Discuss the process of getting your t-shirt line into brick and mortar stores and selling offline. Topics include industry tradeshows, events, line sheets, sales reps and other retailing tips and advice.
Does anyone here do really well selling at fairs and craft shows? Sometimes I think it would be a good side line when business is slow in the shop, but the thought of taking the time and expense to work up a good inventory that might not even sell..I always end up talking my self out of it. Would love to hear others experiences, good or bad.
Thank you.
I did a car show Saturday and I just took my camera, press and printer and took pics of their car and applied that. You don't have any left over shirts that way.
I do all my business at craft shows, mainly because I batik my shirts. It would be hard for me to reproduce any of my shirts as they are all so different and nothing is done quick enough for merchants... I do OK enough to continue and I am starting to see return customers. I am thinking of going into specialty stores to avoid weekend work at the shows tho. Grass is always greener somewhere else huh? I just dont know what this will do to my mezzly little operation
Most craft shows do not allow t-shirts. I think I get in because of my processes... batik is considered an art and craft, so that is why I think i get over the barriers set up.
I do 2 Farmer's Markets each week for my embroidery. Just got my digital printer so I haven't decided what I will do but I have never seen one at any of the events I have been to.
I am doing a huge air show later this year (that is why we got our ANAJET), I am wondering the same... to take or not to take.... just seems like a lot to move around, back and forth each night.... I too would love to hear feedbacks from experienced vendors!
You can google Batik and find out lots of info on it, but for a quick reference... its a wax, dye, wax removal process. Some relate it to Tye dying. ITs more than that as I have to hand wax each shirt, and that takes time.
We do a lot of crafts fairs and festivals and for the most part, it has been worthwhile. When we first started, last summer, we made the mistake of bringing a very large inventory of printed shirts and only sold a small portion of them. We took a smaller inventory of pre-printed popular designs after that and encouraged people to place orders. We also started bringing our smaller heat press to events. We just did our first show of the season last weekend. The turnout was smaller than anticipated but we had quite a few repeat customers. These are good venues for getting your name out there for future orders. Many of our holidays sales were from people who saw us at the shows.
It all depends on the show. If it is small like the ones around here, we don't even make expense. It needs to have a very large turnout for you to do well. There are many more variables as well like cost of your items, quality, design, etc.
With the price of fuel being up this past summer I only went to 1 fair and it was a bomb. Hopefully next year will be better. Most all fairs and craft shows are done around here for the year now.
If you are going to do an outdoors event BE SURE TO HAVE A TRAILER OR VAN TO WORK OUT OF!!!! Nothing worst than trying to load a hot heat press in the suv in the rain. I love my easy up tent but have seen too many distroyed in rain storms to trust leaving my entire inventory under it in a rain. Can take you out of business in a heart beat.
But, if you have your equipment inside a trailer or van all you have to do is throw in your design books and shut the doors!!!
I am doing one this saturday in LA/Santa monica that is going to be at a center for the arts, so I will see how it goes. It is being advertised well and there should be a good turnout as the area it is in, is a huge shopping area. It is an inside event with over 150 vendors. I will update and let everyone know how it goes and what the turnout is. It is a new show that this lady just started doing, and she plans on doing 3 of them a year if the turnout is good. Its called Holiday Hottness Bazaar. I think it is also on a good shopping day for the holidays, that is another reason I chose to do it. There is another I am thinking of doing in west hollywood the first week of december, which would also be a good holiday shopping time and a good shopping area.
Fairs & Craft Shows 
