Often, we come across new business ideas that sound good on paper, but don't quite live up to our expectations. When we were alerted to online retailer Pat Pending, it sounded promising: customers can buy exclusive rights to a design, allowing them to resell copies of a garment, or resell their rights to the design. Interesting new business model, right? Unfortunately, Pat Pending took a few wrong turns.
First, the designs on offer are just slogans on white t-shirts. Sure, a customer registers a slogan with Pat Pending and has exclusive rights to that phrase on any Pat Pending t-shirt. But unless Pat Pending becomes a highly sought-after brand, a slogan on a plain t-shirt doesn't amount to much. Anyone can order an identical t-shirt printed with the same slogan from any customized t-shirt store. Secondly, it would be much more appealing if the company facilitated sales by a design's owner, giving him or her a cut of each sale. Instead, Pat Pending asks customers to order more of 'their' shirts at the listed retail price (USD 66.90), with no help in reselling them.
What would make this concept worthwhile, is if a customer could buy the rights to a truly unique design. Think a Threadless-like graphic on a t-shirt, or a quirky dress designed by a talented fashion student. (In their defence, Pat Pending is currently asking designers to submit designs that slogans can be printed in/on.) Buy and sell those designs, produce and ship the goods, add easy to operate, no-inventory webshops like Zlio, and you've created an innovative service that adds value for all parties involved. A bit like Etsy, the marketplace for handmade products, but for people who are better at selling than creating. Consumers across the world are designing and creating products, while others increasingly use the web to become part-time shopkeepers. An online design brokerage could match part-time designers with part-time sellers, each focusing on what they do best. One to start? If you do, be sure to let us know ;-)
Website: www.patpendingstore.com
Contact: www.patpendingstore.com/contact.aspx
Spotted by: Anthony Sibillin
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Hi Nikolaus,
Thanks for your comment. Spreadshirt lets people create and sell their own t-shirts. What we were thinking of, is a party that would connect creators and sellers, letting 'amateur' sellers buy the rights to a design from a designer and then sell the product to others. Not just t-shirts, but other designs, too.
Sounds similar to zapelle.com and cafepress.com.
As you stated: What we were thinking of, is a party that would connect creators and sellers, letting 'amateur' sellers buy the rights to a design from a designer and then sell the product to others. Not just t-shirts, but other designs, too.
I too am looking for just such a company that can match me up. I got an idea for blue jeans, a tool, kitchen utensil and others and it is just to much money to go the apply for patent, rejection, reapply, repay lawyers route. www.gobignetworks.com tries to hook up people with ideas or companies with investors but does not do exactly what we want, someone whose company can take on someone's ideas and bring them to market for a percentage of items sold.
There is also a company in NH called The Big Idea Group I think www.bidideagroup.com that will look at your idea under a non-disclosure and then decide if they want to take it on. I had a kitchen utensil they thought hard about but as another guy in CT the promotes kitchen products told me (the same thing Big Idea Group did) it does not reach the magical $19.95 price they look for for everyone to make a profit.
I do the logo thing on www.cafepress.com but that does not help me bring a product to marekt only a design to put on items.
So if anyone else has ideas on where there are other companies like this Big Idea Group let me know.
Threadless sounds like it might fit the bill. From wikipedia: Users (professional illustrators and amateurs alike) may submit t-shirt designs online, which are then put to a public vote. A small percentage of submissions are selected to be printed and sold through the online store. Creators of the winning designs receive a combined cash and store credit
prize.
In addition to t-shirts, they have partnered with blik to create designs for wall decals
Just checking in to Springwise and anyone else. There are a number of companies doing the, "we take your design and put it on a t-shirt, mug, etc. and you sell it via their site for a profit but you have to market it as best you can to get people to your site at Threadless or a CafePress.
So if you had a site at Cafepress it would be something like www.cafepress.com/thebrownout but that is not what I am getting at and I think Springwise was getting at the same thing. Again a company like The Big Idea Group looks at your idea, or prototype, then says yes or no to it. If they say yes they have the contacts and resources to do a patent search and if viable then produce your product or push it to their contacts who product then bring it to market and you get a percentage. So be it blue jeans, a kitchen utensil, an auto device, house tool, whatever, what I am looking for and what I think Springwise is getting at are more companies like The Big Idea Group that simply buys your idea or prototype and brings it to market and does all the legwork in between of which there is LOT$ of.
Looking forward for an update from Springwise or anyone else out there who has companies we can look into.
check www.spreadshirt.net (german/european) - it might be what you're looking for :)
Nikolaus M. Thomale | July 18, 2007 10:54 AM