Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Do drivers get 100% of their merch sales? For some of the drivers out there I would imagine merch sales are just as good as having a sponser on the top wing. Is it a 10-12 markup on shirts? I can't believe more drivers don't have a wife/gf/mom selling shirts etc. In front of the cars like some do now. I remember back in the 90s they'd have tubs of shirts waiting for fans at the back of each car. Now it feels like you almost have to beg to see if they have shirts for sale.

I think if the driver sells them from their rigs they do, but if they have a seperate souvenir trailer in the grandstand area, then some tracks (maybe all?) get a portion of the sales.

Couldn't have said it better about beggin to see if they have shirts. It is disappointing compared to how it used to be. Now you ask and either get a no or I will have to check to see if we have any. Then you have to go around to the side door which at that point if they have your size you have to buy whether you liked the design or not. Which if I am asking for a shirt from that driver its likely I don't care too much about what it looks like as getting a sprint shirt is far better than getting any other shirt out there.

I won't knock them too hard though I know if you don't sell much for shirts it is a pain in the rear to have left over merch of odd sizes from multiple years. I don't see shirts being a huge money maker for most teams.

Most local teams I'd say you're right.  But I bet we'd be surprised at how much the top guys make off that stuff.  They aren't pulling apparel trailers all over the country and spending the time and money it takes to create and handled it just for the fun of it.  Look around at an outlaw race.  Someone probably cleared at least $10 on every one of those shirts.  It's pretty lucrative for some of them.    

Certainly does makes one kind of admire what Schuchart and Allen do! Hope they land a big time sponsor someday. In the mean time maybe I need to buy a shirt during nationals then.

MoOpenwheel is pretty spot on here.  Depending on runs (# of shirts and sizes per "print run"), # of colors per design, location of design (i.e. front and back), etc. shirt costs are probably somewhere between $6/7 on the low end and maybe $10 bucks on the high end.  They sell them for $25ish and there's your profit.  Now as MoOpenWheel says WoO and other traveling teams also have to include cost of apparel trailer (and gas and truck to pull said trailer), "employees" to sell the shirts and any fee the track/promoter/sanctioning body charge to set-up shop.  So $10 per shirt is probably about your average profit. 

The trailers have actually probably hurt some of the smaller operations in t-shirt sales.  When you buy a t-shirt before you even buy your ticket.  Chances are you spent your t-shirt money for the trip.

Most of the tracks I've been to the trailers (which are typically when larger sanctioned shows-WoO, USAC, etc.) are inside the track fence so you need to have a ticket first to access the merch. 

Curious what others experiences are. 

You also have to consider that the drivers have to put money front to order shirts. They make a profit in the end. But just like tires, parts, etc it is one more up front expense.

Honestly in the Midwest I can't remember the last track I've been to that had them on the inside. Mason City last night was outside. Knoxville is always outside, 34 back when the WOO came, Des Moines, Osky for the front row and many tracks outside of the state that I've been to as well. Also, I think the statement of the trailers hurting inside the pits sales is pretty spot on even if they are inside the gate. This is usually separate from the pits so many can buy shirts during the races or intermissions B fore making it down to the trailers.

I know when you sell at the nationals the vendors have to pay a large chunk to have their trailers there appox 1500 for the 4 days and also 150.00 to have a vendor  license in Iowa on top of filing  your sales to the IRS . Also keep in mind the cost of fuel and people to work. So to say they are making 10 profit at this particular venue probably not. But if you don't have to pay for the space yes you do. Have a. better Margin 

to sell at Charlotte you  have to have an  insurance bond which runs approximately 700$ 

Hmmm...interesting.  I'm obviously not in the Midwest so it's good to see a comparison. 

I'm sure even the merch trailers that are inside the fences hurt pit sales, but it's probably necessary to place them by grandstands where all spectators/consumers have access (even those with a Pit Pass have access to grandstands, but not vice versa).  Then again, if you have a Pit Pass and want a specific driver's merch you go to their trailer, but those are "destination sales" (meaning you specifically seeek out that driver).  Those with access only to grandstands and therefore the merch trailers may be more "point of sale" purchases. 

I wish there was a place at Knoxville (for the Nationals) that sold all the driver shirts not apart of the bigger t-shirt trailers (Posse, Cali, NSL guys). Because everyone is there to spend money on sprint car racing, I think it would be a big boost to the teams. I know the church across the street from the track gave it some thought last year, but you do need to treat it like a business (keep track of inventory, have people there to take money etc..) so it's probably too much to ask them to do it. But I do think it's a missed opportunity.