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How to sell t-shirts online

Short answer

To sell t-shirts you design, use print-on-demand to skip inventory and sell from a store on your own domain, with a checkout that handles sizes. Etsy and TikTok Shop help new designs get found. To sell vintage band or graphic tees you own, Depop and eBay have the collectors.

Two ways to sell, and which is yours

Resell vintage tees

Old band, tour and graphic tees are their own collector market. Show the neck tag, the print up close and the hem stitching, then list on Depop or eBay. Single shirts don't need a store; the apps already have the buyers.

Best for

Thrift finds, band tees and vintage graphic shirts

Sell your own designs

Print-on-demand prints each shirt after it's ordered, so a new design costs you a mockup, not a box of stock. Sizes and colors need variants, so Replo builds the store pages on a Shopify store and its checkout.

Best for

Designers, creators and communities launching merch

Where to sell t-shirts and what each platform charges

Fees for selling t-shirts
Your own store on Shopify$39 a month, or $29 billed yearly2.9% + $0.30 with Shopify PaymentsUsing another payment provider on Basic adds a 2% third-party transaction fee.
Etsy$0.20 a listing6.5% + 3% + $0.25 processingOffsite Ads take 15% of sales they bring in, or 12% once you pass $10,000 a year.
TikTok ShopNothing until you sell6% referral fee, processing includedThe fee also applies to buyer-paid shipping, and pre-owned items pay 5%.
Amazon (clothing)$0.99 an item, or $39.99 a month5% to $15, 10% to $20, 17% aboveThe rate jumps to 17% above $20, so mid-priced clothes pay more than most platforms.
DepopNo selling fee in the US3.3% + $0.45 payment processingBoosted listings add a 12% fee, but only if you choose to boost.
eBay250 free listings a month, then $0.3513.6% + $0.30, or $0.40 over $10Payment processing is built into eBay's final value fee, so nothing else is added.

The print-on-demand cost comes out before any platform fee, so shirt margins are thin everywhere. Marketplaces help early sales; your own store keeps more once fans come back for new designs.

What you keep on a $30 printed t-shirt

Each platform's fees on one $30 sale, before shipping, taxes, monthly plans and any ads you choose to buy.

  1. Your own store on Shopify$28.83 kept, $1.17 in fees
  2. Depop$28.56 kept, $1.44 in fees
  3. TikTok Shop$28.20 kept, $1.80 in fees
  4. Etsy$26.70 kept, $3.30 in fees
  5. eBay$25.52 kept, $4.48 in fees
  6. Amazon (clothing)$24.90 kept, $5.10 in fees

Product pages brands run ads to

Real product pages that brands are sending Meta ads to right now, captured from Replo's ad library, and one thing on each worth copying.

  • Wild Texas Project graphic tee page with a model in a canyon, review stars, eight colors and sizes to 4XL

    Wild Texas Project

    Defend the bend Classic Cotton Tee V2

    5 Meta ads linked here

    A giveback line about keeping Texas wild sits above the title, followed by a 4.96 rating from 105 reviews.

    See the page
  • Feels So Good product page for a black graphic tee with a size dropdown, Add to cart and Shop Pay

    Feels So Good

    Outside Of A Dream

    4 Meta ads linked here

    Short bullet specs name the artist, the Comfort Colors blank, the garment dye and that it was screen printed in Austin.

    See the page

Launch checklist

  • Print only artwork you made or licensed, since band logos, characters and brand marks belong to their owners.
  • Don't count on copyright for a slogan; short phrases aren't protected, though someone may hold a trademark.
  • Order a sample of every blank and print method, then wash it to check fading, cracking and shrinkage.
  • Post a size chart with chest width and body length for each size, measured on your actual blank.
  • Find out where your blank shirts are made, because online listings must say made in the USA, imported, or both.
  • Confirm your print partner's blanks carry fiber, origin and care labels before you sell them as your own.

Build your t-shirt brand store

Replo builds your shirt store's pages on your own domain, running on Shopify's checkout so every size and color works.

The prompt Replo starts from

Build a store for my t-shirt brand, [brand name]. Make a homepage featuring our newest designs, a shop page grouped by [theme or collection], product pages with mockups, a size chart and fabric details, an about page on what the brand stands for, and an email signup for new drops. Use Shopify checkout for sizes and colors.
Build my storeStart for Free

Frequently asked questions

How do I sell t-shirts on Etsy?
Open an Etsy shop, connect a print-on-demand partner or list shirts you've printed, and write titles with the words buyers search for, like the theme and who it's for. Use mockups that show the shirt worn, and keep every design original.
What t-shirt designs sell the most?
Designs for a specific group tend to beat generic jokes: a hobby, a job, a town or a fandom you belong to. Niche buyers search for themselves. Test several designs on one blank with print-on-demand, then promote the ones that sell.
Can you really make money selling t-shirts?
Yes, but margins per shirt are thin, so profit comes from an audience that buys again. Creators with followers and brands with a community do best. Without an audience, budget as much time for marketing as for design.
Can I print a slogan I like on a shirt?
Often, if you wrote it: copyright doesn't protect short phrases. Someone may still own it as a trademark, so search the USPTO's trademark records first. Logos, characters and band art belong to their owners, and printing them invites takedowns.

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