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I set up a printfection store, and the base price for t-shirts ranges from about $14 to $18. With the value of the american dollar in mind this seemed reasonable. | |  | |  | |
That sounds about right. You could probably even go a couple dollars higher with no problem.
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(thinking that would be vaguely indicative of t-shirt retail prices in america), brand new toy machine shirts with fantastic designs (love toy machine shirts) seem to cost $9.99. | | | | | | |
That may the biggest issue. eBay is definitely NOT an indicator of retail prices in the US. Here in the US, eBay is for people who are looking for the lowest price, the bargains, etc. It would be very hard to sell a $20-$40 t-shirt on eBay here in the US.
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So how does anyone compete with ebay using a fullfillment service? | | | | | | |
You don't compete with eBay. Not unless someone else is selling your EXACT same designs on eBay.
If they aren't, then you don't have to worry about eBay. I should actually say, that type of worrying is fruitless.
eBay buyers will always shop on eBay. Walmart shoppers will always shop at Walmart. Those are NOT your customers.
You'll NEVER be able to compete on PRICE with any major company using a fulfillment company. You probably wouldn't be able to compete on price doing it all yourself. At least it wouldn't make good business since to try. Why try to compete with a corporate behemoth that can sell t-shirts (and all other products) so cheap. You want to set your self APART from them.
Your customers are the people who are looking online for something unique, something that no one else has. Your job is to market in a way that the customer is drawn to buy YOUR designs when they see them, because they can't get them anywhere else in the world.
People are selling LOADS of t-shirts through all the fulfillment places and eBay and Walmart and all the discount stores have existed for years. It hasn't stopped the success of fulfillment places or the t-shirt sellers that use them. Just 2 different types of customers.
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*still curious. I want to know what the american equivalent to Australia's "$40" is, sounds like it isn't the "$37.60" it theoretically should be. | | | | | | |
I think things may cost more in general in Australia because things have to be shipped there from further destinations. I don't live in AU, but a similar thing happens in Hawaii because it's an island and it's a bit harder to get things there.
A Volcom, Billabong type t-shirt in the US would cost $15-$20 USD. See here:
Volcom T-Shirts
Hope this helps
