I’ve said this before, and I will say it again… I have no business sense… It seems t-shirts are big business now. No, really. Big! I know because the hipster folks at 37 Signals make note and even point to a Wall Street Journal article titled By Accident or Design, Selling T-Shirts Is Big Business on Web:
It turns out the T-shirt is a perfect fit for online commerce. It captures the Web’s renegade allure and allows surfers to show off their virtual journeys. Easy to make and deliver, T-shirts often cost $15 or less online.
In my time before being full-time computer-hacking nerd, I was one who printed many things with screens and ink. Yes, a professional in the world of serigraphy (silk screening for you commoners!)
I printed thousands and thousands of shirts and other things, and got paid for it. I also printed shirts, patches, stickers, zines, etc. for my friends, and their bands, and their friend’s bands, and even big-time rockstars like All You Can Eat!
I also designed shirts, printed them, and sold them at various places where bands would play. I’d sell shirts for less than $5 at the time, which covered the shirt, the ink, and very little of my time. (Artists make many sacrifices you see.)
If only I had known I could have combined my love of design, serigraphy, and computer/internetting into an online shirt selling force to be rekoned with… You know, I’ve still got all my equipment, screens and a squeegee… Anyone willing to pay for a Trademark or Demise t-shirt? If not I guess my only recourse is to purchase a t-shirt…
3 replies on “My Failed Business Model…”
My take is that screens (if they still use that technology to make t-shirts) cost less than they did 10 years ago, and I am guessing that t-shirts also cost less. I would be willing to bet you could still make a pretty good amount of money selling some of your designs on line. I’d kick in some low cost micro capital if you choose to move on this.
I’d pay for a DNDS silk screened T. I think they’re planning some, but don’t like CafePress because it’s too expensive (for the listener, I’m guessing).
When I was a kid, a friend of mine’s mom used to do silk screening. And my mom was/is a seamstress. So my mom made us some cool custom Happi Coats and his mom silk screened a made up “family crest” we designed. This was a long time ago before rappers started their own clothing lines. ;)
Hmmm, I don’t know if I’d be able to work out a licensing agreement with Dawn and Drew. Drew hasn’t returned my calls about the 27″ television I’ve been trying to give to him. (Which means I’ll keep it!)