11-18-2008, 01:35 PM
Quote:Because you don't need to maintain any inventory or pay for products that may not sell, there is very little financial risk as a seller in the on-demand model. But life always seems to involve compromise. The tradeoff is that your profit margin may be quite slim, too. CafePress charges a "base" price for each item. For example, the base price of a white t-shirt is $14.99. As a seller, you can charge customers anything you want at or above the base price. So, if you sell a t-shirt for $16.99, you've earned $2.
Although CafePress does not impose a limit on how high your markup is, the reality is that it will be difficult to sell items above a certain price point. Especially with so much competition for commodity items like these, not just in the retail world, but even through other CafePress sellers.
Stocking pre-printed t-shirts with your design produced by a local screen printer, for example, could yield a significantly higher profit margin on that $16.99 price, but of course carries the risk that you will be buying inventory that doesn't sell...
full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/resources...hp/3785441