The math on a sublimation-look apparel order changes completely depending on whether the shirts are bought upfront in a case pack or printed one at a time as people order. This guide walks through actual VIP base prices from the Bear Grips Pro Shops catalog, a working retail pricing framework, and the profit math on a typical team or event order so a vendor can price with real numbers instead of a guess.
| Piece | Brand | VIP base |
|---|---|---|
| Airlume cotton tee | Bear Grips | $19.88 |
| Performance workout tank | Bella+Canvas | $19.88 |
| Men's moisture-wicking tee | Sport-Tek | $23.86 |
| Women's essential spaghetti strap tank | Bella+Canvas | $25.88 |
| Men's performance polo | Sport-Tek | $34.88 |
| Comfort soft hoodie | Bear Grips | $36.88 |
| Champion performance hoodie | Champion | $45.88 |
| Signature seamless leggings | Bear Grips | $54.88 |
These are Self-Service VIP prices ($59 a month, 200 live products). The free plan ($0 a month, 3 live products) runs $4 to $11 higher on the same pieces, which is the entire reason most vendors selling more than a couple of designs move to VIP once they have proof of demand.
| Order size | Piece | VIP base | Retail | Profit per piece | Total profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 pieces | Performance tee | $23.86 | $34 | $10.14 | $202.80 |
| 30 pieces | Cotton tee | $19.88 | $32 | $12.12 | $363.60 |
| 50 pieces | Performance tank | $19.88 | $30 | $10.12 | $506.00 |
| 100 pieces | Comfort soft hoodie | $36.88 | $55 | $18.12 | $1,812.00 |
None of this profit is at risk from unsold inventory. Every piece prints after it is ordered and paid for, so a vendor never fronts cash for a case pack that might not sell out.
A wholesale sublimation blank case pack requires paying for the full case upfront, usually before a single shirt has sold, and then finding a separate way to actually apply the design (an in-house press, or a local print shop charging per-shirt setup and labor on top of the blank cost). The upfront cash outlay for a 24-piece case plus press time or shop labor commonly runs $400 to $700 before the first sale. A single-piece printed model spreads that same cost across each individual sale instead of asking for it all at once, which is the main reason teams, small event organizers, and new merch sellers gravitate toward it.
Every signup, free or paid, gets a shop and a unique affiliate link at the same time. Referring another vendor pays 10 percent of that vendor's subscription for as long as they stay subscribed, plus $1 for every unit that referred vendor sells. Payouts run bi-weekly. A vendor who refers three other team managers or event organizers to Self-Service VIP earns roughly $17.70 a month in recurring commission on subscriptions alone, before any per-unit bonus.
Set your retail price, keep the margin, no upfront cost. Free to start.
Start FreeBase prices for full-color printed shirts run from $19.88 for a cotton tee to around $25.88 for premium tanks at VIP pricing. Retail price is set by the vendor, typically $10 to $15 over base.
The per-piece price does not change with order size. A vendor pricing for a known bulk headcount sets retail lower since there is no per-color or per-unit setup fee to spread across a larger order.
Most vendors charge a higher flat markup on hoodies ($12 to $20) than on tees ($10 to $15), since the base cost and perceived value are both higher.
No. The free plan costs $0 a month, and orders only get produced and charged once a customer buys. There is no upfront inventory purchase at any plan level.
Bear Grips Pro Shops