Posts by Betty Gray3

Bradley Roberts80 said:Hey, let me know when you're planning your next sourcing trip so you can post the dates. If the timing works out, maybe I'll tag along. It's my first time heading over there, and well, China is a pretty massive place, haha.
Let me know what you think about that idea!!!

I’m thinking about heading out again this summer. China is huge, sure, but once you figure out where the actual sources are, it starts to feel a lot more manageable. Take the Zhejiang province, for example; it’s a bit like a major US state—highly developed with everything you could possibly need right there. For electronics, though, you usually have to pivot to a different province entirely. Summer isn't exactly the most pleasant time to visit due to the brutal humidity, but sometimes you just have to push through it. Honestly, I’d love to personally oversee every single container shipment, but let's be real—it’s just not economically viable. To give you an idea, my last trip cost me about $4.00. Between the $6,500 flight, the hotel, and all the little extras, the costs pile up incredibly fast. So, why does everyone insist on going in person? Well, here's my take. Some people suggest just having a buying agent pack a container and ship it out. It sounds like a great shortcut, but an agent doesn't inherently know what’s actually trending or in demand in the American market. They'll follow your instructions to the letter, of course, but you have to be incredibly specific about what you want. That’s why I think visiting at least once to hand-pick your inventory is worth the effort. Just a quick technical note for those keeping track: a small 20-foot container holds about 33 cubic meters, while a large 40-footer holds about 67. Using carriers like FedEx or DHL to import full containers is prohibitively expensive; they are fantastic for sending samples, but not for bulk freight. Also, I can't tell you how many products I've seen labeled "made in USA" when they clearly weren't. I actually asked one of my Chinese suppliers about it once, asking what they were importing from the States just to resell. He just laughed and said, "No, we just make the packaging however the client wants it. We can write 'made in USA' on the box, no problem." They can export just about anything; how an Italian company manages to declare it at their own customs is their business, and we all know how deep-seated certain organized crime elements can be in Italy. Just imagine the markup: a container of clothing or shoes labeled "made in China" is worth one price, but if that label says "made in USA," the value doubles or even triples. At the end of the day, you can't really avoid dealing with the Chinese manufacturers, even if you tried.

I suppose I should offer a little praise for my Chinese contacts.
The story goes like this: I find the goods I need online, reach out to a company, vet their pricing, check availability, confirm lead times... everything seems perfect. So, I fly out to China (Shanghai) to meet the man in person. A charming fellow, Mr. Albert, shows up with his catalogs and samples, and after a bit of back-and-forth, I realize he’s actually a trader rather than the manufacturer himself. We sit down for some traditional tea in a hotel that costs about as much as five fancy coffees in the States, but it doesn't really matter. Once I get back home to the US, I happen to stumble upon the actual factory online and discover they have prices about 5% lower than his, for the exact same product. It turns out Mr. Albert is just buying from them and reselling to me. The factory kept insisting they could handle everything perfectly if I just ordered directly, but somehow, I decided to stick with my guy, Mr. Albert. I told him straight up that I knew he wasn't the producer, but I wanted to work through him because I trusted him. I promised the factory we'd do business directly next time. Fast forward a month, and Mr. Albert drops the bomb: "Sorry. Factory, cant make delivery time before Chinese new year!" What? Are you kidding me? This is exactly why I shouldn't have skipped the direct negotiation with the plant. Just great. I call Mr. Albert, and in my most "gentle" tone, explain that the shipment is urgent. He tells me he can't fit it into this first container because the ship leaves on February 9th, while the goods won't be ready at the factory until the 11th. It isn't even his fault; the factory is running behind. I call the factory, and they confirm it. I had already resigned myself to the idea that I wouldn't see my goods until the next container, which meant a roughly 40-day delay. Then, I walk into work the next morning, open my email, and get a pleasant surprise. Mr. Albert is sending an LCL (less than container load) shipment instead. He’s sending the goods via a consolidated shipment immediately, and he’s covering the cost himself. To protect our future partnership, he’s paying for the freight and offering a sincere apology on his own behalf. You honestly can't make this stuff up. If I had gone directly to the factory, I am certain they never would have pulled a move like that. I'll definitely be working with him again in the future. My takeaway here: trust your gut and stick with people who are playing the long game.

fadedwolf81 said:I was actually over in Zhejiang myself, specifically in Yiwu
got back about seven days ago
$13???? wow, that is definitely not a small amount of money
but seriously, how did you manage to communicate with all those traders and factory owners?
usually, those buying agents are the ones handling all the translation work
so, what kind of stuff are you importing???

Man, if only we had crossed paths sooner. 🙂 .
If you haven't cleared the payment with your buying agent yet, it might not be too late—though I really hope you haven't. I sent the rest of my thoughts to your inbox.

fadedwolf81 said:It’s funny how people will chime in on things they clearly don't understand, acting like experts on everything they see online.
Look, it doesn't always have to be some massive expense... agent fees usually just run about 2-3% of the total cargo value in the container.
One quick question though... how on earth did this guy manage to get into China without a visa? I mean, unless he was just there on a tourist visa, what's your take on that?

That doesn't really square with what I've seen firsthand. That 2-3% figure is mostly just marketing fluff. Real buying agents don't actually operate that way, though not many people seem to realize it. The reality is a bit different. I actually just got back from a trip to China. I spent seven days hitting up trade shows, chatting with traders, meeting buying agents, and talking directly to manufacturers... I decided to skip the buying agent route entirely and saved quite a bit on a single container $13. More importantly, it gives me the flexibility to mix all sorts of different products into one shipment. If anyone is looking for something—anything from sewing needles to locomotives—maybe we could look into pooling our orders into a single container together. Most of my sourcing comes out of California, typically through the Port of Los Angeles or New York City.