There's a question I deal with quite often. As a consumer, I have asked many times, "why is that so expensive". As a crafter, I have learned that to make these items has hidden costs that the buyers never consider.
One of the most common items out there is graphic tees. Simple to make, fairly inexpensive for materials, right? Well, there's a bit more to it than that. Try shopping for 10 or more identical shirts in a variety of sizes. Let's assume you want sport grey because everyone carries that color. Gildan unisex 5.3 ounce heavy tees are often first to show up on the search list, and you can buy them at stores like Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and Joanne Fabrics in a pinch. Your cost will vary from store to store, usually between $3.99-$4.99, as will their stock and color selection. Online wholesalers (and no, that doesn't include Amazon) are going to be anywhere from 10% to 15% less, but if you don't reach a minimum purchase amount you've got to account for shipping costs, which can range from $4.95 up to $14.95. And you don't always get to choose the cheapest or type of shipping you want.
Jiffy Shirts is one of my go-to vendors. If I want those 10 shirts to come from their store, this color costs $2.77 each pre-tax and shipping. Once those are added in that batch of 10 shirts, which includes only adult small through adult extra large, my cost is averaged out to $3.27 per shirt. If I need 2xl or larger, I'm going to pay more than double for the 2xl, and even more for each increase in size.
Now that I have my shirts coming, I need to see about the decals. Typical decals for home crafters are heat transfer vinyl that is made using something like a Cricut or Silhouette desktop cutter. Those little toys are ever-increasing in cost, and currently run from $180 - $430 each, plus tax. It's going to take quite a few shirt sales to recoup that cost.
Let's not forget the vinyl and the design files. A small roll of HTV can be $8 on up for just plain colors. These can make at least 2 or 3 decals, depending on how big the decal is. For 10 shirts with a basic 3-line quote, I would need about 6 feet of 12" vinyl. If I buy that from a wholesaler, I will pay $12-$14 for that.
And if I design my own files, I will need to have a machine that includes free access to the cutter manufacturer's design site, pay for a subscription to one, find free software such as InkScape, or buy software such as Adobe Illustrator. If I want a ready-to-use file, that will cost anywhere from $3 to $7 depending on where I find what I want.
Last, but certainly not least, I've got to have a heat press to proper apply those decals. The Cricut Easy Press is currently running about $130 on average, and a full-size heat press will be twice that easily.
So just to get my t-shirt business started, I've got to spend $465 or more. Obviously, I need to sell more than 10 shirts to recoup this, but if I charge just bargain basement sales prices, I may not before my machines wear out and have to be serviced or replaced. And I haven't even accounted for my time investment yet. I may spend just a couple of hours on these shirts, but my time should be worth more than minimum wage. If I paid myself just $9/hour, that's $18 labor, or less than $2 per shirt that I'm paying myself.
The reality is that to make something by hand, or not by mass manufacturing, it takes more time, and it typically costs more just to get things rolling. I have long ago recouped the costs for my cutter (which is a commercial unit, not a Cricut) and my heat press (commercial unit number 2 is in use now), but that took almost 3 years. And I would not have done it that fast if I hadn't been fortunate enough to have been contacted by Fox News when I put out the Deplorable Me shirts in 2016. Incidentally, that's also the reason my first heat press gave out.
As easy as shirts are to do, there are so many other crafts that take much more time and effort, so the this should be reflected in the sales price. When you buy hand-crafted items, you're not only supporting a small business, you're typically supporting local businesses and economy. Stop grumbling that it should be cheaper because it's not big-box, and pay out for better quality that's made here at home.
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