How to Price Hoodies, Hats and Mugs
By The Merch Counter team · Updated · 3 min read
A quick guide to pricing every type of merch, with the price ranges we suggest for a local business and example earnings on The Merch Counter †. The same rule applies to all of them: start around 2.5× what it costs to make, then adjust to what similar shops near you charge. For a sense of costs, Printful lists a Gildan 18500 hoodie from $22.63, a Bella+Canvas 3001 tee from $11.92 and an 11 oz mug from $6.07.
Today's catalog at our suggested prices, live:
| Product | Customer pays | Printing and blank | Our fee (20%) | You earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie | Gildan 18500Hoodies | $57.00 | −$22.63 | −$11.40 | $22.97 |
 Unisex Garment-Dyed Sweatshirt | Comfort Colors 1566Sweatshirts | $77.00 | −$30.59 | −$15.40 | $31.01 |
 Unisex Basic Softstyle T-Shirt | Gildan 64000T-shirts | $25.00 | −$9.63 | −$5.00 | $10.37 |
 Classic Dad Hat | Yupoong 6245CMHats | $38.00 | −$14.94 | −$7.60 | $15.46 |
 Cuffed Beanie | Yupoong 1501KCBeanies | $42.00 | −$16.50 | −$8.40 | $17.10 |
 Enamel MugMugs | $32.00 | −$12.67 | −$6.40 | $12.93 |
Stainless Steel TumblerTumblers | $59.00 | −$23.25 | −$11.80 | $23.95 |
 Eco Tote Bag | Econscious EC8000Tote bags | $45.00 | −$17.75 | −$9.00 | $18.25 |
 Embroidered Apron | Liberty Bags 5502Aprons | $45.00 | −$17.64 | −$9.00 | $18.36 |
 Kiss-Cut StickersStickers | $8.00 | −$2.95 | −$1.60 | $3.45 |
Today’s catalog at our suggested prices. Larger sizes cost a bit more to make; your dashboard shows every size before you list, and you can price higher or lower.
Hoodies
Suggested: $50–$60 · Example: $55, you earn $20.00 †
Hoodies earn you the most per sale of any product. In cold-weather towns they often outsell t-shirts in fall and winter. A heavier, premium hoodie can go higher. Feature hoodies in posts and displays; one hoodie sale is worth almost two tee sales.
Sweatshirts (crewnecks)
Suggested: $40–$50 · Example: $45, you earn $16.00 †
A crewneck is a slightly cheaper, cozier alternative to a hoodie and suits cafés, bakeries and bookstores. It's also a strong choice for a vintage-style design.
T-shirts
Suggested: $25–$35 · Example: $30, you earn $12.00 †
The default product. See How Much Should You Charge for a T-Shirt?.
Long sleeves and tanks
Long sleeve: $32–$40 · Example: $36, you earn $13.80 † Tank: $25–$30 · Example: $28, you earn $11.40 †
Long sleeves suit outdoor and cooler-climate businesses. Tanks are for gyms, studios and beach towns.
Hats
Suggested: $28–$35 · Example: $32, you earn $10.60 †
Embroidered caps look premium, suit everyone and have no sizes. Embroidery costs more than printing, so hats earn slightly less per sale than you'd expect from the price. Worth it anyway — they're one of the most-worn types of merch.
Beanies
Suggested: $25–$32 · Example: $30, you earn $11.00 †
A seasonal winner for breweries, outdoor shops and cold-weather towns. Expensive beanie blanks can push the 2.5× price too high; cap at what customers would pay locally.
Mugs
Suggested: $16–$20 · Example: $18, you earn $6.90 †
A lower price point with modest earnings per sale, but very popular as a gift. Essential for coffee shops, bakeries and bookstores.
Tumblers and water bottles
Tumbler: $30–$38 · Example: $34, you earn $13.20 † Water bottle: $30–$36 · Example: $34, you earn $12.20 †
Higher-value drinkware. Tumblers suit coffee shops; bottles suit gyms and studios.
Tote bags
Suggested: $22–$28 · Example: $26, you earn $9.80 †
The signature product for bookstores, bakeries, roasters and markets. Customers use them every day, so they're excellent advertising.
Aprons
Suggested: $40–$60 · Example: $48, you earn $18.40 †
A strong earner for bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants. Premium materials can justify the top of the range. Also doubles as staff uniform.
Stickers and pins
Sticker: $4–$6 · Example: $5, you earn $2.00 † Pins: price them like stickers, at a few dollars.
Impulse buys and add-ons. They don't earn much per sale, but they raise the average order and they travel: laptops, water bottles, car windows. On The Merch Counter, the minimum margin is scaled down for inexpensive goods, so you can price stickers the way shops actually price them.
Summary table
| Product | Suggested | Example price † | You earn † |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoodie | $50–$60 | $55 | $20.00 |
| Apron | $40–$60 | $48 | $18.40 |
| Sweatshirt | $40–$50 | $45 | $16.00 |
| Long sleeve | $32–$40 | $36 | $13.80 |
| Tumbler | $30–$38 | $34 | $13.20 |
| Water bottle | $30–$36 | $34 | $12.20 |
| T-shirt | $25–$35 | $30 | $12.00 |
| Tank | $25–$30 | $28 | $11.40 |
| Beanie | $25–$32 | $30 | $11.00 |
| Hat | $28–$35 | $32 | $10.60 |
| Tote | $22–$28 | $26 | $9.80 |
| Mug | $16–$20 | $18 | $6.90 |
| Sticker | $4–$6 | $5 | $2.00 |
Related: Merch Profit Margins · How to Choose Your First 5 Merch Products
† Worked examples. They use our real 20% fee and suggested 2.5× price on an illustrative cost to make; real costs vary by product, size and print. Bulk-order figures are illustrative too. Today’s numbers for every product are in the profit calculator and in your dashboard before you list anything.