[clojosh]

Hi All

Just wondering if I may be able to get some advice? Ive been making tees for about 6 months now and the feedback has been good. I specialise in Automotive designs - vintage etc and have secured a stand at Cholmondeley Pageant of Power 2012. My pitch is directly opposite the start line and I am on the front row. Friends tell me its a great festival - it lasts for three days and organisers are expecting 60k plus visitors. My problem is what amount of stock to take? I specialise in custom made garments - with a lot of personal in put from the customer so that the items are unique but I also feel that people like to buy something there and then rather than place an order and wait for it to arrive etc. Ive spoken to my clothing supplier and got the most popular sizes but Im just worried about buying stock that I am then stuck with if I get it wrong. I know that Im going to end up making mistakes and its a case of everyone has to learn by experience but I guess Im just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to play it on the stock front. I was thinking of getting a garment rail with examples on it (which can be sold off on the Sunday) but at least that way if I dont have the right sizes then people still have an example to look at?
Any advice would be brilliant
Thanks very much for your time

 

[ryan barker]

well, that's the $64,000 question, isn't it?

to start with, i've never done what you're doing, so take what i say with a grain of salt. however, i really like your idea of keeping a sample around to show people so that if you do run out of something then at least they can see the actual product's quality. i would put a tag on it saying, 'sample, not for sale.' i would have plenty of business cards handy to hand out (i'm assuming you have your own website).

what to stock and what not to stock? this question has been posed many, many times, and i think it always boils down to the same answer: make your best guess based on what you know are the popular sizes and colours, and consider your market (are they guys with dunlops? (as in, 'my belly dunlopped my belt.')).

my two cents comes in suggesting that you put all of your shirts for sale in a clear plastic bag that air can get it to avoid condensation. it'll keep dirty hands and the accumulation you get from being outdoors (i used to sell outdoors at flea markets, so i know how dusty things can get) off the shirts, so that you can sell them online without having to wash them. also, it just looks more professional. too, you can add a price sticker with your name and info on the package.

i'm guessing you've figured out how to process credit cards and all the rest of that stuff. other than all that other stuff, i think you got it right, it's just one of those things you start off making a guess at and adjust according to experience. talk to other vendors, too, they'll usually have great information. look at their booths, too, to get an idea how more experienced vendors are stocking their shirts. ideally, this is something you should have already done, lol. but, since you apparently haven't done that (and most people don't), playing even more of a guessing game is where you're at.

do you make your own shirts? if you run out of something, can you produce some more that night? yeah, i know, like you're not going to be exhausted enough by the end of the day, right? lol. you also don't know what designs are going to sell best, and only experience will tell you that.

 

[Createdtocreate2]

Then there is the whole thing were you make designs you think the customer might like, only to find out your ideas were not so hot. Hey live and learn!