Salt Talks 2011

[Seldom Seen Slim]

It's never too early to start the discussion about this year's big social event.

Here's today's quandary for us:  T-shirts.  I think that I'd like to request your opinions about whether we should make and sell the Salt Talks 2011 shirts, like we have every year - or should we explore other options for a commemorative fund raiser for the site?

Pro:  We generate a tidy sum of profit from the sale of the shirts, and that profit is what allows this site to keep running properly.  Also - I like choosing the vehicles that show up on the shirt from the bikes and cars that were featured in Build Diaries during the year, to recognize the work that Forum members put into their vehicles and show us on the Forum.  There are probably more things - but these come to mind right away.

Con:  Who really wants yet another shirt?  I know I am not in the minority - in having so dang many t-shirts in the house that we put some of them in plastic totes, some on shelves in the basement - and some in the shop.  Add to that the extras that we have - because we order what we think will sell each year, invariably ending up with a dozen or more left over.  There are probably more things - but this comes to mind right away.

At this point I'm open for comments and suggestions.  Nancy and I haven't decided what we'll do, other than acknowledge that we need money to keep the site running.  Right now the kitty/bank is pretty low*, so I'm looking ahead. 

*Speaking of the cash flow -- I've got to pay cash in advance for the shirts and the artwork, etc - and the site doesn't carry enough to pay the four-figure outlay so it comes out of our personal pockets.  Yes, we eventually get it back - but in the meantime, you know. . .

Finally - I'll get a poll running to ask this same question and offer some other potential fund raising things to sell.  Let's see what turns up.

[38flattie]

Not everyone wears hats, pins, etc.

Why not try and 'pre-sell' some shirts, to cover the monetary outlay?

I'm sure everyone here understands, and it might work for you.

I'll take two!

[fredvance]

Racers and racing spectators cant have too many t shirts. That being said, order fewer t shirts. You should have a pretty good idea of how many you have left over each year. Make sure you don't have any left. Sort of a limited edition deal. I try and get one every year, but I will survive if you sell out before I get one.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I'll comment now and then as your responses show up.  We do "pre-sell" as many as possible.  We've got a couple of dozen "pre-sold" shirts down in the basement from years gone past.  Folks pre-order and say "I'll pick it up from you on the salt (or words like that) and then don't - whether they don't attend SpeedWeek or blow up parts and leave in disgust or whatever.  I guess we could insist on prepaying so we won't have that particular issue.

We always try to order the right quantity of shirts based on previous years' sales, and I guess it's inevitable that there'll be some left over.  We want to minimise that number.

Some of the pre-sold shirts are easy, so to speak, in that most of the time the owners of the vehicles that are on the shirt want more than just one -- so they let us know how many and even what size they'll need.  But that's no more than a quarter of the total quantity we need to get.

Back to the beginning -- I'm just exploring what to do.

[38flattie]

Jon, when I said pre-sell,  I meant that you would take orders, and the customer would pre-pay for them, helping your net cash outlay.

Customers could be given the choice of picking them up on the salt, or paying shipping, with the understanding that it will be after Bonneville before their shirt would ship.

Just an idea....

[landsendlynda]

The Land's End crew and I really love those neck coolers!! I guess if I had to pick one, uhhh, hmmm, I can't I love 'em all!!  I do know that if I had say...a box of those neck coolers, my crew could sell 'em for ya at Land's End...spectators are always looking for more stuff and a lot of them don't go out on the salt!  So, there's my 2 cents worth of no answer!

Lynda

[Stainless1]

hey Slim, auction off a car and a bike spot on the shirt, by PM, best offer ends up on  the shirt, you can notify when they are outbid to see if they want to raise their offer.

[BudJ63]

....................  Add to that the extras that we have - because we order what we think will sell each year, invariably ending up with a dozen or more left over.  There are probably more things - but this comes to mind right away.

Can't have too many T-Shirts. Add a merchandise section to the Landracing.com Hompage. I for one would buy a T-Shirt from past events. You have merchandise sections for the Ack Attack, Quiz Supporters and the Name Tags. Add the merchandise to the Donation section. Just a suggestion.

Bud

[Steve Walters]

One thing you don't want to do is take your new Salt Talks T shirt, and your Speed Week T shirts, along with the new Thunder Salt Shirt to the laundry mat at the west end of Wendover, the one coupled to the gas station convenience store.  Whether someone had just washed a lead acid battery in the wash machine, or a miner used it for his coveralls, I don't know, but it turned all my brand new shirts into holy shirts. 

Raffles are a good way to raise cash, maybe a portfolio of Tony's avatars, and for the ladies, a calender of Jon modeling his tattoos'.  Except the one on his back that should go with the avatars'.   

Steve

[dick elliott]

....................  Add to that the extras that we have - because we order what we think will sell each year, invariably ending up with a dozen or more left over.  There are probably more things - but this comes to mind right away.

Can't have too many T-Shirts. Add a merchandise section to the Landracing.com Hompage. I for one would buy a T-Shirt from past events. You have merchandise sections for the Ack Attack, Quiz Supporters and the Name Tags. Add the merchandise to the Donation section. Just a suggestion.

Bud  I'll second that! You can never have too many tee's. Haven't seen an ad on here for quite a while for left over tee's. Any out there??

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Dick, Nancy and I will visit the storeroom and do an inventory on the old t-shirts we've got handy,  I'll post it - and then you (and others, of course) will be welcome to browse and buy all that you want.  While I could hold onto them for years and then sell 'em as priceless artifacts of years gone by -- nah, I'll sell 'em now (I hope).

I do have one special shirt that I'll auction off soon, though - and might start doing more of the auctions to raise some money for the site.  That special shirt is a bonafide white landracing.com shirt - with an interesting autograph from a salt flats racer.  I'll tell more when I've got a photo ready.

[wheelrdealer]

I would gladly pre-pay and pick my shirts up at Speedweek. I am also interested in past event shirts.

Bill

[oldrodder]

Pre paying for a T shirt is OK with me.  I was dissappointed with the name tags last year. 

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Well -- I don't like hearing that you were disappointed with the name tags.  So - I'll ask what you didn't care for - and see how I can rectify the unhappy smiley that you've got on your post.  I don't think we forgot your tag -- or did we? 

I want to offer them again this year and therefore want to know what was disappointing to you.  Maybe others felt similarly - and didn't speak up.  Let me know, hey -- and if it's something you'd rather not say here on the Forum -- use the PM or a regular email. 
Don't want unhappy netizens here

[hayaboosta]

I ordered a dozen or so last year and will do the same this year.   I thought they served their purpose well for a great price. Added bonus that they supported Jon and Nancys business!  They made great souvenirs for those who visited the salt for a few days to help us out.