OK, I need to rant a little cuz I'm annoyed..
As a lot of you know my wife and I run a small embroidery / tshirt company in our 'spare' time. A few years ago I had an idea and had a particular ballcap made. The cap was well received and we have sold a bunch of them. It was, admittedly, made by an offshore company.
My manufacturer and I got crossways about a quality issue and parted ways. I figured what better time to get an American made hat done. Well, one company refused to even try to build it. One was unable to locate the material needed. A couple just blew me off.
So, i find a company that can make the hat. Awesome!
Here's where it gets sticky...
The initial cost to produce a prototype of the hat if 10X, TEN TIMES, the cost of the offshore.
The cost per hat is 2.6X the cost of the offshore.
The minimum required order is over 4X the minimum of the offshore.
That puts the initial buy-in at well into 5 digits my cost.
So, all you diehard "gotta-have-American-made" guys, especially you wholesale buyers, how many of you are willing to pay double, DOUBLE! the cost for a hat that you likely are buying to give away to promote your business.
Im betting none. Simple economics.
Looks like that hat is going ot die a quick death
As a lot of you know my wife and I run a small embroidery / tshirt company in our 'spare' time. A few years ago I had an idea and had a particular ballcap made. The cap was well received and we have sold a bunch of them. It was, admittedly, made by an offshore company.
My manufacturer and I got crossways about a quality issue and parted ways. I figured what better time to get an American made hat done. Well, one company refused to even try to build it. One was unable to locate the material needed. A couple just blew me off.
So, i find a company that can make the hat. Awesome!
Here's where it gets sticky...
The initial cost to produce a prototype of the hat if 10X, TEN TIMES, the cost of the offshore.
The cost per hat is 2.6X the cost of the offshore.
The minimum required order is over 4X the minimum of the offshore.
That puts the initial buy-in at well into 5 digits my cost.
So, all you diehard "gotta-have-American-made" guys, especially you wholesale buyers, how many of you are willing to pay double, DOUBLE! the cost for a hat that you likely are buying to give away to promote your business.
Im betting none. Simple economics.
Looks like that hat is going ot die a quick death