Merch by Amazon

[jackpinion]

(10-01-2019 04:18 PM)darkweb Wrote:  I hear ya Jack. (Thanks for the reps by the way) I'm a total noob to the Tshirts idea, and not in a position to get started just yet anyway. Too much learning and work to do. I've got a design 'half done', but then I began to learn about having to size the images and the other picture tech stuff involved, before even choosing a site to sell it through; so it's a 'hopeful' project in the near future. Amazon Merch 'seemed' like one of the better options mainly for name recognition and reach, but it appears the profit margin is a lot lower than many other potential platforms. I'll be looking at this more in the near future, but currently working on picking up other work for now.

Well don't discount Merch... True, I only net $5 a shirt... That's $5 for every shirt, tank top, long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, or hoodie. But? I sell a HELL of a lot more of these than I have ever sold on Etsy or eBay or even my own website. There's just so many buyers on Amazon that it's too easy to sell.

I'm currently at the 2000 products level... Not sure what actual tier that is but I can tell you I reached this level in a year and a half and this is easily giving me a full time income -- mid 5 figures. So it can be done.

So while you may make more net with some other platform PER sale? You'll make way more sales overall on Amazon.

At least in the beginning.

jack

[darkweb]

Thanks for that reply. I have thought about that. The beast of that size does bring the buyers. If I ever get my act together and get the darn shirt finished, I'll look back at that again. Do you think it matters as far as designs being stolen, if one chooses a different site? Not sure if they can't be stolen from anywhere just about. On the other hand, I was a little surprised by your comments relating to the design thefts, meaning the thieves needed the best image. I assumed any old image would do and they could improve them on their own. Thanks again for the convo!

[jackpinion]

(10-04-2019 05:39 AM)darkweb Wrote:  Thanks for that reply. I have thought about that. The beast of that size does bring the buyers. If I ever get my act together and get the darn shirt finished, I'll look back at that again. Do you think it matters as far as designs being stolen, if one chooses a different site? Not sure if they can't be stolen from anywhere just about. On the other hand, I was a little surprised by your comments relating to the design thefts, meaning the thieves needed the best image. I assumed any old image would do and they could improve them on their own. Thanks again for the convo!

I'm sure there are some of these sites trying to clean up the image from a downloaded image on a tshirt mockup. And again, I am no coder but even I was able to figure out from the image download url that Amazon is using a resizing script to resize your ORIGINAL uploaded design image and make it smaller to fit on the tshirt mockup.

If you play with that url ENOUGH? You can find the actual png image WITHOUT the tshirt mockup as the background. Amazon's script is actually resizing our original design image and then merging the tshirt mockup image and the original design image we create together into one image via their script.

I've been told since starting this thread that there is INDEED a workaround to obtain the actual original design image upload. My guess that as soon as this workaround got out? This is why a lot of these sites were created.

True... With some finesse? You could work the smaller image into something passable but again... That's a hell of a lot of work. If you're selling a lot of designs? Unless you've already downloaded those original design images and are ready to go, one would have to use the tshirt mockup image on the sales page and clean it up. That would be awfully difficult to do with any real speed. Simply doesn't make sense to me if you're selling a lot of shirts.

Though I could be completely wrong...

jack

[jackpinion]

UPDATE:

So as it turns out? I've painstakingly hit as many of these sites that are selling my designs as possible and asked them HOW they are able to sell MY DESIGN on their website. I have not filed DMCA notices with these sites even though they have a link on these sites as to how to file a DMCA notice with them. I didn't file these because I can tell the sites are bogus and I'm still of the opinion that it's a black hatter or hatters that have created a script to pull best selling designs off Amazon and sell them as their own.

The good news is that even without filing a DMCA notice with them? They take my design down usually within 24 hours... LOL. So that's SOMETHING.

Whether or not they are able to pull the original design? I have no idea but I do know with both Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and even Vector Magic? One can create a lower resolution facsimile that's probably good enough to stick in the mail and send out.

From what I've read? These designs are pretty bad and that some customers have tried to get their money back to no avail which also leads me to believe these are all HIT and RUN ONE and DONE sites created in bulk to sell one or more items to a customer one time only... i.e., they are not interested in creating a happy customer who will keep coming back and buying more products from them.

Which all makes sense now... Especially since it's the holidays. I'm sure a lot of these sites will go down as soon as they cease to create enough new orders to justify their existence. The people behind them will simply create a new site and start all over.

Hell of a model... Not that I want to do this. I don't like the idea of stealing anyone's designs. But I have learned a lot from monitoring them.

jack

[equalizer]

Jack, I wonder if the sites you are talking about in the post above can be made and run from this platform... They even can clone from Amazon... I did not dive into it yet, maybe in the new year to see if it even possible.

Magic Button :

Code:

https://help.sellercloud.com/article/pfa5nzr10l-seller-cloud-basics#products

[jackpinion]

(11-29-2019 08:32 AM)equalizer Wrote:  Jack, I wonder if the sites you are talking about in the post above can be made and run from this platform... They even can clone from Amazon... I did not dive into it yet, maybe in the new year to see if it even possible.

[spoiler][/code]

Code:

https://help.sellercloud.com/article/pfa5nzr10l-seller-cloud-basics#products

So I just finished perusing your link... I don't see why sites that actually sell Azon products couldn't run off this platform. I don't think t-shirts and the like would be a worthwhile endeavor since the affiliate commission off these would be minuscule but I could certainly see niche product sites yielding higher commissions utilizing something like this.

Interesting.

Thanks for the link!

jack

[bluefeb]

Hello"
I have not started merch by Amazon yet and this tends to scare me somewhat. Was wondering if the other platforms, GearBubble, Zazzle and Cafe Press have similar issues?

I there a way you can take the urls of the sites you have foud and instead of showing them to Azon, actually send them the urls and let them know about it?

Is there a forum that is just for Amazon sellers, so that if you say something about it so they lose enough sellers so that they do soemthing about it.?

[Nam88ita]

Jack I don't know if this make sense, but if you're looking for a temporary solution.

Why don't you hire a VA ( through site like onlinejobs) and teach a "cheap va" how to find your design and get them take down ( since they are actually taking them down quite fast) if it works fast you can share your va with other merch seller and lower your cost.

It could be actually an interesting service to sell. lol

[leo1in88]

they all are from Vietnam, i do know them very well. Many of them are in Facebook group.

[ArnieAbrams]

(06-01-2020 10:03 PM)leo1in88 Wrote:  they all are from Vietnam, i do know them very well. Many of them are in Facebook group.

Reps for ya if you tell us the FB group...