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Product Research/Find actual product maker in China or other?

by AlwaysOnDEFCON
5 replies
This is to do with products that would be marketed online, but the question deals with obtaining the products. Basically, how to do research, and what methods you may use to research.
Hopefully this is the right forum. If not, please correct me.

Lets say I am trying to bypass all the middlemen, and obtain products directly from manufacturers. Some products come from China, and only have listed on the package, the company that imported the product. However, if you contact the company that imported that product, they usually direct you to a retail chain to even order in bulk.

Example product:
Luminessence brand LED Tealight Candles
Can be purchased in packs of 2 lights at Dollar Tree
Made in China and Imported by Greenbrier International INC.

When I do google searches for that product for wholesale, I get sites like Alibaba and Aliexpress, which I have seen and heard of, but not familiar with them, nor the safety and pitfalls of those sites.

Any ideas on best research methods, and methods for reaching contacts that others may use?
#actual #china #maker #product #research or find
  • Profile picture of the author Anonymous Affiliate
    I've gone through this process in the recent months, and I can tell you this much: Alibaba, Aliexpress and the such will take you down through a world of pain: unprofessional middlemen who only care for their commission, very poor and slow communication, low quality final products that dont resemble what was agreed, etc.

    If you're serious about importing from China, there's only one way to go: Fly there to conventions, network directly with manufacturers/distributors, visit their factories/warehouses, etc, and make sure you hire a translator/agent to help you in the process.

    Seriously, going China is a HUMUNGOUS pain in the ass, not as easy as everybody makes you believe.
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    • Profile picture of the author Importexport
      Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate View Post

      I've gone through this process in the recent months, and I can tell you this much: Alibaba, Aliexpress and the such will take you down through a world of pain: unprofessional middlemen who only care for their commission, very poor and slow communication, low quality final products that dont resemble what was agreed, etc.

      If you're serious about importing from China, there's only one way to go: Fly there to conventions, network directly with manufacturers/distributors, visit their factories/warehouses, etc, and make sure you hire a translator/agent to help you in the process.

      Seriously, going China is a HUMUNGOUS pain in the ass, not as easy as everybody makes you believe.
      I agree that Alibaba and Aliexpress can be painful to deal through, and I never recommend using them as a B2B sourcing platform.

      For a start, Aliexpress is not B2B it is B2C, and is a rough equivalent to eBay, but without the auctions. It is a retail site, and although you may see many products there that look very cheap to buy, there have been countless complaints registered by people unhappy with their dealings with suppliers listed on Aliexpress.

      Alibaba is definitely B2B, but in the eCommerce Sites,Wholesaling and Dropshipping forum, where your thread should have started, you will find plenty of posts by warriors complaining about finding prices no better than they see on eBay. That is partly explained by the fact that with the help of subsidized China Post shipping, many of those suppliers are selling on eBay.

      Anonymous Affiliate is right about finding unprofessional middlemen on those sites. They are almost invariably listed falsely as manufacturers, although some genuine manufacturers can be found on Alibaba. One of my students is currently dealing with one that he found who has excellent credentials, but finding them is not easy.

      As for the need to travel to China, I disagree. I began importing from China in 1987, and I have visited there countless times. I only went to see manufacturers after making contact with them (before the days of the Internet), via fax. I found them by using trade contacts from my exporting days when I was exporting to Asia Pacific countries, and I also had subscribed to various trade magazines while I was in China.

      I say never deal with distributors, only direct with manufacturers, because distributors eat up a big part of your margin. They pay ex-factory prices, and you can too if you deal direct.

      Those magazines have been almost totally replaced by B2B sourcing sites, and because I know which sourcing sites are safe to use I have been able to teach hundreds of people how to safely source products without going to China.

      This post is getting a bit long, so I will just add; Don't consider importing big brand items.

      I would be happy to answer questions.
      Signature
      Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Originally Posted by AlwaysOnDEFCON View Post

    Lets say I am trying to bypass all the middlemen, and obtain products directly from manufacturers.

    Why would you want to "bypass all the middle men" to obtain products from China when you don't know how to get them here yourself?

    The middle men are the ones that act as a go between with the Chinese manufacturers and the resellers here in this country. They know who to contact for products. They know how to get them shipped here. They speak the language. They are the ones that do all the work so that you can buy things wholesale.

    If you don't know how to do all those things, then why bypass the people with the expertise and experience who have all the contacts, know the shipping industry, know how to handle the tax and surcharges involved, and who can see that you get what you order, and you get it on time?

    Steve
    Signature

    Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
    SteveBrowneDirect

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  • Profile picture of the author AlwaysOnDEFCON
    You guys are awesome. Thanks for the feedback, and I will take this all into consideration. I am also doing a paper for a business class regarding this subject matter.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie123
    Yes, that is correct. I believe Steve B is talking about an importing trading companies. They can also give you guidance on manufacturers and products. Should get you started. My two sense.
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