Profile for maphix - Making some $$$ selling my own tees...

maphix aka Mara Gonzalez is a 34.93 year old girl, has been a member since March 11, 2005, has scored 264 submissions, giving an average score of 1.98.

URL: http://www.trendphix.com

Jul 14 '05 by maphix

21 Comments

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Making some $$$ selling my own tees...

I don't know if this post represents any kind of conflict of interest. If it does, I apologize to the Threadless team.
Anyways, I quit my job recently (i worked as a t-shirt concept artist for a screen printing Company), I'm beyond broke but do not wish to ever go back to any other, stuffy, stincky, smelly art dept. I have the knowledge, I have the contacts and I have some money saved...I want to make my own t-shirt line but I can't decide what style to choose. While working for others, I always imitated whatever was already out on the stores. What, as t-shit fans, do you think is missing in the market?...
I learn a lot from what others submit here but any suggestion will be greatly appreciated since I need to be very careful on how to invest or I'll be in real trouble!!!
Thanks!!!

Kristina on Jul 14 '05 at 2:47pm

I like the designs like what's in your userpicture.

maphix on Jul 14 '05 at 2:54pm

Would you buy it? how much would you pay (top prize)?

Pifman on Jul 14 '05 at 2:56pm

I would say... "truthfully fresh." There are a lot of fresh shirts out there, but so many of them now have a punchline. Like, "Get it? Cuz it says Squat instead of Squirt! But it looks like Squirt pop! OMG." Basically what sets THIS site apart from sites like bustedtees.com. There's nothing wrong with shirts being funny, even some on this site are hillarious. But I guess that's my answer.

fred_andres on Jul 14 '05 at 2:58pm

Just take one look at the mainstream, and move in the opposite direction. I feel like if want to build a start-up, the direction of your art should dictated by your own personal style. That theory alone will produce better work, and you won't get that art room smell.

In addition, people like limited edition and unique shirts. I want to be the only guy on the metro with a Teddy Loves Teddy tee on.

maphix on Jul 14 '05 at 3:00pm

I'm a huge fan of the "vintage gig/rock/concert posters". Would you like to see some of that on tees?...(I don't mean the real thing but imitating that style)

Pifman on Jul 14 '05 at 3:09pm

Depending on the final outcome, yes. Who doesn't love rock posters?

SteveRosswick on Jul 14 '05 at 3:09pm

I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but with My Company, what I did was; like Fred said, look at Mainstream. Instead of going Opposite, I just moved slightly away. It needs to be something that's trendy, to sell, but add your own creative twist to it. I knew that vintage or that goofy Urban Outfitters look was in, so I went with that basic principle, then added my own Steve Rosswick twist to it, to set it apart.

my work:> http://www.SteveRosswick.com

maphix on Jul 14 '05 at 3:18pm

Nice website and very nice tees, Steve. If the question doesn't bother you...does it pay the bills?...

Cubfan on Jul 14 '05 at 3:50pm

I think it's pretty difficult to make a living with a t-shirt website. I make a relatively small amount of money from my site, it's more of a hobby than anything.

There are just so damn many t-shirt sites at this point, it's makes it more and more difficult to start up a site with the intention of it being one's sole source of income. You'd have to find your niche, or a gimmick (ala Threadless), and even then work for a year or so until you might have a business you could live off of.

maphix on Jul 14 '05 at 3:58pm

I thought so. I still need to figure out how to stay away from the 9 to 5 job. I have done it for 10 years and I'm so freaking sick of it...
The fashion industry in LA is NASTY!!!!

AlecGrieco on Jul 14 '05 at 4:00pm

I like tee shirts that comically (but subtley), make a nostalgic or unique reference (to almost anything thats somewhat universally relatable).

I like t shirts that take a little "back-knowledge" to understand...something that not EVERYONE gets, but an informed handful of people will find humor in (a group that can relate or has seen what the shirt is about).

Obvious shirts are extremely lame and unfunny...stuff like, "I love Your Mom" or "Got Head?"...see its not really funny.

AlecGrieco on Jul 14 '05 at 4:03pm

maphix,
steer clear of the regular man's t shirt (actually, mainly the prices that go with it). There are plenty of funny shirt sites. If your in LA(i think you are), make limited runs of subtley clever shirts...sell them to boutiques, and charge out the wazoo. $$$

maphix on Jul 14 '05 at 4:10pm

I have done some "window shopping" in Beverly Hills (ARGHHHH, it is the Twilight Zone there) and the fancy boutiques carry the lamest tees and retail prices go from $60 to $120. I'm talking about a rubber stamped dolphin on a regular Wife-beater!!! Holy Crapola. If that sells, I can sell my crap too.

xiv on Jul 14 '05 at 4:12pm

I tend to like tshirts that have bold, vibrant lines and colors. Its better if there is nothing to get, or the point that the artist is trying to get across isnt so clear. So everyone sees something a little different in the design. If that makes an sence at all... Also the less crude, obscene jestures the initial design may posess, the better. You should be able to wear a t-shirt with a design on it, under a sportcoat and still look somewhat dressy.

Those shirts that have dumb humor that you can get in just about every store in the mall do suck. Alot of text does not belong on a shirt unless the design is the text itself.

SteveRosswick on Jul 15 '05 at 8:36am

Maphix,

I live comfortably, but I also do Acting and Modeling, and help out on a NASCAR team occasionally, so I have more than one source of income. I'll be honest, the Tees bring in a decent amount of cashflow, and I know it can be better, if I had good advertisement.

eskimokiss on Jul 15 '05 at 10:36am

I like your stuff maphix :)

maphix on Jul 15 '05 at 4:13pm

Thank you, eskimo.
Thank you all for the feedback. Steve, How long did it take you to start selling on-line? Some people say a year to get a decent amount of traffic to your site...in a year I'll be living under a bridge!!!

106 days later