[Kirsty]

Hi guys

I have recently decided to start a website business selling tshirts for babies, toddlers and dancers. Babies and dancers I hear you ask why? Cause my tees are going to be glitzy and the dance community love all things glitzy. Ive done my research and I really think my tee's will sell well. I have started the design on my website and have came across the following issues. Selling online and taking payments? EG:Use Paypal on the site or get a Shopping Cart Program?
After discussing the whole ecommerce side of it with a friend. Im wondering whether it would be better to go down the route of setting upstore on Ebay instead. What would you recommend. Im very new to the whole trading online side of things and would really appreciate any advice you can give me.

Also, I too have the problem of finding wholesale apparel without the companies logo on there. Does anyone know of anywhere I can purchase "quality" baby tshirts and toddler tee's?


Thank you so much.

Kirsty

 

[Rodney]

I have started the design on my website and have came across the following issues. Selling online and taking payments? EG:Use Paypal on the site or get a Shopping Cart Program?

Why not do both? There are many free shopping cart programs that can be installed on your site that will allow you to accept PayPal.

You can also accept credit cards without any monthly fees by using internet merchant services like CCNOW.com or 2Checkout.com. Many shopping carts are preprogrammed to tie into these services (a popular one can be found at oscommerce.com)

After discussing the whole ecommerce side of it with a friend. Im wondering whether it would be better to go down the route of setting upstore on Ebay instead. What would you recommend. Im very new to the whole trading online side of things and would really appreciate any advice you can give me.

I find that eBay is a different type of market than a regular website. People on eBay are usually looking for a bargain or a specific item, not necessarily a cool t-shirt design.

I would setup your own shop, and work on creating a professional looking storefront with quality products. After you do that, there's nothing stopping you from still selling products on eBay in addition to your online store. Sometimes people shopping on eBay prefer to do business with an established online store (that they know they can get in contact with after the sale).

Also, I too have the problem of finding wholesale apparel without the companies logo on there. Does anyone know of anywhere I can purchase "quality" baby tshirts and toddler tee's?

How would you define "quality"? Do you have a particular brand in mind?

There are quite a few sources online for buying blank t-shirts (doing a google search for wholesale t-shirts or blank t-shirts will give you lots of results).

If there is a particular brand you're looking for (like American Apparel for instance), you may try starting at that manufacturer's website and finding some of their distributors listed there.

Hope this helps

--
Rodney

 

[Kirsty]

Fantastic! I had looked at OSCommerce, and I believe its free. I am going to be basing my company in the UK though and have been told that they dont yet accept credit card payments through paypal. May be wrong information, but I will have to look into it.

I rang American Apparel but you need a IRS ID number and business license JUST to get a price list, and im still in the business plan stage, which sucks because they have just what im looking for.

Thanks for all the great information

 

[Kirsty]

How does OCommerce work, does it merely give you a shopping cart code or does it give you the certificate and ability to take CC orders? I know you have to build your website design into theirs. What percentage do they take, obviously Im looking for the best deal I can get.

TIA

 

[Rodney]

You can get American Apparel shirts from many places, not just directly from the source

What you're looking for is a "distributor" of blank t-shirts. When buying from a distributor, you won't need an IRS ID number/biz license.

THere's also this company in the UK that manufactures baby blank t-shirts:
http://www.europeanwear.com/acatalog/index.html

 

[Adam]

Nice link but you could find cheaper.

 

[Kirsty]

Aha! See, I live in the US but Im from the UK. So Im looking for US tshirt suppliers. I have a partner in the UK who is going to take control of my sales, well we both are, thats the beauty of e-commerce but I will mainly be on the creative side.

So any wholesalers you know in the US would be handy.

The items I am looking for are white and pink lapped shoulder kids and baby tee's.

Ribbed Tanks, Stretch TShirts for ladies and dancewear, tshirts, leotards that kind of thing. Also maternity tee's.

I know I know, I have so many questions.

So any recommended distrubutors would be really appreciated, preferably label -less or offer a service to stitch in my labels.

Thanks

 

[Kirsty]

Adam, I looked at your site last nite, I didnt see any baby stuff I was disappointed. Did I miss them?

 

[Kirsty]

Adam, you are up late arent you, lol

 

[Adam]

Sorry Kirsty.. I run a few t-shirt websites. I print and sell personalised baby grows on another site, I don't stock wholesale baby apparel at bulktees.

I don't buy RabbitSkins, so the above website may be fairly priced for what they are, but in my experience you can buy cheaper. There is a lot of profit in baby grows if you can find a good price for them.

I'm not aware of many distributors in the US, sorry. I know CafePress did stock RabbitSkins though, so they must be highly avialable out there for the numbers they would be buying in.

Yeah I was up a little late last night

 

[Kirsty]

What do you think would be a good price? I dont want to compromise on quality, I want to aim for a clientele like the little phrased tshirts for baby you see in boutiques in the UK. The average selling price is 14 UK Pounds. Im not going to be expensive as that, but I dont mind spending a bit more on a good brand that will last. Do you have any names you could recommend.

Thats annoying you are in the UK, I would have definitely has bought from you. Who knows how successful Ill be. I could have staff making them in the Uk at some point down the line, wouldnt that be nice!

 

[DickTees.net]

Here's my take on eBay... this is exactly why I list items on eBay as well as sell through my own store. Mind you, I DO NOT HAVE AN EBAY STORE, I think they are a waste of money. Really only put in place to feed the eBay machine.
I currently have a 4 t-shirts listed on eBay... combined they have been hit 585 times and there is still a day left on the auction. Those are 585 sets of eyes that have seen my product, logo, and web address that might not have seen my site otherwise. I have had over 100 hits on my site from eBay traffic this week. The way I see it is that you are making money, if your merch sells, and getting redirects from your listing on eBay. Not a bad service if you ask me. Furthermore... I currently have an auction on there where the top bidder is set to pay $5 more for the shirt than I have it listed on my own site. Some eBayers are looking for a deal and some are just looking for something unique. Check out the way I have my items listed on eBay...

A Sample Dick Tees Auction

I studied marketing in college, but my degree is in design. I'd be dangerous with a real marketing background. I think it's built in to some people. The bottom line is this, find a way to use the resources available. I think it's only a matter of time that eBay starts charging for traffic directed to other sites from auctions listed on their site. Until then I plan on using that resource!

 

[Rodney]

The way I see it is that you are making money, if your merch sells, and getting redirects from your listing on eBay. Not a bad service if you ask me.

I got a slap on the wrist from eBay by doing an auction like your example auction.

They are hip to the idea of people using their site for low cost advertising and have put in rules to prohibit people from linking to outside sites or even putting URLs in their auction.

One of my t-shirts had my URL on it and they gave me a warning for even putting the URL on the product and showing it.

Your auction listing is very nice, so I'm not sure if they overlooked it, or if you've got some special mojo

 

[DickTees.net]

I got a slap on the wrist from eBay by doing an auction like your example auction.

They are hip to the idea of people using their site for low cost advertising and have put in rules to prohibit people from linking to outside sites or even putting URLs in their auction.

One of my t-shirts had my URL on it and they gave me a warning for even putting the URL on the product and showing it.

Your auction listing is very nice, so I'm not sure if they overlooked it, or if you've got some special mojo

Maybe I should keep my trap shut before the eBay police come to get me. Guess I have not read up on the rules regarding such practices. Opps...

 

[Adam]

That's a very eye catching lsiting none the less I really like the payment section, nicely done.

You can't link to your website if the product can be purchased there. You can link to your About Me page, which can then link to your website though.

The one auction selling various sizes is something I asked Rodney about not long ago, as I figured it would be againist the rules as they want more fees out of you for more listings!

I have drafted up my ebay listing I may post up the screenshot soon for you all to critique.