# Fulfillment service vs Traditional Hire printer etc...?



## TMA123 (Dec 21, 2019)

Hey!

So, I've got a bunch of t-shirt and sticker designs which all form a really cohesive brand that I'm really proud of. Been working at it for a long time...

The printer I intended to use is currently closed down because of the COVID crisis, so... I'm kind of thinkin of trying out one of these fulfillment/ print to order services...

Although I'm a HUGE fan of the DIY/ grass roots company and all the things that come along with it: ordering a limited supply of t-shirts, releasing a small catalog seasonally, etc. etc. I'm just not sure that it makes sense for me at this moment in time. Although I have a ton of ideas that I'm really proud of, I have virtually no client base and I could see myself just sitting on a huge pile of t-shirts, which has happened to me before. Also, it's going to cost around $1,200 if I go the old school route, which to be honest, I can't really afford to spare right now...

What are yall's experience with this kind of thing and what is your advice??

Also, I know what blanks I would personally use for my brand if I were to go the old school route, but it seems advantageous that with a fulfillment service the client could choose their blank...

Please let me know!

Thank you!
-T


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## SeeingDouble (Jul 25, 2019)

I'd recommend getting some consistent sales and sending everything over to a POD company. It's probably going to be more expensive but as you noted will spare any setup costs.

Once you have the sales down you will have more room to negotiate with local printers and shops.

For POD services printful and printify seem to be the go-to.

Hope this helps!


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## TMA123 (Dec 21, 2019)

Dude, yes! Thank you for responding!

Emailed Printify, but they haven't gotten back to me for reason...

Have noticed some very successful people using SPREADSHOP. They even have a customer hotline, which is cool.

They don't send you a sample. You have to set up an item and order it from yourself if you wanna see the quality, but I'm gonna give it a go. Will look into Printful as well...

Thank you!

-T


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## gigman1 (May 19, 2021)

We didnt use POD because our product didn't require it but we went through the DIY --> choosing a 3pl for fulfillment. Happy to provide insight if you're looking to go that route


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