Discover: RcTees Shirts and Bags

Don't you wonder who really is behind your favorite creations?

Discover is a feature that provides you with a personal view of the the artist behind the shop. Would you like to know how shop owners handle customer service and what they think good customer service is? And, are you like me and want to know what they have their eye on to purchase, or what their favorite item is in their shop and why? Discover....


Toni and Mark of RcTees!

♦What led to you designing T-Shirts and bags?
Three and half years ago the opportunity presented itself for us to purchase an existing screen-printing business. We knew nothing about screen printing we just knew it was a great opportunity. Working with screen printing helped us to realize our passion for creating. We never imagined that we would absolutely fall in love with creating designs or that screen printing would be the tool we use to share our creations.

♦How did you and your husband meet?
Funny story…Mark is from California. Eight years ago he decided it was time to sell his half of his business and roam the country. His sister, being a good friend of mine, introduced us. One year later we married. Mark now resides in Alabama.



♦What item in your shop is your favorite and why?

I simply can’t choose a favorite “item” in our Etsy shop; it would have to be anything with our Abby Cat design.

Why? I love cats (and dogs) and animals in general and am a very strong advocate for the proper treatment of animals. We found Abby abandoned at a local park. My husband, my son Dane and myself rescued Abby out of the top of a tree. She was only six weeks old, that was four years ago.Since opening our Etsy shop we have sent Abby shirts and bags to the UK, Australia, London, Ireland, France, England, Canada, Greece and 25 US states (many multiples). She’s also a regular at a boutique in Pennsylvania.


♦How did you come up with the name RcTees?
River City t-shirts is the name of our existing screen printing business. When we decided to venture out to “Etsy World” we chose the condensed version of River City t-shirts, RcTees.













♦What does customer service mean to you?
Communication, communication, communication. Customer service to me is knowing without a doubt, that my customer is completely satisfied with their transaction, from making their payment to receiving their package, opening it and being totally happy with their purchase. Yes, I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that there are those customers that you simply cannot please no matter what you do. I still have a satisfied feeling of knowing that I’ve done everything within my power to make my customers happy.













♦What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
From August thru May you can find me at our local Elementary school teaching Physical Education to Kindergarten thru Fifth graders. Working with children is something that I can never see myself not doing. There’s never a day that goes by that I am not totally fascinated by a child!

So….. There’s really not a lot of “free time” except in the summer. (Both of my boys are grown and live on their own.) I do love playing with our two kitties, walking my dog Roxy and working in our yard. Mark and I both LOVE the beach. We try to go at least twice a year to either Pensacola or the Ft. Myers area (Florida). We are both avid shellers.


♦Here's $250 to purchase three items from Etsy, what are they?
This is probably the toughest question you’ve asked Rose…. lets see….

Pet Portrait by sharonlamb
Amsterdam Cat hand painted mug by houseofhariet

My Family necklace by bellabuttondesigns

...and there are so many other wonderful things I would love to own.

♦What is the story behind the Ghost Elephant?

The Elephant is a symbol of strength, power, wisdom and luck…. (You would have to ask this question ~ haha) Now here’s the real story…. Okay, so when you live in Alabama there’s just not that much to do. There is absolutely no sports to follow except College football. It comes down to either you’re an Alabama fan or you're an Auburn fan. My son Nick is an Alabama graduate...and the University of Alabama’s mascot is Big Al, (the elephant)…. need I say more?? Haha

♦Anything else that you would like to share?

My youngest son Dane moved out a year prior to our discovery of Etsy. I was having terrible “empty nest” issues so not only did Etsy open the door for us to share our craft, it also helped to fill a very painful void in my life. Etsy came along at a perfect time. Through Etsy I have met some of the most wonderful people and have made life long friends. I will forever be grateful!!
Dane is now one of my models and has joined the art department. (plays on computer helping with designs ~ haha )

Thanks to Rose for a wonderful blog feature and the opportunity to tell our story.