Amazon FBA, Merch By Amazon..

[getback]

I dont pay but they courtesy'd me into their private Slack group (with the list) because I'm already in a mastermind slack group with those dudes and they hooked all of us up.

I looked over the last list and maybe used 2 or 3 ideas but I already do much of the same research myself.

I can see some people benefitting though.

I haven't paid for any designs in months and almost all of my designs are text only or text with a small complimentary graphic.

Once I bought some fonts and starting utilizing those over the free ones I was using I noticed it translated to more consistent sales.

Bold, distressed fonts, if I'm doing female targeted designs I'll use fonts females will dig, etc.

Stepped up my font/placement game and I've been straight.

Anyway you can post up some examples of your work for reference? I think I'm overthinking.

Peeping the interview now. Thanks for posting.

 

[maldonado]

Example of one of mine lol

Stoner unicorn illustration I had made for me

This from last year so the text is mad simple, straight font, nothing fansy lol but I realized it's better to order design elements instead of full fledged designs because I was able to twist that $5-$10 design into multiple different listings with myself doing the text

 

[maldonado]

Anyway you can post up some examples of your work for reference? I'm think I'm overthinking.

Peeping the interview now. Thanks for posting.

Def bro, just posted an example of an illustration I outsourced above, with super simple text, but I'm gonna post more text based for you.

Gimme a minute, grabbing a pizza

 

[maldonado]

Just gonna a post some random examples.

This is all **** I made myself from scratch, that's selling.

 

[getback]

Def bro, just posted an example of an illustration I outsourced above, with super simple text, but I'm gonna post more text based for you.

Gimme a minute, grabbing a pizza

Appreciate that man. I have some free time coming, so I'd like to start putting in work. I use GIMP mostly and then use some free font sites and stock images that are free to use.

 

[smedroc]

Those Colorado shirts are clean. Placement is dead on too.

I use the same formula pretty much. Bold text designs and simple graphic elements where necessary.

Sometimes less is more.

 

[maldonado]

Those Colorado shirts are clean. Placement is dead on too.

I use the same formula pretty much. Bold text designs and simple graphic elements where necessary.

Sometimes less is more.

Thanks g

For the folks struggling, I know when I first started I wanted to make **** I would wear and I wanted these intricate, dope designs lol.. I had to learn if I wanted to make money I had to make **** where theres a market, plain and simple. So a lot of my **** might be wack or corny but theres a market for it. And my kids gotta eat

I still make some **** I rock with but beyond that and most importantly, I will enter any market if there is demand

Again, a LOT of my **** is mad simple, bold designs. Simple sells guys. Dont overthink it!

 

[maldonado]

And to keep it all the way funky, my sales for the day today

I had a $10 royalty hoodie return and a $5.23 t shirt return so my royalties would have been $15 higher

Still hoping to clear $100 profit today with 3 more hours to go

 

[maldonado]

And I ain't ****!

Only sharing to show yall any of you can do this.

Its not easy but its def doable.

 

[smedroc]

@maldanado do you price your shirts accordingly depending on the competition in the niche?

Or do you have everything at a set price once they start selling??

 

[maldonado]

@maldanado do you price your shirts accordingly depending on the competition in the niche?

Or do you have everything at a set price once they start selling??

I've pretty much tried it all at this point but for the most part I do a combination of pricing stuff according to the rest of my comp and I also will look at how much stuff is out there and work off that.

I use to start everything at cost regardless.

Now, if theres a lot of comp I will still start at cost($13.07)

If theres not too much comp I might start things at $16.99.

There are 2 niches that I'm in pretty deep and I start shirts in those niches immediately at $19.99 because they sell all day at that and pretty much every other shirt from competitors is at that price.

So it just kinda depends on the situation.

Another example is I have this new fishing shirt, which is obviously one of the more saturated niches out there and I have that shirt at $13.07 and have sold it at least 10 times already. My objective is to get it to the first page of search results, its currently on page 2. I'll let it ride with no profit until I can get it to the first page.

 

[maldonado]

What's good folks.

Just checkin in and seeing how yall are doing.

Things have been crazy lately, I'm noticing stuff uploaded with the multi are selling super quick, especially tanks.

Seems that, not all, but quite a few uploads via the multi are getting crazy good placement in search results. Sometimes on the first page before even making a sale, amongst best sellers. Dont know why but appears the algorithm is giving a lot of these listings priority placement.

Having a good week/month

 

[Chopper]

Thanks for the advice. It's much appreciated. My wife is trying to get some shirts moving and this is going to help her for sure.

 

[maldonado]

Thanks for the advice. It's much appreciated. My wife is trying to get some shirts moving and this is going to help her for sure.

Fasho, when I can sit down I'll try to do a write up of the main things I've learned on this short journey.

Trying to help everybody come up

 

[maldonado]

****s getting real.

Closed with this yesterday.

Today already at 25 for $90


This time last year I was doing like $300 profit a month.

Made that in the past 2 days. On pace to do $4500-$5k this month. I do all my designs myself so I dont really have any expenses outside a couple tools that total $40 a month. Not running any ads. Still learning but finally starting to really get a feel for making this **** work as I scale things out.

Definitely not easy and requires work but once you get the ball rolling and it starts to snowball you can really start digging into some nice profits.

I'll be posting some tips here soon. My entire journey is documented from the beginning of this thread. Literally didnt even have an acct yet when I started this thread.

Yall have any specific questions or need help with anything dont hesitate to hit me up

 

[turbospartan]

couple tools that total $40 a month

What tools? Design software or merch tools?

Congrats on the success. I signed up because of this thread. Haven't done **** really since, as I keep fading in and out of interest. That said, you posting these sales #'s definitely revamps my interest. Just need to quit being lazy once I get home from work.

 

[maldonado]

What tools? Design software or merch tools?

Congrats on the success. I signed up because of this thread. Haven't done **** really since, as I keep fading in and out of interest. That said, you posting these sales #'s definitely revamps my interest. Just need to quit being lazy once I get home from work.

Little bit of both

Adobe Illustrator $20
Pretty merch $6
Merch momentum weekly newsletter $10
Merch Informer $8 (at this point I really only use the Designer, dont really do any research in it anymore. Do all my Amazon research directly on their site)

Gonna make a solid effort to dig into Illustrator now and once I feel good about it I'll drop Merch Informer/Designer

Ended yesterday at

The biggest thing is last year I was chasing trends, heavy on holidays and really looking to hit homeruns.

I changed that up around Q4 last year and started designing for mostly evergreen niches, which carried into this year.

It had been an absolute game changer.

My success yesterday is entirely evergreen designs. I had maybe a couple of 4th of July shirts sell but even with those, they aren't 4th of July designs per se, I just included those keywords, but the designs dont reference anything about the holiday. Distressed American flag with other elements that should sell year round.

Evergreen designs is where its at.

95% of my sale's yesterday are also text only, no graphic whatsoever.

 

[getback]

Would illustrator be a significant upgrade over something like GIMP (free)? Much easier to create designs?

 

[maldonado]

Would illustrator be a significant upgrade over something like GIMP (free)? Much easier to create designs?

Mm they're gonna be similar. Definitely not easier, illustrator, for me (having zero experience) was a *****. Tried it out and switched to the merch Informer designer which is super simple for somebody like me.

Now that I've grown my acct out I want to sit down and take time to learn Illustrator though so bout to make the move.

Guessing there are other computer programs that are easy but thats all I've used.

I do use the Over app on my phone and its mad easy and has a lot of features. I have the pro version and it has mad different fonts you can download. Ita dope. I'd probably suggest it over anything else. Doing **** on my phone kinda sucks but for text only it's really not too bad. Its available for apple and android and if you have a iPad I think you can run it on there too, which would be easier than a phone.

Theres a bunch of design software out there though. I'm sure theres other easy software you can use for a computer. I want to say picmonkey might be one but I've never used it

 

[maldonado]

I will say you definitely get back what you put into it.

I spend a lot of time with it because I have goals I know I can attain so I'm super motivated, which is honestly probably my best asset. My designs definitely or nowhere near the best out there. Made a bunch of mistakes, **** was dumb slow, etc etc

I'm just focused on getting it.

$10k a month minimum, on non-Q4 months is my goal.

For some people just making enough to make the car payment monthly or whatever can def be attainable with less time put in.

Theres a lot of comp now and it's def not easy, especially at first.

I no longer have a day job so that obviously helps, but I do have kids so I have to work in between taking care of them.

It's the perfect set up though, I do it really so I can be home with them and not miss any time cuz this **** goes super quick

 

[maldonado]

Past week been my best non-Q4 week yet

Put that work in now folks.

Q4 will be here soon.

Last year, this time I did like $300 for the entire month of May.

Still went on to do about $12k profit for Oct-Dec.

You can def do damage if you have stuff up.

Even a couple of uploads a day or every few days, whatever.

Consistency is key.

And evergreen niches is where it's at. Small passionate niches.

Find em, test things, and where you have success go back into those niches and fatten your catalog in those ones.

Rinse and repeat.

I do all my research on Amazon. Just start looking at everything.

Fathers Day (niche down to specific things or hobbies that dads enjoy). Graduation. Softball. Camping. 90s hip hop. whatever.

If you dont use it already download the chrome extension DS Quickview and learn about BSR.

Once you get the research part down then it's just a matter of finding demand and bringing better or brand new designs into those niches .

It takes a bit of trying and failing to get the hang of it, but anybody can do this. Just gotta jump into the water and learn how to swim.

 

[maldonado]

Hobbies that you already have or specific interests are a great place to start, if there is a demand. The more passionate of a following, the better.

Start simple.

If there are buzzwords or things that only people would know that are into that particular interest, that can be gold.

Once you get your feet wet, research ultimately becomes king.

Through failure I learned the best way to have success is to first research and find demand, THEN work on creating designs for that demand.

Most people come in with ideas of their own and you occasionally might hit on something but most of the ideas I initially had (that I thought would crush) didnt pan out. I had maybe 2 from my original 50 or so that ended up selling.

I had to get past what I thought would sell and evolve to simply looking at the market and letting it tell me. Then I go in for the kill and create designs.

It takes a lot of trial and error at first but over time I've been able to refine the process and leverage the experience. Takes time but, as with anything, you can get to the point you ultimately want to be with it.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

*

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

How hard is it to get approved? I completely half assed my app thinking it was a given

 

[getback]

Sold my first shirt