Bear Grips Pro ShopsCustom Ink Alternative for Competition Kickboxing Gyms
Quick Answer
- Custom Ink quotes a 12-25 piece minimum with a 2-week lead time.
- Bear Grips Pro Shops prints single pieces with same per-piece economics, no minimum.
- Fight gyms switch to escape inventory risk and forecast pain.
- Direct switch playbook included.
Table of Contents
Where Custom Ink Works
Custom Ink built its model for a specific use case: a 25-500 piece one-time order of identical shirts. Single-color print on a stock tee, all shipped to one address. For a large tournament with 100 family fan tees in one box delivered to the gym, the model works.
Where It Breaks for Fight Gyms
- Small rosters. 4-fighter and 8-fighter teams hit the 12-piece minimum painfully.
- Multi-variant orders. Walk-out hoodie with fighter name on back means each piece is a unique SKU. Bulk shops price each as a setup.
- On-demand fight-week orders. A fighter named to a card 10 days out cannot wait for a 2-3 week bulk lead time.
- Direct-to-fighter shipping. Custom Ink ships bulk to the gym. Gym still has to fulfill to each fighter home for out-of-town team members.
Per-Piece Cost Compared
| Order type | Custom Ink approx (with setup spread) | Bear Grips Pro Shops VIP base |
|---|---|---|
| 6 cotton tees, 1 color print | $28-$38 per piece | $23.88 per piece |
| 6 hoodies, 1 color print | $48-$62 per piece | $36.88 per piece |
| 1 piece, on demand | Often unavailable | $23.88 (cotton tee) |
| Per-fighter walk-out hoodie with custom name | +$5-$10 per piece naming fee | No naming fee |
The Switch Playbook
- Sign up for the free plan (3 products) or VIP at $59/mo (200 products).
- Upload the same gym logo file you used on Custom Ink.
- Re-create your top sellers: walk-out hoodie, team tee, coach polo, fan tee.
- Set retail. Match or raise your Custom Ink retail by $4-$8. Margin lifts because base cost dropped.
- Share the new shop link with the team group chat, gym Instagram, fighter family group.
- Old Custom Ink stock sells through naturally. New orders flow through the new shop.
What Stays the Same and What Gets Better
| Stays the same | Gets better |
|---|---|
| Brand availability (Bella+Canvas, Sport-Tek, Champion, Gildan) | No inventory in the gym back room |
| Embroidery and screen-print methods | No forecast pain on the once-a-quarter restock |
| Apparel quality | Fighters and family order direct to home |
| Logo and brand consistency | New designs tested for $0 risk |
Switch From Custom Ink in 30 Minutes
Same brands, no minimums, direct-to-fighter shipping. Move your fight gym apparel program off bulk economics.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Will my existing logo file transfer cleanly?
Yes. Upload the same PNG or vector. No re-design required. Embroidery digitization is a one-time setup if you want embroidered pieces.
What about my old Custom Ink hoodies in storage?
Sell them off normally through the team or family channels. Once gone, transition fully to the no-minimum model.
Does the switch require any contract or commitment?
No contract. Free plan is no-commitment. VIP plan is month-to-month. Cancel anytime.
