Why Churches Should Stop Paying So Much for T-Shirts
If you’ve ever been to a church conference or youth rally and seen t-shirts priced at $40 or $45, you know the frustration. It feels unfair for members and attendees to pay so much for something that should be simple. The truth is, most churches don’t want to charge that much—they feel like they have to.
So why is church merch so expensive? And more importantly, how can your church avoid falling into the $45 t-shirt trap? Let’s dig in.
The Real Reason Church T-Shirts Cost So Much
Most churches work with local print shops or online providers. These shops don’t manufacture garments; they buy blanks from distributors, add their markup, and then charge you again for printing. By the time your church gets the final product, you’re paying inflated prices on every single piece.
Here’s what happens:
Local shop buys a blank tee for $6–$8.
Distributor markup brings it closer to $10–$12.
Printing adds another $3–$5.
By the time it gets to your church, your cost is often $15–$20 per shirt.
To make any margin, you feel forced to sell them for $40+.
The Problem With Overpriced Merch
When shirts are priced too high:
Sales drop. Fewer people are willing (or able) to pay $40 for a shirt.
Inventory lingers. Leftover boxes of merch end up collecting dust.
Congregations feel the pinch. Instead of merch being a blessing, it feels like a burden.
This doesn’t just hurt financially—it damages the trust and enthusiasm you want merch to create.
The Better Way: Factory-Direct Manufacturing
At Church Wear, we believe churches shouldn’t have to choose between quality and affordability. By going factory-direct, we eliminate distributors and middlemen entirely. That means:
Savings of $8–$12 per piece (30–50%) compared to local print shops.
Higher quality garments built from the fabric up, not catalog blanks.
Freedom to price fairly—you can sell a shirt for $20 and still generate healthy profit.
This simple shift turns merch into a win-win: your people get affordable, retail-quality apparel, and your church generates revenue to reinvest into ministry.
Real-World Example
We recently worked with a youth rally in Omaha, Nebraska. By cutting out markups and manufacturing custom pieces directly, the organizers were able to price t-shirts at $25 instead of $45.
The result? They sold out within 30 minutes and walked away with $10,000 in profit—double their initial investment. That kind of outcome isn’t possible when you’re stuck with overpriced blanks.
Why This Matters for Your Church
Merch isn’t just about making money. It’s about:
Stewardship: Using church funds wisely and responsibly.
Accessibility: Making sure every member can afford to represent their church.
Impact: Creating garments people are proud to wear—garments that spark conversations about Jesus in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
When merch is affordable and high-quality, it becomes a ministry multiplier.
Final Thoughts
Churches should stop paying $45 for t-shirts because there’s simply a smarter way. By working factory-direct, you can save significantly, sell at prices your people love, and still create sustainable revenue for future ministry.
At Church Wear, we help churches and nonprofits printing 1,000+ pieces rethink their merch strategy. If you’re tired of overpriced tees and want to create apparel your people will actually wear, it’s time to cut out the markups and build from the fabric up.
