Re: [AGA SC] T-shirts

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

When the shirts were sold, weren't they only sold at conventions?  I never 
remember reading about them in TAG.  I have a small set of the remaining 
pins, and was going to offer them on the website (well, right after I add 
Diana's new offer -- boy she's being bitchy and unreasonable about that, 
as if suddenly this offer's going to just fly those back issues out of her 
trailer...but I digress).  Anyway, I think it would be cool to do a small 
T-shirt run.  Cafepress is pretty humdrum and tends to charge a lot.  We 
could probably get a small run for less.  I almost would volunteer for 
distribution, as they make great padding for videos and CD's... but no, 
the main thing would be having another AGA volunteer to do this.  Hey, why 
not ask the membership?  Maybe someone new WOULD like to handle this?

  - Erik

On Tue, 9 Mar 2004, S. Hieber wrote:

> The biggest piece of change goes to the intermediary, Cafe
> Press. E.g, roughly estimatingm on a T-shirt: $2 to bulk
> wholesaler, $13 markup to CafesPress, $2-$5 markup to AGA
> selling at $18 to $20. That's a lot of money for a T-shirt
> unless these are very nice T-shirts. I mean the cotton -- I
> know the logo is nice ;-)
> 
> There are others we could enter into business with, no? How
> about someone that does aquatic hobby T-shirts. We add our
> design to their inventory; the inventory/selection is
> bigger; we sell it off the AGA site; the T-shirt person
> handles "manufacture" and fullfillment; and we take a piece
> for the AGA website point of sale.
> 
> 
> Otoh, this is easy with little up front cost in time and
> none in money. Little return--little risk. ( and little
> inventory shrinkage due to comps ;-) )
> 
> When we had shirt, how did they move?  Sold fast;
> give-aways, etc???
> 
> Just, pardon the expression, spitballing.
> 
> sh
> 
> --- Karen Randall <krandall@rdrcpa.biz> wrote:
> > I took this to the SC list, because I didn't think it was
> > something to be
> > decided in public.  But actually, I don't think it's a
> > bad idea at all.  The
> > reason we haven't done T-shirts or pins again is not
> > because people didn't
> > like/want them, but because no one wanted to handle the
> > production, sales,
> > inventory and shipping.  The one time we did t-shirts, I
> > did all the
> > production work, and still have the last few remaining
> > "collectors item"<g>
> > shirts.  Dorothy did the pins, and likewise, I think if
> > there are any left,
> > she has them.  When I looked at the prices this place was
> > charging, they
> > were just about the same as what we needed to charge whn
> > we did them, simply
> > because we had a relatively small order, and needed to be
> > sure to get our
> > money back out of them.
> > 
> > I don't see any harm in doing this, and it might bring in
> > a little money.
> > Between Cheryl and me, we have the "design team" in place
> > already.  If we
> > did a new design annually, people could keep buying
> > updates. Even if we
> > didn't sell THAT many, if there is no up-front cost, it
> > seems to me that
> > ANYTHING that adds to the bottom line might be a good
> > idea.  In this case,
> > it's also something that people enjoy, and promote a
> > sense of community.
> > T-shirts are a big part of the "aquarium hobby culture"
> > here in the U.S.
> > 
> > Any thoughts from the rest of you?
> > 
> 
> 
> =====
> S. Hieber
> 
> -  -   -   -   -   -   -   -
> Amano Returns
> to the AGA Annual Convention
> Nov 12, 13 & 14, 2004 -- Crystal City, Virginia
> 
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-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com

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