Quality is your customer’s perception after purchase. The most common questions I get asked about band merch are all cost based. The simple truth is most bands are running on a shoestring budget and trying to get the best price all of the time.
value your brand
While it’s important to stay within a budget you also have to keep in mind the long term value of your brand.
Avoid buyers remorse
I just picked up a concert tee on a good shirt last week for $20 and the silkscreen is completely crooked. Now every time I wear it I’m going to associate that with the band. It’s a cool design, it’s on a good quality shirt, but it’s totally fucked out of place to where it makes my eyes hurt when I look down.
Learn from this and mistakes that I personally have made and make the best quality stuff you can afford. I’ve done both with bands previously I’ve been in. There is a reason the bands you pay $40+ to go see aren’t spray painting T-shirts in the parking lot during the show.
It’s a lot easier to sell better-looking merch. DIY, punk, cheap, etc. doesn’t have to mean shitty. It’s a constant re-learning process but it’s worthwhile to spend the extra $30 or whatever it takes sometimes to get something that actually is good quality.
Specific examples
- Better Designs
- Better quality shirts
- Order both Women’s and Men,s shirts
- Professional quality printing
- Good packaging for CDs