[MrFunkleberry]

Hello everyone,

My first post just to let you that I've just launched http://www.mrfunkleberry.com
I hope you like it, early editions are going pretty quick.

 

[sarafina]

Welcome to the forum! Like your site. Remind me of the threadless tees. How many editions of each tee are you printing?

 

[monkeylantern]

Great site! Normally I hate sites that have overly-stylised navigation....but yours has enough charm to win me over.

Great designs, clean site. You've cut out the US/Asian/Australian market with the price (GBP 35 with P&P, about US$70), but that's still just about possibe within the UK market. If your marketing model could cope with cutting the price down to about GBP 15 a tee, you'd attract a lot more US/Asian/Australian sales, and the GBP10 international shipping seems a little steep (GBP airmail costs about that for 500g to the USA....which I seriously doubt is the weight of one t-shirt, unless they're lead-lined). I appreciate you post in your own gift-boxes, but even so...

I'd recommend finding your most attractive friends to model your shirts for the "Best Friends" section, linked to each shirt, before you get real photos in. You're selling in the top end of the market, and those people expect real-life images.

Your site design is actually quite similar in feel to our new site, which is one of the reasons I like it .


But an excellent new site for our community! Welcome!

 

[honeyflip]

Great site. I love the logo design.
Christopher

 

[buddha]

Like the site. Very clean I think.

I like the idea of boxing your shirts.

 

[badsy]

Site looks great. What software did you use to produce it.

Cheers

http://whatiftees.com/

 

[MrFunkleberry]

Thanks for your comments everyone, i'm taking them all on board...

i use freehand, dreamweaver, fireworks, flash, etc etc

 

[Solmu]

Did you submit any of those designs to Threadless by the way?

I know I've seen at least two of them before and I was just curious as I don't recall where.

 

[MrFunkleberry]

Yes most of them have been to threadless and back.
Next collection will be all new unseen...

 

[DickTees.net]

Yes most of them have been to threadless and back.
Next collection will be all new unseen...

When a shirt, that was chosen for print on Threadless, comes out of production does the copyright go back to the artist?

 

[Solmu]

When a shirt, that was chosen for print on Threadless, comes out of production does the copyright go back to the artist?

I'm fairly confident the answer to that is "no".

(well... actually I don't think you ever give up the copyright as such - you just sign over exclusive publishing rights)

Worse still, by submitting designs to Threadless you tie up the publication rights as you are granting them the right to publish. As I understand it, even if your design isn't printed you still need to get it released from Threadless (in writing) before you can print it yourself. I don't know if that would stand up in court, but I am told it's the system they run on.

I guess the good news is that they do release the rights if you ask them to (this was the case with At-At Boo Boo anyway - I haven't experienced any of this first hand, just read about it).

 

[monkeylantern]

Solmu should be in bed.

But yes, I think threadless has a stipulation that submitting the design begins the contract, and you need written permission to break it.

Legal rubbish, of course, so I wouldn't be too afraid.

 

[MrFunkleberry]

I have permission from threadless for all the tees i submitted.
Basically you have to ask, but they're pretty cool folks, they haven't given me anything but support.

 

[Chris]

Out of curiosity, is the box pictured how the actual tees arrive to the customer? Great presentation (and I was going to do the same).

 

[monkeylantern]

Out of curiosity, is the box pictured how the actual tees arrive to the customer? Great presentation (and I was going to do the same).

But think about postage! In most western countries (not sure about the US), a single tshirt in a ShurTuff plastic-type bag can be mailed as letter post. A box would break the usual "2cm rule" for letter thickness. Hence his high prices.

 

[Chido01]

Your site is banging Mr. Funkleberry!

 

[Chris]

But think about postage! In most western countries (not sure about the US), a single tshirt in a ShurTuff plastic-type bag can be mailed as letter post. A box would break the usual "2cm rule" for letter thickness. Hence his high prices.

But if my super low budget plan works out, I'd be willing to absorb some of it as a marketing fee.

Keep in mind that my target customer starts at 100k/yr and can go up to the multiple millions in income. Prices for the shirts are in-line with anything else ($20 range) but I believe that I really need an excellent presentation to build my brand.. A plastic bag would not give the product the panache I would like.

 

[honeyflip]

Forgive me for being thick, but how are you going about targeting a specific income demographic? Just off the top of my head, I would assume that would involve media buys on certain websites, select magazines, etc., which usually means a fairly staggering ad budget...
Christopher

 

[Chris]

Forgive me for being thick, but how are you going about targeting a specific income demographic?

Yes, it sounds a bit weird but I'll try to explain without showing all of my cards-

Basically my first shirt line will revolve around a very well known automobile manufacturer.. I've found a niche and I've been designing around that (this whole thing started with not being able to find the type of clothing I desired).

Now, these cars range in price from $40k used to 15M but the median is about $120-220k. I'm also a well-known member in good standing on the largest forum that deals with these automobiles; as of right now there are 21k members (let's say 1/4 of that number are active) and while not all of them own these cars the ones who don't would certainly be interested in what I have to offer as well.. maybe even more so.

So it's not just a case of me trying to please the world and keeping my fingers crossed that I'm right. I've got the target customers clearly in my sights and I've got the ability to communicate with them as well. My initial outlay is going to be under 1k, word of mouth will be handled through the giveaway of shirts to influential members (that I am also friends with) and if I deem it necessary I can advertise on the site (and others like it) for a relatively cheap price down the road.

BUT the whole thing has to be pitch perfect from the word "go" in order to pass muster with these types.. most are highly successful in their fields and can smell a concept that isn't fully fleshed out- definitely a double-edged sword, but one that I'm capable of handling.

 

[Solmu]

Keep in mind that my target customer starts at 100k/yr and can go up to the multiple millions in income.

I must say I also have a cognitive disconnect every time you mention this.

The idea of there being enough people in that financial demographic - who actually want to wear a t-shirt - to run a business is just mind boggling.