How Much Does Custom Merch Cost? Price Breaks, Explained With Real Numbers

Ask a merch supplier "how much?" and you'll usually get "it depends" — which is true, but not helpful when you're trying to put a number in a budget.

So here are real numbers, straight from our Winter '26 catalog, and an explanation of how volume price breaks actually work — including the slightly counterintuitive cases where ordering more costs you less overall.

The three things that set your price

  1. The product. A 180gsm tee and a down-filled puffer jacket are different animals.
  2. The decoration method. Printing is cheaper at low volume; embroidery carries more setup, so it starts higher but the gap narrows fast as quantities grow.
  3. Your order volume. Our apparel prices break at 12–24, 25–49 and 50+ total pieces. Crucially, that's total pieces across your whole order, not per style — mixing five styles still counts toward one total.

Every apparel price below includes one printed or embroidered placement (up to 4" square), and all prices are ex-GST.

Real numbers: apparel

Austin Tee (AS Colour, 180gsm) with print: $25.68 at 12–24 pieces → $24.18 at 25–49 → $22.64 at 50+.

Quincy Classic Hood (350gsm) with print: $56.41 → $53.09 → $49.77 across the same tiers.

Max Varsity Jacket with embroidery: $112.64 → $99.87 → $82.98. Notice the embroidery curve — at 50+ pieces the embroidered price drops nearly 27% from the entry tier, much steeper than print. If you love the stitched look, volume is your friend.

Real numbers: everything else

Non-apparel items break at different quantities — typically 100 and 250 units:

  • Kit Pen: $2.37 at 100 → $1.19 at 250 — half price at the higher tier
  • Atlas A6 Notebook (vegan leather): $4.06 → $3.36
  • Inge Drink Bottle (double-walled stainless): $16.56 → $15.13
  • Reese Socks: $7.98 → $5.61
  • Gigi Chocolate Minis: from $1.60 at 600 down to $0.67 at 3,000

The maths trick: sometimes more is less

Say you want 23 tees. At the 12–24 tier, Hollis Classic Tees cost $29.23 each — total $672.29. Order 25 instead and the rate drops to $27.50 — total $687.50 for two extra shirts. You're paying about $15 for $58 worth of product. And at bigger gaps the effect gets stronger: if you're anywhere near a price break, ask your supplier to quote both sides of the line. (We'll flag it for you automatically.)

Costs to watch for elsewhere

When comparing quotes, make sure you're comparing like for like:

  • Setup and artwork fees — some suppliers charge these per order or per colour. At Spool, returning customers pay no setup fees.
  • Decoration included or extra? Our apparel prices include one placement; a "cheaper" base garment plus decoration fees often isn't cheaper.
  • Shipping — ours is $10 flat nationwide, free pickup from Chadstone.
  • GST — catalog prices are typically ex-GST industry-wide; budget accordingly.

A sample budget: 30-person team, winter kit

Say you're kitting out 30 staff with one hoodie and one tee each — 60 pieces total, which lands the whole order in the 50+ tier:

  • 30 × Quincy Classic Hood (print): 30 × $49.77 = $1,493.10
  • 30 × Hollis Classic Tee (print): 30 × $25.77 = $773.10
  • Total: ~$2,266 ex-GST — about $75.50 per staff member for two quality AS Colour garments they'll wear all season.

Want a real quote instead of an estimate?

Send us your quantities and logo at hello@madebyspool.com.au and we'll come back with a tailored quote — including a heads-up if you're close to a price break worth jumping.

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