You’ve probably already heard the news, but I still have to share my excitement. Kansas City is getting an Ikea store!!! If this doesn’t make you want to squeal, then you’ve obviously never witnessed the glory of the Swedish home furnishings mega-plex. I could spend days in the place, getting lost in the sea of sleek-and-modern-yet-affordable furniture, pillows, comforters, accessories, and of course- kitchen gadgets. It really is a sight to behold.

You want to know what the best part of it is? It is slated to open THIS FALL. Yeah, this fall: 2014. That’s in, like, FOUR MONTHS. You can’t tell me you aren’t about to pee yourself with glee! Four of the coolest and most loved items in my house are from Ikea. And now, I don’t have to go all the way to Chicago to get more.

I used to live in Chicago, and generally, driving out to the suburbs was a superb pain in the arse- unless I was headed toward Ikea. It’s like a domestic amusement park. The thrill and allure of getting to be there was so strong, it made the hours of traffic and road rage melt away into oblivion. In a few short months, I only have to drive to Merriam to get there. Oh. My. GAWD.

The opening of this store has created over 300 jobs for the metro, which is another plus, but that is still not what’s important right now. The important thing is: Ikea. Here. Soon. YESSSSSSSSSSS. The only thing better is a custom-made tee from Rival Screen Printing. Let’s make one to celebrate!

Here’s the thing: there’s lots of print shops out there. There are also a lot of ways to make a custom t-shirt. But I have to say, if you make the wrong choice, the longevity and quality of your shirt is at stake. I’ve been thinking back to some shirts I’ve needed in the past, and, in retrospect, I really wish I would have known about Rival Screen Printing at the time. I’ll give you a couple examples.

1. Roseanne. In my opinion, probably the best sitcom of all time. At least in the top five. My best friend agrees. In fact, she’s more obsessed than I am. Due to her obsession I decided to make her a chicken shirt. If you’ve seen the show, you know exactly what the chicken shirt is. Nearly every cast member wears a version of it at some point throughout the run of the show. There’s even an apron with the same design. But you can’t just go out and buy one, so I decided to make one myself. I’m generally pretty crafty, so I got me some iron-on transfer paper and got to work. The shirt looked great, she loved it, and she wore it as Darlene Conner for Halloween. The end. Because after one wash, it looked like crap. I was trying to save money by making it myself, and I ended up wasting a lot of time on a shirt that lasted for one wear. Rival Screen Printing would have saved me money AND provided me with a shirt that would still be wearable today.

2. Step Brothers. A horribly stupid movie in most people’s opinion I’m sure, but another of my favorites. Once again, my best friend agrees. So when she had her bachelorette party, I decided to make Prestige Worldwide shirts for everyone. Since I didn’t learn from my previous mistake, I used iron-on transfers again. The shirts looked pretty cool, I have to say. A few days later, my husband did laundry and put my shirt in the dryer. All that work and it took only a few minutes to ruin it completely. Yet another time when Rival Screen Printing would have come in very handy.

The next time I come up with some awesome, must-have, can’t-find-anywhere-else-without-going-broke t-shirt idea, I know exactly what to do. There are plenty of print shops in the Kansas City area, but I happen to know that Rival Screen Printing has the best prices, the best apparel selection, and the highest quality in town. If only I had a time machine… hey, maybe I’ll build one myself! (I never learn).

Most custom t-shirts are made to commemorate something positive: to cheer on a marathon-running relative, celebrate a bachelorette party or publicize a community event. Some people like to express themselves (and their poor actions) through their custom t-shirt designs. A drunk driver in Maine immortalized his mugshot on a t-shirt and then wore the shirt in the booking photo for his two-day jail stint. Robert Burt of Pittsfield, Maine was sentenced to 48 hours in jail after driving under the influence in June. His coworker had the mugshot photo printed on a bright orange t-shirt, which Burt proudly wore when he reported to the jail. The officer who took the booking photo was apparently so amused that Burt was told to hold his slate to the side so that it didn’t block the t-shirt. “Burt Family Reunion 8/8-8/10/14” says the fine print, since apparently Burt was joining an incarcerated relative in the big house. Burt completed his sentence and will hopefully be making better choices from now on.

A t-shirt is worth a thousand words. That’s how the saying goes, right? In the music industry, t-shirts are an integral part of true fandom. Band shirts play a huge role in merchandise sales and in many cases, your purchase of their t-shirt probably bought them gas to get to the next gig. Band shirts are also a great way to display your music taste proudly and openly, even when others might be surprised by your choices.

Metal band Judas Priest proudly posted a photo to their Facebook page of singer Rihanna wearing one of their T-shirts. “Happy to see Rihanna Screaming for Vengence” they wrote. It created quite a stir, the photo was shared over 4500 times and gathered over 43,000 likes. Rihanna was also spotted in a Krokus band t-shirt, suggesting that the Grammy-winning star might actually be a metal fan. Bringing both haters and supporters out of the woodwork, these genre-crossing fashion choices prove once again that wearing a t-shirt means making a statement.

For the Jakie Robinson West All-Stars from Chicago, IL, t-shirts are more than something to wear to practice. The little league baseball team sold t-shirts to help family members pay for the trip to South Williamsport, Pennsylvania to support them at the Little League World Series. Fans came out in a big way, with the first batch of 500 shirts selling out at the local Dicks Sporting Goods prompting a second shipment. Over 600 fans attended the watch party for the first game, watching the All-Stars demolish their first opponent via jumbotron set up in Jackie Robinson Park. Chicago's own mayor, Rahm Emanuel, commented on the beloved Chicago youngsters, stating “No matter the outcome…they are winners in every sense of the word and have earned a place in the hearts of Chicagoans.” Who knew little league was such a big deal?

The Royals franchise spent the last two seasons coming in number one MLB wide in t-shirt and other team merchandise sales, and rightly so.

When a Major League baseball team wins the pennant, and then later the World Series Championship, it always boosts not only spirits and morale in a city, but also revenues, citywide, and across several industries - t-shirts, apparel and merchandising are one of the first and foremost that benefit.

How amazing was it for Kansas City Royals fans to see their home team go two years in a row to the World Series, the second time coming home with the "Mother of all Baseball Trophies"? All during fall of 2015, Royals fans did their city proud by creating an ocean of royal blue t-shirts and other Royals apparel to show their team love at games, social media and throughout their everyday lives!

Immediately after this grandest of occasions, the Royals, who had not been in a World Series since 1985, held a celebration for the city, and some 800,000 Royals fans flooded the front of Union Station and surrounding streets with a new ocean of blue, this time consisting of Royals World Series Championship t- shirts.

All during the season, leading up to the pennant race, and afterwards when the Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Mets in the World Series, retailers all over Kansas City had a hard time keeping Royals t-shirts and paraphernalia in stock.

Don't forget about teen popstar Lorde, and her iconic song, "Royals" - one of her top viewed and shared images is one of her wearing a Kansas City Royals t-shirt - retired KC Royal George Brett sent her a Royals jersey, as well. Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain has also been photographed various times during the past two years sporting some sort of Royals t-shirt, jersey, or some article of clothing or other with the familiar Kansas City team's logo prominently displayed.

Even though every fan's Royals gear was still quite new from the 2014 pennant and World Series run excitement, t-shirt, apparel and other team merchandising sales were expected to be way up in 2015.

According to the Kansas City Star, each year, conservative estimates for MLB merchandising sales total between $150 million and $200 million annually, or roughly somewhere between $5 million and almost $7 million worth of t-shirts, pennants, posters, and other items.

Actual numbers and sales of total t-shirts and other team merchandising products are difficult to nail down, considering all the many venues where t-shirts and related team items are made available. Many unofficial and unlicensed channels are also available for such merchandising sales.

2016 promises to be a booming year for Royals t-shirt and merchandising sales, especially if the Royals take things all the way to the World Series Championship again. Some of the Royals' key players will not be rejoining the roster this year, but nevertheless, Kansas City fans are excited for another roller coaster of a season!

This is job dedication incarnate.

This devoted AArrow Sign Spinner was recently photographed spinning his sign in the midst of what looks to be a heavy rainstorm. He’s proudly wearing his red AArrow polo, printed courtesy of Rival Screen Printing. Although it’s raining in the photo, we can still clearly read the company’s name printed across the left chest, which speaks for the quality of our printing here at Rival.

AArrow Sign Spinners are frequently shared via social media because of their spinning skills. They take sign spinning to a whole other level, often caught breakdancing or doing other kinds of acrobatic feats all while keeping their grip on those huge signs. The Spinners are also admired because they work in the heat, the freezing cold, and as we can tell from the picture, the pouring rain.

The main objective of any AArrow Sign Spinner is to draw people in. They want people to take notice of what they are doing, and most importantly, read their sign. This is how they draw people in and find customers for whatever business they are promoting. It’s a clever way to advertise any store or business in need of foot traffic.

Apart from the signs they spin advertising a business, AArrow Sign Spinners sport their signature red polos or hoodies with the AArrow logo printed on the front. The white ink stands out on the bright red fabric, and it’s easy to tell who these guys work for. We also print the telephone number of the regional company on the back of the shirt in large lettering to let people know what number to call if you’re interested in hiring AArrow to promote your own business.

AArrow Sign Spinners represent a modernized way of advertising businesses in need of foot traffic, and Rival Screen Printing is proud to have been their supplier since 2012.

Short Answer?  Building their brand recognition, of course!  And you can, too, no matter how big or small your business is, no matter how long you've been around!   You want people to recognize your logo, you want them to know who you are and what you do at a glance!  That's why Fortune 500 companies invest in custom t-shirts, and other personalized promotional items.

Here are five reasons that highly-performing companies invest in custom and embroidered t-shirts, and other recognizable items.

Starting Conversations

How many times have you looked at a sharp-looking logo on a fashionable jacket or t-shirt, and wondered who the company was, or what they did? Maybe you've been approached by someone about a custom company t-shirt, hat, duffle bag or jacket, and asked about it.  "Who are they?" "What do they do?"  As a business person, you certainly want people talking about you - you want to create your own buzz.  Customized apparel, particularly screenprinted t-shirts are the best way to get your name and logo out there for the world to see.

Building a Brand

It's also a great way to get feedback from customers or potential customers... "You guys should do... a, b, c..." Custom screen printed t-shirts are great conversation starters, and a great way to make your name and logo recognizable.  You never know who you might see walking around with your company's logo on a custom t-shirt you've designed and printed for distribution. Fortune 500 companies know how to build their brand, and you can too!

Nurturing Customer Relationships

Everybody loves free stuff. A custom embroidered or screen printed t-shirt is a great way to do something nice for a customer, and a great way to get them to remember you, and to help your business grow. No matter what your budget, you can build and nurture your customer relationships, and pave the way for future new customer relationships with custom t-shirts and customized promotional items for your customers. All savvy business people love cutting costs, so that you can have more to invest back into your business, but don't forget about custom promotional t-shirts and items for customers!

Strengthening Camaraderie

For the same reason that sports teams wear uniforms to help create a sense of unity and pride, custom company t-shirts and other embroidered or screen printed apparel are to help team build and create an ongoing and mutual sense of motivation and excitement.  This is a great team building strategy that Fortune 500 Companies use.  You get riled up to see your team win! No matter if you're going through boom or bust, people feel secure when they have a strong sense of camaraderie among their fellow team members, and it helps them feel proud about what they do, who they are, and gives them a sense of belonging.

Having Fun!

You want to create a great impression among your customers, your team, and build bridges to future business with potential customers. You want them to know you're there to help them with their needs, and that you and your team have fun!  Custom t-shirts are fun, as is wearing embroidered custom company apparel, and enjoying custom designed promotional company items.

It's a more than worthwhile investment.

100% cotton, soft-structured, five-panel, low-profile. Metal eyelets and nylon strap clip closure.

47/25/28 cotton/polyester/nylon. Mesh back, permacurv visor and plastic tab closure. Structured, mid-profile, six-panel. 3-1/2" crown.