Guinea Pig ( and hedgehog ) designs on clothing

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MarthaAndMaud

MarthaAndMaud

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Hi

I would like to ask everybodys opinion on a project I am currently working on. Please be open and honest in your replies and of course if you don't want your views to go public, please pm me.

As you will all know by now, I run Guinea Pig Shelter Norwich. Some of you will also know that I am currently taking in sick, abandonded, injured and ill hedgehogs, under the name of Norwich Hedgehog Rescue. Both projects are funded through my wages, together with any donations and fundraising monies we receice.

With the hedgehog website already live and the guinea pig one nearly ready for launch, I would like to have a shop open to all.

I have found a fantastic clothing manufacturer who can supply me items such as sweatshirts, fleece jackets, roll neck, waterproofs etc etc with a guinea pig or hedgehog design printed or embroidered on the front. As we are a voluntary organistaion these are being passed onto us virtually at cost and any profit I make from them will go straight back into the rescue centres.

Please can you spare me five minutes to let me know if you honestly think there is a market for such items out there? Have you ever bought clothing like this before? How much did you pay / would you be prepared to pay?
Would you consider buying for Xmas etc?

All opinions and suggestions will be much appreciated please.
Many Thanks
Claire
 
In all honesty as much as I love guineas I wouldn't wear Items adorned with them or necessarily put them on the children, Pyjamas however I would consider
 
I did buy a sweatshirt with a guinea on the front from cafepress ages ago and confess to only wearing it for decorating!...I agree with piggiesforever about them being cheesy. Certain items would be fine such as oven gloves, aprons, shopping bags perhaps and maybe some clothes (pj's, childrens clothes) other clothing items may sell but I think the design may be better being small and discreet. Items more likely to sell might be keyrings, coasters, fridge magnets etc..

Just my opinion ;)
 
I wouldn't wear anything as a going out type clothing but I would with a small design on the breast on a t-shirt to wear to the gym or lounge about the house in or as piggiesforever said, I'd definately wear PJ's or a night shirt with piggies on.

I would wear a t-shirt with jeans with your rescue name and number on and perhaps a small design of a guinea pig.
 
I wouldn't wear something like that myself, but I'm very particular about my clothes, anyway.
I would wear them as pajamas, though, and I would put something like that on my baby, as long as it was really nice, but only while s/he's very little. I'd also be happy to have accessories or novelty items with guinea pigs on, like other people have already said. A bag or an apron would be really cute.
 
i agre with others, however much i love guinea pigs, i wouldnt wear items of clothing with large piccies of them on it.

I agree with the PJs, oven gloves, aprons, tea towels, beach towels even.
 
I would tend to agree with the other posts above - as much as I absolutely adore both pigs and hedgehogs, I doubt I would really wear any clothing with them on, except as previously mentioned, PJs.

However I think I probably own most of the merchandise that Thistle sell with pigs on (mugs, aprons, fridgemagnets etc) as I am a sucker for them on anything (but clothes).
 
Agree with above. Not outdoor clothes (she says but doesnt mind wearing Tigger and Spongebob) clothing outdoors...lol I want Piggy Slippers, bug furry sheltie slippers! :(|)

Although as my pigs are outdoors and I get mucky when cleaning them out I would like a gillet, combats, t-shirts so if they have guinea pigs on then that would be ok. Nothing overstated just a little one in the corner. :)

What about jewellery, I would wear a necklace with a piggy pendent on! :)
 
LOl.............thanks everyone, good idea I checked with everyone first. Thank you for your honest opinions. I'll pass on the idea.

Claire
xx
 
I too wouldn't buy clothing with guinea pigs etc on them but would buy accessory items - keyrings, mugs, magnets etc. What about greeting cards?
 
i think the greeting card idea is a good one, especially if you do some that are blank on the inside, people always need them and i am more likely to buy ones that support a charity, and with christmas just around the corner too...:))
 
accessories are a really good idea and I think that they would sell really well. Having said that, I do own one T Shirt with a cartoon piggy on the front which I wear out (much to the annoyance of my o/h!)
 
It depends on how big the design is. A small logo and pig on a fleece I'd probably go for, but a huge one would be offputting, especially if it doesn't look right.

My main problem is that none of this stuff ever fits - I'm a size 24.

Samantha
 
hey! Yeah me too I'm not the type of person to wear big designs of guinea pigs or hedgehogs on clothing like t-shirts but PJ yes, i probably would wear them.
Other things like keyrings, notebooks, aprons, tea towels etc etc they would be great and i'm sure they'd sell well.
 
I did have an apron which I bought from eBay which had a guinea pig on the front. I used to wear it when bathing and trimming my piggies.

I would think that aprons, keyrings, calendars, notepads with a little logo on, writing paper and envelopes, greetings cards, food bowls etc. would sell very well.
 
Thought of some other things today for you that might sell well ... mouse mats, coasters (single ones rather than packs so that people can use them in work etc.) and mugs.
 
accessorises would be a good one, like others have said, mouse mats, mugs, coasters, keyrings, stickers, etc, the furthest i would go is guinea pig/hedgehog pyjamas too!
 
I had a T shirt printed with Dr on it when I lost him. I think it needs to be your own pig.
 
I wouldn't use clothing that was printed with them, but I'd use fleecey blankets that either have guinea pig prints or a single embroidered guinea pig in the corner, tea towels, mugs, glasses, flannels/towels and calenders. I have a beautiful lemon flannel that's embroidered with a guinea pig in handstitching which I love, and I use it to bath the pigs. I think people would love towels that are guinea-pig related and I'd certainly use them on my pigs.

Keyrings, coasters, mouse pads, calenders, fridge magnets and those sorts of household things would be a nice little gift for someone who loves pigs. Last year Asda did some guinea pig cards for Christmas that featured a lovely little guinea pig in a Santa's hat and it's mouth had been edited to make it look like it was smiling! These were hugely popular and actually sold out, with people enquiring if the store would order anymore in!

What about things like little guinea pig pencil-toppers (or straw toppers for drinks), rubbers, notepads, rulers etc for kids? I'd use them and I'm 20! Pencil cases are always good too - you could even do one in the shape of a guinea pig! I may be getting a little ahead of myself here..perhaps I'm wasted in my job and ought to go into design!

Another little thought is that whatever you do could come in a variety of colours/breed types/coat types. I personally am more likely to buy if something looks like my own guinea rather than just any old pig, and I'm sure other people are the same. Although having 27 I'm bound to get something that resembles one of my pigs! :)p
 
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