marketing Best way to store/ship/organize T-shirts for market?

Lucky Dog Hot Sauce

Lucky Dog Hot Sauce

Could use suggestions - hoping some of the vendors here who've done shows can help.

I have t-shirts for the farmers markets I'm doing. I can hang up 1 of each color/style I have, but I have 5 sizes men's, 3 sizes women's, 3 sizes "babydoll". So storage/organization is tough,

Any ideas for a travel container/case where I could sort the shirts by size/color without wrinkling them? I may look into some of the bigger Tupperware style containers but thought some here might have better ideas.

Thanks in advance,

Scott
LDHS

Hmmm...may have solved it myself

Bought 500 t-shirt clear plastic bags. I can fold 'em & bag 'em, then box 'em.

I'll just have to find the little round "S, M, L" stickers in pink & blue.
:cheers:
 
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Yuppers. 6 ounce cotton, soft, and washes well, actually gets softer, not stiffer like some other brands. And lasts. Def the best.
 
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I have 2 theories about t-shirts for marketing: 
1. I buy comfortable shirts because dudes want comfortable shirts. Girls too, but some girls like clingy thin t-shirts. No guy I know does, and every time they buy a shirt online they bitch about how it's a clingy "shme-dium" size when they want a roomy, comfy shirt, not some metrosexual crap that's so thin it'll only last a few months. I make shirts the quality of the rock concert shirt I used to get in the 80s.  :onfire:
 
2. Get the best quality shirts, and best quality screen printing for the money. I figure if I make cheap shirts, people are going to think I use cheap ingredients or cut corners when making my sauces. Quality is everything. 
 
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I have had one place quote $300 for the set up fee for the screen printing, in your opinion is this reasonable or a little high? That being said, the cost per shirt afterwards is among the best we have found without having to compromise on the logo or quality of shirt.
 
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FeistyParrot said:
I have had one place quote $300 for the set up fee for the screen printing, in your opinion is this reasonable or a little high? That being said, the cost per shirt afterwards is among the best we have found without having to compromise on the logo or quality of shirt.
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Depending on the # of screens that's either a great price or an ok price. It's all about how much set-up they're doing for the $.

For a 4-7 color shirt that's not bad in my opinion. And you'll only have to pay it once!
:cheers:
Advice from someone who tripped over this - Don't make even #s

It's a bit of a crap shoot, but I'd suggest the following:
Men's shirts, go light on the S/M and heavy on the L/XL/XXL

If you do "girl cut" Women's shirts, you're pretty safe to do even #s of S/M/L, but I'd suggest not doing it. 3 women's sizes + 5 men's sizes = 8 products to manage inventory for. And a lot of the time my female customers want the comfy boy-cut t-shirts.

If you do women's shirts I'd recommend something different like tank tops. I'm working on some now because I hear all the time "do you have tank tops? I never wear sleeves".

So if you do only men's shirts, and no women's shirts you can then do a few more of the S/M.
:)
 
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I used to own a screenprinting shop and LD is right- the $300 setup could be a good price or not depending on what you are getting for it. Many shops differentiate between a screen fee and a set up fee. The screen fee you pay once to get your art burned on screens- the set up fee in this case you pay each time you run a set of shirts. That type of set up fee is generally more along the lines of $5 a screen. Often you will need to pay a separate art fee as well for color separations and the like. My guess is the three bills in this case covers all of that.
 
How many colors is your design and what color shirts is it being printed on?
 
THP and LD are also correct that the Gildan 2000 gives far and away the best bang for your buck as far as shirts go. Don't let them talk you into the Beefy-T instead.
 
I tend to lean hard on the XL's when I put together an order- something along the lines of 50% XL, 30%L, 10%M, 5% XXL, 5% S. This of course varies with your clientele a bit- most of my work was for punk rock and metal bands.
 
As far as the original question on how to organize shirts for sale the bags and stickers route is the best. You only have to screw up one unbagged shirt somehow going back and forth to the market to pay for bags and stickers.
 
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Screens can run $25 each.
9 x 25 = 225 (back)
3 x 25 = 75 (front)
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$300
 
Sounds right. You pay that once, not on reorders. If you can get Gildan 2000s under $6 a run, you're good to go.
 
TIP: White is good for freebies. People don't buy white. They buy colors. Or black. You have to think of fashion and what people wear/buy. When's the last time you bought a white tee?
 
I'd definitely get black, and a neutral color that goes with your logo. Nothing bright. A light grey would do. But white has that freebie/undershirt look.
 
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The Hot Pepper said:
Screens can run $25 each.
9 x 25 = 225 (back)
3 x 25 = 75 (front)
=========
$300
 
Sounds right. You pay that once, not on reorders. If you can get Gildan 2000s under $6 a run, you're good to go.
 
TIP: White is good for freebies. People don't buy white. They buy colors. Or black. You have to think of fashion and what people wear/buy. When's the last time you bought a white tee?
 
I'd definitely get black, and a neutral color that goes with your logo. Nothing bright. A light grey would do. But white has that freebie/undershirt look.
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See and this is why I LOVE this site...I so would have ordered white but yes you are right...however am thinking black in South Florida not the best seller either....going to be people watching for t shirt colors (gosh now I sound crazy!)....$6 a run? hmmm perhaps I need to keep searching!
 
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I was thinking your logo goes well on tan, but light grey is a little more neutral. Colors can be very personal so don't go crazy with colors. I myslef use black and charcoal only. But band tees are a different game altogether. The darker the better.

I'm gonna PM you my T-shirt guy. Just so you can price compare. You can def get under six bucks.
 
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The Hot Pepper said:
 
I'd definitely get black, and a neutral color that goes with your logo. Nothing bright. A light grey would do. But white has that freebie/undershirt look.
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He beat me to it. 
 
Black is the best - people / men love Black shirts and your logo is so colorful that it would stand out 100X more against a black background. 
 
I never, ever buy white shirts. White shirts are the shirts I get for free and wear when I paint the house. 
The Hot Pepper said:
I was thinking your logo goes well on tan, but light grey is a little more neutral. Colors can be very personal so don't go crazy with colors. I myslef use black and charcoal only. But band tees are a different game altogether. The darker the better.

I'm gonna PM you my T-shirt guy. Just so you can price compare. You can def get under six bucks.
Click to expand...
 
As an 80's/90's rocker dude, I would only buy Black/Charcoal t-shirts. 
 
\m/
 
:D

 
 
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In another t-shirt thread, (or maybe this one several pages ago...)  a comment was made that a rock band sold mostly S/M/L where I sold mostly XL/2XL/and 3XL to all the construction dudes that were buying the Pure Evil t-shirts.  :lol:  Anyway I just thought it was funny~~~
 
It really depends on who and where you will be selling.  I haven't done any shirt sales at FM or over the web, it's been to friends, family and the guys on the jobsites.  With a couple custom Girlie tank tops for myself and CJ.  :cool:
 
Also, if you do get some Girlie Shirts....(HEADS UP FOR A SUPER SECRET MARKETING TIP CLOTHIERS LIKE LIZ CLAIBORNE HAVE FIGURED OUT) ... most girls like to say they're a small or medium, some will even "admit" to wearing a Large....but honestly....most ladies' Large are too small for someone even a size 14.  And there are MANY women wearing 14's who should be in at least a few numbers larger.....(but that's for another topic... or pics of WalMart customers.....:eek: )
 
If you do look into Ladies shirts, PLEASE make sure the shirts run large.  You want to have a shirt that "says" its a Medium but fits like a Large.  And likewise, a Large that fits like an XL.  No woman want's to admit to wearing an XL but many "need" an XL.  AND...it would be good to have a couple 2XL behind the counter for those discrete sales for well-proportioned ladies.   
 
 
;)  Just sayin~ 
 
 
 
I usually wear men's t-shirts working on jobsites.  Girly-shirts just don't work for me when running the 1/2" Right-angle DeWalt.... I do like a girly-shirt or tank top, but they aren't my normal daily wear.  :(
 
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If you do look into Ladies shirts, PLEASE make sure the shirts run large.  You want to have a shirt that "says" its a Medium but fits like a Large.  And likewise, a Large that fits like an XL.  No woman want's to admit to wearing an XL but many "need" an XL.  AND...it would be good to have a couple 2XL behind the counter for those discrete sales for well-proportioned ladies.   
 

Great point!
 
 
 
I usually wear men's t-shirts working on jobsites.  Girly-shirts just don't work for me when running the 1/2" Right-angle DeWalt.... I do like a girly-shirt or tank top, but they aren't my normal daily wear.  :([/quote]

See now that sounds like fun! I work on a yacht so it's all polo shirts and skorts!
 
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FeistyParrot said:
See and this is why I LOVE this site...I so would have ordered white but yes you are right...however am thinking black in South Florida not the best seller either....going to be people watching for t shirt colors (gosh now I sound crazy!)....$6 a run? hmmm perhaps I need to keep searching!
Click to expand...
 
You can go to an online site like Custom Ink, upload your logo and see how it looks on various colors.  They will have a full pallet of colors to choose from.  You don't have to place an order, just use their resources :rolleyes:
 
Ken
 
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