posted on May 17, 2004 08:23:38 AM new
Just some insight...many of the vendors at the Vegas show also receive their supplies from vendors in the Hong Kong Directory...
posted on May 17, 2004 08:31:16 AM new
find trade shows closest to you,atlanta,GA has some good shows.
San Francisco,Los Angelos,Chicago also host some good shows.
visit merchandise marts where the wholesalers/importers have showrooms.
Retailers would also give you a 20% discount,unfortunately this is not good enough for ebay .
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on May 17, 2004 08:38:36 AM new
Hi stopwhining - you are right there are good shows there. We went to an LA show several years ago and stumbled across the directory...found out going direct to the manufacturer was much less expensive.
posted on May 17, 2004 10:53:46 AM new
there are good tradeshows overseas,it just takes more $$moola and stamina to go ,no matter which trade show you go,make sure you pack some comfortable shoes.
There are ice cream stand/cart inside,you will need it!!
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on May 17, 2004 12:08:54 PM new
If you are not a large dealer, yet, keep this strictly economical. Wait for a trade show close by, then ride the bus. This will humble you slightly and change your paradigm.
posted on May 17, 2004 12:50:46 PM new
what bus??greyhound bus??
it will cost more than driving ,greyhound station is nowhere near the tradeshow .
dont be intimidated just because you are a small seller,your money is just as good as others.
many vendors know there are only that many big fish out there ,they would like to catch a few small minnows each year and hope some of them will grow .
if not,it is still worth their time to have small buyers who survive and give them a few orders each year,a few hundred of these small buyers giving them 5-10 orders a year help pay their bills.
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on May 17, 2004 01:42:51 PM new
Hey Fluffy - have you ever gone to the ASD/AMD in February? We went last August, but we are thinking of going again to the one next February so I can look while my hubby golfs (too hot to golf in August). I'm thinking of taking a friend to shop with me and we were hoping to hit the jewelry one at the Mirage, but I don't know if the jewelry one is there in February. I don't know jewelry, so we're not going to resell - just to shop for ourselves. Is the jewelry pretty "iffy"?
posted on May 17, 2004 02:09:27 PM new
I haven't been to the jewelry show yet; this'll be a first. I think that vendors will be making sales in wholesale quantities, though, on lower-end jewelry ( though if you're in the market for a 5 carat diamond they'll probably sell in quantities of one ). I know that some will be prepared to sell right then and there, and others will be taking orders.
I have to keep my offerings fresh or my longtime buyers will wander off. So I don't expect to get fantastic deals at the August show necessarily, but hopefully source some new and kicky jewelry to keep 'em in the habit of checking my seller list every day.
My partner is understandably unenthusiastic about going with me but I am hoping to take a full week off to have some time to enjoy the resorts, see a show, make the obligatory trip up to Boulder Dam, etc.
Check the Merchandise Group page for show schedules:
posted on May 18, 2004 09:04:18 AM newAS others have said there are great shows all over the USA.
BUT, if you aren't an experienced Trade Show attendee, this is the best tip I can give you......skip the Atlanta, Dallas, etc., TRADE MART shows, they are hard core, up end suppliers who basically don't bargain - on the other hand, at the ASD and other such shows, the more you buy from a wholesaler, the lower you can get the price. Bulk buying is the way to save at these shows.
We have attended the Mart shows 3 times, and would never go back. They are MUCH smaller in content, and few of the wholesalers bargain regardless of the volume you buy at.
We do some direct buying out of China, Italy, but direct buying from ANY country, including England is much more of a risk. To make such purchases worthwhile, you have to buy in large quantities. AND. naturally, if you are buying in large volumes, you need to know that you can sell the stuff once you get it......we only directly import an item, when it is a tried and true, and highly tested item in our inventory. By and large we NEVER import breakables.
posted on May 18, 2004 09:17:04 AM new
Hi jwpc...valuable insights..thanks...we have one site selling only direct imports. We use a standby letter of credit...some of our Honk Kong suppliers sell to those who set up at the trade shows.
You are correct...know all of the variables involved.
Some of our China wholesalers also set up and sell at the trade shows, but it doesn't really effect us, as 99% of the buyers don't or can't purchase in the volume we do, therefore they are paying considerably more and have to sell for much more.
EXAMPLE: of the differences in the Atlanta, Dallas, etc., Trade Mart shows and the other major trade shows. At the Mart show, you go up to a booth or into a room of a particular wholesaler and they have the widget you want for $10.95, you ask them, if I purchase 100 of your widgets, what is your best price? Their answer will be $10.95! Then you say, well if I purchased 1000 of your widgets, what would the individual price be? Their answer is again, $10.95 each. Ridiculous!
At most other major trade shows, you approach the wholesaler (particularly non-Americans,) and say how much are your widgets, individually? They say, $10.95. THEN, you say, If I purchase 100 of your widgets how much will they be? Their answer would be something like, Oh, 100 of the widgets would be $8.75 each. Then you say, well if I purchased 1000 of your widgets, when would the price be? They respond with, OH! 1000 of the widgets, the price would be $6.40!
I have noticed that occasionally I walk up to a booth, and because I sell very male oriented items, I am occasionally ignored, and when they do approach, it is in a very patronizing manor. At that point if I ask the price of a given item, it might be a bit high to me (we KNOW our prices,) but as soon as I respond, is that your price by the dozen? Immediately, I am responded to with new respect, and interest, and a much better price. Once in a while, Ill flat out tell them, well you know XYZ company, and they have the same item for such and such a price. Once most of the established, non-American wholesalers are aware that you know your product, you know the other importers of such, and you know your prices, they become much more open, and offer better deals.
THAT is the way to buy wholesale, and logical, that the more I buy the lower the price should be. We sell in the same manor. If a customer buys one of an item, it sells at our posted price. If someone wants 100 of the item, there is definitely a major discount, and if they want a 1000 or more, we really make them a deal.
posted on May 19, 2004 09:33:33 AM new
jwpc,
why dont you go straight to the manufacturer??
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on May 19, 2004 10:41:17 AM new
Hi Jwpc...you're correct. We don't buy in a large volume - usually small container direct from Hong Kong manufacturer...use the emails in the directory..get their particular product line...usually about $2,500 worth...but it does beat the show prices and so far on eBay....a 2 or 3x return.
Thanks for your insights
posted on May 19, 2004 11:10:03 AM new
SW: Manufacturers won't always deal with companies farther down the supply chain, for that would require maintaining a sales staff. Instead, they farm it out to brokers.
All: One of the most aggravating things about sourcing salvage is how closed the industry is. I made a list of 20 or so companies that would need to dispose of the kind of merchandise I wanted. I phoned them all. They all had existing contracts with brokers or liquidators. Very tough to break in to the business.
Some of what the vendors have on offer at shows like the OffPrice Show or ASD/AMD is salvage. You might remember one vendor was offering me processed returned ladies' tops at a buck a pop. You would think it would just be easier to go directly to the source but that is not always possible. The source may not want to deal with YOU.
posted on May 19, 2004 12:09:34 PM new
Stop - the other advantage is that a single broker may work with 5 of 6 factories enabling you to access a larger array of products in one stop. Also, because of the larger quantities on their orders, you can often get a better price from the broker than a factory on smaller order or even be able to order in quantites that factories simply won't deal with you on. I have an order in now with one of my suppliers of 2 dozen of 60 different items that I want to test market. No factory would deal with me on those numbers.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on May 19, 2004 12:15:41 PM new
Hi Fenix...good point. Currently when we order now, we ask for a few samples of their other products...usually they put in about 5 to 10 pieces.
But your correct, a broker can put together an array of smaller amounts of differing items.
posted on May 19, 2004 01:04:43 PM new
Priest - they would send me samples of a couple items if I asked but for 60 different items.... I figured I should probably go ahead and place an order if I wanted to continue dealing with them
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on May 19, 2004 03:48:24 PM new
If you have a UPS account call them for two sizes of free security boxes. They come in small and medium with 50 boxes to the box.
Small security box is number 010195218
Medium security box is number 010195217
All you need to order these free security boxes is a UPS account number. UPS will deliver in about two days after you order them.
We've used them for about two years now to ship small to medium items in. These are very nice made plain boxes that snap together. You must tape shut.
). I know that some will be prepared to sell right then and there, and others will be taking orders.
