Posts by Bradley Roberts80

Yeah, this forum seems pretty solid. It’s really just my first step in figuring all this out, so I guess I'll need to go poke around some freight forwarders and check in with the port authorities too. I'm still not entirely sure which terminal would be the best fit for shipping these slabs, though honestly, even using a place like San Francisco probably wouldn't be a huge headache
I'll touch base in a day or two once I see what they have to say. After that, I'll probably pick the brains of you more experienced folks to see what you actually think about it all
thanks everyone, talk soon!!!

So, I was wondering... if I used a STA Travel student discount for a round-trip ticket to Beijing $733

Betty Gray3 said: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.

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!!!

Look, you don't need to nitpick my every single word, we aren't here to debate semantics, haha
Anyway, I just went through that
Incoterms 2000 stuff you sent over. I was mostly just trying to get a feel for how the whole process actually flows, and honestly? It’s probably not as much of a headache as it looks at first glance
But, I guess I’d still love to chat with someone who actually knows their way around local sourcing—someone on the ground. Everyone keeps telling me the best move is to just fly out there myself, but I put that as a last resort because... I don't know, I'm not sure if paying for a flight just to order one single container makes any sense. I wouldn't be jumping in with massive quantities right away anyway; maybe start small and see if things stick, and if everything goes smoothly, then we can talk scale, right? Because let's face it, the first time you try anything, it's always the messiest part

So, if there happens to be anyone currently in China who specializes in this kind of procurement—or even just general sourcing—hit me up. Maybe we could figure something out and finally get some real clarity on how this all works

Thanks

So, look, I’m technically just an individual, but I run this pretty decent-sized boutique, so my goal is to pull the trigger on ordering a full container of assorted goods—you know, t-shirts, pants, dresses, all that kind of stuff. I was looking at some items where maybe 50 different pieces go for about $50 USD, which is basically peanuts. I tried placing an order once, and it mentioned free shipping, and apparently, companies like FedEx could handle the transport. I'm thinking customs shouldn't be much of a headache either since everything is super straightforward... nothing weird like chemicals or food or anything like that
I don't know if I'm totally reading the situation right, but I'd really appreciate any advice you guys have..
Maybe it would actually be smarter if I had a contact over in China—someone I could trust to actually fill up the container properly. Honestly, I wouldn't mind dropping maybe $2,000 for the container plus another $2,000 for the stock, plus tax... so we're looking at maybe $5,000 total. But if I actually knew exactly how much space is in one of those containers, I might even consider going bigger 🙂
Anyway, if anyone has extra tips, let me know. Or, if you happen to know someone super reliable who is already over there and easy to get a hold of, please reach out
Thanks a ton, everyone!

Is it actually possible on this Alibaba site to just... pick something out, see a price, hit pay, and call it a day? Like, if the stuff is sitting over in China $67 By the time it lands here, I'm looking at $3,000, which still feels way cheaper than what we'd pay locally, so I guess I'm just confused. Is that price supposed to cover shipping? And what am I looking at once the goods actually show up in the States—do I have to deal with sales tax or some extra customs fees? I haven't a clue. If anyone knows, please let me know, I'm genuinely curious. Also, someone mentioned that shipping for clothes is somehow free... is that even a thing? Or just wishful thinking?