# How do you KNOW your market?



## KillerNapkins (Jan 24, 2008)

Hey .. I'm very new to the tshirt stuff... but I'm curious before getting into and investing into my designs as t shirts of how I go about finding my market and finding people that may want to buy my shirt and like the design...

I dunno if you saw in the design thread, but i made a post with a couple designs, and so far I heard they were a little gory heh... but that's what i was going for.. Gory/Funny/Wierd .... I know there is a market for that because you go into some place like Hot Topic and find tons of random wierd t shirts... .. It's jsut finding the market and stuff like that.....

as far as internet marketing I've heard a suggestion of tshirt blogs and whatnot.. (correct me if I'm wrong) ... but is that the best way of getting to find out your people and customers and who would buy from you? .... or is there any other ways of finding out specifically the 'buyers' instead of jsut browsers...

anyways any input would be greatly appreciated.... thank you very much
Jason


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Jason, I'm posting in to find out the answer to your question.

It's usually not a question of if there's a market, but this question you pose here: how to reach your market. 

I wonder if there are other artists that work in unique designs like yours that you could look at their business model and gain some insight that way. ?

Meanwhile, let's see what happens here... good luck.


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## Gunslinger (Aug 3, 2007)

Jason ... finding "buyers" over the lookie-lou's is the same problem EVERYONE has, and one you will always be working on.

I looked over the couple of designs you were working on ... cute, funny, weird, and kinda gory sums it up. Original, and yet, I dunno what market to focus on. It's too cute to be considered "underground" (look at my site, for examples), too wierd to be funny, etc. You have quite a task ahead of you, as people looking for ducks can find duck t-shirts ... kinda hard to put a label on yours (not a bad thing, just more difficult to be able to describe your art to the masses).

Start with weird ... look at the weird gallery on these forums, and run searches for weird t-shirts. Find others that have combined one or more in their artwork: weird/funny, weird/cute, etc.

Ultimately, what you gotta do is have a bunch printed up, and get out there and show folks your tees. You can beat yourself up over the issue of "will anyone buy my designs," but you won't know until you try.


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## KillerNapkins (Jan 24, 2008)

thanks for the help people!... yeah the thing i was looking for too like what you were saying gunslinger was a ninche to put a name on what type of shirt it is... 

but ultimately i get what youre saying look for similar type wierd designs...and do what they do... 

and ya know most likely thats what I'm gonna do... self promote the hell out of these to public... show em off and hope for the best...

thanks a bunch guys!
jason


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

I think the best way to find your market, is to go there. If you are a skater, then you are probably hanging around other skaters and know what they like. Then you should be able to design for them and sell to them. If you are a deranged lunatic who hangs out at the local park cutting the heads off of chipmunks, then ... well then you should be put away. If you read about Johnny Cupcakes and how he did it, then it makes more sense. If you like it, I am sure there are more people with your same cute, sick, warped mentality out there who will buy. 

The one thing I dislike seeing here on the forums is, "I'm a 92 year-old grandma and I want to know how to sell shirts to young hip males" Come on granny stick with what you know! That should be your motto. Gunslinger you can print that up on a tee.


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## Gunslinger (Aug 3, 2007)

Thank Gawd, Robert! ... finally, have something to print up ... been rackin' my brain all damn day for something new to design/print!!

A photo shall follow tomorrow ...


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

Gunslinger said:


> Thank Gawd, Robert! ... finally, have something to print up ... been rackin' my brain all damn day for something new to design/print!!
> 
> A photo shall follow tomorrow ...


Just the "Come on granny and stick with what you know!" part.


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## Gunslinger (Aug 3, 2007)

LOL ... I don't know, Robert ... gotta be a t-shirt niche for 92 year grannies who wanna sell t-shirts to young lads out there, somewhere!

... thinkin' about a hockey theme ...


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## karlking85 (Sep 26, 2007)

Haha, I know I'd buy one Michael.


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

Gunslinger said:


> A photo shall follow tomorrow ...


Where is it?


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## Gunslinger (Aug 3, 2007)

Ack! ... I got busy with stuff, sorry! ... I will "try" to get it done, today (it WILL get done ... all these interruptions are driving me nutz!!!).


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

Gunslinger said:


> Ack! ... I got busy with stuff, sorry! ... I will "try" to get it done, today (it WILL get done ... all these interruptions are driving me nutz!!!).


Sir, you have to have your priorites in order. What's more important, running your two businesses and looking for castles, or making a stupid t-shirt? Exactly, paying attention to the wife and doing what she says.


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## Gunslinger (Aug 3, 2007)

Hmmm ... the castle really is a good deal (half the cost of our current home). But, she was nagging at me all day, yesterday, "Why haven't you printed anything?!?" ... so, this should kill two birds with one stone.

I found a granny on a skateboard, so that is what I what I am going with (unless I find something better) ...


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

Gunslinger said:


> Hmmm ... the castle really is a good deal (half the cost of our current home). But, she was nagging at me all day, yesterday, "Why haven't you printed anything?!?" ... so, this should kill two birds with one stone.
> 
> I found a granny on a skateboard, so that is what I what I am going with (unless I find something better) ...


Got a link to that castle? That would be my dream home. Complete with a catapult.


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## debz1959 (Jul 29, 2007)

Search-View Property


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## KillerNapkins (Jan 24, 2008)

hahah good tips thanks!>.

sooo... make a grandma shirt... buy a castle.... listen to wife!...

IM ON IT!!!


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## Gunslinger (Aug 3, 2007)

Dedicated to my brother-from-another-mother, Robert!


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

a castle with a chopping block


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## Girlzndollz (Oct 3, 2007)

Seriously, nice house, best wishes!


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

debz1959 said:


> Search-View Property


That is sweet! Man I would love something like that.


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

Gunslinger said:


> Dedicated to my brother-from-another-mother, Robert!


Ha ha! It's great! Wear that one to work tomorrow while serving dawgs.


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## Gunslinger (Aug 3, 2007)

prometheus said:


> Ha ha! It's great! Wear that one to work tomorrow while serving dawgs.


LOL ... freakin' thing crash my XP twice, trying to fool with the text!

PM me a mailing address and tee size (for you or a gift for someone), Robert ... next time we get into town (restaurant has been closed, waiting on a new location), I'll mail one out to ya!

It's been awhile since I put a fresh design together, myself, for the store ... you deserve it for forcing a "Designed by Gunslinger" print outta me!


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## Gunslinger (Aug 3, 2007)

prometheus said:


> That is sweet! Man I would love something like that.


It's the second time, we have seen a castle up for sale in the states ... we couldn't afford the last one. I hate to move, but as I told Debz ... IT'S A FRIGGIN' CASTLE!!! And, I always wanted a dumbwaiter (no pun intended).

A moat and a draw bridge would be nice ...


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