| Author |
Message |
Ryan Alexander (Ryalex)
Junior Member
Username: Ryalex
Post Number: 152
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2003 - 10:37 pm: | |
If you could find a niche you could make a buck or two, but the industry in general has very, very low barriers to entry.
I've done some small stuff with T's for clubs and whatnot (I do design, bought T's from wholesaler, got a screenprinter).
I've been thinking about doing some (right-leaning) politically themed T's and sell them through journals/conventions, etc., but being in "the bastion of American Liberalism," I was concerned with making some friends before ticking my classmates off. |
MICHAEL MORETT (Thecarreaper)
New member
Username: Thecarreaper
Post Number: 24
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2003 - 9:34 am: | |
Terry, develop your ideas. get patents and / or copyrights if need be. sell your designs and ideas to both niche market outlets and retailers like Walmart.you will be a gazzillionare and i can work for you instead of general dynamics and i can get a 308!!! :o) |
Fred (I Luv 4REs) (Iluv4res)
Member
Username: Iluv4res
Post Number: 560
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2003 - 8:37 am: | |
Terry, I guess it depends upon your target market. I just ordered a 'south park' T-shirt from the Comedy Central website that cost over $20. It probably costs them $2 per shirt. However, I have also bought cheap souvenier T-shirts that sold for 10 for $20. The point is, if you have a target market that's willing to pay a premium, it can be good. If you're mass marketing el-cheapo stuff to the general public, perhaps not. |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 442
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2003 - 5:09 am: | |
Terry, give me a private email, or call me at the Tiger Sports Shop in Clemson, SC. I sell Clemson T shirts in my businesses amonf other things. I will be glad to fill you in. www.tigersports.com |
Terry Springer (Tspringer)
Member
Username: Tspringer
Post Number: 830
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 7:12 pm: | |
Fred, thats actually what I was trying to say my plan was to begin with. I dont want to manufacture T-shirts, and I also dont want to try to sell T-shirt printing services to others. I dont want to be in the t-shirt printing business.... I want to retail memorabilia including t-shirts with specific images to specific target markets.
If you can only make a buck each retailing them.... then there is no way to make any money. If you can make $10 each retail.... maybe?
Taek-Ho.... I didnt mean to imply that Asian nations were not high tech and only used sweat-shop labor. I do know better. After all a Chinaman just orbited the earth... a feat the US cannot accomplish at this particular time. Im sure they do use machines and all the other latest high tech. They also pay less for the machines and far less labor costs for those who run them. Given that I have zero contacts in any Asian nations, have no idea how to do business there, and dont have a few million bucks in start up capital.... I dont see opening a large textile mill in Asia as a viable plan for me. |
Fred (I Luv 4REs) (Iluv4res)
Member
Username: Iluv4res
Post Number: 559
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 3:24 pm: | |
Terry,
Rather than starting your own printing business, why don't you have your designs done then (outsource) hire someone to provide the shirts & print them for you. It seems the margins are tight and competition is fierce in the printing part of the business. I'm sure if you're retailing them, there's enough margin for you so that you can pay someone else to print them. Plus, it's less of an investment and management headache up front. You can focus on the retailing side of things since it seems like your ideas are what's fueling this. If the ideas take off, you can always negotiate better printing deals based upon volume and/or then you could consider opening your own printing co. |
Mike B (Srt_mike)
Member
Username: Srt_mike
Post Number: 386
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 3:15 pm: | |
The only insight I can offer is to echo Doody's comments and Marty's on the basis that I frequently need "memorobilia" printed for customers, trade shows, employee gifts, etc.
There has to be about a gazillion places out there that do it. I can look in the phone book, search the internet, or ask a couple of friends and I'll get oodles of responses. Seems like a real tough market to be in considering the mega-level of competition from starving artists and people working in their spare time willing to just about break even. |
marty cure (Marty_cure)
New member
Username: Marty_cure
Post Number: 3
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 2:06 pm: | |
I have been printing shirts for 20 years. Do yourself a big favor, Don't do it! |
Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice)
Intermediate Member
Username: Stickanddice
Post Number: 2228
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 2:06 pm: | |
>>Im not in the market for a sweatshop plant in China.<<
Terry,
Actually, the plant is a very sophisticated plant that is almost entirely automated. The only workers they have there are mechanical engineers and QA engineers. Oh, and your odd janitor here and there. Don't make assumptions on the Asian market and how manufacturing is done there. Labor might be cheap, but machines are cheaper; and manufacturingwise, you'd be hard pressed to beat machinery from Asia.
If you're just going the reseller and design side I'd have to agree with Doody. The margins are not worth the trouble. A friend of mine did this sort of thing selling T shirts around dorms while in college. Good football, basketball, and hockey matchups would insure him to sell out all the time, but the money was marginal at best.
Cheers |
Terry Springer (Tspringer)
Member
Username: Tspringer
Post Number: 829
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 1:59 pm: | |
I have ideas about specific T-shirts that would appeal to specific markets. I dont want to manufacture T-shirts and then sell them in bulk.... Im not in the market for a sweatshop plant in China. I would buy the shirts in bulk, develop my own designs and themes, then sell them through direct marketing efforts most internet and mail order.
I think.
Like I said, I have never done much of this type of business. Im not sure what the margins are or what kind of returns can be expected from different marketing channels. Right now Im leaning toward just having a couple of designs run up in a small batch and having a go... test market it a bit.
Would love to talk more specific with someone who has lots of experience in this market. |
Mr. Doody (Doody)
Intermediate Member
Username: Doody
Post Number: 1953
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 12:20 pm: | |
a buddy and i ran a t-shirt biz on the side back in the late 80s - early 90s. we basically found customers who needed custom shirts for whatever events and we delivered them the finished goods. bought shirts in bulk. outsourced the printing to various shops.
we never found it to be a high-margin business. the printers have gotten very forward-integrated and they just find commission sales guys (trivial to find) and unemployed graphic artists (trivial to find) to go do the same deals and cut out the middlemen (eg: me and my bud).
we gave it up after a couple years - it just wasn't enough profit to bother.
doody. |
Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice)
Intermediate Member
Username: Stickanddice
Post Number: 2223
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 11:54 am: | |
Terry,
Do you want to own the shops that make the shirts or just simple design and sell from existing shirts?
I know a bunch of textile folks sitting on fat piles of cash. Pretty lucrative if you hit it big.
Cheers |
Terry Springer (Tspringer)
Member
Username: Tspringer
Post Number: 827
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 10:29 am: | |
I am a man with too many hobbys... and I am giving serious consideration to starting a new business to turn these interests into some $$$.
Im thinking of starting a T-shirt and other memorabilia business. I have lots of ideas on different designs and target markets, but other than having fraternity shirts done 15 years ago I have no experience in this.
Anyone out there know much about this biz? I would focus mostly on internet marketing, direct mail catalogoes and wholesale distribution to specialty shops.
Terry |