BRC

The answer for me is simple, I don't compete with the cheap shirts. I do first quality items only, no yard sale items no junk no seconds. I also don't negotiate my prices unless they are buying at least 10 or more. I do custom work at a fair price. I deal with a lot of small companies looking to buy 5 or 10 shirts at a time with their name or logo on them. You can't buy that off the shelf at the department stores and the screen printers aren't interested in such short runs so I fill a niche market. If you are selling your own designs they need to be unique and good quality. Everybody sells the same old transfers on the same old shirts so if you sell upscale yours will get noticed. But you have to give it time. People grow to trust you if they see you there week after week.

Also you need quantity, even if it's just blank shirts. I have about 450 different license plates displayed (down from 600, I needed space for other stuff). If someone is interested they have to take time to look, they have to stop, not just glance on the way by. It also cuts down on competition, because it will look like they would have to spend too much money to compete with you. You don't see a Target next to a Wal-Mart very often.

If possible set up by the womens restroom!!!! I get a lot of husbands because they are waiting for their wives. When the women come out of the restroom my booth is the first thing they see, filled with the sublimated tiles, murals and of course jewelry. All high dollar custom made, women spend money on pretty, men spend money on cars. I win.

All markets are not good for all things so you have to check them out and see who shops there and what they are buying or if they are buying. If everybody is just standing around talking with no bags in hand and it is like that for the whole day it's a visiting market, there's no money in talking about the weather unless you are a weatherman.

Just like choosing a store location it has to fit or it just will not work.

 

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