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 need to buy about 5,000 t-shirts and 700 sweatshirts for a soccer tournament. Everyone and his brother says they can help but their prices can't be competitive if they are reselling to me. What I am actually trying to identify is the kind of supplier I need. Wholesale, manufacturer, direct. I'm confused
I need to buy about 5,000 t-shirts and 700 sweatshirts for a soccer tournament. Everyone and his brother says they can help but their prices can't be competitive if they are reselling to me. What I am actually trying to identify is the kind of supplier I need. Wholesale, manufacturer, direct. I'm confused
You can buy those kind of quantities from a distributor (like SanMar, TSCApparel, Broder, SS Activewear, etc)
However, if you aren't a t-shirt printer, it will be hard to get the direct pricing because the manufacturers and distributors make their money by selling to t-shirt printers. If they start circumventing their customers (printers) and sell directly to the end users, it will hurt their business.
That's why most t-shirt wholesalers will require that you prove that you are a business and a reseller (using a seller's permit) in order for you to get the best pricing.
You can sometimes buy blanks direct from the manufacturer as well. That might work for the 5000 pieces, but I don't know about the 700 pieces.
By the way. That many shirts. Go either Wholesale or direct.
__________________ There is a center to everything.. I found mine at.. www.heatpressessentials.com Tools to get the job done! www.tbiz101.com (New)Heat Transfer Education
I am really just a procurment person working in a small office tasked with purchasing something I have not bought before-I'm really not looking for offers, just a direction. If I buy from a wholesaler or direct, it looks like they would not provide the imprinting I need (if in fact they would sell to me because I am not a printer). Although I would get a good price on the shirts, I would have to receive the order and then find someone to imprint. Is that correct? If so, then should I just try to find a large company that does large orders and imprinting? We'll need some smaller quantites (200) of other items like staff shirts, etc. and I want to do one stop shopping. Thanks for your help and any other words of wisdom from your experience you can provide.
So you need printed shirts. That's a different story. The person printing them has to make a little money. What do you want to pay for a printed T-Shirt? How many colors? One side or two sides? For that quantity, I'd expect to pay $4.50 - $6.00 per depending on the above variables and the printer. For the best deal, you'll want to deal with a printer with automatic equipment capable or large volumes. I don't know of any off hand, but someone else here will know.
I am really just a procurment person working in a small office tasked with purchasing something I have not bought before-I'm really not looking for offers, just a direction. If I buy from a wholesaler or direct, it looks like they would not provide the imprinting I need (if in fact they would sell to me because I am not a printer). Although I would get a good price on the shirts, I would have to receive the order and then find someone to imprint. Is that correct? If so, then should I just try to find a large company that does large orders and imprinting? We'll need some smaller quantites (200) of other items like staff shirts, etc. and I want to do one stop shopping. Thanks for your help and any other words of wisdom from your experience you can provide.
I think your best bet would be to find a large screen printer near you that can give you a price on the "whole package".
Most screen printers can provide you with a good value on the blank t-shirts with your company's logo screen printed on them.
It would be more trouble for you (and your company), to search around to find a wholesaler and buy 5000 t-shirts and then buy those shirts and search around to find a screen printer that will print those 5000 t-shirts.
The best way would be to get bids from a handful of screen printers (3-5). You can look around in your local phonebook, or you can search the internet for screen printers. Ask each of them for a quote for your entire job (5000 t-shirts and 700 sweatshirts for a soccer tournament). Let them know there may be smaller orders coming later. Let them know that you'll need the garments supplied by them as well as the printing.
Screen printers usually have accounts setup with lots of wholesale t-shirt suppliers and since they already do a high volume of t-shirts (hundreds of thousands per year, if not millions), the wholesaler will be setup to give them the best prices on the blanks.
Pay attention to the communication of each printer, ask them a few key questions, and I think that will help you get your t-shirts ready for your next project.
yes, as mentioned already your best bet is to find a screen printer that is setup to run the job near you. In person is best because you can see and have them make you samples (the cost of such usually gets diluted into the final cost), you'll save on shipping too, see their setup....with this type of volume you can not afford a screw up.
not sure where you are located but,
Personaly i have heard extremely good things on the TF Board about Fluid (aka Richard) and Squirts and Solmu Lewis in OZ land...so they would be my choices. ... i think Fluid is in Florida and Skirts somewhere in the USA.
of course there are others but i think the recommendations limit is 3 per post/member (not already mentioned)...trying to avoid duplicate content here.
Good advice from Rodney, It might be best to go with a 1-stop option, that is to say a company that sources the blank garments and executes the printing as well. let me know if you have any other questions.
Need to purchase large quantity t-shirts 
