Something to Sell
While your band-merch options are only limited by the number of existing objects you can conceivably slap your band name on (stickers, pillowcases, decorative tableware), T-shirts are a great place to start.
For Dan Rugh, who started local screenprinting company Commonwealth Press in 2003, the rules of great T-shirt design are as vague and unfixed as the rules of rock 'n' roll. But there are, he says, a couple of things every band should aim for. The most obvious: "A solid design on a quality shirt. If you make a great shirt, people will wear the shirt whether or not they like the band."
Other tips from Commonwealth:
Keep your audience in mind: "Different bands have different size concerns," Rugh says. "Emo bands will come in and order only smalls and mediums, and a few larges. A death metal band will only get larges and XLs."
Keep track of sales: Know what sells and what doesn't. Commonwealth employee Dan Rock suggests, "If you have two dozen extra-larges and no smalls or mediums, maybe don't order any more extra-larges."
Don't overdo it: "The [fewer] options someone has, the more likely they are to make a purchase," Rugh says. "It's better to have two shirts than six, even if they're good designs."
Don't sell a crappy product: "Get it done professionally, or at least get someone who knows what they're doing," Rugh advises.
