Alright, it is time to put your money where your mouth is. Or at least near where your mouth might be.
[Update] See below for an easy-to-use poll, instead of having to leave a comment. Sizing information would still be useful, though, so email/comment with that if you can. [/Update]
After checking around on the intertubes for a little while, and hearing back from only one of the five or six local screen printers I emailed last week (Riot Printing Company, to give credit where credit is due), I am fairly certain I can produce the below design on a t-shirt, probably in those colors, and sell it to you all for somewhere around $20 a pop:
(Low-quality, aliased *.jpg is intentional; the printing will be based off a significantly higher-quality, vector-graphic image. No worries.)
The shirts will be olive drab green (or at least something similar), made in the USA, Anvil or American Apparel branded (simply because they are not many made-in-the-USA t-shirt companies), and probably straight-up cotton unless someone comes up with a compelling reason why not. The screen printing will either be done here in Knoxville or at least in the USA in general. Payment will be through PayPal with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis if you simply cannot tolerate that company (or if anyone wants to help test Pistol Pay.) Shipping will be whatever the flat-rate boxes cost to get however many units to you that you order; one shirt should fit in a $4.90 envelope, I could probably shove at least five in a $5.15 small box, and so forth. Sizing is… well… complicated.
See, I have never sold t-shirts myself, so I have no idea what the average sizing distribution of my customers would be. I can get them made in S all the way up to XXL, but I need to know how many of each to get, which is where you guys come in.
The other hitch in all of this is that I am having to buy my inventory myself first, and then offer it up to you all once I have it, which means there is that inevitable uncertainty of, "Am I actually going to be able to sell these once I buy them?" Which, again, is where you guys come in.
If you are interested in this shirt, please leave a comment or email me at "linoge (at) wallsofthecity (dot) net" indicating number of sizes. Alternatively, please vote in the below poll:
I need to move at least 20 of these things to get the initial buy off the ground, and if I can get 100 units promised, I might even be able to drop the price a buck or two (economies of scale very much apply in the t-shirt world). Ideally, I would love to have a count by the end of the week so I can order these in time to have extras to take to the Appleseed shoot, so, please, spread the word to your family, friends, and whomever else you might think might be interested (I would hit up the appropriate forums myself, but I believe doing so would require a "business" or "advertiser" account at most of them).
(For those not familiar with the inside joke, the original AK-47 firearms were produced out of stamped sheet metal of appropriate thickness. The metal was stamped out, and then folded along those two lines at the center of the image (hence "origami", with the various holes and openings for pins and magazines and triggers and whatnot coming in before or after the folding, depending on production methods. Nowadays you can get milled receivers that are cut out of a solid block of metal, but you can also buy AK flats and bend your own rifles. Why? Those flats are not legally firearms, and they can be shipped straight to your door without background checks, registration, or paperwork of any kind; of course, bending your own receiver is not exactly a trivial task…)
(Design inspired by ENDO‘s line of firearm-related clothing.)
Should that be: ЯUSSIAИ?
I like the idea, but as someone who can read Russian, the faux cyrillic font hurts my eyes and brain.
For major geek cred you can label it folding@home
I am giggling like a LOON right now.
I like the idea, but honestly don’t see myself wearing it often.
@ NotClauswitz: No, because I know better
.
@ echovictor: Yeah, well, at least I did not do what NC up there recommended
. And I could not think of any other way of adequately providing the prerequisite Soviet flavor.
@ Erin Palette: So how many of what size?
@ Joey: Nuts.
—–
Unfortunately, I am being quite honest about needing people’s buy-in before proceeding; I do not believe Better Half would approve the expenditure otherwise
.
I’m not a big AK fan, and there are other shirts I want sooner, but I am interested in supporting you.
What Robert said.
But I’ll take one in XL.
I’m in for one also. XL please.
Very cool design! I also like the subtlety of it. Like the ENDO shirts, you can often wear them in mixed company without people getting skittish about an “Evil Gun” shirt.
If I were you, talk to Mike about who makes his shirts, as the quality of his shirts are a LOT better than the usual cafe press fare.
@ Robert Slaughter: Honestly, I was not a huge AK fan either until I got the Saiga, and now I am getting more and more interested in them. Regardless, thanks for the support!
@ rickn8or: Thanks!
@ Dragon: I can do that
.
@ Weer’d Beard: Mike was actually the first person I contacted about shirts, and he was remarkably helpful. Unfortunately, the printing house he uses is a private one employed by really high-end companies, hence his amazing products. I can get American Apparel blanks, but will not be able to swing that nifty hem embroidery he has… not that I probably would; I am not trying to copy him that much
.
Put me down for one. I’d prefer 3XL but I can swing 2XL.
I don’t suppose long tail / tall is an option, as that’s more obscure.
I’d order one, probably two.
@ MAJ Mike:
Whoops. Include mens’ size Large.
I’ll take a large.
I’d need one XXL for the one-eyed fat man, and one L for the Dauphin. I have a $50 bet with him if he will wear it to his public high school.
I’m in for a large.
I could probably buy one, 2xl.
@ The Jack: It is looking like I will be going with American Apparel after all, and they run up to XXXL, though they also run a bit smaller than most, so it may be a wash in your case
. No tall, though.
@ MAJ Mike: Awesome, thanks!
@ doyletoo: can do.
@ Fill Yer Hands: Hell, I might have to chip in if he does…
@ Erradin: Thanks!
@ JP: We can always trade
.
———-
It looks like these shirts are a go! I will keep everyone appraised of the progress, but random thought: would putting a yet-to-be-finalized logo on the back piss anyone off / make anyone’s day?
When I saw this I burst out laughing. You can totally count me in for buying one, maybe even a second as a spare. XXL.
I’m down for an XL, if it’s an American Apparel.
XL will do.
@ Awelowynt: Thanks!
@ Lazy eye: It is looking that way, due to color requirements – not many Made-in-the-USA shirts come in something approximating OD Green.
@ Lynn H: Shiny
.
How about 4xl
3xl please
I’ll take one in XL.
Check with Sean Sorrentino about the guy who made his ATF Gunwalking Tees.
Oh hell yeah … A 2X
@ chris: Unfortunately, 3XL is the best I can swing in American Apparel, and they run kind of smallish on top of that
.
@ Chad: Can do!
@ John Richardson: Ooh, good call. Duh. Thanks
.
@ johnnyreb™: Awesome
.
yep, a LG for me…i have a couple ENDO shirts…and for the money, they’re a little thin; this is not a problem for me necessarily since i live in a warm place, but caveat emptor and all that for the rest of you.
In fairness, ENDO employs the 50/50 or tri-blend shirts, while these will be 100% cotton. Not sure if that makes a difference on the fabric thickness, but I hope it does.
I would still count on them being a touch thinner than the tshirts you are used to, though.
Thanks, regardless!
Been there.
Done that.
Want an XL tee-shirt.
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I will get one in large.
@ Xman: Sounds like you need one
.
@ David: Awesome, thanks!
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