Here’s the first update from the shirt selling strategy. Getting the site set up seemed easy, but there were a lot of minor issues that popped up along the way. Once that was working, getting everything over to eBay and Amazon had problems. Right now, I am mainly focused on the paid designs since I have money tied up into getting them designed that I feel obligated to push these through first.
eBay
eBay’s big issue is new accounts are limited to 10 items per month. I didn’t have a new account, but I did have a 100 item limit. That seems like a lot, but each size and color counts as an item. With 10 available per size, and only 1 color, small through double extra large counts as 50 items.
Listing 2 auctions like that maxed out my limit. I had to go through and only list 2 per size and color. I went with 2 in case someone wanted to buy matching shirts, but I thought about setting the limit down to 1 just to increase the number of designs I could list.
I did get an email shortly after listing that said “Your Deal Just Got Better” and it said if I lowered my price by 5% or more, all the watchers would be notified.
I log into my account and see I have 2 watchers…2 people would be notified. I tried it, nothing happened for a few days, so I raised the price back up. Pretty sure that’s not an intelligent offer and just goes out after listings are posted. So far, I have 0 sales from eBay, but also $0 in fees.
Amazon
I haven’t gotten everything on Amazon yet. Listing on Amazon is harder because the UPC is required. I have to edit all combinations to get one added and then deal with any issues that come up when they actually make it to Amazon.
I see a lot of Chinese items and other generic garbage using the same UPC that I have bought. I am guessing they are just randomly picking SKUs until one comes up empty. This is definitely the worst part about listing on Amazon, getting the SKUs and verifying they can be used.
A big disadvantage to Amazon over eBay is Amazon has apparel in the restricted category list. You have to have a paid account from Amazon to be able to list. I am paying $39.99 per month to be able to list. It’s a flat fee for all shirts, but that also means I pay it even when no shirts are listed. I have fees for Amazon with nothing listed, but no fees for eBay where shirts are listed.
Website
I ended up getting the site completed and started a paid ad campaign on popular shirt sites. So far, nothing great has happened. I have a feeling this is more brand awareness advertising than actual sales generation.
Facebook ads haven’t started yet, but I do have the Facebook pixel on the site for a planned retargeting campaign at some point.
Really, I have almost no traffic to the website directly. Sales aren’t going to happen here anytime soon.
Conclusion
So far, there has been no sales, but it’s still too early to tell. All the ads didn’t start running immediately, and there are still no shirts listed on Amaon. The only real facts that can concluded are 1) shirt selling isn’t quick and 2) it’s not easy.
From getting the designs to getting them on Amazon, it takes significant time. It’s also not as easy as just listing them and watching sales come in. Even initially finding someone to do the designs isn’t quick or easy. If you are down to your last dollar, definitely don’t skip rent and try to get into the shirt business!
