Discuss the wholesale blanks industry: Factory direct, custom labels. You can also use this forum to locate a wide variety of wholesale products including t-shirts, hoodies, mousepads, coffee mugs and other imprintable products.
I have been to several apparel trade-shows this year looking for more in-depth manufacturers than just your average Gildan, Hanes, Alstyle Apparel, Jerzees, etc. standard screen printed brands. Its all about their colors, their sizing spec's, and high minimums on private labelling.
My search took me to some oversees manufacturers where I would find myself trusting my designs, and my money to their services with a major language barrier. My designs are pretty complex and the printing will be difficult. I'd like to speak with someone who knows the business well and with whom I can speak natively and in-depth regarding my high expectations on the print outcome/quality.
Also, Importing is a hassle. Too much money and too much paperwork. Plus who knows? You could end up with a box of rocks and then end up trying to get your credit card company to reimburse you and go after the vendor. What a pain. Who knows what that entails?
Anyway.... what I'd like to do is get shirts manufactured with my own color dyes, sizing, and weights (7.5oz NOT 6.1oz!), with private labels, PRINTED with my designs, in poly bags, and with hang tags, made HERE Domestically! For the same price I would pay oversees (about $5-$7 per shirt) in minimums of 200.
Okay, call me crazy. But is this a reality? Or something I can only do by outsourcing on imports?
In the 2 years of research I've done I found that this is the comparison.
What would cost $5.10 Imported would cost me $18 to do Domestically. And even then, doing it domestically would mean going with a standard screen print brand using their sizes, their colors, and having them relabelled (which means, get the labels made in bulk + hire a relabelling company to do it for you and shipping all around), plus shipping to and from the printers, the shirt wholesaler, etc. What a mess.
Somebody PLEASE prove me wrong! I'd LOVE to keep thing much more simple and cost effective at the same time.
__________________ Shaun B. // www.pinnaclerhythms.com // graphic design // music production // entrepreneur
Anyway.... what I'd like to do is get shirts manufactured with my own color dyes, sizing, and weights (7.5oz NOT 6.1oz!), with private labels, PRINTED with my designs, in poly bags, and with hang tags, made HERE Domestically! For the same price I would pay oversees (about $5-$7 per shirt) in minimums of 200.
Drop the poly bag and get it delivered in a velvet box - much classier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BEatMaKeR
Okay, call me crazy. But is this a reality? Or something I can only do by outsourcing on imports?
The 200 minimum is a dealbreaker. I doubt anyone is going to take you seriously with a list of requirements as long as my arm and an order size hardly worth picking up the phone for. There are places with 250 minimums, so I could be wrong, but I doubt you'll get all the finishing services, a low minimum and come out cheaper than a country that pays its workers eighteen cents a day.
If there was a company offering everything you just listed for that price, domestically, I would be very surprised. Shocked, even.
I'd have to agree with Solmu.. it's really the 200 minimum that's the problem. Maybe think about reducing your number of designs and changing it to 1000 per design.. then, you might start to see those prices come down to somewhat reasonable levels.
As for relabelling being a hassle - It might be a hassle, but it's going to be a lot less of a hassle than having custom blanks made, even if you have the blanks made domestically.
There are literally thousands of pre-made blanks to choose from, so I'm sure if you look a little more you should be able to find one that comes pretty close to your specifications.
A good option might be to have custom blanks made later on, once you have some profits to invest from selling the first couple of batches of shirts.
Anyway.... what I'd like to do is get shirts manufactured with my own color dyes, sizing, and weights (7.5oz NOT 6.1oz!), with private labels, PRINTED with my designs, in poly bags, and with hang tags, made HERE Domestically! For the same price I would pay oversees (about $5-$7 per shirt) in minimums of 200.
You should give giving variantart.com a call (or email). I think there minimum might be 300 pieces for custom garments (which is pretty close to 200).
You should give giving variantart.com a call (or email). I think there minimum might be 300 pieces for custom garments (which is pretty close to 200).
Thanks. I'll check them out. 300 is not bad. Well, I might just take my chances here oversees. Its not a dealbreaker for them but I am paying more for the shirts than I would have with larger minimums. I know that much. Its the 67 days until in-hand delivery thats the killer going outsourced overseas.
__________________ Shaun B. // www.pinnaclerhythms.com // graphic design // music production // entrepreneur
Custom Shirt Domestically? 
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