[AMA] Importing & wholesaling for resale on eBay.

[Emperor]

Hi Folks,

This is only my second post on this forum (first was in introductions) and this was the thread that convinced me I needed to join. It has been 7 or so years since I have ordered anything from China and even though I never made any money before, I have to admit there was some thrill in communicating with someone overseas, haggling prices, and then receiving my item. It was just cell phone accessories and bluetooth headsets I never made any money but there is a thrill to it all that I want to regain (and hopefully be profitable this time).

I do have some a question though.

I wonder if there are any Canadians who can point me in the directions of our laws in a couple matters regarding some products I am looking at. Firstly food stuffs. I'm not talking about actual food, but lets say spices. Say I were to import cinnamon (just as an example) would that be within or outside of the scope of food items, and if it is inclusive (after all, it IS edible) I would assume I should read up on whatever laws govern importing food? What about stuff used in food but not food itself (such as food grade chemicals / dyes).

I have two items I am interested in so far but I have more research to do before I take the plunge on anything. MUCH more research.

Other things I have working against me being Canadian is that our shipping is very expensive, and not a huge population. I am worried that shipping costs are so expensive on items that I cant be competitive. I don't expect anyone can really help me with that, more just thinking (typing) out loud.

Are ALL the main sources (DHgate, Alibaba, Aliexpress) pretty open to negotiation on everything? Price / shipping / quantity / how it will be packaged etc?

Thanks for any help and I hope I someday have something to contribute back

 

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[twdavis]

I read through this thread and noticed the post about the makeshift ghetto "Pro" studio on a budget. And I also created one. New white a$$ fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling and that's literally it. I couldn't afford a lamp or anything atm lol but I bought:


Tri-Fold at Staples for - $6
Some thin white flexible project paper - $2
iPhone 5s (Great camera honestly) - Already had it


So for $8 here's what I accomplished. I feel like it turned out pretty well honestly. Some white balance and it was all good.

These are not my items obviously, just extra stuff laying around the house.

"

 

[twdavis]

But now that I look at it, they all, especially the bottom one, have a slight tint to them still.

Shit.


Anyone know anything about white balance in photoshop? lol

 

[twdavis]

Got it now. Except the dark bit in the upper corner.

Hmmm :/

 

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[Ecom man]

@Ecom man I am getting a few suppliers that will send me product but the best shipping is always around $65. I dont mind if it comes via flight but is there a cheaper way so it does not eat profit margin?

Also, some suppliers want me to pay for their paypal fee. Any suggestions?

If you don't want to spend the money to get it shipped air then you can use China post or slower mail (30+ days). $65 doesn't sound too bad to get it here from China. Just figure in the shipping costs when you are looking for the profit amount.

 

[Ecom man]

Got it now. Except the dark bit in the upper corner.

Hmmm :/

Pics all look really good. Pictures like that will make the listing look very professional.

 

[z6Evolved]

One of the posts above about laws regulating the import of edible products got me thinking. I've been looking at various teas recently, and found one that's starting to get popular and even selling it below the large name companies I'd still triple my money. Problem is I don't know what hoops I have to jump through to bring what's essentially food into the US from China. Anyone have any experience with this and feel like sharing? I tried to do some quick googling but none of the sites that deal with duty and tariff go into regulations regarding edible substances specifically.

 

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[twdavis]

I've got my product currently priced at about $1.45/piece. Originally the first 3 said they wouldnt go any lower than $1.50 but I found one that would. They are saying absolute minimum of 20 at that price, with decreases as I order more.

So basically for 20 to test it's gonna be $80 with DHL shipping to Pennsylvania.

They said DHL cost would be $50 for any amount under 1kg no matter how you slice it so I said hell with it I'll order 20 and do a 10/10 split test on eBay and Amazon. I see a total of 4 competitors on each.

I'll sell them for around $7 so after all the Paypal/Amazon fees ans bullshit I should have about $4 profit.

Wanna get that price lower.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Joe Cassandra]

Want to share my progress as I'm sure Ecom man wants to hear some action after pouring hours answering questions.

First-timer importing, so it was exciting . I searched for a while looking for a product. I wanted something, as @Ecom man suggested, not electronics or too mainstream. I remember we've used recently a Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean (things are the best!) and was looking for other uses of it. I found that a company started making them smaller for teeth, for whitening. My wife and I have tried whitening products before and they don't work [toothpaste, strips, weird UV lighting], anyway, I thought, "Hey this might be good!".

Quick background: I work in tax accounting with many clients as dentists and I figured this might be a good product they could slip into their patients "goodie bags" when you leave the cleaning. The patient could use it and come to me to buy more.

Here's the product if you're wondering:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Home-Teeth-Whitening-Teeth-Cleaning-Kit_1031873598.html

I sent out requests to about 7-8 suppliers. I received 4 responses. All are very nice [one extremely nice, I mentioned a vacation I went on and she wanted to see pictures.....]. The product was pretty much the same for all 4. Difference was of course the price.

Most MOQ were over 100, but I negotiated 50. [In hindsight, I should probably only ask for 10-15.] I negotiated the price, only 1 would use PAYPAL, and they had the cheapest price so it was actually a pretty easy choice [no, it wasn't the one wanting to see vacation pictures..]. It seemed many would easily budge on MOQ but not price.

I ordered 50 for $50 and $25 in shipping. They shipped DHL and arrived 5 days later. I was mega-excited when I got the notification they arrived.

This was just a test batch, I was going to test them myself and my wife and see (hope) for great results, then ship samples to nearby dentists I knew or nearby with a letter with great copy. After about 5 days, I would call up the dentist and pitch again.

I've had them for 3 days testing them and they don't really produce any results for me. Perhaps, for a smoker, they may make a difference, but for my wife and I, we don't' really notice a difference. Our teeth feel smoother, but that's not an effective benefit for sales in my opinion [maybe I"m wrong?].

I had planned on branding them and perhaps changing the design as well & the name [SmileBuff, Teeth Buff, something corny like that]. Since I'm not seeing results, I'd feel scammy trying to sell them now, I'm talking with the supplier to see if maybe there's a sort of trick to it.

If anyone wants one in DFW, TX, I'll give you one for free to try

NOTE: Some people may ask why I can't extract a problem from dentists, I've done some idea extraction but problems they have are under tight regulations. One wanted a certain software solution that would violate the hell out of HIPA. Too much red tape for me. I also am not interested in the dental industry, I just saw this as a potential opportunity as most whitening products suck or are expensive. One pitfall for my original plan is that dentists make a high margin on their "bleaching" products and services, so they may not have even been open to this, but I never reached that step.

Is there something I should do further, or is it a dead product?

Hitting Alibaba/ Amazon Best Sellers to try again! Thanks ECOM MAN!

 

[Emperor]

@joe Nice idea, too bad they didnt work out. I am finding it hard thinking outside the box like that but the more I see other people using their heads the more it inspires me to keep thinking and looking.

 

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[s168]

Want to share my progress as I'm sure Ecom man wants to hear some action after pouring hours answering questions.

First-timer importing, so it was exciting . I searched for a while looking for a product. I wanted something, as @Ecom man suggested, not electronics or too mainstream. I remember we've used recently a Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean (things are the best!) and was looking for other uses of it. I found that a company started making them smaller for teeth, for whitening. My wife and I have tried whitening products before and they don't work [toothpaste, strips, weird UV lighting], anyway, I thought, "Hey this might be good!".

Quick background: I work in tax accounting with many clients as dentists and I figured this might be a good product they could slip into their patients "goodie bags" when you leave the cleaning. The patient could use it and come to me to buy more.

Here's the product if you're wondering:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Home-Teeth-Whitening-Teeth-Cleaning-Kit_1031873598.html

I sent out requests to about 7-8 suppliers. I received 4 responses. All are very nice [one extremely nice, I mentioned a vacation I went on and she wanted to see pictures.....]. The product was pretty much the same for all 4. Difference was of course the price.

Most MOQ were over 100, but I negotiated 50. [In hindsight, I should probably only ask for 10-15.] I negotiated the price, only 1 would use PAYPAL, and they had the cheapest price so it was actually a pretty easy choice [no, it wasn't the one wanting to see vacation pictures..]. It seemed many would easily budge on MOQ but not price.

I ordered 50 for $50 and $25 in shipping. They shipped DHL and arrived 5 days later. I was mega-excited when I got the notification they arrived.

This was just a test batch, I was going to test them myself and my wife and see (hope) for great results, then ship samples to nearby dentists I knew or nearby with a letter with great copy. After about 5 days, I would call up the dentist and pitch again.

I've had them for 3 days testing them and they don't really produce any results for me. Perhaps, for a smoker, they may make a difference, but for my wife and I, we don't' really notice a difference. Our teeth feel smoother, but that's not an effective benefit for sales in my opinion [maybe I"m wrong?].

I had planned on branding them and perhaps changing the design as well & the name [SmileBuff, Teeth Buff, something corny like that]. Since I'm not seeing results, I'd feel scammy trying to sell them now, I'm talking with the supplier to see if maybe there's a sort of trick to it.

If anyone wants one in DFW, TX, I'll give you one for free to try

NOTE: Some people may ask why I can't extract a problem from dentists, I've done some idea extraction but problems they have are under tight regulations. One wanted a certain software solution that would violate the hell out of HIPA. Too much red tape for me. I also am not interested in the dental industry, I just saw this as a potential opportunity as most whitening products suck or are expensive. One pitfall for my original plan is that dentists make a high margin on their "bleaching" products and services, so they may not have even been open to this, but I never reached that step.

Is there something I should do further, or is it a dead product?

Hitting Alibaba/ Amazon Best Sellers to try again! Thanks ECOM MAN!

Joe, are these suitable for dogs and cats? I was thinking that maybe that's an alternative use instead of a toothbrush and toothpaste for pets. Convenient, portable, easy to use, and maybe some pets might enjoy their teeth being scrubbed? Dunno, just had that thought.

 

[Joe Cassandra]

Joe, are these suitable for dogs and cats? I was thinking that maybe that's an alternative use instead of a toothbrush and toothpaste for pets. Convenient, portable, easy to use, and maybe some pets might enjoy their teeth being scrubbed? Dunno, just had that thought.

Thanks for the idea, I have two dogs so I'm going to try it out on them. Well, first i'll ask the supplier.

For us, brushing our dogs teeth isn't appealing, but if it can whiten their teeth for a couple weeks, it might be worth a look. I'll get back to you with an update. Thanks!

 

[jazb]

Best courier service when shipping by flight? Does DHL take <5days from the time of payment?

 

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[Rez]

I just tried to purchase a few products off of AliExpress and it gave me this message when I tried to place my order: "Due to legal restrictions, AliExpress is unable to provide escrow services to residents located in Washington State." Bummer.

 

[s168]

I just tried to purchase a few products off of AliExpress and it gave me this message when I tried to place my order: "Due to legal restrictions, AliExpress is unable to provide escrow services to residents located in Washington State." Bummer.

What's so special about Washington state that prevents escrow for them?

Have you considered getting round it by asking friends or family to order on your behalf if they live in another state?

Or you can try paying PayPal, and just order less to offset your lack of escrow protection.

 

[brandonrush]

I just tried to purchase a few products off of AliExpress and it gave me this message when I tried to place my order: "Due to legal restrictions, AliExpress is unable to provide escrow services to residents located in Washington State." Bummer.

Found this from Google in 3 minutes. http://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/2852yx/washington_state_excluded_from_alibaba_ecommerce/

 

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[Rez]

What's so special about Washington state that prevents escrow for them?

Have you considered getting round it by asking friends or family to order on your behalf if they live in another state?

Or you can try paying PayPal, and just order less to offset your lack of escrow protection.

I don't know what's wrong with WA, but fortunately I was able to find and purchase the exact same products on Dhgate, some of them at lower prices than AliExpress for the same quantity. So the good thing is there are alternatives out there for AliExpress and their prices seem to be almost as good, if not better.

 

[KCErnest]

I've had experience previously getting a prototype for a branded product made in China but due to time restraints from being in the military was unable to pursue it as a business. However, the experience enlightened me to the possibilities and how much easier the barrier to entry is in sourcing products from overseas.

Since I'm out now and found this thread today, I've found 5 products and contacted suppliers as well as ordered a sample of one product right from aliexpress. It's exciting to get going on this. A business where progress can be made in one day is a great thing.

One issue I've had is searching on dhgate. Their search function seems to suck pretty bad. Terms I use on the other sites return 0 results sometimes. Anyone else have this problem?

 

[Emperor]

I suck at HTML and eBay in general. Any recommended programs to use, or templates to get, do make my listings visually appealing?

 

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[Ecom man]

Want to share my progress as I'm sure Ecom man wants to hear some action after pouring hours answering questions.

First-timer importing, so it was exciting . I searched for a while looking for a product. I wanted something, as @Ecom man suggested, not electronics or too mainstream. I remember we've used recently a Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean (things are the best!) and was looking for other uses of it. I found that a company started making them smaller for teeth, for whitening. My wife and I have tried whitening products before and they don't work [toothpaste, strips, weird UV lighting], anyway, I thought, "Hey this might be good!".

Quick background: I work in tax accounting with many clients as dentists and I figured this might be a good product they could slip into their patients "goodie bags" when you leave the cleaning. The patient could use it and come to me to buy more.

Here's the product if you're wondering:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Home-Teeth-Whitening-Teeth-Cleaning-Kit_1031873598.html

I sent out requests to about 7-8 suppliers. I received 4 responses. All are very nice [one extremely nice, I mentioned a vacation I went on and she wanted to see pictures.....]. The product was pretty much the same for all 4. Difference was of course the price.

Most MOQ were over 100, but I negotiated 50. [In hindsight, I should probably only ask for 10-15.] I negotiated the price, only 1 would use PAYPAL, and they had the cheapest price so it was actually a pretty easy choice [no, it wasn't the one wanting to see vacation pictures..]. It seemed many would easily budge on MOQ but not price.

I ordered 50 for $50 and $25 in shipping. They shipped DHL and arrived 5 days later. I was mega-excited when I got the notification they arrived.

This was just a test batch, I was going to test them myself and my wife and see (hope) for great results, then ship samples to nearby dentists I knew or nearby with a letter with great copy. After about 5 days, I would call up the dentist and pitch again.

I've had them for 3 days testing them and they don't really produce any results for me. Perhaps, for a smoker, they may make a difference, but for my wife and I, we don't' really notice a difference. Our teeth feel smoother, but that's not an effective benefit for sales in my opinion [maybe I"m wrong?].

I had planned on branding them and perhaps changing the design as well & the name [SmileBuff, Teeth Buff, something corny like that]. Since I'm not seeing results, I'd feel scammy trying to sell them now, I'm talking with the supplier to see if maybe there's a sort of trick to it.

If anyone wants one in DFW, TX, I'll give you one for free to try

NOTE: Some people may ask why I can't extract a problem from dentists, I've done some idea extraction but problems they have are under tight regulations. One wanted a certain software solution that would violate the hell out of HIPA. Too much red tape for me. I also am not interested in the dental industry, I just saw this as a potential opportunity as most whitening products suck or are expensive. One pitfall for my original plan is that dentists make a high margin on their "bleaching" products and services, so they may not have even been open to this, but I never reached that step.

Is there something I should do further, or is it a dead product?

Hitting Alibaba/ Amazon Best Sellers to try again! Thanks ECOM MAN!

Sorry it's been so long since your post but I took a week vacation to spend time with family. (No internet for me my wife forbid it lol) IMO i would just search for another product. I always try to test out all the products I receive to make sure they do what they are supossed to. You are setting yourself up for tons of returns, negative feedback, and unhappy customers if you sell a product that really doesn't work.

Glad to hear that you are taking action and going after it! Keep it up!

 

[Ecom man]

Best courier service when shipping by flight? Does DHL take <5days from the time of payment?

DHL is ultra fast! I prefer it and use it pretty consistently.

 

[Ecom man]

I've had experience previously getting a prototype for a branded product made in China but due to time restraints from being in the military was unable to pursue it as a business. However, the experience enlightened me to the possibilities and how much easier the barrier to entry is in sourcing products from overseas.

Since I'm out now and found this thread today, I've found 5 products and contacted suppliers as well as ordered a sample of one product right from aliexpress. It's exciting to get going on this. A business where progress can be made in one day is a great thing.

One issue I've had is searching on dhgate. Their search function seems to suck pretty bad. Terms I use on the other sites return 0 results sometimes. Anyone else have this problem?

It is an issue with dhgate but just hit it up with other words and see what happens. Dhgate is super strict on keywords so if I type in tooth it will only hit listings with that word in it.

 

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[Ecom man]

I suck at HTML and eBay in general. Any recommended programs to use, or templates to get, do make my listings visually appealing?

I just use the eBay app for iPhone and iPad. I don't use HTML or anything special in the description just normal text. It makes the listing look more down to earth and mom and pop type store. People tend to be more forgiving if you make a mistake once they realize it is one person selling something and not a multi billion dollar company.

 

[Guest24480]

Going after it starting tomorrow. I'm going to spend a long time researching a product. I've got a spreadsheet set up with a bunch of criteria that I see fitting in a possible supplier's product; I'm taking everything into account. I will be looking to spend two weeks on finding the perfect product to sell, and will try to spend at least 3 hours a day looking for one MINIMUM. Then, I'll narrow it down, order samples and begin.

My goal? By move in day for school I want to be turning a profit. That's in about a month and a half (August 22nd). Long-term goal is to be making $20k/yr in profit. I know that seems pretty lofty for a beginner but I'm confident that if I spend a good amount of time researching and learning from my mistakes then I can reach that within a year or two. Wish me luck, I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[Ecom man]

Going after it starting tomorrow. I'm going to spend a long time researching a product. I've got a spreadsheet set up with a bunch of criteria that I see fitting in a possible supplier's product; I'm taking everything into account. I will be looking to spend two weeks on finding the perfect product to sell, and will try to spend at least 3 hours a day looking for one MINIMUM. Then, I'll narrow it down, order samples and begin.

My goal? By move in day for school I want to be turning a profit. That's in about a month and a half (August 22nd). Long-term goal is to be making $20k/yr in profit. I know that seems pretty lofty for a beginner but I'm confident that if I spend a good amount of time researching and learning from my mistakes then I can reach that within a year or two. Wish me luck, I'll keep everyone posted.

Sounds good except one thing. I would look for multiple products that way if you receive one that doesn't sell etc you don't have to go back into research mode. It is easier to get in the research groove and find 5 products than to find 1 then email suppliers then pay then wait and get the product and then start from scratch if product is lousy. Better to get in samples of a few different products and then if a couple are duds it isn't as big of a deal.

 

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[Guest24480]

Sounds good except one thing. I would look for multiple products that way if you receive one that doesn't sell etc you don't have to go back into research mode. It is easier to get in the research groove and find 5 products than to find 1 then email suppliers then pay then wait and get the product and then start from scratch if product is lousy. Better to get in samples of a few different products and then if a couple are duds it isn't as big of a deal.

While I'm at it I may as well go with a few. That makes sense because although I'll be spending more at once, there's a better chance of one of them working and rather than having one faulty product I'll at least have something to sell and cover some my losses with.


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[mosdef]

how much higher can one price the product from chinese sellers? They are basically selling it for same price as alibaba

 

[Thoelk]

how much higher can one price the product from chinese sellers? They are basically selling it for same price as alibaba

I don't want to sound harsh... But you have questions about every single step... I mean, why don't you find out?
Price it: it gets sold really fast -> try a higher price, it takes a while -> price it lower... Et voila! You get so many tips/hints, some things you will have to find out by yourself... You have YOUR product, in YOUR niche, in YOUR regio/country... So become an expert at it!

Props to @Ecom man for the epic thread, with lots of information! This thread screams for Gold status, it is (getting) up there with Vigilante's thread on the Inside.

 

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[s168]

how much higher can one price the product from chinese sellers? They are basically selling it for same price as alibaba

You're asking such a bad question that has so many variables that it's not possible to give you a good answer, except, perhaps "It depends!"

What's the product? What's the competition's prices like? What order volumes are you thinking of ordering with? Can you negotiate lower prices? Where are you based and where are you selling to? If international, what's the exchange rate? What's your delivery terms and aftersales service like? What's your refund and replacement terms? Etc.

Seriously buddy, I'd just say go ahead and do some research, buy some samples, test selling at different prices on eBay and other platforms, review sales and profits then decide either to go with it or move onto something else. It's not rocket science.

 

[s168]

@Ecom man

Don't think I've seen you mention this yet, but of the many products that you try out, how many of them do you abandon as a percentage of your total tests? And how many products do you try out every month / year in the last few years?

How many of the products do you sell now have been sold by you for over 3 years?