[kcopeland]

I have had a hard time finding maternity t-shirts at reasonable wholesale prices. I'm wondering if I can buy Motherhood Maternity or Old Navy maternity t-shirts, add my embellishments and resell them?

I'm not sure if this is legal even if I have a resale ID. Anyone know?

Thanks!!!

 

[Rodney]

hmm...I don't think there would be an issue with this, since that is what many people do with Hanes, American Apparel, and other blank t-shirt manufacturers.

I'm not sure you would be able to get good wholesale prices on Old Navy maternity tees though.

Is there a specific style maternity tee that you're looking for? There are a few styles available wholesale by established blank t-shirt manufacturers that are made specifically for embellishment/printing.

 

[jdr8271]

Sure its legal (in America anyway).

Anyhow, with a search on google I found 2 companies that wholesale maternity shirts:
http://www.maximummama.com
http://www.nicolematernitywholesale.com

 

[kcopeland]

Rodney-
Thanks for the reply. I'm simply looking for short sleeve, preferably v-neck maternity t-shirts. I've actually found better prices through Old Navy and Motherhood Maternity retail than I have anywhere wholesale. They (even being retail) range from $10-$15 each compared to wholesalers that range from $26-$59 each!

 

[kcopeland]

jdr8271-
Thanks for the reply. I checked out the wholesalers you found and the prices range from $39-$59 each...for a t-shirt! Quite a bit more than I had hoped. I'm looking for something closer to $10 each and have been surprised that I can find blanks cheaper at retail stores than through any wholesalers. I appreciate the help, though. Any other advice is welcomed.

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

Did you contact the two companies that he listed? I went to the site, and they have their RETAIL prices listed, but both said that you must contact them for their WHOLESALE prices.

I have a hard time believing that any company would wholesale a maternity t-shirt for $60.

 

[TUX Inc.]

I was actually going to ask the same question. I wanted to buy shirts wholesale and remove their tag out and add my own and resale them. I hope it isn't illegal.

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

Perfectly legal!

And welcome to the forums!

 

[DickTees.net]

If someone reprinted on an Old Navy shirt and sold it... wouldn't that be a misrepresentation of the brand?

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

Why?

Are people misrepresenting Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, American Apparel, Alternative Apparel, Gildan, etc.?

I don't think just because they have a store and sell their shirts in it (like AA) that makes them any different than anybody else.

Like Rodney said, you probably won't be able to get wholesale prices on them, but I don't see the problem if someone wanted to go in the store, buy a bunch of Old Navy shirts, print on them, then sell them.

 

[suzieh]

Check major wholesale blank companies...sanmar, broderbros, tscapparel, statonwholesale, americanasportswear, etc.

 

[DickTees.net]

Why?

Are people misrepresenting Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, American Apparel, Alternative Apparel, Gildan, etc.?

Because Hanes, FOTL, etc are blanks sold with the intention of people printing on them.

 

[honeyflip]

...but surely once you buy some shirts (that is, ones without any exterior printing) you can do whatever the heck you want with 'em, regardless of source of origin. There can't be any difference between buying blank American Apparel shirts via your printer and printing on them for resale vs walking into an American Apparel brick and mortar store and buying a whole bunch of shirts and then printing on them for resale. And if that's true, what's different between doing the same at an Old Navy store?

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

Agreed.

Because Hanes, FOTL, etc are blanks sold with the intention of people printing on them.

Says who? So the Hanes, FOTL that are sold in stores (Wal-Mart, Target,etc.) are sold with this purpose? Most people who buy those shirts in those stores never have that thought.

It that were the case, they would only sell wholesale and you wouldn't see them in retail stores.

There's just not any difference.

Most people who print on blanks, just don't want to pay retail prices for a blank shirt from Old Navy or any place like that.

 

[2cld]

When we as t-shirt designers use companies such as American apparel and other wholesale clothing companies it is called private labeling. Designer’s private label clothes all the time. Companies like gap, old navy, express use manufactures to make their clothes and the stuff that is leftover is sold to people like you and me. So to answer your question, no you would not get in trouble for using their shirt and taking the tags out

 

[HandHeld]

I know this is sort of off topic...but what about something like jeans? I know there are some well-known expensive jeans out there (Evisu) which someone told me really are Levi's 501's with a little art added to them. Could you alter a pair of jeans and resell them?

 

[2cld]

Companies like the gap, old navy, express use manufactures to make/produce their clothes. After filling orders for their clients (ie Gap, Old Navy, or Express), these manufactures make more of those items just not with the name old navy, gap, or express on it. Then those items are sold to the manufactures other clients that want to buy blank items and add their own embellishment to it. You would be surprised how many companies use this process. If you by Macy brand clothes then it is quite possible you are really buying designer clothes just with Macys name on it at a cheaper price.

I as informed of this by designers and manafactures when i did the Magic Show

I hope you understand what i wrote ))))

 

[Rodney]

There's just not any difference.

Are you saying that as a legal certainty, or is that just your educated guess?

Jay brings up a good question. If they garments aren't made for embellishments (like blank Hanes, proclub, american apparel, etc), it's possible that you could run into issues if Old Navy wanted to protect their brand.

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

Educated guess. So I decided to do some checking.

So I did some checking and couldn't find anything. So I was able to get some professional legal advice from a real patent and trademark attorney!

She says that there are no laws against relabeling any brand of clothing and selling it as your own, or keeping the original label, then adding your embellishments to it and selling it. That is the reason people are able to use the blanks they use for printing. No laws against it.

The trouble comes in when people use garments and "add" a label that's protected by someone else. For instance, I can't take an old navy shirt relabel it with a hanes label and sell it to someone as hanes, because I'm not hanes. Fraud. But I can take an old navy shirt, relabel it with a brand I own, and call it my brand.

The brand you use makes no difference because there are no laws relating to it. Even if the original company doesn't like it, there's nothing they can do about it.

I guess it never really comes up when you talk about brands like Old Navy, Gap, etc. is because you can't really get those brands wholesale. You'd be paying an arm and a leg for shirts, when you could find another wholesale brand alot cheaper, thereby making more money.

I'm pretty sure those brands don't like the idea of people doing that and that may be why you can't get wholesale pricing on them.

 

[Rodney]

Out of curiousity, which attorney did you talk to?

We're still sort of getting it third hand, but it would be nice to hear it directly from an attorney.