There are many things to consider when choosing a vendor for your Bar or Bat Mitzvah swag. With so many big (and small) companies creating favors, it’s important to do your homework before making your selection. To help guide you through this process, Mitzvah Market asked Howie Zwang, owner of Gotham T-Shirts, a leading Mitzvah favor/apparel vendor, to share the key questions he believes all Mitzvah parents should ask:
Vendor Research
“The first thing you should do is speak with friends, use online resources, like Mitzvah Market, and check social media sites to educate yourself about the business,” says Zwang. “There are many ways to do this, but these are my personal recommendations.”
Look at each vendor’s website: Is the site up-to-date? Are pictures and reviews recent or from three years ago? You’ll also see if the company creates items/logos with a vibe that you like.
With an open mind read the Yelp, Google & Facebook reviews for each business: Read the good ones and the bad ones — and don’t be afraid of a few bad ones. Question the vendor on these reviews. Can you tell which the owner and his friends wrote which are authentic? In today’s world you can purchase reviews, so thousands of great reviews and zero bad ones would be a red flag for me, says Zwang.
Ask your friends for referrals: Utilize social media groups and ask members publicly or privately who they used for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, why they chose them and whether or not they were happy with the vendor and the final products.
Vendor Interviews
After your initial research, Zwang advises calling two or three reputable companies to ask the following:
Do you have an in-house artist to create a Bar or Bat Mitzvah logo or re-create an existing one? What is the cost for logo creation or reproduction? Do you use clip art or create all original? How many hours or revisions is the client entitled to with the quoted price? If a logo is created but needs to be altered for apparel, do you charge twice?
Do you print the favors in house? “Quality control is KEY,” explains Zwang. “If your ‘favor people’ aren’t creating and producing items in-house, the reality is they have zero control on the production of your items. While many of these (outsourced) vendors and businesses are great and successful you might want to work with a vendor that has a factory and has the ability to tweak a job during production.
How many Bar and Bat Mitzvah favors do you print each year? How long have you been in the Bar Bat Mitzvah favor business? “You want to know if this is a ‘part-time printer’ or someone who specializes in Mitzvah favor apparel,” explains Zwang. “Think about it, do you want to work with a company that prints for Little Leagues all year? Or one who deals with the fashion forward party favors that your child wants?”
You’ve Made A Decision… Now What?
Call the vendor you liked the best and find out the following:
*How long until we get the art?
*Can we use the logo for the party?
*When do you need final count and sizes?
*Will you help me with sizing and quantity?
*Will you send samples if the business isn’t local?
*When do we receive our favors?
Photo Gallery
See below for some of Gotham T-Shirts’ hottest Bar and Bat Mitzvah swag… and take a sneak peek inside their factory.
For more information about Gotham T-Shirts visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
You can also ask questions and get advice on favors and swag in our regional Bar Bat Mitzvah planning groups on Facebook. Join here.
