CafePress.com - Custom T-shirts
By John Evans
CafePress.com allows anyone to create and sell customized T-shirts.
Designs are uploaded in digital format, and can be any sort of picture,
text or symbols. The images can then be placed onto T-shirts (of any
size and several types), sweatshirts, mugs or mousepads. Products
are organized into "stores", which can be private or public.
Each product has a base price which covers production costs, and store
owners can then mark up their products as much as they like. For example,
a standard white T-shirt's base price is $13.99, but if you sell them
for $18.99 you will get a $5.00 profit on each purchase. The stores
are completely automatic, so website owners can include a link to
the store on their site (or even include it in a frame), and visitors
can buy products at the store at their leisure. Each month CafePress.com
totals the store profits and pays them to the store owners. Of course,
store owners can always buy their own products at no markup.
CafePress.com fills a lot of interesting niches in the online marketplace.
There is no minimum or maximum to buy, so you can create a unique
custom T-shirt as a gift or order a gross of mugs for your office
building. Store owners can promote their websites and provide souvenir
paraphernalia to surfers; many websites already are, including the
famous(?) "All Your Base" site. The concept of truly customized,
"narrowcast" products is an interesting one; In my opinion,
it will become much more important in the future, as technology makes
it easier for people to create their own unique wardrobes and accessories.
CafePress.com thus represents the first step in a larger trend. It's
also fun to use, and can even be a way for ordinary people to easily
make money off their creativity.