An analysis into originality, relevance, and public opinion.

February 19th 2024

❝ An analysis into originality, relevance, and public opinion. ❞

By: Valeria Karamova

❝ I remember a time; before the implementation of comment culture and short form media content. When Hakki Akdeniz (Champion Pizza - 170 Rivington Street) was one of the only Pizza shops in New York City selling $1.00 Pizza Slices. Before Utrecht became Blick, before Pearl Paint closed it's doors. Before Bodegas renamed their stores to “Gourmet Deli”. When Randy braided hair and dreadlocks and Steve and Tito cut hair downstairs.

In 2001-2002 when JB was the Sales Manager of Continental Sportswear working under Wolf Landau. JB sold Blank apparel Wholesale at 135 W27th Street, between 6th and 7th avenues; one block away from Fashion Institute of Technology, to students (myself being one of them), locals, and print shops nationwide.

Before Etsy and YouTube, and the inception of “Merch”, which made everyone with a YouTube channel, a fly by night fashion designer by way of a cricket vinyl printing machine. Before Eva Tees was “S&S Activewear”, and they were located in Long Island City. When John Alfono was your go-to guy. Before they grew there operation successfully and moved to Robinsville, New Jersey. Before the advent of Bella Canvas and Comfort Colors... when Fruit of the Loom, Delta, and Anvil ruled the space and were the primary apparel brands. And still do, just under new branding.

“Way” before the advent of “Custom Fink” or “Rush Tees”... and then came the rise of DTG Printing Machines that required more maintenance than a BMW with 100,000 miles. At the time, the most popular method of embellishing apparel was Heat Transfer and Screen Printing, so we find it hard to believe that Custom Fink or Rush Tees was around given the fact that their names never came across JB's desk in 2002 nor was the internet a means of mass marketing yet.

JB was here before, now, and will be for the next 200 years into the future. Because it is a passion built on, and rooted in experience and industry expertise. Before the NYC printing industry was what it has evolved into today.

But when we explain our minimum order quantity or our current contract with Carolina Herrera, Vacheron Constantin, or Taylor Swift, CUNY or the NYPD, and kindly express our inability to accommodate; why are we met with animosity, or negative 1 star reviews, claiming we are the “worst” company ever, or, that we are so rude?

If we are in fact the worst, how would we even be in business...? Aggressive, negative, and downright evil reviews; make us grateful that we were actually able to avoid exchanging any further dialogue or transacting any actual business with these people (not customers) in the first place.

JB is not perfect. Life, is not perfect. We all make mistakes, but we strive, and find it ethically incumbent upon our practice and reputation, to do and be better.

Regarding public opinion; E-Z Pass has 541 Google Reviews, most of them being negative, there rating is a 2.1. Yet, every motorist in this state of New York has an E-Z Pass Tag stuck to the dashboard or windshield of their vehicle...

Moving on, Louis Vuitton can be seen worn by every celebrity, music artist, and public figure. Yet, you see 1.3k reviews of the following quality (to show a few)...

PORSCHE, designs top of the line quality vehicles and some of the most robust engines and components. They have an international following comprised of “actual customers” who will drive nothing less. And yet... Let's take a look, shall we?

And then you have JB Screen Printing & Embroidery, with 195 Reviews (on Google), but yet, we experience hate, animosity, and negativity from people (not actual transacting customers), stating the following...

Moving along; we receive orders from Custom Fink regularly, who forgets to Print or Embroider a logo onto customer apparel, or Rush Tees (Fleas) who cannot turn over 100 Shirts in a day, or even 1,000 units over a weekend (try as they might), or forget to print accents above french text for Lycée Français De New York, (whom we turned over 500 Units of individually and precisely positioned print applications overnight for) which is why our customers come to us in the first place.

But yet, these “companies” claim to be the go-to option in an industry where when JB was working for Continental Sportswear in 2002, (before starting JB Screen Printing & Embroidery in 2008 @ 172 Rivington Street) while selling blank T-Shirts, fleece, and apparel to Printers throughout New York City, it's 5 borough, and nationwide, in search of competitive pricing on blank apparel they would take back and Heat Transfer or Screen Print and resell, These names Custom Fink and Rush Tees (Fleas), never came across his desk... or computer screen.

And so I wonder; how you can stake a claim such as those featured on their websites relating to inception dates? Let alone quality or attention to detail.

At the time, Embroidery was not that popular, nor was it cost effective to operate or produce, and required intensive machinery setups. It was niche. And although an antiquated process, it was around, but wasn't prevalent.

JB Screen Printing & Embroidery has been, is, and always will be the industry leader, long after our neighbors and competitors lose their commercial leases; as it pertains to Screen Printing & Embroidery in New York City.

Our connections, our experience, our attention to detail, our one on one level of customer service, (and satisfaction) where we can be reached on and off hours, during holidays, and in times of need; not by artificial intelligence or a third world answering service, is what sets us apart from everyone else. And we actively ignore noise from people that email us or call us at 3am requesting we print paper documents for them, when we don't offer it as a service to begin with... but feel Entitled to leave a 1 star review based on such interactions.

I sincerely hope this has helped to shed light on the irrationality of some people (not customers) and at the same time instill faith in our established, repeat, and prospective clients.