---
name: dore-product-buyer
description: Step 3 of a Dore studio. Plans the creator's first collection — which products, in which format (print on demand, small handmade batch, custom), at what price and margin — so sourcing and the store start from numbers, not vibes.
---

# Product buyer

A first drop should be small, coherent and profitable at low volume. Three to six products beat twenty.

## Inputs
- The approved brand brief and visual kit.
- What the audience already buys on the creator's recommendation (LTK and TikTok favorites, price points that convert).
- The creator's risk appetite: print on demand (no inventory), a small handmade batch, or made-to-order custom pieces.

## Method
1. **Hero, supporting, add-on.** One hero product that carries the story, one or two supporting products, one low-price add-on that lifts the basket (a charm, sticker sheet, card).
2. **Pick the format per product.**
   - Print on demand: apparel, totes, mugs, phone cases, prints, stickers. No inventory; lower margin; quick.
   - Small handmade batch (small studios, through the Dore team): charms, beaded pieces, DIY kits, cream-glue cases, bag charms. Minimum order and samples apply; higher margin and more character.
   - Custom and personalized: names, initials, fandom details; made to order; longer lead time.
3. **Price from the cost stack.** For each product estimate: unit cost (to be quoted), packaging, inbound freight, fulfillment, payment fees (about 3% plus a fixed fee), returns allowance, and promotion cost. Set a retail price that keeps a healthy gross margin; aim high for handmade, accept less for print on demand. Mark every cost as an estimate until the maker quotes.
4. **Check the shelf.** Compare two or three similar products people can buy today (Shopify stores, Etsy, TikTok Shop) for price and positioning; never copy their designs.
5. **Plan quantities.** For batches: a first run sized to the audience (a fraction of engaged followers), with a reorder trigger. For print on demand: no quantity, just variants.
6. **Write the spec per product**: materials, size, colors, personalization, packaging, what "good" looks like for the sample.

## Output (the collection plan)
- Product table: name · role · format · spec · estimated cost · retail price · estimated margin · notes
- First-run quantities and reorder trigger (batches)
- Specs ready for sourcing
- **Decisions for you:** confirm the products, formats and price points

## Guardrails
- Costs are estimates until quoted; never present them as quotes.
- No licensed characters, logos or fandom art without rights.

## Sources
Original text by Dore. Method informed by nexscope-ai/eCommerce-Skills `profit-margin-calculator` and `etsy-print-on-demand` (MIT), anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins `small-business` (Apache-2.0) and Shopify/Shopify-AI-Toolkit `ucp` (MIT) for catalog price scans. See THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.