Looking to make money on the side

[Kyle_W]

For a while, I have been playing with the idea of selling Jeep themed paraphernalia just to make some more money on the side.

For example: tire cover's with my own 'catchphrases' on them (I see enough custom tire covers out there that I think it would be a decent seller), t-shirts (everyone wants a thoughtful and well designed Jeep shirt), ballcaps, etc.

I am handy with Photoshop and have enough time on my hands to make some cool designs - but before I really came up with a business plan, do ya'll fellow Jeepers think this is worth pursuing? Do ya'll ever buy products in the same category of what i'd be selling?

 

[xxdabroxx]

I've looked into doing something similar with T shirts for a different market. High quality shirts can be had with your image printed on them for about $15 ea if you buy in bulk. I contacted a reseller when I had the idea but haven't had time to really follow through. I've got a couple designs in my head though.

The tough part is when you need a business license to sell to bigger retailers. You might contact quadratec and other retailers to see if they would be interested in selling things of the sort. Tough part is not having designs already produced, but you could at least see if they are interested in dealing with the little shops.

 

[brianb2]

Etsy


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[UpperMI]

I would guess that you would also need to be careful with using the word "jeep" in any phrasing that you use. I assume it's trademarked along with variations of the word "jeep". Like "jeepers" for example. Just something else to think about.

 

[Kyle_W]

I've looked into doing something similar with T shirts for a different market. High quality shirts can be had with your image printed on them for about $15 ea if you buy in bulk. I contacted a reseller when I had the idea but haven't had time to really follow through. I've got a couple designs in my head though.

The tough part is when you need a business license to sell to bigger retailers. You might contact quadratec and other retailers to see if they would be interested in selling things of the sort. Tough part is not having designs already produced, but you could at least see if they are interested in dealing with the little shops.

I found decent t-shirts for $13 to $14 - but that still is pretty expensive considering you have to make a profit on these things! And I feel you. I submitted a couple t-shirt designs to Caterpillar hoping they'd resell them. Alas, they didn't accept them.

I would guess that you would also need to be careful with using the word "jeep" in any phrasing that you use. I assume it's trademarked along with variations of the word "jeep". Like "jeepers" for example. Just something else to think about.

And yes I am not sure how i'd get around that. Have to research it and maybe have to contact Jeep.

 

[xxdabroxx]

I take it back, I got down to $11.90 per shirt at underground printing for American Apparel t-shirts. The tough part is getting someone that will make you a single shirt so you can review the design before making a bunch of them. Often a one off will run nearly $50... I was trying to work it so that I could not make a large order until I had one sold to a retailer.

I was planning on a $25 retail price for a made and printed in the USA quality shirt.

 

[Kyle_W]

I take it back, I got down to $11.90 per shirt at underground printing for American Apparel t-shirts. The tough part is getting someone that will make you a single shirt so you can review the design before making a bunch of them. Often a one off will run nearly $50... I was trying to work it so that I could not make a large order until I had one sold to a retailer.

I was planning on a $25 retail price for a made and printed in the USA quality shirt.

That's about what I was thinking too - $25 is good enough to offset the shipping cost as well as make you a decent profit.

And, look at "Printful". They will sell you a sample for just the cost of the shirt. That's who i'm looking at, trying to decide how I can make my designs work with them!

 

[xxdabroxx]

I'm picky about how the printing is done on shirts so I'll have to check them out. I don't like it when the image is built up a lot, I like it when it's more like a dye.

 

[brianb2]

I've got a friend out in Austin who runs a printing business. kongscreenprinting.com

Ryan's a good guy. Not sure if you'd fair better going with one of the bigger shops, but I've seen some of his shirts and they're good design and quality. Just a plug for a bud.



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[Kyle_W]

I've got a friend out in Austin who runs a printing business. kongscreenprinting.com

Ryan's a good guy. Not sure if you'd fair better going with one of the bigger shops, but I've seen some of his shirts and they're good design and quality. Just a plug for a bud.



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Hey thanks! Those are the kind of references I appreciate.

 

[Michael Roberson]

Have you considered a Jeep rental business? That way you get to buy more! I'm partly joking but I do see these places around here.


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[Chris]

While I doubt you'd make tons of money off of it, you could make a good supplemental income. The way that little things like this usually take off is via Instagram or similar. Someone shares your photo on there, others share it, and before you know it, you've got a hit.

However, you also need to take a look at the size of your target audience. If you're just talking about Jeep Wrangler TJs in general, your audience isn't going to be that big, therefore there won't be as much money to be made. Now if you're targeting Jeep owners in general, then you've got a much, much bigger audience.

Still, in order for this to be successful, you'd have to do something much better than what currently exists. I see those Jeep shirts people are always posting, and I rarely like any of them. So again, if you did it right (and did it better than everyone else), you could make some money on the side.

 

[Kyle_W]

Have you considered a Jeep rental business? That way you get to buy more! I'm partly joking but I do see these places around here.


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Haha no way! Now lyft or fare may be a viable alternative.


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[Kyle_W]

While I doubt you'd make tons of money off of it, you could make a good supplemental income. The way that little things like this usually take off is via Instagram or similar. Someone shares your photo on there, others share it, and before you know it, you've got a hit.

However, you also need to take a look at the size of your target audience. If you're just talking about Jeep Wrangler TJs in general, your audience isn't going to be that big, therefore there won't be as much money to be made. Now if you're targeting Jeep owners in general, then you've got a much, much bigger audience.

Still, in order for this to be successful, you'd have to do something much better than what currently exists. I see those Jeep shirts people are always posting, and I rarely like any of them. So again, if you did it right (and did it better than everyone else), you could make some money on the side.

Completely agree. It'd be to all Jeep owners, as well as to outdoor enthusiasts as well with some other designs I have in store.

I want to do full body t-shirts designs to stand out from the rest of the t-shirts out there, but I haven't found a printer that offers such a service.


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[Chris]

Oh yeah, that's part of the trick, tracking down the right printer!

 

[Kyle_W]

@Chris, and all you Oregon guys, I actually have a good t-shirt idea.

It requires me taking my own picture (so as to not infringe any copyrights) of a gorgeous tree line, but dotted with litter at the bottom of the tree line. Along a highway or something of the sort.

Do any places like that come to mind? Near the big apple (Portland)? Thankfully, I can fly standby on American Airlines so flights are cheap, and I figured it was better to ask someone like y'all who live around gorgeous tree lines.


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[Chris]

@Chris, and all you Oregon guys, I actually have a good t-shirt idea.

It requires me taking my own picture (so as to not infringe any copyrights) of a gorgeous tree line, but dotted with litter at the bottom of the tree line. Along a highway or something of the sort.

Do any places like that come to mind? Near the big apple (Portland)? Thankfully, I can fly standby on American Airlines so flights are cheap, and I figured it was better to ask someone like y'all who live around gorgeous tree lines.


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Oh man... There's so many trees up here. I can't think of one off the top of my head, but if anyone would know it would be @StG58.

 

[StG58]

Oh man... There's so many trees up here.

That caused coffee to squirt out my nose. Yup, we've got a few trees around here, in places.

Can you explain a little more about what you are looking for @Nashorn101? I'm sure that between the bunch of us up here, we could come up with something, even if we have to import the litter.

 

[Kyle_W]

That caused coffee to squirt out my nose. Yup, we've got a few trees around here, in places.

Can you explain a little more about what you are looking for @Nashorn101? I'm sure that between the bunch of us up here, we could come up with something, even if we have to import the litter.

Thank you very much for the help!

I work at a construction site, and often I walk along the street front of the property to pick up all of the litter and make it spotless.

And I have to do this every couple of days from people constantly gifting me with more trash.

So, I coined my own phrase and want to put it on a t-shirt. The only piece missing is my own photograph to put on this shirt of a tree line, or a gorgeous tract of our country, full of litter.

This is my design (in the actual photograph it'd be easier to see, but below the trees is litter):

 

[StG58]

Ahhh...Gotcha!

Let me look around and see what I can come up with. Treelines are common, treelines with trash - not so much.