Why do we have a storefront? Well, our FC is so beloved by it’s members that many requested the Black Waltz logo on things, to show their pride! And, as print on demand is my main business, I decided to take it on! So, this little shop was born.
~ Kouya Kaji
What is Print on Demand?
Print on demand is a process where you submit a print to be made, well, on demand. It is ecologically friendly, as we don’t have to order 100 of something in various sizes just to offer it to you, and we don’t have to worry about managing an inventory. This is doubly important as we have members from all around the world, and I don’t have to ship things from my home in rural Japan to get it to you.
It also helps to reduce clothing waste – imagine we ordered a bunch of something and then it never sells? Where does that go? What do we do with that “excess” inventory? It always risks winding up in a landfill, which we are completely against.
Finally, print on demand allows us to sell the items here for nearly the cost of the product – sure, ordering 1,000 shirts would make them cheaper overall, but that’s a huge investment that we don’t have to come up with, and there are so many great companies out there specializing in printing on demand that I work with already, so I can get you a great price per item while still supporting the FC. Which brings me to the next point:
Where do the funds go?
If you’ve spent any time with our FC, you’ll know that we host events. A lot of events. And with those, we often give out Mog Station prizes. We also have a website for applications, and all sorts of backend costs to make this the best FC possible (there’s even a rumor that Istari is saving up to try to arrange a meetup at some point!). That’s where this comes in.
In the past, it was just Istari (our fearless lala leader) paying for all of this out of his own pocket. A lot of us felt that this was unfair to him, and wanted to do something to help out. So, all proceeds from this store go to him, to help us buy those Mog Station prizes, pay for a website, and all the other things he’s been doing on his own. Know that the proceeds from every single purchase help the FC run, and if you’re an FC member and want to see the spreadsheet where I log everything, just send me or Kellin Silverwillow a message on Discord – transparency is our goal for everything.
Your support really helps us keep this one of the best and kindest FCs in the game, and hey, if you get some swag out of it, even better, right?
Fulfillment Estimates
Due to COVID-19, there are some delays in how long things will take to be printed. Here is the currently production times.
| USA | Mexico | EU | |
| Clothing (t-shirts, hoodies) | 2-7 business days | – | 3-7 business days |
| All-Over-Print Clothing & Accessories (including towels) | 2-7 business days | 2-7 business days | 3-7 business days |
| Jackets | 7-12 business days | – | – |
| Embroidery | 2-7 business days | – | 3-7 business days |
| Stickers | 2-5 business days | – | 2-5 business days |
| Mugs | 2-5 business days | – | 2-5 business days |
This is before the shipping times (usually 2-5 days depending on where it’s coming from, but it can be up to 2 weeks of standard shipping. Some products that are produced overseas can take up to 2 weeks to get to the US and Canada, and are then delivered by the local Post.) Please don’t forget that some countries are holding things in quarantine before delivering it as well, so that may add substantially to your shipping times.
Where are our products produced?
I (Kouya) work with a ton of different printers in my regular business, all around the world. They are all in good standing, and the one Chinese factory I work with I have a connection with the owner of, so I know the conditions of work there – it’s an ethical business that gives it’s employees a “Western” style work schedule, and is a good culture overall. I wouldn’t work with them if I didn’t believe in them.
The companies that operate in the US, EU, and Mexico are similarly good to their workers, and I have even talked to a few of them casually just to be sure. So when you buy something, know that it is made with people in mind, not mass production.
Who makes the designs and artwork on the pieces?
You can check out our artists here, but generally, they’re all Waltz members (or some former members who left for different datacenters or RP FCs on good terms that we still talk to). It is our original artwork, and each artist still owns the rights to the work, they just choose to share it with us to help the FC out. If you want to join our burgeoning art community – whether it be an illustrator, author, or even a musician – talk to Kellin Silverwillow on our FC Discord and we’ll see what we can do! And I’m always open to new ideas for products you’d just love to see!