Screen Printer Update and BfloTees Stickers

I completely forgot to post this. I meet with the printer yesterday and she's a top notch craftsman, er craftswoman...craftsperson? Whatever, she's cool. She does great work and actually opened up an account for American Apparel shirts just for us. Plus, she runs her business on Buffalo's East Side. Local business supporting local business, thats what Im aiming for. It might cost a wee bit more out of pocket for me, but the benefits of supporting local business completely outway the slight increase in costs. Check out Buffalo First for more info on the benefits of shopping local. She also plays ice hockey, which is currently my favorite sport to play myself. But I digress.
I hope to put 50% down this weekend so we can order the shirts and-holy crap-put ink on fabric and do this thing. Am I right?
So what's this about stickers, you ask? I have oval bumper stickers (thats them up top) and I might have a stack of them at the Allentown Art Festival. Amy Kedron of Buffalo First mentioned she MAY have a table down there with information on shopping local and offered a small corner of space to leave a stack of fliers. Well, I don't have fliers but I do have stickers. So, if you're down there this weekend and see the Buffalo First Banner, swing by it and pick up the first piece of BfloTees merch-the sticker. It'll be worth something someday. Something like 13 cents, which is about what their worth now.
I may also chalk up some web addresses on the sidewalk s and sling small fliers on car windows...why waste the opportunity.

Buffalo T-shirts Waiting Game

Sitting here waiting for quotes to come in from the screen printers for the Buffalo T-shirts. It's been a few days. Hope to hear something today before I get on the horn and bother them.

Buffalo T-shirts screen printer, part two

I did good today. Im down to two screen printers. Hopefully tomorrow Ill have pricing for the first round of Buffalo themed t-shirts and I can swing around to both places and see their work, meet the shakers and make the decision.
Man, we are getting close.

Buffalo T-Shirts Searches for Local Screen Printer

The search is on. This week I will find and shake hands with a partner vendor: the screen printer. Initially I intended to produce these myself: buy the machine, learn myself to screen print (which sounds fun actually) but I havent the room for the printer, nor the funds to acquire a decent 4C printer. Besides that, my expertise is in the design, marketing and advertising of these here Buffalo t-shirts, so why bother getting caught up in the printing. Hopefully the vendor I select will let me assist here and there and learn a thing or two (but thats just for shits and giggles really). Maybe I could leverage my advertising experience and barter down the costs...who knows.
Ive searched the yellow pages and online and have narrowed it down to 3 vendors. Time to make calls, get quotes and shake the hand.

Embroidered tags for shirts

I found someone to do some sample embroidered tags for me. Unfortunately, since Im new at this and not very bright, i shoulve looked into exactly what I needed. I got the samples and they look okay. I mean, the buffalo looks good, but the material is a ribbon type of stuff which frankly isnt strong enough to hold thru multiple washes...and a few of the ribbons were really bunched up around the embroidery. Oh, well. the lady was fantastic-very nice, quick turnaround...AND, isnt charging me for the effort...even better. If I ever need embroidery work, she'll be the first I call.
So, what am I looking for then? Im glad you asked. Essentially Im looking for a stitched label. Not something I can get in Buffalo, so Im ordering overseas-yep-mainland china here I come. But for 1200 labels for 200 smackers, its a deal I wont need to make for awhile. Perhaps by that time Ill find someone in buffalo to produce the labels. Check them out if your in need: Lucky Label
If anyone knows of a place, Im all ears!
What else...
Im still searching for a reliable, efficient, quality screen printer in Buffalo, NY to screen my shirts. Fingers crossed, this isnt a major hurdle I have to get over. I also have to make a decision on artwork and color of shirts. I have a dozen designs ready, but only introducing 3 to start....
And oh, yeah, money is running out.
I have pictures to post too. Sorry Im in a rush.

Still debating: farm out screen printing or DIY

I was thinking last night about teaming up with a printer vs doing it myself. I believe both will benefit me and heres how:
I'm going to do my own shirts first. Nothing big, maybe 3 designs (I have 12 ready), whip up a dozen or so of each and see what happens. This will give me shirts to use to photograph for advertising, samples to show retailers and some to sell if I'm lucky enough. I can purchase a small pro kit and screens, etc for 200-250 and start with a few one color jobs to keep costs down, buying the shirts from a online warehouse. Hiring a screenprinter at this point is just too costly. I'd have to print 50-100 shirts of each to make it close to being cost effective. I'd rather start smaller and gauge response beforehand.
I will have to check online retailers that might be able to offer smaller runs of shirts. I might be able to find someone for this part online, then go local for the bigger runs.
After that I will revisit hiring a screen printer when I can gauge popularity so I can focus on the marketing/selling of the shirts rather than the making of them. I will definitely hire a local, small business screen printer for sure...as long as they are crafty.
Ill keep you posted. And by 'you' I mean...

**UPDATE**
Alright, I sent out an email to a local screen printer that does small run printing. They listed their prices here:
http://www.pranxtees.com/pricing.html
$5.56/shirt thats actually a really great price. Unfortunately, That isnt for the American Apparel shirt I want to us, so who knows. Hopefully it'll come back at around $8/shirt. That would settle it. I'd take that plunge right now. Plus with the added bonus of working and supporting local business is ideal.