biggest thing I'm planning on doing is ordering 5,000 or 10,000 custom flyers to get the word out on a larger scale. I will give these to absolutely everybody, and I'll give them to all of my family and friends to hand out to people as well.
I plan to do the same thing
Quote:
Originally Posted by lburton3
No - the $1,000 shirts on my website is not a glitch. I was doing a little testing with my shopping cart and "buy" buttons, and I didn't want anybody to accidentally buy a shirt (because I don't have any yet...) so I priced them at ridiculously high prices to avoid any mistakes lol. I have since removed the "buy" buttons because my testing is done for now, and I haven't changed the prices back yet. It'll be updated by the time I actually sell the shirts though - worry not!
I know alot of indie smaller companies that sell at $20. But how can I reduce the price if I am making such quality shirts. AA is so expensive and adding little touches just increases so much.
Quote: Fruit of Loom garments 100%, garment color black, front print, 1 color, foil gold. Custom printed tag, one color. $7.08 per shirt for quantity of 100
Quote#2: American Apparel 100%, garment color black, front print, 1 color, foil gold. Custom printed tag, one color.
$11.92 per shirt for quantity of 100 Note: I plan to have some white garments printed as well so that may reduce cost slightly.
Those prices are high. Find another screen printer. I know American Icon charges less that that and I still thought they were high.
Reasonable price? 
I guess I'll sell them $19.95, is that good? I'm not really charging for the designs, its more the quality of everything I am charging for. Lburton, thank you because I really wasn't thinking about it like that. I would really like to sell more then 500 shirts and I am going to do my best to do so. I'll start with 100. When all the process are done I will show you guys and get even more advice 
