The plan · Drop 01
How Gloom & Glow makes money.
Sell first, print second. Every piece is paid for before it is made, so the store never holds stock it cannot sell. Below is one drop, worked out piece by piece. Every number is an estimate from public prices checked Nov 3, 2026.
Drop 01 sales (estimate)
$2,87262 online pieces plus one cast order of 24 tees
Profit after printing and fees (estimate)
$1,505Before any paid ads. Shipping is paid by the buyer or skipped with pickup
To the theater program (estimate)
$120$5 a tee from the fundraiser option on the cast order
Where the money comes from
Four ways in, one print run.
01
Online preorders
Families and theater fans buy during a two-week window. Printed on demand, so there is no stock to buy up front and no unsold boxes.
02
Cast and crew group orders
One organizer link per show. Price drops at 12 and 24 tees. This is the biggest single order a drop can get.
03
Show-night merch table
Group orders and preorders are picked up at the table, and a few extra prints and totes are sold there in person.
04
Fundraiser option
Groups can add $5 a piece for their program. It costs the store nothing and gives a director a reason to say yes.
One piece at a time
What each sale keeps.
| Piece | Planned price | Print cost (est.) | Card fee (est.) | Kept (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night Shift Tee | $32 | $11.69 | $1.23 | $19.08 |
| Rain Town Tote | $24 | $9.50 | $1.00 | $13.50 |
| The Open Door | $28 | $10.95 | $1.11 | $15.94 |
| Gloom to Glow Set | $72 | $32.14 | $2.39 | $37.47 |
Print costs are print-on-demand prices from the sources below. Shipping is added at checkout and paid by the buyer.
Drop 01, worked out
One two-week window.
| Line | Units (est.) | Sales (est.) | Costs and fees (est.) | Profit (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night Shift Tee, online | 30 | $960 | $388 | $572 |
| Rain Town Tote, online | 14 | $336 | $147 | $189 |
| The Open Door, online | 10 | $280 | $121 | $159 |
| Gloom to Glow Set, online | 8 | $576 | $276 | $300 |
| Cast order, 24 tees at $25 + $5 fundraiser | 24 | $720 | $435 | $285 |
| Drop 01 total | 86 | $2,872 | $1,367 | $1,505 |
- The cast order costs line includes the $120 that goes to the program.
- Glow unlock math: 62 tees in this scenario, well past the goal of 24. Glow ink screen printing is about $7.13 a tee plus a $15 setup, on a blank that costs about $4.50 wholesale. That puts a glow tee near $12.26 at 24 and $11.88 at 60, about the same as a plain print-on-demand tee at $11.69. So the upgrade is close to free. The $4.50 blank is an estimate, not a quote.
- If the window ends under 24 tees, everything still ships, just printed on demand without glow ink. The store never loses money on a small drop.
- Ads budget for Drop 01: $0 planned. The three ads below run as free posts and in the show program.
Competitors copied
What each one does, and what we do better.
Cotton Bureau
SourceTheir model · Two-week preorder, printed once if enough sell. We took · A fixed preorder window with a live countdown and a quantity goal.
Made better · Our goal unlocks something you can see: at 24 tees the windows print in glow ink.
Bonfire
SourceTheir model · Batch campaigns, fundraisers that pay the group. We took · One batch per drop and a give-back option.
Made better · The fundraiser is one switch on the group order: +$5 a piece goes to the theater program.
Custom Ink Group Order Form
SourceTheir model · One link, everyone picks a size, one box ships. We took · Cast and crew group orders with price tiers.
Made better · Pickup on show night at the merch table, so nobody pays group shipping.
A24 Shop
SourceTheir model · Small numbered runs, dark editorial store. We took · Numbered editions and a quiet, product-first look.
Made better · Theater-sized runs (150 per drop) at theater prices.
Fangamer
SourceTheir model · Original art per product, preorders, combo packs. We took · Original art for every piece and a bundle that saves money.
Made better · No borrowed show logos or lyrics, so the brand can grow without trademark trouble.
Broadway Merchandise Shop
SourceTheir model · Show tees $20 to $45, sold online and at the show. We took · Theater price anchors, S to 2XL, the show-night table.
Made better · Made for any school or community show, not one licensed title.
Costs and sources
Where the numbers come from.
| Item | Cost (est.) |
|---|---|
| Tee, front print, print on demand (Printful) | $11.69 |
| Cotton tote, print on demand | $8 to $11 |
| Matte print 12 x 16 (Printful) | $10.95 |
| Glow ink screen print, 24 tees | $7.13 each + $15 setup |
| Card fees | 2.9% + $0.30 |
Checked Nov 3, 2026. Prices change.
The ads
Three ads, made for Drop 01.
- Instagram feed, 4:5: the Night Shift tee, preorder Drop 01, $32 planned price.
- Instagram and TikTok story, 9:16: 24 tees unlocks glow ink windows.
- Show program half page, print: cast and crew group orders and the show-night merch table.
Before the first sale
- Checkout stays off until the store's payment account is approved by a parent or guardian.
- Order a sample tee and print to check color and fit before the window opens.
- Ask one theater director if the cast group order and fundraiser fit their show.