So anybody here using Cafepress.com for selling merch online?
Any horror stories or positive comments about it?

Thanks,
-RT

As much as I liked what Cafepress had to offer in the way of being able to have short runs done with my designs as well items for clients I was not happy with lack of traffice, sales or interest in the pro store I had set up. I had it for about a year and I only sold a few things out of it before I shut it down last June. I was promoting it to the best of my ability in my blogs, podcast, posts on forums and email. The store just became another hole I was throwing money and time into. I still have a free store set up and use it for creating stuff when I need to. I have had that store for many years and never made any sells from it, but I never really pushed that one either though.

The other downside to using Cafepress for selling your creative ideas is that you the artists make a very small profit while Cafepress takes the larger cut while essentially using your creative talents to their benefit. You do all the creative work and marketing while they make most of the profit from your creativity and effort. Also, their base price is rather high so your mark up has to be pretty minimal otherwise you will have a price for a product that few if any would be willing to pay.

Cafepress does have decent products and their customer service is pretty good. While they offer an inexpensive ways to get your ideas on to a product with no investment, my experience was that my store didn't do much even with a fairly solid effort to hype it. My opinion is that if you want to make money with a Cafepress store you need to have stuff that is going to appeal to a large target market with current and fresh ideas on a monthly if not weekly basis and not just try to sell to a small niche group with a small number of products. One last observation, most of the people who I have talked to who use Cafepress created their own products and did not by others peoples stuff. These people were not designers, artist or computer geniuses either just everyday folks.

Of course this just my two coconuts worth, I would also like to hear others input.

Chongolio

Lost-Isle
Coconut Wired Podcast
Barefoot bloggin'

Last edited: Mar 06, 2007 13:33:23

Glad I could shed some light. Another thing you can do is buy your own product which Cafepress will sell to you at the base price. And sell them at your shows and/or pass out flyers with the link to your Cafepress store.

Good luck!

Chongolio

Lost-Isle
Coconut Wired Podcast
Barefoot bloggin'

www.stickerguy.com

They're the best in the biz, in my opinion.

I'm trying to track down who did our buttons last time, they were stupidly cheap as well.

We've been looking into expanding the merch bin a bit at our shows. Anyone know where I can get patches made?

~B~

ReddTyde_

SurfBandBill
www.stickerguy.com

They're the best in the biz, in my opinion.

I'm trying to track down who did our buttons last time, they were stupidly cheap as well.

We've been looking into expanding the merch bin a bit at our shows. Anyone know where I can get patches made?

~B~

Yeah, Sticker Guy rocks hands down. We have been using them for years.
RT

Two more opposable thumbs up for http://stickerguy.com Unbelievable prices and a great product. I have never been disapointed with the folks over there.

Lost-Isle
Coconut Wired Podcast
Barefoot bloggin'

SurfBandBill
www.stickerguy.com

They're the best in the biz, in my opinion.

I'm trying to track down who did our buttons last time, they were stupidly cheap as well.

We've been looking into expanding the merch bin a bit at our shows. Anyone know where I can get patches made?

~B~

I TOTALLY want a patch if you guys make them. Since I don't do the leather jacket anymore, I've been thinking about moving onto something I can add patches to easily.

-K

"Turn the knob to 10 and break it off!" -Baja Marty

and Yeah I was upset about the Kreepsvilla manor cd too.
I e-mailed them and they said it was Cafee Presses fault. and told me to e-mail them. But you bougth the cds, so I dont know if they would deal with me. I got the whole set list on the Kreepsville mano site, and printed it up, and put it in with the cd.
But not the same.
I fwd the track list to you. check your old email from around Nov.
probably.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Jeff(bigtikidude)

On the subject of patches.
I am amazed at how the HPLaserjet Iron Paper has held up for making our uniform patch. Granted that they need to be ironed onto a high blend of cotton (90% or better) to last. I have worn the same shirt now for a year or so, Washed and ironed the shirt at last 30 times now.

I just printed some off that I am going to throw into kick starting our merch pile. They ae going to go for around $4 for one 2.5" and one 1.5".

Only drawback is that these will work best on White or Khaki colors. The ones to work on dark materials, haven't faired as well.

-RT

After last night of running the idea by the band and what they thought the iron-on would sell for as oppossed to material and labor cost. I am dropping the iron-on idea.

But if you ever wanted to do a full color iron-on onto a White cotton shirt These iron-ons are pretty cool. I have to say I am impressed athow well it has stood up to the test of time.

If you do go looking for prices on getting sew on patches, be sure to share yor findings.

Thanks,
RT

Spanky, if you're looking for bumper stickers you might give Woody J. a holler. He found a great place in Atlanta that took our artwork and both bumper stickers and those more intricate stickers that you pull off one side, press on to glass or whatever, and then pull off the other side. I just don't recall the name of the place but it wasn't too far from where Woody lives in Smyrna, GA.

Maybe that will help a little...

Ron (ToneBoy)
The Mariners (1964 to Present) www.myspace.com/themarinersfirstwave
Lonzo & Oscar (1999 to Present) www.lonzoandoscar.net
www.myspace.com/lonzoandoscarcomedy
Billy Henson & Summerstorm (2001 to Present)