Hey gang, I’m going to keep the current shirt up for another week. Considering the inspiration behind it and the fact that the SEC filed civil charges of securities fraud against Goldman Sachs on Friday, it seems like a good idea. I’d also like an excuse to call attention to that news story here, because it was mostly reported by mainstream media in the Friday news dump.
Also, we went to a new fixed pricing structure ($29/shirt with free shipping worldwide) and there was a lot of pissing and moaning about it. There was also some positive reception, too. So I want to explain something really quickly…
The new pricing model is better for more people.
In the past with our variable pricing model, shirt #24 would be priced at $29 when you include shipping. So that means that only #’s below 24 were cheaper than they are now. Our bargain-hunters loved us for the chance of getting a $1 shirt that we no longer offer, but the trade off is offering more shirts at cheaper prices to our customers who dig what we’re doing here. And they can get the numbers they want. (It would actually be #19 for international shipping addresses, which better illustrates my point, but those are only about 15% or our orders.)
As we grow, we hope to offer 100 affordable chances at being part of something truly unique and to continue to offer the personal customer service that is possible with a small customer base. Low-quantity runs are less cost effective, but we feel the value of exclusivity for the purchaser is worth it to some. This is all not mention that our quality is better than most.
So that’s the deal. I know we won’t be bringing everyone from before along with us, and that’s OK. This will be a good thing for more customers in the long run.
14 Comments
you should make all of them $29 like you said, except #1. That will keep people coming, and will make shirt release dates more exciting for more people.
Wade, like many others I am very disappointed in the new pricing model. As a frequent return customer, I think you should start listening to your consumers. What supporters of this new model fail to realize is, though the new pricing model will bring in more revenue to your company, that does not matter to your customer. They are who really matters and this change can only be seen as negative to them. First, flat pricing detracts any originality from this site. What made this site special, at least in my eyes, was that I could get a really nice and unique shirt without having to pay too much in hard economic times. Also, the thrill of staying up late and trying to beat out others was exciting and is certainly lost now. Secondly, there is no more competition, which was another thing that made your site unique. The person that gets the first shirt and the person that gets the hundredth shirt are no different now. The fact that only 100 shirts are made makes no difference now because one shirt is no different than any other. I used to enjoy telling my friends about why my shirt had a 5 or a 6 on the back and how they should try staying up late and we could all get one for such an affordable amount. There are many other sites that make limited runs of shirts, it doesn’t matter in the consumer’s eyed whether the number is 100 or 1,000. You are trying to compete in a very large market and what made you unique (your original pricing system) brought you all of your customers. Also, I can almost guarantee you that no one keeps these shirts as art. Everyone wears these shirts in everyday life like they would any other shirt. There are a few questions that you must ask yourself. What makes this site unique now? Why would someone want to buy from 200nipples rather than any of the thousand of other fixed price limited edition shirt stores? How much will the average consumer want to spend on a piece of clothing? (I can give you a hint on that last one, it’s not $29 or anywhere near that) Keep in mind that I was one of your biggest supporters since the site started and the reason that I am writing this is because I truly care, however I like many others will not be able to buy from you ever again unless you change the site back to the way it used to be. Do not shrug this off as a loss of only a few patrons, because this site will almost definitely fail under the current model. I beg of you to think long and hard about this decision because it will ultimately decide whether you will have a job in a few months. All the best.
could you be leaving it up another week because your 6 shirts short of the magic number to profit the same as 29 shirts typically sold in the variable pricing model?
1st 28 shirts: variable
remaining shirts: fixed
everyone happy
it seems like a bad idea to let go of the hard-earned customers you already have. why not keep the old scheme, up #20 or so (they seldom sell beyond that anyhow) and offer the rest at $29 or something similar?
i know i won’t be buying any $29 shirts.
If current sales numbers don’t show you what a bad idea this is, I don’t know what will. In the past, you averaged 30 shirt sales per design grossing $465 each. This week’s shirt has only grossed $261. (9 sales).
I’ve always wondered what it would take with your previous business model to break that 30-35 shirt sale ceiling. The only answer I could come up with was to offer a shirt with a perceived value of $100. That would mean an exceptional shirt including decoration techniques such as discharge, foil, embroidery, special washes, all over printing, etc.
Your new structure makes you no different than the shirt.woots and Teefurys of the world. Oh, except their shirts are 1/3 the price of yours and I can buy a different shirt from them every day.
I understand that selling a shirt for $1-$15 is practically outrageous, but $29 is also a little out there.
This whole thing just really upsets me. I realize that you can’t make a living off selling shirts that cheap, but I also realize that there has to be some other option in order to find a happy median.
I really liked this site and what you had to offer, but I can’t dish out $29 for a shirt that isn’t as good as a $20 one. (Granted your quality is “good”, but I don’t really care about tags, or even the texture of my shirts. In fact, now that I think about it… I don’t really see a difference in your quality and a lot of other cheaper places’ quality. Especially after you switched from AA to whomever your with now.)
$20 flat fees and I would still be in.
Sorry guys, we’re not going to change it anytime soon. Honestly, we may after a while if something better presents itself, but no amount of complaining here will do it. (As an aside, this isn’t my job so I’m not super worried about it. This has always been a passion project. The whole impetus for this change is making more than that.)
Having said that, I’ll continue to publish your comments here, even if they are just complaints.
Just wondering if the same people complaining about the new pricing structure are the same people that supported bailing out the banks, Wall Street, and the US Car Makers. The reason is I have a great idea. Why don’t we let 200 nipples continue with their old pricing structure and eventually, right before they are about to go out of business, bail them out! Of course we will have raise taxes or redistribute wealth to do this (sorry you are not getting grandmas inheritance because we need that money to support and on-line t-shirt company).
Or….
Let them change the pricing structure to something that will make them successful moving forward and we can enjoy their products for years to come.
Sorry people. It’s not greed. It’s common sense. Business need to break-even or make a profit to stay alive.
Although I thought the initial pricing structure was innovative it never seems sustainable long term. I commend 200 Nipples for doing what it takes to keep their business afloat in this economy.
They should be getting kudos not complaints.
Oink, Oink.
This is ridiculous. You usually get like 0-2 comments on something and that’s it. Now you get 10-20 per post and you just shrug it off and practically say, “Screw you customers I really don’t care if your happy or not.” You might be putting it nicer than that, but that’s basically what it comes down to.
Look at all these people that honestly CARE about this site and take the time to write to you about how they feel.
I don’t know if you’ll ever understand that all these people that have “complained” to you are the majority of your “Passion’s” customers.
Also, If this isn’t your job and just “a passion project” than why do you need to raise the prices by so much. $20 flat shirts (still not the best idea) would make you a good enough profit if this isn’t something you need to be making a living off of. If you ask me and many others it makes you appear greedy.
If in your situation I don’t think I could stand to displease so many people. When I have a good thing that is working well, I do whatever I can to keep it that way and not let it fall flat, but that’s exactly what you haven’t done.
I too, would greatly suggest that you think long and hard about this decision if you want to keep your “passion” alive.
Clearly no amount of suggestions will move these stubborn people… Hopefully they will realize once they actually look at their website and see that less 10 shirts have sold. Either we will be back in a few weeks to see that the pricing system has changed, or wee will see that they have gone out of business. Also, Wade, we are not complaining, we are trying to keep your business afloat. You call this a project of “passion” but the way you treat your customers, we wonder if you really care at all. I look forward to coming back to get a shirt for less than $29, or this is my last goodbye. Hope you realize just how ridiculous this is and how ridiculous you sound.
Best of luck,
Ian
I’m here for the original designs and quality of the shirts (the “shirt woots” products don’t last nearly as long) so this whole flat pricing model works fine for me. I also think $29 is a bit high but so is $3 for a coffee (which I still buy). I do think it’d be fun to see 5 or so offered using the old method but, if I liked the shirt, I’d probably buy the flat rate priced one anyway.
I know 200Nipples takes care of and cares about the customers.
Keep moving forward you guys!
Can I have a shirt for $1? J/K
Hey 200 nipples people. Just thought I would throw in my 2 cents.
On 200 Nipples Motives:
First let me say it seems to me like this is a hobby for the people who run it, as their is no way multiple people could make a living off selling shirts in such small quantities. This says volumes to me about how seriously they pursue their hobbies because this is a lot of work. My hunch is they said, “Hey we like T-shirts, but all the semi-cool ones are not as cool as they could be and are of low quality. Lets make our own shirts to fix this.”
On Wade’s (above) Statement :
I wouldn’t take that as a screw you, to the customers, but rather a, the business realities of this site does not allow them to lose money on a hobby. Also I take his statement of ‘it isn’t changing soon unless something else comes along’ to mean that the old method no longer was working and had been around long enough to prove it wouldn’t work under that model in the long run. So instead of complaining, try to come up with a model that will still allow them to break even/turn a small profit that also fits your buying style.
On 200 Nipples Business Model:
My suggestion: http://the-op.com/images/episode/202/000049_sm.jpg
But seriously, I understand completely why the old method wasn’t working for 200 nipples and I understand why people are so frustrated by the change, and feel that this site lost something unique when it switched from the original pricing model. One idea I had, that I am unsure if it would work with your costs per shirt, would be to have a modified system. Under this system their would still be a shirt number to dollar coolness under the old system, but set a price floor, and have the price floor be your average cost per shirt, or slightly higher. That way their is still an incentive to get on here and get a shirt early, and get a cheaper shirt, however you won’t have to take $16-20 bath on each low priced shirt. Once you get above the floor the dollar increase per shirt remains.
Another potential modification under the price floor method would be to, instead of a dollar increase, do 50 cents. While it is difficult to tell how this would affect profit, it seems more likely that the right shirt would sell out, as $50-60 dollars for the right shirt seem more plausible than $100. Anyway, thats my two cents. Good luck down the road and I am still pulling for you.
I am a long-time supporter of this site and have every shirt up until Wade started the one each week pace. With 52 per year, I had decided to only get the ones I really like from now on. After reading these comments, I’m going to go ahead and buy the upside down shirt- even though it’s not my favorite. I think it’s important to let 200nipples know that there are people out here that believe in supporting ideas/companies they admire and want to keep around. Some things aren’t about budgets but about ideas or a long-term gain other than money (recycling and more efficient, less destructive energy come to mind.) I don’t think I ever saw “lowest prices” as the 200nipples mission statement- it’s more of a social/market experiment if you ask me. As a scientist I can tell you that in such an experiment, any comment is a good one! Data data data!
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