MAGIC show in Feb, looking for tickets and information. Can anybody help?

[blue moon]

I am looking to go to the MAGIC show in Feb and would prefer to avoid the $250 ticket. Are any of those available for free from distributors or am I stuck with the bill?

Also, if anybody has any info on the show itself, it would be appreciated. In particular, 'would like to know about selling preprint lines to the retail shops or distributors.

thanx,

pierre

[jsheridan]

Why do you want to go to Magic..

It has nothing to do with printing unless you're looking for new clients to print for.

It's all fashion industry based where people go to show off their t-shirt and other lines.

[Fresh Baked Printing]

I went to Magic a few years ago. My ticket was free because I was a "buyer".  I think one of the sellers arranged for the ticket. Tickets are issued to specific named people. It's the credential around the neck type of ticket.
I have gone as a buyer and have printed for someone who showed at Pool.
My brother in-law owns one of those urban couture stores where a Kid Robot or Hundreds t-shirt cost $50.
Magic is where the big boys show like Phat, Sean John,  Hundreds, Ecko, etc,.
Project and specifically Pool, is where the guy with a minimal or no following at all show their stuff. Pool is for the newbie. Source is where you go to find cut-n-sew stuff for example. BTW, source is boooring. Unless you're after something, like 50,000 yards of cotton fabric, don't waste your time at Source.

Let me tell you my experiences as a buyer and you can extrapolate that for a seller's perspective. 
The level and number of tees is mind boggling. A great place to see what the "competition" is printing and to see trends. Nice booths really help too. Magic provides a table, a rack and maybe some curtain wall but it's very bland.
As a buyer, you need to setup showing appointments before you get on the plane. Sellers have so many showing slots in a day and you better get in to the sellers you really want to deal with. As a buyer at the Magic show,  unless you have a pre-existing business with them or plan to order, say, $5,000+ minimum in product, they wont give you the time of day. The feeling is that the buyer needs them more than the seller needs you. Be prepared for young person vernacular and major attitude. Not common but you gotta speak the langue and know the secret handshakes.  Magic is often the first face to face meeting of buyer and seller after numerous phone conversations.
If you don't have an appointment, you need a little mercy and luck to see their lines. No appointment equates to you don't know what you're doing as a buyer. Know who the sellers reps are.

A typical pre-arranged showing appointment last maybe 20 minutes. Greet them with a business card and introduce yourself. The seller wants to place their product where it fits. A little history and even pics of the store can go along way to see if the buyer and products are a good fit for each other.  Seller will often ask the buyer what other brands they carry to gauge the fit and the seriousness of your store.
After the small talk, the seller will ask which if thier lines you're interested in (if they have more than one line) and then they will have an assistant bring the shirts and begin to flip through them a rack at a time. During the product showing the seller may say stuff like "the actual production color will be green" or "the production shirt will have two buttons instead of three.". Much of what you look at is pre-production stuff.
By the second day, the seller is an auto pilot zombie and the buyer eyes glaze over with each product. It becomes a grind.
Sometimes the seller doesn't allow you to cherry pick their product line to sell. It can be either all or nothing.
After you choose what product lines you want to buy, you place the order for summer-fall (usually) delivery. Placing the order doesn't mean you'll ever see any of what you ordered. If production is tight, the good customers get it first. Many use Factoring for payment.

Getting around from show to show is easy with free shuttles.  If you're a hipster, you can even get invited to the industry parties too (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas).

Let me know if you have any questions. It's been three years since I've been to Magic but...

BTW, it's worth the $250 out of pocket just to see the show/printed tees!

[tonypep]

FB thats all very accurate accounting. It's difficult at best to go in green and walk away with anything but being a bit humbled. Leads? Doubtful. Inspiration? Absolutely.

[blue moon]

Why do you want to go to Magic..

It has nothing to do with printing unless you're looking for new clients to print for.

It's all fashion industry based where people go to show off their t-shirt and other lines.

was not thinking about looking for clients, but if I could find some that would be great!

More than anything else, I am interested in starting a preprint or retail line and was thinking MAGIC is the place to learn more.

pierre

[blue moon]

I went to Magic a few years ago. My ticket was free because I was a "buyer".  I think one of the sellers arranged for the ticket. Tickets are issued to specific named people. It's the credential around the neck type of ticket.
I have gone as a buyer and have printed for someone who showed at Pool.
My brother in-law owns one of those urban couture stores where a Kid Robot or Hundreds t-shirt cost $50.
Magic is where the big boys show like Phat, Sean John,  Hundreds, Ecko, etc,.
Project and specifically Pool, is where the guy with a minimal or no following at all show their stuff. Pool is for the newbie. Source is where you go to find cut-n-sew stuff for example. BTW, source is boooring. Unless you're after something, like 50,000 yards of cotton fabric, don't waste your time at Source.

Let me tell you my experiences as a buyer and you can extrapolate that for a seller's perspective. 
The level and number of tees is mind boggling. A great place to see what the "competition" is printing and to see trends. Nice booths really help too. Magic provides a table, a rack and maybe some curtain wall but it's very bland.
As a buyer, you need to setup showing appointments before you get on the plane. Sellers have so many showing slots in a day and you better get in to the sellers you really want to deal with. As a buyer at the Magic show,  unless you have a pre-existing business with them or plan to order, say, $5,000+ minimum in product, they wont give you the time of day. The feeling is that the buyer needs them more than the seller needs you. Be prepared for young person vernacular and major attitude. Not common but you gotta speak the langue and know the secret handshakes.  Magic is often the first face to face meeting of buyer and seller after numerous phone conversations.
If you don't have an appointment, you need a little mercy and luck to see their lines. No appointment equates to you don't know what you're doing as a buyer. Know who the sellers reps are.

A typical pre-arranged showing appointment last maybe 20 minutes. Greet them with a business card and introduce yourself. The seller wants to place their product where it fits. A little history and even pics of the store can go along way to see if the buyer and products are a good fit for each other.  Seller will often ask the buyer what other brands they carry to gauge the fit and the seriousness of your store.
After the small talk, the seller will ask which if thier lines you're interested in (if they have more than one line) and then they will have an assistant bring the shirts and begin to flip through them a rack at a time. During the product showing the seller may say stuff like "the actual production color will be green" or "the production shirt will have two buttons instead of three.". Much of what you look at is pre-production stuff.
By the second day, the seller is an auto pilot zombie and the buyer eyes glaze over with each product. It becomes a grind.
Sometimes the seller doesn't allow you to cherry pick their product line to sell. It can be either all or nothing.
After you choose what product lines you want to buy, you place the order for summer-fall (usually) delivery. Placing the order doesn't mean you'll ever see any of what you ordered. If production is tight, the good customers get it first. Many use Factoring for payment.

Getting around from show to show is easy with free shuttles.  If you're a hipster, you can even get invited to the industry parties too (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas).

Let me know if you have any questions. It's been three years since I've been to Magic but...

BTW, it's worth the $250 out of pocket just to see the show/printed tees!

AWESOME write up!!! Thank you very much, 'exactly the type of info I am after!

pierre

[Nation03]

Always wanted to go. I have a future line in the works, but other then the name and logo.. I have no clue where I want to take the line, artistically... so I've just kind of put it off until something clicks. I want to go to the Pool Trade Show, which I think is at the same place as the Magic show, but it is for the smaller/indie lines.

[Screened Gear]

Pierre,

So are you going to give us a follow up on your experiance? I really would like to know what was good about the show.

Jon