Bear Grips Pro ShopsGame Day Shirt Pricing: What Booster Clubs and Team Stores Actually Make
- Booster clubs set their own retail price and keep the difference above the base cost per piece.
- A tee base cost starts at $19.88 on the VIP plan, a hoodie at $36.88.
- A $10 profit per shirt is the default most programs start with, though hoodies and bundles often carry more.
- Selling 100-150 pieces across a season is a realistic target for a single school or club program.
Every booster club treasurer eventually asks the same question: how much do we actually make per shirt. It is a fair question, and the honest answer depends entirely on what you charge versus what the piece costs to print. Here is the real math using the current Bear Grips Pro Shops catalog, so a booster club or coach can pencil out a season's fundraising total before committing to a design.
Base Cost by Piece (VIP Plan)
| Piece | Brand | VIP base |
|---|---|---|
| Airlume cotton athletic tee | Bear Grips | $19.88 |
| Men's moisture-wicking tee | Sport-Tek | $23.86 |
| Premium CVC jersey tee | Next Level | $24.88 |
| Long sleeve cotton shirt | Bella+Canvas | $29.88 |
| Perfect Soft crewneck sweatshirt | Bear Grips | $34.88 |
| Comfort Soft hoodie | Bear Grips | $36.88 |
| Classic zip-up hoodie | Gildan | $41.88 |
| Embroidered snapback hat | Yupoong | $29.86 |
The Free plan carries a higher base price on every piece. VIP's lower base is why most programs running more than a handful of designs upgrade once a season is underway.
How Profit Works: You Set the Retail Price
Bear Grips does not set a fixed margin. A booster club, coach, or gym owner sets the retail price and keeps everything above the base cost. The default most programs start with is $10 profit per piece, which puts a $19.88 tee at $29.88 retail and a $36.88 hoodie at $46.88 retail. Programs selling to a built-in, loyal audience (their own parents and fans) often price hoodies higher, closer to $15-$20 profit, without hurting sell-through.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.What a Full Season Actually Raises
Rough numbers for a mid-size high school program:
- 150 tees sold across a season at $10 profit each: $1,500 raised.
- 40 hoodies sold at $15 profit each: $600 raised.
- Combined season total: $2,100, with zero upfront spend and zero leftover inventory.
Compare that to a wholesale order: the same 150 tees ordered in bulk would cost the club $300-$500 upfront before a single one sells, with no guarantee every size sells through. See game day shirts without a wholesale minimum for the full comparison.
Suggested Retail Ranges by Piece
- Cotton tees: $28-$34 retail.
- Performance tees: $32-$36 retail.
- Long sleeves: $38-$44 retail.
- Crewneck sweatshirts: $44-$50 retail.
- Hoodies: $46-$60 retail.
- Hats: $36-$42 retail.
These ranges hold up because families buying game day gear for their own kid or program are far less price-sensitive than a stranger buying a random graphic tee online.
A Second Revenue Stream: The Built-In Affiliate Program
Every Bear Grips Pro Shops signup, free or paid, comes with an affiliate link in addition to the shop itself. A coach or booster club that refers another program to open their own shop earns 10 percent of that program's subscription for as long as they stay subscribed, plus $1 for every unit that program sells, paid out every two weeks. A conference or league where a few programs refer each other can turn into a small ongoing revenue line on top of shirt sales.
Set Your Own Retail Price
You control the profit on every piece. Default $10 per item, most programs push higher on hoodies.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How much profit should we put on a game day tee?
Most programs start with $10 profit per piece as a default. Well-loved programs with a loyal fan base can push $12-$15 without losing sales.
Does the base price change between the Free and VIP plans?
Yes. VIP carries the lowest base price per piece across the catalog. Free plan pieces cost more at base, which either shrinks the club's margin or forces a higher retail price.
How many game day shirts does a typical program sell in a season?
It varies widely by school size and sport, but 100-150 pieces across a season is a realistic target for a single mid-size program with active parent buy-in.
Can different products carry different profit margins?
Yes. Retail price is set per product. Many programs run a lower margin on tees to drive volume and a higher margin on hoodies where buyers are less price-sensitive.
