The problem I see with most folks that have a t-shirt website and either make the shirts themselves, or they have them made in bulk is that the options of what you can buy are very limited and usually the details of what shirt you are going to get are minimal or non-existent. The appeal of CafePress is the great detail on the products and how many blanks you get to choose from. I sell apparel via CP, Web and at events and CP is by far the least amount of work for the money you earn. I now have 3 presses in my living room and boxes of blanks piled high. I really love making my own shirts, it is very satisfying in ways being a CP shopkeeper can never be, but I love the kick back and watch the money roll in feeling you get with CP. My husband would rather I have reinvested the money in other ways than to set up my own t-shirt making factory in our living room
Overall this whole experience has been very fun and though I may never quit my day job, this does allow me to have a fantastic wardrobe. I will digress here just a bit. Years ago when I worked in marketing I was a public speaker at trade shows. Trade shows like Networld Interop and the like. I would come home with 5 to 10 t-shirts per show and soon I had 50 of my favorite trade show t-shirts hanging up in my closet all lined up by color (mostly whites) it was pretty funny. I switched jobs and my great T-shirt collection slowly dwindled as shirts would get worn and I was very sad. This endeavor has rekindled the T-shirt line up in my closet, but now the designs mean so much more! My collection is a mix of CP and of course now my own home made items. I will not likely be buying much from CP anymore as making the basics myself is by far the most cost effective route. I will however be purchasing the new infinistitch jackets as they are very well made and have a great cut to them! Sorry for the ramble