How much would you pay? Help needed.

Andy

Honorary Member
Guys, could do with a bit of help.

Over the last year, we've received increasing enquiries about Guru shirts. Now here's my dilemma. I'm keen that the shirts reflect the quality of our drums. I just don't feel comfortable going the super economical route, plus, we're not talking the numbers required to really get the cost down low (think 1,000's).

So, I've just ordered a small batch of very smart cotton Oxford short sleeve shirts by Fruit of the Loom. They're black, with a breast pocket. The Guru logo above the breast pocket & In-Tense + Origin logos on each sleeve. These logos are high quality embroidered in multiple steel shades. They cost us £25 ($40) each (plus shipping & tax), so would need to sell for about £30 ($50) each. These shirts are primarily for Guru artists & staff.

I'm looking at the same embroidered designs on high quality T shirts. I've not ordered them yet, but they'd need to sell at around £20 ($32) each to make it worth our while. They'd cost us around £17 ($28) to make.

I can reduce cost by using a cheaper base T shirt (like almost all official shirts), or going for screen printing of logos, or not going for logos on the sleeves, but, you know me, I want them to be as good as they can (without being crazy).

So, what do you think. For the quality, are they too expensive? Or am I just wasting my time going for high quality, & should cheapen the deal?

I've no interest in making a profit on these, but covering our costs plus say 10% for our trouble/outlay/handling, etc would be nice.

Help really appreciated on this one.

Andy.
 
Andy,

I know a lot of people paying more than 50€ for a t-shirt!

If I could get a nice Guru T-Shirt for £20 I would take one :) A photo would be nice :)
In my opinion, if it's a quality shirt you could take £20 - £25 ...

Of course you could lower the price and take the cheaper base shirt.. you should check if the quality is really that worse. In germany, the "cheap" brands are still very good.

Bestest
David
 
Andy, don't lose money on merch!!! Why not make a profit? I know you want the best quality for your customers but leave that to the drums. Not saying sell crap but think of concert shirts. Not the greatest quality but they get the message across and people snatch them up. supply or offer a nice jacket to guru customers and an inexpensive ( profitable on your end) tee shirt for the rest of us. Silkscreen the logos on the front and large on the back maybe? any thoughts about ball caps or head and sweat bands? Trust me, I want one of the shirts and I wont judge you or your company based on the quality of the shirt.
 
Andy,

I know a lot of people paying more than 50€ for a t-shirt!

If I could get a nice Guru T-Shirt for £20 I would take one :) A photo would be nice :)
In my opinion, if it's a quality shirt you could take £20 - £25 ...

Of course you could lower the price and take the cheaper base shirt.. you should check if the quality is really that worse. In germany, the "cheap" brands are still very good.

Bestest
David
Thanks for that David :) I'm fixed on the quality of the Oxford shirts with embroidered logos, & they're really reserved for Guru staff, customers, and artists. I've no issue selling those at cost, or including them in a major purchase.

Andy, don't lose money on merch!!! Why not make a profit? I know you want the best quality for your customers but leave that to the drums. Not saying sell crap but think of concert shirts. Not the greatest quality but they get the message across and people snatch them up. supply or offer a nice jacket to guru customers and an inexpensive ( profitable on your end) tee shirt for the rest of us. Silkscreen the logos on the front and large on the back maybe? any thoughts about ball caps or head and sweat bands? Trust me, I want one of the shirts and I wont judge you or your company based on the quality of the shirt.
I think you have a point about the general sale T shirts. I still wouldn't want to go to concert merch quality, but perhaps a medium quality garment but screen printed is a good idea. Thanks :)

I nominate Henri to design something unique and humourous.
I'm right with you there! Henri!


David, here's some low res shots of the embroidery mockup for the oxford shirts.
 

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Andy, just make enough off of the shirts to pay for them, and the electricity to run that monster lathe...then you've won!
 
I understand your wanting to keep the t-shirts of the highest quality like your drums.

But keep in mind, the t-shirts are promo items. People who make purchases are inevitably going to say "ok, but throw in a shirt for free.." If you ever get a dealer network set up, the guys in the shop are going to want a free shirt. When I worked for retail drum stores, I had stacks and stacks of free shirts given to me by all the various manufacture sales reps.

But overall, I'd look at what t-shirts from other drum brands sell for, and do your best to keep the price not much more than that. A basic DW t-shirt is $14.95 US, and the them embroidered polo shirt is $29.95 US. Spaun sells a basic t-shirt for $20.95 US.
 
lose the pocket on the front, nobody uses those. Oh, and Id buy one w/o a pocket.

F
 
Andy, just make enough off of the shirts to pay for them, and the electricity to run that monster lathe...then you've won!
That's about where we're at I think :)

I understand your wanting to keep the t-shirts of the highest quality like your drums.

But keep in mind, the t-shirts are promo items. People who make purchases are inevitably going to say "ok, but throw in a shirt for free.." If you ever get a dealer network set up, the guys in the shop are going to want a free shirt. When I worked for retail drum stores, I had stacks and stacks of free shirts given to me by all the various manufacture sales reps.

But overall, I'd look at what t-shirts from other drum brands sell for, and do your best to keep the price not much more than that. A basic DW t-shirt is $14.95 US, and the them embroidered polo shirt is $29.95 US. Spaun sells a basic t-shirt for $20.95 US.
Thanks for the prices Ian. Getting polo shirts done with one embroidered logo is fairly inexpensive. Not much more than a T shirt actually. I'm certainly going to revisit the idea of screen printing a good quality T shirt, especially if Henri runs the design. Maybe Henri could design one side, & Grea the other?

lose the pocket on the front, nobody uses those. Oh, and Id buy one w/o a pocket.

F
Ah, but the pocket is part of the classic Oxford shirt design, & those shirts are for Guru staff & artists. Very British - just like our company. I wanted a crisp look, not too casual. I'll let you know when the pocketless T shirts are available ;)
 
Polo shirts are classier than t-shirts. I say, go for cheap t-shirts that you can give away if you have to, or sell inexpensively, and polo shirts that you can make a profit on.

Unless specifically cut for us, t-shirts are generally not flattering to women. Polo shirts are also better if cut for us, but are definitely kinder than t-shirts even if they aren't shaped for us.

If it helps, I would buy a polo shirt and wear it with pride, but I wouldn't wear a t-shirt, and if I did I certainly wouldn't make your brand look good :/

Wholeheartedly endorse the Henri/Grea idea!
 
I like it when companies take into account the fact that I'm advertising for them and give me a deal on the shirt. The other day I got a quality heavy-cotton shirt with the logo of my favorite sandwich shop on it. 10 bucks. I can tell it costed them about that much if not more.
 
Polo shirts are classier than t-shirts. I say, go for cheap t-shirts that you can give away if you have to, or sell inexpensively, and polo shirts that you can make a profit on.

Unless specifically cut for us, t-shirts are generally not flattering to women. Polo shirts are also better if cut for us, but are definitely kinder than t-shirts even if they aren't shaped for us.

If it helps, I would buy a polo shirt and wear it with pride, but I wouldn't wear a t-shirt, and if I did I certainly wouldn't make your brand look good :/

Wholeheartedly endorse the Henri/Grea idea!
Trust me Madge, you'd look good in a coal sack! ;) Seriously, one of the reasons I went for a classic Oxford shirt as opposed to a polo shirt, is that I think the chicks look great in them. Very crisp, & tailored, unless it's Dolly Parton wearing them - then all bets are off :)

I like it when companies take into account the fact that I'm advertising for them and give me a deal on the shirt. The other day I got a quality heavy-cotton shirt with the logo of my favorite sandwich shop on it. 10 bucks. I can tell it costed them about that much if not more.
Indeed, this is why I want to deliver a really nice quality garment, & not seek to profit from it. The T shirts may be on a slightly different basis however.


EDIT: Madge, this is the actual shirt, but obviously the wrong colour. Our's is black.
 

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Ah, but the pocket is part of the classic Oxford shirt design, & those shirts are for Guru staff & artists. Very British - just like our company. I wanted a crisp look, not too casual. I'll let you know when the pocketless T shirts are available ;)

Guess I hadn't considered that. Here in the Colonies nobody wears shirts with pockets. I own several drum brand shirts. Most of them are just silk screened logo's on the front. I dont view the drum company based on how nice the shirts are. I just assume it will be like every other $20 shirt I own.
 
That is a FAB shirt. Absolutely love it, and I agree about, er, chicks looking good in it too.

Your drummers would look great with ties or dicky-bows too, it'd be like the good old days when male drummers dressed like gentlemen!
 
Someone introduced me the other day as a 'proper' musician (bless her, she was drunk - as was I). I simply commented that I was only proper in the sense that I'd worn a suit and played...

Liking the shirt. I need to re-assess my finances right now (bit tight! - like my shirts!) but register me as 'curious'.
 
Oxford SS shirt for staff and artists - perfect. These folks represent your company and should be attired to match the product quality. Truth be told, I likely wouldn't even notice a naked person in the near proximity of Guru drums; your mileage may vary.

For the masses - here's the opinion of one 54 year old, mid-west USA male, married 30+ years with 3 grown boys and 5 grandchildren.

T-shirt, modest silk-screened logo over the left breast - 15 to 20 USD
Long-sleeve, heavy-weight sweatshirt with modest embroidered logo over the left breast - 50 to 70 USD.

I lean toward the sweatshirt because it fits the climate here in Michigan, USA, 6 months of the year. For me, a sweatshirt will generally outlast a T-shirt 3:1.

Hope that helps, John
 
Honestly,here in the states,I've paid no more than 13 for polo shirts silk screened, and 15 for for embroidered shirts,for my camp staff, so that kind of money is quite a lot for my taste.

Steve B
 
Guess I hadn't considered that. Here in the Colonies nobody wears shirts with pockets. I own several drum brand shirts. Most of them are just silk screened logo's on the front. I dont view the drum company based on how nice the shirts are. I just assume it will be like every other $20 shirt I own.
I know you don't judge the product by something as benign as a shirt, but actually, I do. For me, everything a company does says something about the product. To me, smart choices = a smart company, & smart companies generally make fine products. I don't like to see examples of penny/dime pinching either. it instantly makes me suspicious & look for other areas they've skimped on.

That is a FAB shirt. Absolutely love it, and I agree about, er, chicks looking good in it too.
Thanks Madge :) I like a girl in crisp cotton (usually sheets however) - tsk tsk ;)

Liking the shirt. I need to re-assess my finances right now (bit tight! - like my shirts!) but register me as 'curious'.
i've only gone up to XL on the sizes Duncan, but I think they're fairly generous ;) Glad you approve of my less than completely casual approach.

Oxford SS shirt for staff and artists - perfect. These folks represent your company and should be attired to match the product quality. Truth be told, I likely wouldn't even notice a naked person in the near proximity of Guru drums; your mileage may vary.

For the masses - here's the opinion of one 54 year old, mid-west USA male, married 30+ years with 3 grown boys and 5 grandchildren.

T-shirt, modest silk-screened logo over the left breast - 15 to 20 USD
Long-sleeve, heavy-weight sweatshirt with modest embroidered logo over the left breast - 50 to 70 USD.

I lean toward the sweatshirt because it fits the climate here in Michigan, USA, 6 months of the year. For me, a sweatshirt will generally outlast a T-shirt 3:1.

Hope that helps, John
It helps very much John, although I'm surprised at the fairly high $50 - $70 price for sweat shirts.
 
Honestly,here in the states,I've paid no more than 13 for polo shirts silk screened, and 15 for for embroidered shirts,for my camp staff, so that kind of money is quite a lot for my taste.

Steve B
Sorry Steve, we posted at the same time. I can get embroidered polo shirts for those numbers, but didn't think they were appropriate for our mainline staff/artist shirts. The high quality Oxford shirt pushes the price to 3 x a basic polo shirt, & embroidered logos on both sleeves add a bit too.

Still thinking through the T shirt / polo shirt/ screen print thing. All these responses are very helpful to me, especially as I have to drop money up front sometime soon :(
 
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