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Regalia Update

Proposed: Print on demand companies that will produce and ship items with our artwork and pay the club a percentage.

Kerch looked into:

  • Printful.com and Teelaunch.com: These both require a store to be set up on our website. But production and fulfillment is handled by the company
  • Amazon is just too expensive with ~$40 a month plus a per product sale fee
  • Redbubble.com provides the best match for our needs.
  • Society6.com: Similar setup to RedBubble.com but more artsy and no car products

Advantages of RedBubble.com

  • Large number of products available Including: Mugs, coasters, T-shirts, sweatshirts, mouse pads, phone cases, aprons, duffle bags, tote bags
  • They do total fulfillment of the products
  • Large audience base (not just our club members)
  • No “store” is required on our site
  • Reasonable retail prices  ( tend to be between a couple of bucks and $35 or $40)
  • Proceeds are paid on schedule, paid out monthly as long as they owe you more than $20. Otherwise, they keep it until they owe you $20

See process below

Disadvantages:

  • All Redbubble products are screen printed not embroidered
  • If we want to provide higher quality embroidered jackets and hats, we would use a different company (perhaps Land’s End)
base cost + markupmarginretail price*Red bubble fee**Red bubble fee***Net to TEAE
t shirt$18.0025%$4.50$22.50$1.9011.6%$2.60
mug$14.7520%$2.95$17.77$1.309.3%$1.65

* Plus shipping/tax            
** From chart         
*** Calculated% of margin                  

Fee table: https://help.redbubble.com/hc/en-us/articles/202270799-How-is-my-payment-calculated

Sample product retail costs including sample markup: https://www.redbubble.com/account/pricing

Process

We would upload artwork and members (or other visitors) could decide upon what items the artwork would be printed, not just T-shirts and hats, but also sweatshirts and stickers mugs backpacks, duffel bags, buttons, zipper bags, etc.

 Redbubble requires 5 designs in each “store.” Obviously, each of our new logos would be represented but also we could add logos of the Rootes vehicles like Talbot and Hillman etc. These products would appeal to more than our own members.

Putting on a BASH

rootes-bash logo

TL;DR
Where ever two or more Rootes fanatics are gathered in the TEAE name, it counts as a BASH!

This is Appendix B supplied to Regional Reps about a BASH

Any gathering of Sunbeams/Rare Rootes can be termed a BASH in your promotions, and you should use this term.  Some events are limited to gathering of two or three cars at a meeting place, where the entertainment is limited to conversation; some can be more extensive including a prepared drive or rallye, meals, tech sessions like a carb rebuild, fix-ins where a member’s car in need is addressed.

Consider partnering with an already established event like a British Car or other type show. Ask their organization to promote the BASH concept. Ask them to promote the BASH, a gathering of Rootes vehicles. Giveaways like TEAE magnets, or water bottles, etc. are available at a nominal cost.  Each region has a TEAE banner to put on display. Updated brochures to hand out to prospective members will be distributed.  Contact the membership chairman.

The key to a successful event is in the planning.  Leave yourself enough time to get organized. For anything more ambitious than a cars and coffee, consider enlisting an accomplice. For planning purposes, you can use the roster sorted by region available on the website here: https://www.teae.org/downloadable-rosters/.  You can get an up-to-date list of members and their contact information for your region and contiguous regions by requesting it from the membership chairman.  Until your region has coalesced into a community, you may find that people ignore email communications. We encourage phone contact to establish a rapport.

You will be busy during the day of the event so enlisting help for some tasks is a good idea for a larger event:

  • Organizing parking
  • Registration (when participants pay a fee to enter)
  • Photographer (need not be a pro; your event report will be better with photos of people & cars – preferably action or candid shots, not portraits, and in)
  • Organizing food and drink (coffee for early arrivals – lunch later)

Connecting with a larger car show is a good way to get exposure for the Marque and an easy way to put on event.  For the more informal shows, just meeting together at the show will probably allow you to park together. For larger shows where cars are organized by Marque, you should contact the show promoter to ensure that there is an area designated for your group. And don’t forget the club banner.

Some of the more active car clubs sponsor events on a weekly or monthly basis, often a cars and coffee. During the off-season when our cars may be hibernating, a social get together for a meal or conversation at a member’s home or local restaurant.  For example, the UK Hillman group sponsors a monthly pub night.  This is another way to build community.

Club President Extended Term

TEAE Board Record of Discussion – Nominees for Club President for 2024

The situation of nominees for Club President for 2024 was raised by current President Jim Lindner, and was discussed through a series of e-mails between the TEAE Leadership. This Record of Discussion summarizes those discussions and decisions taken.

Jim Lindner initiated the discussion by stating that despite his best efforts he was unable to secure a nominee for the role of President for the forthcoming elections for the Club Board for 2024. These efforts included a call for nominations at the Club’s Annual General Meeting at United 40 attended by over 100 Club members, via the Rootes Review and directly approaching several individuals. Jim stated he would be willing to run and if successful serve for another year, but to do so would require approval by the board.

Eric Gibeaut made a motion for a ONE TIME extension of one year to the term limit for President, and the motion was seconded by Tom Calvert. This motion was approved unanimously by the Board.

Barbara Geschke then nominated Jim Lindner as a candidate for TEAE President, and it was seconded by Joe Parlanti. Jim accepted the nomination and his name will be added to the ballot for the elections for 2024.

Submitted
Gary Corbett
TEAE Cub Secretary

New Regional Reps

The Board of Directors have just approved 2 new Regional Representatives. I would like to welcome Bill Bulpett who is replacing Bill Evans as the Deep South Representative and Jim Sauer who is replacing Bill Mounce as the New Jersey Representative. Since Bill lives in Georgia, it has been added to the Deep South and Steve Halbrook’s region will be Florida.

Thank you to all of our Regional Representatives. Get your Sunbeams out and attend one of the Regional gatherings.

Pam J
President