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Merch - what's working for you?

Pacman

Pacman

Layin' Down Time
Staff member
Gold Supporting Member
Apr 1, 2000
17,401
9,833
Omaha, Nebraska
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Endorsing Artist: Roscoe Guitars, DR Strings, Aguilar Amplification
#1
Title pretty much says it all. If you're selling merch with your band, what's working for you. T-shirts are obvious, has anyone had success with other items?
 
#3
My bandleader, being a quiet, rather religious guy, will make the BEST face when I tell him this! :D


Anybody else?
 
#4
not 100% relevant, but we give out buttons. for free. people love it.

we've actually gotten gigs based on this. my friend was stopped by the manager of a bar, who asked him "what is that button? i see it everywhere!" easiest gig i ever booked.

not directly making money, but spreading the band name / image / etc. it has to be a catchy logo though, or else no one will wear it.
 
#11
gigslut said:
Haven't tried it yet, but cigarette lighters would be hot item. A local liquor store sells cheap ones with their name and location on them.
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We saw Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso at Delandapalooza, and their manager, a penguin named Skippy, was giving out lighters with bottle openers on the ends. Brilliant. Cheap, useful, and I'll probably find it in a drawer 10 years from now and be reminded of them. :bassist:
 
#12
I sell autographed cigarette butts.

:D

Honestly, it's hard to be profitable with merch unless you have a degree of notoriety. Our band has some t-shirts, hats, and pics, but it basically just pays for itself and is more for generating word of mouth than it is making any extra money at the gig. Some local bands might have better success with it, but I don't think any are raking it in bigtime.
 
#13
I've heard that local bands have a great deal of success selling thongs.


We are a hard rock/metal band. We went to Goodwill, bought something like $20 high end all black shirts for $2 a piece, and then had somebody we know bleach our name and a design into them. We had a gig on Friday the 13th show, so we made 13 of them for that day with a Jason mask on the front with our name in scary looking font and bleach splatters. Depending on the shirt, the bleach turns it white, yellow, red or orange. Each one is different.

We sold them for $15 a piece, which ended up at $195 plus $150 for the gig was $345 for one night as an original band (40 minute set).

We paid the guy $20 plus $20 for the shirts and we came out with a net profit of $305.

I wear what they call a newsboy hats (one of these without the fabric that hangs down: http://www.styleceo.com/images/stores/627/g/g-by-guess-driver-newsboy-hat-12215642)

I have one that's brown, one that's black with silver designs on it, and one plaid with the Guiness logo on the top.

As soon as possible, I plan on selling black versions of these with our name on them.
 
#15
oniman7 said:
I've heard that local bands have a great deal of success selling thongs.


We are a hard rock/metal band. We went to Goodwill, bought something like $20 high end all black shirts for $2 a piece, and then had somebody we know bleach our name and a design into them. We had a gig on Friday the 13th show, so we made 13 of them for that day with a Jason mask on the front with our name in scary looking font and bleach splatters. Depending on the shirt, the bleach turns it white, yellow, red or orange. Each one is different.

We sold them for $15 a piece, which ended up at $195 plus $150 for the gig was $345 for one night as an original band (40 minute set).

We paid the guy $20 plus $20 for the shirts and we came out with a net profit of $305.

I wear what they call a newsboy hats (one of these without the fabric that hangs down: http://www.styleceo.com/images/stores/627/g/g-by-guess-driver-newsboy-hat-12215642)

I have one that's brown, one that's black with silver designs on it, and one plaid with the Guiness logo on the top.

As soon as possible, I plan on selling black versions of these with our name on them.
Click to expand...
Wow, that's pretty impressive, especially for an originals band. I see famous folks from the 50's and 60's who can't sell that much merch on a gig.
 
#16
sort of along the lines of the buttons, my band had some stickers that we got as a promotion for putting in our CD order by a certain date. We either gave them away or sold them for a dollar, but it worked out nicely. Saw the stickers popping up in the most strange of places around the city!
 
#17
JimmyM said:
Wow, that's pretty impressive, especially for an originals band. I see famous folks from the 50's and 60's who can't sell that much merch on a gig.
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We've got a lot of friends who want to see us succeed.

it was the day that we unveiled the shirts, and we had made a big promotion about our "Friday the 13th show". Brought a record number of people for us (51), pushed them on everybody, gave one away from the stage, etc.

Guys thought they looked awesome and girls loved the slim fit and low cuts that we had.
 
#19
JimmyM said:
I sell autographed cigarette butts.

:D

Honestly, it's hard to be profitable with merch unless you have a degree of notoriety. Our band has some t-shirts, hats, and pics, but it basically just pays for itself and is more for generating word of mouth than it is making any extra money at the gig. Some local bands might have better success with it, but I don't think any are raking it in bigtime.
Click to expand...

With your audience, maybe granny panties would be a big seller. :D

Plus, think of all the space for a huge logo and extra wording. :D
 

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