How Bulk Pricing Works — and Why 10 Pieces Often Costs Less Than 9

Branded product pricing confuses people because two different things are being paid for: the product, and the act of putting your logo on it. The first scales with quantity. The second mostly doesn't.

Setup is a fixed cost

Preparing screens, digitising artwork for embroidery, or setting up an engraving jig takes the same effort whether you order 10 pieces or 1,000. Spread over 10 pieces it's painful; over 500 it disappears.

This is why quantity breaks exist, and why the jump between the first two tiers is usually the biggest one.

Watch the tier boundary

On most of our catalogue the rate drops at 10 pieces. Because the drop applies to every piece rather than only the extra ones, ordering 10 can genuinely cost less in total than ordering 9. If you're near a boundary, round up — the spare pieces cost you nothing and replacements are useful later.

MOQ is about branding, not stock

When a product carries a minimum order quantity, it's nearly always because the branding process needs it — a print run below a certain size isn't viable to set up. You can often buy fewer pieces unbranded, or choose a different branding method with a lower threshold. Ask; there's usually a route.

What else moves the price

• Number of colours. In screen printing each colour is a separate screen and a separate pass. Digital methods don't care.
• Number of print positions. Front and back is two operations, not one.
• Individual packaging. Boxing each piece adds material and labour per unit.
• Deadline. Standard turnaround is around 48 hours. Same-day is possible on some items but carries a premium.

A note on quoted prices

Catalogue prices exclude GST, and shipping is quoted separately once quantity and destination are known — a 500-piece order of flasks ships very differently from 500 pens. Ask for the delivered, all-in number before you commit; we'll always give it.