Comments on: 3 reasons you should pay for samples

By: Lisa B2

Lisa B2 — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:06:32 +0000

See http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/the-13-different-kinds-of-samples/

By: Sarah_H.

Sarah_H. — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:14:32 +0000

My comment is on different types of samples also. The sample that is used for the contractor to go by, I have always called a production sample. That is, it is made exactly as the production run should be made. And generally made in the design studio sample room. If you have a contractor savvy enough to make it for you, certainly you should be paying them up front so that the sample is your property. And you would expect to pay several times the amount you would pay per garment in a regular cut.

When you approach a contractor to sew a run of garments for you, it is wise to get a “try-out sample” made. That is, before they start sewing the entire run, make up one or two garments off the run for you to check and be sure they are doing things as you would want them. If the try out sample is not right, you have time to correct things be fore they sew the entire cut incorrectly. These may become a permanent part of the contract, as samples of what they are supposed to be doing or they may be just folded in with the rest of the cut. My understanding is that you pay for them as part of the cut, not separately as samples. I have frequently been responsible for reviewing the try outs to see if things were up to our standards. And in real life, I have often found that the garments I was reviewing were just the first three off the line. And by the time I get them to review, the finished cut is being pressed and ready to deliver. …Just in case you run into such a thing.

By: Rosana L

Rosana L — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:12:03 +0000

I definitely agree. As a provider of branding products, we work very hard in creating what we call “pre-production samples” for our customers. It takes time and money to create them, and having non-committed shoppers waste our time by having us create a sample and later disappearing from the face of the earth is neither professional nor respectful.
Fortunately it doesn’t happen very often.

By: Renee

Renee — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 05:25:20 +0000

Kathleen, you are usually very specific regarding the multitude of different sample types, and yet the sample types is not at all clear to me in this post.

So far I have provided every sewing contractor with kit samples and either cut pieces or a paper or digital pattern to use in making up their sew by, but I don’t think any has ever mentioned charging for a sew by, since this is what they use in order to determine their CMT and whether they have any interest in taking on the production. Since I supplied the pattern, it is, of course, mine. The sample that they sew from that pattern is theirs, since they would use it to judge the outcome of a production run.

By: Jay Arbetman

Jay Arbetman — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 05:05:29 +0000

Contractors might as a group, be the worst sales people of all time. Without question, some of this takes place because of language and cultural barriers.

Thumbs up to Xochil and Kathleen for being in favor of mitigating risk.

By: Xochil

Xochil — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 02:23:17 +0000

I personally don’t know any contractors who will do free samples. But I agree and suggest to designers that they should pay for a sample to be done by the contractor before going ahead with the full production order, so specs and quality can be checked. It’s better to pay “extra” once for a sample, than to risk being out ALL the money for an entire order if it goes wrong. I think this should be a development or cost of doing business for the designer, as a way of protecting themselves.

By: Kathleen g

Kathleen g — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:53:54 +0000

As a designer, I think samples should be considered a cost of doing business – my cost.

I like that some manufacturers will provide free samples to regular customers, that is good business and shows good will. However, if I am approaching his company for the first time, I think it’s up to me to suss the terms, then agree to samples. If the samples are awful, then I don’t think of it as wasting $200, I think of it as saving so much more, and being able to eliminate a factor.

While I do not relish having to try out three or more CMTs for my line, I also do not see why they should trust me without having a prior relationship.