Two questions come up constantly when a team or business shops for moisture-wicking polos: what does it actually cost, and what can we charge for it. The honest answer depends on which Bear Grips plan the shop runs on and what retail price the vendor sets, since Bear Grips Pro Shops lets every vendor set their own margin. Here is the real math.
| Piece | Free plan base | VIP base | Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance polo (Sport-Tek) | $41.93 | $34.88 | $7.05 |
| Moisture-wicking tee, men's (Sport-Tek) | $28.88 | $23.86 | $5.02 |
| Moisture-wicking tee, ladies' (Sport-Tek) | $31.95 | $25.88 | $6.07 |
| Moisture-wicking long sleeve, men's (Sport-Tek) | $35.95 | $29.88 | $6.07 |
The free plan works fine for testing a design on up to 3 live products. Once a shop grows past a handful of pieces, the VIP base price difference adds up fast.
A search for the absolute cheapest moisture-wicking polo shirt usually leads to thin, low-grade polyester that pills after a few washes and loses its wicking performance early. The base price gap between a low-grade blank and the Sport-Tek performance polo in the Bear Grips catalog is a few dollars, not enough to justify a shirt that looks worn out after a season. The bigger lever for lowering cost is choosing the right plan, not chasing the cheapest possible blank.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.| Retail price | VIP base | Profit per shirt |
|---|---|---|
| $44.88 | $34.88 | $10.00 |
| $49.88 | $34.88 | $15.00 |
| $54.88 | $34.88 | $20.00 |
Bear Grips defaults new vendors to a $10 profit target per item, but every vendor sets their own price with no restriction. Polos, being a step up from a basic tee, typically hold a higher retail price and a wider margin than a cotton crew tee.
A shop selling even 10 polos a month saves $70.50 in base cost alone by moving from free to VIP, more than covering the $59 subscription.
A 15-person team ordering the moisture-wicking polo at $49.88 retail against a $34.88 VIP base clears $225 in profit across the order, before any other pieces are added. Add a matching cotton tee or a hat and the per-order profit climbs further. For the full moisture-wicking product list with every base price, see the catalog lineup guide.
Base price from $34.88 on VIP. Set your retail price and keep the margin.
Start FreeThe VIP base price is $34.88 per polo. Chasing a cheaper blank than the Sport-Tek performance polo usually means a thinner fabric that wears out faster.
No. The free plan is $0 a month and allows up to 3 live products, at a higher base price per item than VIP.
Most vendors price between $44.88 and $54.88 retail, leaving $10 to $20 profit per shirt against the $34.88 VIP base.
New vendors are defaulted to a $10 profit target per item, but every vendor can set their own retail price with no restriction.
Bear Grips Pro Shops