Ordering Samples From China

When it comes to being a successful importer in China, the key isn’t just about finding a good supplier, but also getting
that perfect sample. Often the sample process can be a frustrating and time consuming, especially to those that are new to the importing game.

The key to getting the RIGHT Chinese manufacturer is to contact as many as possible. This may mean that after contacting and researching your industry you will have a number of suppliers that you may wish to get samples from.

Once you have a few suppliers you want to deal with, you then need to order samples from them to compare prices and quality, getting only one sample can mean not comparing quality with other suppliers and whether or not this sample is any good or getting too many can end up being too expensive…

With most manufacturers, suppliers will charge a sample making fee and this fee is often related to the value of the materials and readiness of the materials needed to produce the sample. Products such as machinery are more complicated then samples such as clothing and the costs may be higher.

When you are trying to work out how many potential suppliers to get samples from, and the costs associated with them, make sure to ask your supplier the following questions:

- Will the supplier have the exact material you request or will they have to source it externally?

- How long will it take to get a sample made?

Sometimes a manufacturer will be able to supply you with a free or cheap sample if they already have everything needed to produce the item and then you just pay the shipping cost to get it to you.

If you are looking at importing this New Year or getting a sample be aware that Valentine’s Day this year (14th February), will mark the beginning of the Year of the Tiger in China. The country shuts down for 2 weeks while this holiday is on and any orders taken before then won’t be completed or sent til after March.

It is a good idea to take note of all Chinese holidays so that you don’t get low on stock or have to wait a month to get your momentum again.

Til next time, have a great eBay week!

Matt & Amanda Clarkson