# how to outsource t-shirt production to china - any experiences?



## Annushka

tqualizerman said:


> I'd be happy to ... not quite sure where to start ... so if anyone has a question about this, just ask and I'll start a thread with the answer and I guess we can go from there.


Hi Mike,

Solmu is right, that would be an incredible topic to read around here. Outsourcing is big, and getting bigger and bigger. To hear from someone with first-hand experience will be truly appreciated in this forum.

Maybe you could start off with some of your very first steps. How did you locate your potential suppliers? What criteria did you use in selecting the right one for you? What was your experience with communication, any particular obstacles? What were some of the barriers in general - cultural, language, business conduct etc? Some ideas to start with. I'm sure other members will add on a lot more soon. Look forward to your posts  Thanks


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## T-BOT

I cant speak for Michael Annushka, but here in Toronto the manufacturing of t-shirts is not too expensive. We have vary well trained sewers etc... 
Importing ready made yes. 

From what I know China is a world leader in the manufacturing sector. I know not much meat in my post, sorry.


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## RisingBlue7

*Re: www.tqualizer.biz -- would appreciate your opinions*

Annushka,

There was a thread started yesterday by a new member (can't remember his handle), under Member Introductions. He works in China in a factory. He offered any advice to anyone who had questions about manufacturing in China. If I find it, I'll post it. 




Annushka said:


> Hi Mike,
> 
> Solmu is right, that would be an incredible topic to read around here. Outsourcing is big, and getting bigger and bigger. To hear from someone with first-hand experience will be truly appreciated in this forum.
> 
> Maybe you could start off with some of your very first steps. How did you locate your potential suppliers? What criteria did you use in selecting the right one for you? What was your experience with communication, any particular obstacles? What were some of the barriers in general - cultural, language, business conduct etc? Some ideas to start with. I'm sure other members will add on a lot more soon. Look forward to your posts  Thanks


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## RisingBlue7

Annushka,

Actually "he" is a "she". Her handle is "Selina2". If you search her name, you'll see her thread.


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## Rodney

For the record, Annushka's post above was split off from the tqualizer review thread, there that member said that he would be happy to share info about his experience outsourcing t-shirts to China if there were specific questions. So I made Annushka's great post with specific questions it's own separate thread.

I sent Michael a message with a link to this thread, so hopefully if he has time, he'll add some input here. 

Of course, if any other members have experiences or answers they want to share, feel free to jump right in


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## monsta imports

I had my first lot of T-Shirts made in China when I 1st started 6-9 months ago. Found a supplier thru a forum and he made me my tshirts 4 different designs and they where quite good. But emailing and waiting was the biggest downfall but with the designs on there they cost me less than $3 each for 100 of each design.

If anybody needs a hand doing this PM me.

Dan


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## BluePhantom

monsta imports said:


> I had my first lot of T-Shirts made in China when I 1st started 6-9 months ago.


Only The First Lot? Did You Continue To Use Their Service?


monsta imports said:


> But emailing and waiting was the biggest downfall


I Know What You Mean. I've Dealt With People Overseas Thru E-Mail And The Biggest Problem Is The Time Difference. You Send Them An E-Mail And They Reply While You Sleep, Then You Get Back To Them While They're Sleeping. A Small Conversation Can Take Days. (Well At Least Here In California)


monsta imports said:


> the designs on there they cost me less than $3 each for 100 of each design.


What Kind Of Designs Did You Do? Artistic? Funny Quotes? Logos?


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## monsta imports

Awesome prices, awesome quality and low min buy.

I can post a picture I suppose if you want to see the quality?

Dan


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## RisingBlue7

Yes, please Daniel, if you could, it would be great!




monsta imports said:


> Awesome prices, awesome quality and low min buy.
> 
> I can post a picture I suppose if you want to see the quality?
> 
> Dan


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## BluePhantom

RisingBlue7 said:


> Yes, please Daniel, if you could, it would be great!


I Second That.


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## monsta imports

Send me a PM or email me I can point you in the right direction. Dan


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## tqualizerman

We initially got started in China because a business contact ended up moving there after discovering the technology that makes T-Qualizer work. He ended up buying a majority stake in the factory that he discovered.

That was about two ago now, and we've come a long long way from those first days. One of the first products we began importing to Canada was the basic FlashWear line.

The idea behind this product is to take any company logo, build an electroluminescent panel out of it, make it flash and light up, and integrate it into hats and shirts.

Finding a source for the t-shirts is not a problem. There are plenty of sources. That said, what did we learn very quickly?

1) some suppliers will show you the best of the best samples they have, and they are fine tees.
2) some suppliers will then turn around and mix in cheap shirts with the nice stuff. We got orders of 50% great shirts/50% garbage shirts or 33/33/33 splits of different quality shirts when we first started.

Why did they think they could get away with this? A big part of the problem is that so many Chinese businesses only care about the immediate deal, and try to make as much money as possible. They do not see the potential for many, many orders to follow. Partly because there are countless sources for shirts in China, and many businesses don't expect you to ever come back anyway. So by packing our orders with crap shirts, they maximized their dollar and we never did business with them again. They went on to the next unsuspecting company, and we learned a lesson.
One of the biggest factors that makes this type of business practice possible is that most of Chinese business remains cash based, and as a customer sourcing something, you're going to pay 50% cash up front and 50% when the order is ready. In general, there are no terms given. You don't get to pay in sixty days. If something goes wrong, your money is gone. You will never see it again.

There are a few things that are going to make doing business with China more bearable. I will be happy to elaborate on any of these, and these are just the few that pop to mind immediately:

1) having a western contact on the ground, who resides there and communicates directly to your source. Not only do you have to make sure your order is placed and paid for, you alos need to get it delivered.

2) Communication is the biggest obstacle right now between China and the Western world. If you are fluent in Mandarin or Cantonese and can read this posting as well, go and spend time learning up on Chinese business and go there. You will become one of the most valuable pieces of business real estate, because you can communicate between two very very very different worlds. This is something both sides need.

3) find the most direct route to your source. The Chinese supply chain is driven by ladders of sales agents, who sell 'up the ladder' each adding their own markup of course. This creates tonnes of issues, your price is higher of course, but also, if something goes wrong, you're never going to get it fixed if there are six sales agents in the way.

4) ALWAYS insure your shipments from China. Things go missing, and boats sink. They do not yet have the same regulations, check points and safety codes (and where they do exist, they are rarely enforced.) Boats sink.

I might be getting off topic right now, so I will stop and hopefully someone has some more questions. Like I said before, there is a lot we have learned by doing business in China, and I am only speaking from experience. I expect some people may disagree with me, but I would welcome their input and stories about their experiences as well.


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## T-BOT

thanks for sharing.


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## monsta imports

A good thread with a lot of valid points.

The only problem I have found is emailing back and forth.

Waiting for samples and then waiting even longer for your order.

Sea freight bites assssssssssss but is good for your profit.

Very well made items and good quality.

Dan


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## tqualizerman

monsta imports said:


> A good thread with a lot of valid points.
> 
> The only problem I have found is emailing back and forth.
> 
> Waiting for samples and then waiting even longer for your order.
> 
> Sea freight bites assssssssssss but is good for your profit.
> 
> Very well made items and good quality.
> 
> Dan


Email has certainly helped make doing business with China so much "faster" than I expect it used to be. Email allows for you to have things documented, but at the same time is totally useless unless you have someone on the other end who understands every nuance or accidental slang term you throw in there. A '.' in the wrong place can change the entire meaning of your message, and you may not find out until the order is finally in your hands and its way too late! 

Email has also allowed us to supply video proofs to our clients of their t-shirts/posters etc, which saves a lot of time. We supply a lot of electroluminescent posters into the advertising industry, and this is where there are no comfortable timelines, so video proofs/.GIF animations/PDF diagrams have allowed us to complete orders within a client's budgeted timeline.

Sea freight from China to Canada and the US will average about 20-30 days, and Dan is right, is a fraction of the cost of air freight. 

In China, the best air freights we have secured are about $7 USD/kg, so while you can get things within about 7 days through the major logistics companies (UPS, FedEx, etc) its going to cost you. 

HOWEVER, if this is when you need things, always insist that your source *pre-pays* the shipping for you, as it will likely cost your shipping costs in half.


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## T-BOT

tqualizerman said:


> We supply a lot of electroluminescent posters into the advertising industry,
> .


quick question (a little off topic) sorry.

Can these electroluminescent posters be made in Massive size to cover the entire store front/building?


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## tqualizerman

We do full sized billboard executions with the same technology.


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## Solmu

Thanks for posting, there isn't a lot of direct experience with this kind of thing written up on the forums, so it's good to get some more information.



tqualizerman said:


> 1) some suppliers will show you the best of the best samples they have, and they are fine tees.
> 2) some suppliers will then turn around and mix in cheap shirts with the nice stuff. We got orders of 50% great shirts/50% garbage shirts or 33/33/33 splits of different quality shirts when we first started.


I had wondered about exactly that. It's a shame my wonderings proved valid. So is the best way to avoid this to try and get references and work with a broker?


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## tqualizerman

Solmu said:


> Thanks for posting, there isn't a lot of direct experience with this kind of thing written up on the forums, so it's good to get some more information.
> 
> 
> 
> I had wondered about exactly that. It's a shame my wonderings proved valid. So is the best way to avoid this to try and get references and work with a broker?


Short of going there yourself, yep. Having someone who can communicate between you and the supplier is the real key to everything.

That said, don't discount going over yourself. If you're really interested in being in business with China, spend the $2-3k and go. Half your expense is just getting there (I have stories about this...they're great.) but once you're there, its pretty inexpensive. You can get tours of the factories, and spend a week or so feeling out the culture. Your broker will probably extend the invitation to you, because it shows you're serious. 

For me, this was a big key in understanding how it all works. Things are very different over there, in a thousand ways.

One thing that was a huge surprise to me was the fact that many "factories" exist in buildings no bigger than a typical home garage. Many of them are based on the first floors of run down apartment buildings. These types of first floor "factories" lined the streets in most of the manufacturing cities I was in while there.

They've got big metal garage doors that open up, and they stay open twenty four hours a day many of them.

A lot of these places are small machine shops who supply the larger factories, but of course they produce all sorts of products. 

The larger factories are more typical, but they've got their own special quirks too. I HIGHLY recommend ANYONE doing business with China, or with an interest in China to track down where this movie is playing: http://www.mongrelmedia.com/films/ManufacturedLandscapes.html

Its called Manufactured Landscapes and is basically a 'state of the nation' address produced by the filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal. 

If you go to the site, you'll see an image of the factory workers organized into groups on the streets. This is taken a factory facility which operates like a small city. The factory floor is a kilolmete long, and there are a few thousand people working there. 

There is essentially a team leader who address each production group, and they address what they are doing right and wrong. They basically relay messages down the chain from upper management to the workers. It is very regimented in these larger factories.


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## T-BOT

thanks Michael.

May be start a new thread (or Rodney/Solmu can) and tell us more about the tech behind the shirt and other possibilities, like posters etc. Its very interesting too.


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## BlindSide

I have dealt with a couple companies in china in the past for clothing and other items. Its hit and miss it seems at least with what I have done. 

You have to do your homework when dealing with china, some places I have dealt with were great, and others not so good. Many of them will send you amazing quality samples but when it comes down to sending your final orders some places will ship you a mix of good quality items and a mix of items that are worthless, or close to it. I’m not saying everyone is like that about in my experience it’s around 50/50 

I have stopped dealing with china for most of part since I am getting a better quality items and better prices from Pakistan. Only thing is on the t-shirt side of thing the prices for the item itself aren’t much cheaper than I pay in Canada but the printing is WAY LESS. 

Dealing with china or even Pakistan or other places these days is risky, so do as much homework as you can about the company you want to deal with. I learned the hard way and lost a lot of time and money. If anyone has any questions they can PM me and I will do my best in answering them. I hope this helped


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## EternylStudios

We've done tons in China, but all in all - it's not really worth the problems, unless you have long long leads, or are running huge numbers....

Plus Mexico is closer.

For small and regular runs you'll probably not save much at all - something you could get done locally in an eigth of the time, and have someone to hold responsible for your product.

not to mention help the local economy.


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## Solmu

EternylStudios said:


> Plus Mexico is closer.


To you maybe 


Asian production does seem generally more popular here than with US businesses, which certainly makes sense when you compare the local options of the two countries, and the other outsourcing options of the US (such as Central and South America).


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## FashionPrint

Yes true but didn't mentioned any country here also. Seems is ok for you in Mexico well France is not so easy  + china can do many others small articles usually needed when you have a complete brand... Quality is good cause we really take care about this. That's why we are here to control quality and bring new idea to our customers.

Best regards.


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## vivi

I'm working in an apparel manufacturer in china, with 5 years exporting experience with US and Euro market.

As I know, lots of overseas wholesalers or trading companies would like to source products from China for the cheaper prices. But also they are afraid of the taking any risk cause China is far away from here, and the reputation of China is not too good. I total understand it, and extremely hate those **** Chinese suppliers break our reputation. 

Anyway, now I would like to give you some suggestion on how to find a good supplier from China.
1.how to find suppliers from China?! If you would like to find a supplier from China,you can use search engines like Google,MSN. Also, alibaba.com,made-in-china.com are the best marketplace for you to find the ideal suppliers.
2.Contact several suppliers and get comparison. Asking one or two samples from each suppliers, usuallly, the samples are free of charge, if you have a express account for freight collect, then you don't need pay anything for those suppliers.

3.Sending a sample to those suppliers you're interested in, and asking a counter sample from them, then you can see how your products can be manufacture in the near future.

4.Never prepay 100% no matter how your order quantity is, a good supplier seldom ask 100% prepay from their customers.

5.If you'll do long-term business with China suppliers, you'd better find a purchase company there, cause they know more about China suppliers than you and also they can supervise the quality for you. 

Finally, I would like to say not all china suppliers are bad just like not all of them are good. Open your eyes,be cagey,then you can get what you want.
Good luck to all of you!


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## Annushka

Hi all the posters,

as Rodney mentioned this thread was not really to answer my particular concerns or questions only but more of a topic starter. Still, I want to thank everyone who shared their experiences re: this subject. There are some great posts out there. I'm really glad that manufacturers like vivi are participating too, I thnk it's a good chance to hear sort of "both sides of the story".

Look forward to reading more


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## vivi

Annushka said:


> Hi all the posters,
> 
> as Rodney mentioned this thread was not really to answer my particular concerns or questions only but more of a topic starter. Still, I want to thank everyone who shared their experiences re: this subject. There are some great posts out there. I'm really glad that manufacturers like vivi are participating too, I thnk it's a good chance to hear sort of "both sides of the story".
> 
> Look forward to reading more


You're welcome, Annushka. I also thank you for your this post, it makes me know more opinions from overseas wholesalers. 

Merry X'mas to all of you!
http://ghy.swufe.edu.cn/st/pub/adsn/ll1216.jpg


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## hbar137

Hi. I have question regarding outsourcing from the other end of chain. I am a college student in Los Angeles. My family runs garment factories in Bangladesh exporting to Europe and Canada. Since I am in US, I would like to find US clients who need their brand line manufactured. Our factories get orders from reps of different brand lines baed in Bangladesh so I am not sure how to find potential clients skipping these middle men. I will be really happy to receive any advice or directions. Thanks.


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## Rodney

> so I am not sure how to find potential clients skipping these middle men. I will be really happy to receive any advice or directions. Thanks.


I think traditional advertising methods would work. Find targeted venues where your potential customers are, and try to focus your advertising effort and dollars there. 

Tradeshows like the ISS tradeshow in Long Beach next week will have a lot of potential customers who may be interested in buying custom blank garments. 

Trade magazines like Impressions or Printwear probably have readers that might need your families services, etc.


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## hbar137

Hi Rodney. Thank you for the tip. I registered for the ISS program. I hope to get a feel of what people are looking for.


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## bambot

Has anyone used China Sparkin Apparel Inc. for manufacturing hoodys and ts?


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## Rodney

bambot said:


> Has anyone used China Sparkin Apparel Inc. for manufacturing hoodys and ts?


They are a member of this forum, but I don't know of anybody here that has worked with them.


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## blackheart

Hi I saw your post about doing business overseas can you point me in the right direction please? contact info?any tariffs i should look for? and basic oversea business protocols?


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## souljem

blackheart said:


> Hi I saw your post about doing business overseas can you point me in the right direction please? contact info?any tariffs i should look for? and basic oversea business protocols?


Importing and for that matter exporting can be super confusing. I took a class at the local community college and it really opened up my eyes to how things got to be the way they are in America.

Anyway. I would search the government sites. They have a wealth of information. The key things I learned were that you really have to make things as personal as possible. If you're going to do business outside of the US, strongly consider learning the language and also going to visit your business partners. Same as hear, if people know you they're less likely to screw you over. 

I think that for the purposes of most of us your freight company is going to handle most of the hard stuff.


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## fat_miao

By the way, has the Quota barrier been lifted?? There are risk of quota that restrict some quantity of products being import to the US from China and many countries. The entrance of China into WTO is to lift the barrier, but has it been lifted yet? Anyone? 

Well, not everyone might face it, but when you do, you would have a delay from your export....


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## rejoice

great post and plenty of information
what my question is... when you go over there, how do you find a buying agent?


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## Fernando

Plenty of suppliers in Dom. Rep. and central america , no need to go China . Lead times , comunication , quality , just imposible


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## narrativelife

anyone with current suppliers in china for outsourcing tees at a low cost?


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## bambot

dont use "Sparkin Apparel Inc".... in china

Im still waiting for samples

its been over 4-6months and i have paid them

Starting to think i got RIPPED OFF


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## ONE Ltd

hmm bambot...i have had great communication with them and have gotten my sample almost immediately...

Who are you working with over there?


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## bambot

Hi

Im dealing with a lady called Rainie.

Who are you dealing with?

Maybe ill email them

have you got his/her details

thanks


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## jgratil

I've worked with a company here in the U.S. that deals with factories in China. And while they are the middle man, I've had extremely great service from their dedicated sales rep and encountered extremely cost effective solutions. With this company, you are quoted on whole number pricing. It's as easy as that. You get X amount of A for a total of $_ _ _.00. They incorporate shipping costs, art alterations, samples, etc. into their total price. I actually just had some lanyards made for my company for a tradeshow we were going to go to, and my rep had a case air freighted just to be sure that we would make the deadline so that we could distribute them- with no additional cost to us! The company is very honest, personable, and great to work with.

The only downsides, as previously mentioned, are the high minimums (at times) and the time it takes for you to receive final product. Going from initial communication, to production, to sampling, to sea freight, to customs, to domestic carrier shipping can be quite a pain. It takes approximately an average of three months to receive your products from inception, although I have experienced getting some products in less than two months.

Oh, and did I mention that the manufacturing factories that they work with are all run humanely and ethically? No sweatshops.

If you're interested, feel free to PM me for more information.

_Disclaimer: You may experience different lead times at this time of year due to the upcoming Chinese New Year, which may push back product completion for 4-6 weeks. So, as long as you aren't rushed with getting your promotional products created, I highly suggest you check these guys out._


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## dandmo

Dan, your above comment

How was the quality at that price?


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## bambot

I still havent heard from them

its been over 6 months


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## bytheunderground

what about vietnam?? i am vietnamese and have a lot of family over there. i am wondering if anybody has ever had there t-shirts produced over there and if there was any companies i should look into. 

any help would be very helpful with appreciation


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## Binary01

another reason why the u.s. is suffering....

i made the jump to supporting u.s. products......

there's too many jobs being lost to companies that are overseas....

to each his/her own i guess....


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## T-BOT

237am said:


> another reason why the u.s. is suffering....
> 
> i made the jump to supporting u.s. products......
> 
> there's too many jobs being lost to companies that are overseas....
> 
> to each his/her own i guess....


well, if china set up factories in the USA with usa workers that would be the tops.  ...is it possible? ...another topic.

In a way, that is the way of the future, local *ZONING* outlets, distributors, production factories etc. because it reduces shipping costs, energy consumption and waste. BONUS! 



:


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## cleveland

I am looking to have some custom shirts & hoodies made (50-300 per size) and after reading this thread it almost seems that out sourcing would be the way to go. I have read that you need rep contacts, but I am looking to get a name and number/email address. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

BTW, I am looking to keep the price I sell them for at around $15, so I would like to keep the cost low, but not so low that it comprimises quality. Is this realistic? 

Thanks!

Bobby


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## edcruz

jgratil said:


> I've worked with a company here in the U.S. that deals with factories in China. And while they are the middle man, I've had extremely great service from their dedicated sales rep and encountered extremely cost effective solutions. With this company, you are quoted on whole number pricing. It's as easy as that. You get X amount of A for a total of $_ _ _.00. They incorporate shipping costs, art alterations, samples, etc. into their total price. I actually just had some lanyards made for my company for a tradeshow we were going to go to, and my rep had a case air freighted just to be sure that we would make the deadline so that we could distribute them- with no additional cost to us! The company is very honest, personable, and great to work with.
> 
> The only downsides, as previously mentioned, are the high minimums (at times) and the time it takes for you to receive final product. Going from initial communication, to production, to sampling, to sea freight, to customs, to domestic carrier shipping can be quite a pain. It takes approximately an average of three months to receive your products from inception, although I have experienced getting some products in less than two months.
> 
> Oh, and did I mention that the manufacturing factories that they work with are all run humanely and ethically? No sweatshops.
> 
> If you're interested, feel free to PM me for more information.
> 
> _Disclaimer: You may experience different lead times at this time of year due to the upcoming Chinese New Year, which may push back product completion for 4-6 weeks. So, as long as you aren't rushed with getting your promotional products created, I highly suggest you check these guys out._


How much do you pay for the Agents fees?


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## kangaroobin

great info everyone! thanks!


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## halfon98

If you can let me know too that would be awesome!
Thanks,
-Mark


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## kHong

Could somebody please pm me reliable Chinese vendors? There are so many on the internet and I have been searching. Does anyone have experience with high quality vendors?


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## mackmcgrew

Dan,

Thanks for the great advise. I am really interested in moving my order to China as you have done. I am also interested in the tagless design. Can you help me get started with who I need to contact ?

Thanks,

Mackenize


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## Rodney

mackmcgrew said:


> Dan,
> 
> Thanks for the great advise. I am really interested in moving my order to China as you have done. I am also interested in the tagless design. Can you help me get started with who I need to contact ?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Mackenize


What kind of quantities per design are you looking to produce?


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## mackmcgrew

Rodney said:


> What kind of quantities per design are you looking to produce?


I was thinking to start with 500. We do have same design different color items as well as different degisn items


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## michellefanfan

mackmcgrew said:


> I was thinking to start with 500. We do have same design different color items as well as different degisn items


Hi Mack,

If you'd like to oursoure this quanity from overseas, it is workable. But it will not save too much with that order quantity plus shipping cost to order from overseas instead of ordering from local places. 

Bill


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## michellefanfan

Hi Mack, 

Receiving you PM right now, but failed to send reply because your inbox is full. 

Thanks.

Bill


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## mackmcgrew

michellefanfan said:


> Hi Mack,
> 
> If you'd like to oursoure this quanity from overseas, it is workable. But it will not save too much with that order quantity plus shipping cost to order from overseas instead of ordering from local places.
> 
> Bill


 
really???? How about quality?


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## Chesteriz

tqualizerman said:


> We initially got started in China because a business contact ended up moving there after discovering the technology that makes T-Qualizer work. He ended up buying a majority stake in the factory that he discovered.
> 
> That was about two ago now, and we've come a long long way from those first days. One of the first products we began importing to Canada was the basic FlashWear line.
> 
> The idea behind this product is to take any company logo, build an electroluminescent panel out of it, make it flash and light up, and integrate it into hats and shirts.
> 
> Finding a source for the t-shirts is not a problem. There are plenty of sources. That said, what did we learn very quickly?
> 
> 1) some suppliers will show you the best of the best samples they have, and they are fine tees.
> 2) some suppliers will then turn around and mix in cheap shirts with the nice stuff. We got orders of 50% great shirts/50% garbage shirts or 33/33/33 splits of different quality shirts when we first started.
> 
> Why did they think they could get away with this? A big part of the problem is that so many Chinese businesses only care about the immediate deal, and try to make as much money as possible. They do not see the potential for many, many orders to follow. Partly because there are countless sources for shirts in China, and many businesses don't expect you to ever come back anyway. So by packing our orders with crap shirts, they maximized their dollar and we never did business with them again. They went on to the next unsuspecting company, and we learned a lesson.
> One of the biggest factors that makes this type of business practice possible is that most of Chinese business remains cash based, and as a customer sourcing something, you're going to pay 50% cash up front and 50% when the order is ready. In general, there are no terms given. You don't get to pay in sixty days. If something goes wrong, your money is gone. You will never see it again.
> 
> There are a few things that are going to make doing business with China more bearable. I will be happy to elaborate on any of these, and these are just the few that pop to mind immediately:
> 
> 1) having a western contact on the ground, who resides there and communicates directly to your source. Not only do you have to make sure your order is placed and paid for, you alos need to get it delivered.
> 
> 2) Communication is the biggest obstacle right now between China and the Western world. If you are fluent in Mandarin or Cantonese and can read this posting as well, go and spend time learning up on Chinese business and go there. You will become one of the most valuable pieces of business real estate, because you can communicate between two very very very different worlds. This is something both sides need.
> 
> 3) find the most direct route to your source. The Chinese supply chain is driven by ladders of sales agents, who sell 'up the ladder' each adding their own markup of course. This creates tonnes of issues, your price is higher of course, but also, if something goes wrong, you're never going to get it fixed if there are six sales agents in the way.
> 
> 4) ALWAYS insure your shipments from China. Things go missing, and boats sink. They do not yet have the same regulations, check points and safety codes (and where they do exist, they are rarely enforced.) Boats sink.
> 
> I might be getting off topic right now, so I will stop and hopefully someone has some more questions. Like I said before, there is a lot we have learned by doing business in China, and I am only speaking from experience. I expect some people may disagree with me, but I would welcome their input and stories about their experiences as well.


Hi,

Thank you for sharing this useful information and it is indeed a life-saver for my final year business project. You sound like a great guy and i really wish you could lend me some help here. It will be really appreciated.

I am an avid fan of t-shirt apparels and have been wearing them my whole life. Thus, i have decided to do on a t-shirt business for my entrepreneurship school project. I see a rave for technology in-built t-shirt and believe they will outbeat traditional in time to come. 

Currently, i am at near my final stage of project and have been at wit's end. Due to the sophisicated technology involved and zero engineering knowledge, i have been unable to find cost for an led t-shirt. Therefore, i really wish u can share with me some information on the cost involved. 

P.S: I tried to pm but there seems to be something wrong with my account (activated but no avail)

Thanks a lot. Will really appareciate. My group grades really depends on it.


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## clarke2012

monsta imports said:


> I had my first lot of T-Shirts made in China when I 1st started 6-9 months ago. Found a supplier thru a forum and he made me my tshirts 4 different designs and they where quite good. But emailing and waiting was the biggest downfall but with the designs on there they cost me less than $3 each for 100 of each design.
> 
> If anybody needs a hand doing this PM me.
> 
> Dan


Hi Dan
I would like to know more details regarding your supplier.
We sort have one form India through out Designer for out tshirts. But the cost per t shirt is very high also they have fee thats 10 times higher per screen them on top the designer charges us a percentage between 15-20% design order.
We havent proceeded but we realised after those cost these the shipping fees so we think we getting really ripped off.

I would prefer to deal with a Supplier directly.
Hope you can help, would you have an image of your t shirts that you can show us?

Clarke


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## FutureThoughts

Please post up pics I would love to see!


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## fratstrongllc

Hi,

I just wanted to see if any of ya'll knew of any good blank/and or printed tshirt providers in the GTA (Ontario). I am in need of getting some stuff printed for my company back in the states. If you know of any good suppliers in the states that'd be great as well, preferably Florida. I am a lover of the American Apparel 50/50 Poly Cotton Tanks/Tee's. Thanks!! I'd like to get some good wholesale pricing on that and then look into getting my tags printed on it.


Sam


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## Fidgit777

The info on Chinese manufacturing is interesting. I am completely overwhelmed by trying to find good manufacturers. If you would help me with a PM of contacts, that would help a lot! I'd appreciate that...


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## Globalcouture

tqualizerman said:


> Email has certainly helped make doing business with China so much "faster" than I expect it used to be. Email allows for you to have things documented, but at the same time is totally useless unless you have someone on the other end who understands every nuance or accidental slang term you throw in there. A '.' in the wrong place can change the entire meaning of your message, and you may not find out until the order is finally in your hands and its way too late!
> 
> Email has also allowed us to supply video proofs to our clients of their t-shirts/posters etc, which saves a lot of time. We supply a lot of electroluminescent posters into the advertising industry, and this is where there are no comfortable timelines, so video proofs/.GIF animations/PDF diagrams have allowed us to complete orders within a client's budgeted timeline.
> 
> Sea freight from China to Canada and the US will average about 20-30 days, and Dan is right, is a fraction of the cost of air freight.
> 
> In China, the best air freights we have secured are about $7 USD/kg, so while you can get things within about 7 days through the major logistics companies (UPS, FedEx, etc) its going to cost you.
> 
> HOWEVER, if this is when you need things, always insist that your source *pre-pays* the shipping for you, as it will likely cost your shipping costs in half.


You seem to have a lot of expereince. I dont know where to begin but my costs ARE too high! The shirt is high and printing is expensive. I currently use a ring spun cotton tee and want to move to using chinese manufactoring. Do you have a contact?


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## wjyong678

Hello everyone ,if you need to outsource t-shirts production to china , i will be glad to introduce myself as a t-shirts factory in china ,trust me , we can be your reliable t-shirts supplier .


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