Swim Team - Lounge Pants

[LisaImpressions]

Hi,

I have a swim team that is looking to get some stuff embroidered. I have many questions that go with this request, as I haven't done a swim team before.

1 - What is the best way to embroider a towel? What hoop is best? What about Slimline? What about backing/topping?

2 - Aside from towels, what items would be good to offer? They are open to suggestions.

3 - Where can I get wholesale youth lounge pants? This item was specifically requested.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Lisa
Impressions Embroidered Apparel
Canton, GA

[levelbest]

We offer sweatshirts (hoodies) either embroiderred or imprinted, sweat suits, baseball caps, team polos, tshirts imprinted with the logo (heat pressed), carry all bags, swim caps (contract these out), and now team stickers with made with the Rolland GX-24

Towels - low nap works best. Tear away backing, solvy on top. Use whatever hoop works for you. Don't know if one works better than the others.

Not sure on lounge pants...

[LisaImpressions]

Great! Thanks for the info. Where do you get the swim caps?

Lisa

[levelbest]

I believe we ordered thru TruWest. http://www.truwest.com/swimcaps/menu.html

The person who handles their email is "interesting", but the product is good and the turn around is pretty quick.

[LisaImpressions]

Great! I'll check them out. Will I need an ASI number to order from them?

[signman]

If you don't have an ASI number, go to www.upic.org and get a UPIC number-it is FREE if you fill out the 'paperwork'....ASI costs close to $1000 per year. I've been UPIC for almost 10 years now-was ASI for a couple and realized it was a waste of money!

[levelbest]

No, you will not need an ASI number. Just give them a call or order from their website. We didn't have one (still don't) when we placed our orders as recently as last week.

[LisaImpressions]

Cool...thanks for the advice. Is a upic number the same as an ASI number? Are they interchangeable?

Lisa

[signman]

an ASI number is registered with the Advertising Specialty Institute...
a 'for profit' association that supplies distributors (us) with supplier information,
computer library files of catalogs, monthly crates of new catalogs and samples-
and YES, it does get out of hand! Plus for MORE money you can get tons of
'services' if you need it. Basic 'fee to join' I think is over $500.....or much higher.
I don't keep track of it. You also have to jump through hoops to get registered.
Is it worth it? Well, if you can afford it, and do $100,000 a year in Ad specialties, I
guess so-it wasn't worth the money I was paying....
UPIC, is a competitor, but is NON-PROFIT, doesn't have a fee to join, and very
easy to join. You get registered, get a number, and your mailing address is sent
to thousands of suppliers along with free daily 'email' updates and specials from
tons of them.
Again, cost is nothing...but you get access to several companies that will sell
you custom specialty catalogs with YOUR name on it, envelope stuffers, etc.
So you only pay for what YOU want and need.
The numbers are not interchangeable...but to suppliers, you need one or the other
OR, yet a third...a PPAI number...Promotional Products Association something or other.
I know nothing about that one.
There ARE some suppliers that will sell to anyone without any one of the numbers...but be careful, they may ALSO sell direct to ANYONE, commercial or not! Your customer may find out and order the next batch direct and cut you right out, or get the goods wholesale and expect YOU to embroider them and only charge for the embroidery...basically a loss to you.


Roland