[beanie357]

We get our fair share of requests for printing, fulfillment, etc. The one thread they all see to have in common is they are so absurd in their idea for costs for what they want it has become laughable.

The list of requirements can run into pages. Labeling, bagging, logo on boxes. On and on ad nauseum.

Then we are talking 12 units (be still my heart), all different variations. And we want to spend 5-6 per. Now of course dtg is fine for this, but these clowns obviously don't have a clue as to cost of one fulfillment with printed boxes (they want us to supply), Do they actually think we will print a skid of boxes on the off chance their designs may sell at some point way in the future? Where do these idiots come from? And of course they want it on a premium style blank. Is there something on this forum that drives these fools to madness?

Ay yi yi yi yi

 

[lben]

Yes, it's called newbies who have no clue how to price but are only interested in gaining a new customer and will do anything including working for free or at a loss to get one... A fool and his business are soon parted.

 

[royster13]

Better show than a good movie if you have popcorn and beer....

 

[Liberty]

And then there's the art. or lack of...

And it would be great to have them Friday for this big event...

And can I get a youth, womens and mens size version of the six color design?

And don't forget the CPSIA certificate of conformity for that one youth medium...

And would you like to "partner" in this venture?



Does it seem to be getting worse though? It's almost a daily request any more...

 

[beanie357]

Hmmm... What kind of beer? I prefer Sam Adams.
And just a little salt on the popcorn.

Yes it is getting worse, as more out of work stay at home live with the folks 20 somethings decide they are fartists and can have their own t shirt business and put out their "killer" designs even their broke friends won't pay for.

What irks me is there is more than enough info on this forum on how to do it right and wahat is reality, and they ignore the most basic encyclopedic use of this excellent resource.


Idiots

 

[kimura-mma]

I think a big part of it is that most people only see the retail side of things without seeing the back end production side of the business. They see a t-shirt selling at a major retail store for $20. So they believe the wholesale price is $10 and the production cost is $5. And that may be true. But the volume is probably in the hundreds or thousands to get that price. And that's where the naivety sets in. Inexperienced people who want to start clothing lines want what they see in the mall for the same production cost. But of course, they can only afford 12 shirts.

 

[Fenrir]

While I agree that all the above scenarios are true, this works both ways. There are plenty of people who whine about other companies undercutting them when they are actually overcharging without actually having a quality difference to justify it. The biggest print shop in town recently priced themselves out of business.

If one company has a buyer that's a better negotiator and gets their supplies 20% less than the company where they either don't even try to get a better rate, or their attitude is so bad the supplier won't give them one, is that undercutting if their rates for the exact same product are 10% cheaper?

Another print shop has a DTG printer but has a minimum order of 2 dozen of the same design, no variations (i.e. names, #1 #2, etc). Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of having DTG? Why not set a higher price for singles, or even 6-offs and offer that as an option?

 

[binki]

We try to educate our new wholesale customers on costs and what it takes to get their design to the garment and what types of garments are appropriate for different decoration methods.

That said, we don't have too many wholesale customers. We just don't like the extra work for very little profit.

 

[Enrique]

I think a big part of it is that most people only see the retail side of things without seeing the back end production side of the business. They see a t-shirt selling at a major retail store for $20. So they believe the wholesale price is $10 and the production cost is $5. And that may be true. But the volume is probably in the hundreds or thousands to get that price. And that's where the naivety sets in. Inexperienced people who want to start clothing lines want what they see in the mall for the same production cost. But of course, they can only afford 12 shirts.

You're right but that's just half the story, if you ask me. I think thanks to the internet and technology, average consumers have an "upload and it magically happens, so it MUST be easy" mentality. Sites like Cafepress and Zazzle let anyone upload anything, regardless if it's set up right or not, and they magically get a shirt a few days later. So when they go to a professional shop that has to burn screens and separate colors, they don't realize it's a different ballgame, they expect the same (or better) quality for less, since they're buying in bulk, and by "bulk" the average consumer means 2 or more LOL

 

[peaches2912]

Yeah, having the same problems. Customers want to shirts for free basically.