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Getting into the T-Shirt Business.

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Nathn
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 63
So I thought of a sweet brand/concept and ideas for t-shirts and what not and we have all the resources to start it and I'm just wondering what licences I'll need.

I know I'll need a wholesalers licence but I need like 6 other licences to get one of those and I would like to know what those are please.

I would also like to know some quality t-shirts to by for wholesale that are relatively cheap. American Apparel is nice but is $5/shirt crate price so with the 10 promo shirts we'd make for only my friends would be $50 and I'd like it to be a bit cheaper.

Thanks!
Dec 13 2010 6:01PM
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GORlLLA
Posts: 1950 - Karma: 45
My recommendation is to not take business advice from 14 year old teenage boys.
Dec 13 2010 6:03PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
you really think you can make it in the " t-shirt bussiness" ?


what are you offering that well established companies aren't ?
Dec 13 2010 6:05PM
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Nathn
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 63
Yeah but I'm pretty sure there are a few orange names in the t shirt biz.
Dec 13 2010 6:05PM
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-Dan
Posts: 7130 - Karma: 51,765
don't worry about licensing anything until you are sure you can sell. get some samples. don't use gildan cause its dumb. make shirts and sell some. you don't have to pay taxes unless you make over 1000 in a year.
Dec 13 2010 6:06PM
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Nathn
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 63
Should I just abandon everything I want to do because there is someone in the world better than me at what I want to do?

It will be a pretty low key brand to make some money/have some fun. I'm not trying to compete with any big brands here pal calm down.
Dec 13 2010 6:08PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
Me and my friend have a screen printer, it prints silk screens. you don't worry about a license if you are just gona sell it to friends. but don't be to optimistic about making big bucks in the " t-shirt" business there are so many companies out there trying.
Dec 13 2010 6:10PM
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Nathn
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 63
Yeah I expect to make a maximum of $200 first year. Nothing even close to big.
Dec 13 2010 6:11PM
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cultrara
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 46,850
good luck. post some design ideas?
Dec 13 2010 6:13PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
First of all get your fucking panties out of a bunch, why are you coming off so fucking defensive ?

All i simply asked was what do you have to offer that others don't ? simple, fair question.
Yeah low key, look at all the people who tryed to make a " tshirt and hoodie" business they all went down the shitter, basically.
Dec 13 2010 6:14PM
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Nathn
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 63
Well then creativity obviously. It's going to be something new so people will want it? I don't know, why do you buy more than one brand of t shirt?
Dec 13 2010 6:16PM
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Nathn
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 63
I shall.
Dec 13 2010 6:16PM
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cultrara
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 46,850
post some design ideas
Dec 13 2010 6:16PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
no people won't want a tshirt made by a 15 year old on a shitty press.

why do i buy more than one brand of shirt ? because they're WELL ESTABLISHED companies ie. northface,nike,polo ect.
Dec 13 2010 6:17PM
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Nathn
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 63
17, but close I guess. It's also going to be made on a professional press at a store called Taho sports about a half hour from my house. If you don't like them when I make them, don't buy them. That easy. Take a deep breath, calm down and go think real hard about why you are so mad.
Dec 13 2010 6:22PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51665 - Karma: 162,549
Nobody thinks small before they try to go big. I sell sweet lot shirts at shows and festivals. Am I going to end up with a huge company? Probably not.


But you're like alright, I will need 3 billion dollars, a 700 trillion square foot warehouse, trucks for distribution, workers, printing presses, and 15 licenses for this to all work.


Best bet is to start small. Increase your size if it shows real potential. Otherwise there is a very good chance you're going to get in over your head.

But hell.... Good luck anyway
Dec 13 2010 6:23PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
i'm not mad, i just think these ideas are dumb. If you're successful power to you

you're the one who got your panties in a bunch and got all defensive
Dec 13 2010 6:25PM
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Nathn
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 63
Like I said before, I plan to make $200 tops first year. But I only need all the licences to buy wholesale directly from the websites I've looked at so far.







I want to make it clear right now, that this is not a full-scale business. I'll be happy if it ends up successful but don't expect it to be haha. I may buy a booth to sell them at soundset.
Dec 13 2010 6:26PM
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Nathn
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 63
You told me I shouldn't do it because I won't be as successful as North Face or Nike. hmmm
Dec 13 2010 6:28PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
...everything's gotta start somewhere.

good luck friend.
Dec 13 2010 6:30PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
never did i say that, don't put words in my mouth. I believe i said i buy those companies and why i buy them, they're well established and respected companies. When did i ever say you won't be as successful as them ? you shouldn't take it to heart, you won't be. Although you do suck at comprehending things.
Dec 13 2010 6:31PM
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gordie.
Posts: 2014 - Karma: 84
dude, you are coming off as a huge prick, and a young (maybe not in physical years, but certainly in maturity) one at that.


Please, for the sake of respecting those who are ill-fated enough to be considered part of your gene pool, do a favour and stop posting with what you appear to consider intelligence and "wisdom". And for the love of god, do not respond to my post with a smart alec comment along the lines of "YEAH WHAT AM I DOIN TO BE A PRICK HUH BUDDY WHUT."

But hell, maybe I'm wrong, maybe the rest of this contrived forum actually sees this situation as this kid (or guy or 72 year old man) looking to make the next T-shirt producing empire and topple your beloved Nike and Northface (WALIZHCJ!) and, lo and behold, our hero (this is you) rides in gallantly on a white steed to topple this fascist dictatorship on the world of shirts.


Good on ya mate.
Dec 13 2010 6:39PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
a huge realistic prick.

shut up you sound dumb, all i was trying to say was what he has to offer that other companies dont, fair, simple question. Then he proceeded to call me out thinking i was being mean, then i got annoyed because people can't distinguish a prick comment from a question.
Dec 13 2010 6:43PM
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O.RLY
Posts: 310 - Karma: 19
Click for larger image
Dec 13 2010 6:47PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
You need a business license, that's it. Then you need to be able to handle your taxes that are associated so everything is legitimate.

After that, you need to license art, which is a standard practice of dealing with graphic artists.



Here's some personal advice to you -

DON'T start another "clothing company" that sells some sort of logo screen printed on a t-shirt.

That's not a clothing company. That's selling screen prints on another clothing company's product.

If you are going to do it, just do it right. Make cut and sew apparel that has something more to offer. Because unless you are willing to pay a ton of money for really nice printing techniques and colors, as well as truly wonderful graphics to make your shirts / clothing look really good, you're not offering anything that hundreds and hundreds of other companies are doing.

Feel free to ignore my advice, but at least give it a thought!



Dec 13 2010 6:48PM
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gordie.
Posts: 2014 - Karma: 84
Let's see how plain and simple your "question" you so viciously defend was:

"you really think you can make it in the " t-shirt bussiness" ?


what are you offering that well established companies aren't ?"



Now, let's take a second and look at the first sentence. "You really think you can make it in the 't-shirt business'?" Is that sarcasm I faintly detect? I WONDER so help me what this post is trying to imply! My simple (and apparently dumb) head is throbbing trying to uncover this mysterious use of backwards speaking you've used! Could you possibly be implying that he WONT make it in the T-shirt business? Holy Mary, Jesus and Joseph! It is true!

Not only did you write a post dripping with sarcasm implying he would get shot down and burn, but you actually tried to (possibly because you actually believed it too) defend that it WASN'T and insult, a prick-ish move, etc.

And now you still fight to tooth and bone that you were just being a nice guy and that was the constructive criticism you could offer?

Advice: cut your losses, which are plenty, and gathering quickly. You done dug yerself a hole this time by-gone-it!

Now tell me how mad you are sweetheart
Dec 13 2010 6:51PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
you try to hard, sweetheart.
Dec 13 2010 6:53PM
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Dr.Professor
Posts: 143 - Karma: 10
You sound like a douche. Your first post made you sound like a douche, and each ensuing post you made after that made you sound like an even bigger douche than the former. Homie obviously just wants some advice on how to start up his business.. no need to be an asshole about it, pal.

To OP,
Good Luck.
Dec 13 2010 6:54PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
hallelujah.

maybe you kids will listen to an orange name!, maybe!
Dec 13 2010 6:55PM
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gordie.
Posts: 2014 - Karma: 84
thank you ladies and gentlemen, thank you, I had a great time

I'll be here all week!
Dec 13 2010 6:55PM
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DJ_Pauly_D
Posts: 1043 - Karma: 42
this

but good luck man
Dec 13 2010 6:56PM
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Dr.Professor
Posts: 143 - Karma: 10
Maybe.. considering that orange name actually gave advice.
Dec 13 2010 6:58PM
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Panda-Please.
Posts: 179 - Karma: 18
I started a local brand in my community. Basically every licence is a build off of another one. To get a wholesale licence you need a sellers licence, which is an application to pay taxes. I assume you have a drivers licence so you can get one. Honestly, the best way to print is to screenprint them yourself.. Its cheap, for me the whole setup costs were around 300$ to print pretty much around 100+ shirts. Plus its easy and fast. Personally i shelled out the extra money for american apparel because their wholesale is super easy and the quality is incredible. Plus think about it. 5$ a shirt, if you exclude setup costs, with setup costs its 8$ a shirt, which if you sell for 20$ each, is still a 12$ profit.

If you didn't read that read this:
You gotta spend some money to make money, so don't be cheap when starting a brand
Dec 13 2010 7:06PM
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cultrara
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 46,850
dude, post some design ideas so ns can judge if you have a shot
Dec 13 2010 7:08PM
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SCOO-WOOP
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 244
I want to see Tall-T's with Squirtle and Charizard on them.


Dec 13 2010 7:09PM
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Pee_and_Ski
Posts: 1869 - Karma: 57
best of luck to ya man, but you have tons competitors many who sell extremely unique designs just like your looking to do,

Dec 13 2010 7:10PM
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-Dan
Posts: 7130 - Karma: 51,765
dually noted
Dec 13 2010 7:11PM
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Ski_ThEast
Posts: 1676 - Karma: 272
amen thank you
Dec 13 2010 7:18PM
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Snowcase
Posts: 11456 - Karma: 634
I didn't read any of this thread but I can get t-shirts for less than $2 and I have multiple great company names and concepts. Including domain names.
Dec 13 2010 7:40PM
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O.RLY
Posts: 310 - Karma: 19
I like you.
Dec 17 2010 5:28PM
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O.RLY
Posts: 310 - Karma: 19
And you.
Dec 17 2010 5:29PM
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Raz.
Posts: 7456 - Karma: 1,611
lolwut let me design some logo's. iv done it before!
Dec 17 2010 5:32PM
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