Buying goods in China for export to Thailand + USA any experances with Alibaba etc

[BKKdreaming]

I have been looking at the Chinese websites like Alibaba and I see stuff that should sell in Thailand and the USA'

by combining the small orders maybe I can get a better price , and make it interesting enough for a buying agent ,

So does anyone know how to find an agent that knows both the Thai and USA market as far as customs and import regulations ?

And do the suppliers have items in stock ? it would be smaller orders like 20-50-100 pieces.

Anyone do this now ? and without giving away you secret item does it work ? or is there too much competition already ?

There are too many direct from China sellers on Ebay already , I would have to buy items I could change some and sell to another group or some value added to make it worthwile

thanks for your ideas

[N47HAN]

You maybe missed this boat by say ... decade ....

But good luck if you find that miracle item no one else sells anywhere else in the world.

Oh just looked at your nick , quite appropriate .

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[dddave]

There is an old saying: "In niches there are riches!"

The challenge is finding a "niche" product and the niche market for it.

[BKKdreaming]

If I buy something in China that no one has every seen on my side of the world then I am a genius !

small example , if you do around you will see large LED flashlights that are rechargable and cost 80-100 baht at the Thai street markets,

I bring some home every trip, and always end up giving some to friends who have NEVER seen them and if they did would be happy to buy

OK, this is a small thing and I am not going to sell 250-300 baht $8-$10 flashlights at the fleas market but they would sell

same as Selfie sticks which are just starting to catch on in the USA ,

In am going for stuff in the niche markets I know and sell at , not the general population.......

So anyway back to the question , has anyone done this and can give advise other than I am too late ?

[N47HAN]

Bkk ,

I really wish you all the best in finding a way to stay here and run a successfull buisiness.

This will not sustain you here don't do it.

Your way behind on the gravy train and its highly likely to fail.

When you ask for advise thats what it is advise , you should take it wether its what you want to hear or not.

Or just ignore it and continue with your idea then report back how successfull you have become and show us all two fingers , or end up back home working in a dead end job for the rest of your life.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited October 30, 2014 by N47HAN

[BKKdreaming]

Bkk ,

I really wish you all the best in finding a way to stay here and run a successfull business

ummmm, first I have no intention staying in Thailand , I live in California and visit Thailand a few times a year

and I just like to do weekend flea markets and have some interesting items , if I think they might sell in BKK then I might send some there and see if they sell well...

But I would not be trying to make a living out of this stuff in USA or Thailand..

but strange things happen, my friends Dad got let go from Northrop Aviation and turned his hobby into million dollar business making stuff in China ,

Anyway , still looking for things to do or not too do importing from China

[Tomtomtom69]

Bkk ,

I really wish you all the best in finding a way to stay here and run a successfull business

ummmm, first I have no intention staying in Thailand , I live in California and visit Thailand a few times a year

and I just like to do weekend flea markets and have some interesting items , if I think they might sell in BKK then I might send some there and see if they sell well...

But I would not be trying to make a living out of this stuff in USA or Thailand..

but strange things happen, my friends Dad got let go from Northrop Aviation and turned his hobby into million dollar business making stuff in China ,

Anyway , still looking for things to do or not too do importing from China

Don't listen to that other posters advice because there are plenty of ways of making money and becoming successful from this kind of venture though there is a lot of competition and you wouldn't be the only one doing it. I would probably do some research on the ground to figure out what kind of products you think could sell in Thailand (or back home) that are manufactured in China that are not manufactured locally, or are cheaper in China (nearly everything made in China is cheaper than something comparable made in Thailand anyway, as they have much bigger economies of scale) or something like that.

I'm not sure this is the best forum to ask these questions though. Because the answer could be anything from something very simple to something very complex. How do you want to sell it etc. (well certainly not in a market as a small stall though, that's for sure).

Just as an example I know some Thais who sell Chinese made car batteries - that's all they sell and they are making a killing.

[jimmybkk]

I do this now, although we import to service a particular industry, rather than brick-a-brack to sell to the general public, and we don't exclusively import from China. In fact there has been a backlash against Chinese products over the past few years and so where possible we try to import from elsewhere now, even if it means the product is marginally more expensive. Some of the RFQ's we receive now stipulate that the customer does not want to receive quotes from products originating in China, India, South America and Eastern Europe.

IMHO you need an "in" somewhere to get you started. Maybe that's an "in" with an industry or large company that you could start selling to, or an "in" with a manufacturer, or an "in" with some sales outlets in the US or Thailand, or exclusive distribution rights to a product or products.

With the examples you gave of the flashlights and selfie sticks, how do you envisage selling those products? PM me if you want to discuss in more detail.

In answer to your other questions...

Typically your buying agent will be just that - a buying agent. You would then want to speak to a local shipping agent/freight forwarder to get the lowdown on getting the goods into Thailand or the US.

95% of the time suppliers we deal with never have stock.

For the quantities you are looking to order - 20, 50, 100pcs at a time, depending on the product it is unlikely you will be able to buy directly from the factory.

Your last sentence in your OP makes a lot of sense. Find a product and find a way to improve it. You don't always need to re-invent the wheel - just redesign the cart...

Good luck.

Jimmy

[fosseway]

I have been successful at wheeling and dealing since becoming self employed at 21 years old, I am now 73 and living the good life here in Pattaya. if you really want to achieve something, just want it bad enough, and it will happen. I must admit it was probably less difficult all those years ago, but just put your heart and soul into it, as nothing beats being being in control, with all the freedom that comes with being your own boss. One word of advice if I may, well, 2 words actually ' WORK PERMIT'

[dddave]

Not trying to discourage you but one must really have a lot of foresight when considering what to import. One acquaintance really liked some handcrafted, wooden tissue dispenser boxes made in Thailand and sent 500 to the USA...Whoops!!..Tissue boxes here conform to metric sizes, USA: inches. No US tissue boxes would fit.

Another sent a bunch of those door curtains made with strung sea-shells: US Customs demanded documentation identifying each and every species of shell, an impossible task.

One other sent a load of those small balls that go splat when thrown against a flat surface figuring they'd be great for flea markets. Customs tested the water contained within and found it contaminated with bacteria...shipment confiscated and destroyed.

[BKKdreaming]

Not trying to discourage you but one must really have a lot of foresight when considering what to import. One acquaintance really liked some handcrafted, wooden tissue dispenser boxes made in Thailand and sent 500 to the USA...Whoops!!..Tissue boxes here conform to metric sizes, USA: inches. No US tissue boxes would fit.

Another sent a bunch of those door curtains made with strung sea-shells: US Customs demanded documentation identifying each and every species of shell, an impossible task.

One other sent a load of those small balls that go splat when thrown against a flat surface figuring they'd be great for flea markets. Customs tested the water contained within and found it contaminated with bacteria...shipment confiscated and destroyed.

Thanks those are the things I am looking for that you would never think about ,

is there a forum somewhere for people importing things from China?