eBay is still in my mind a bargain marketplace, market forces and recession have pushed prices down and forced sellers to throw a wider net to get suppliers. Sourcing from China can give you the prices you need and also bespoke products that would cost the earth to manufacture locally.

A good source of information for Chinese suppliers is http://www.chinafactorybase.com

Qualifying suppliers is another thing, the wholesaleforums has this post on the subject.

When importing products start slowly and build up your trade relationships with suppliers. I have imported Gothic Lolita clothing, synthetic hair and latex from china with no real problems but I had one key rule.
Don’t invest more than you can risk loosing with a new supplier.
I also asked for paid samples and they were happy to send them.

Always check that the products are sold within the safety regulations of the country you plan to sell them from and also hire a third party company to QC your first shipment to verify your suppliers quality control procedures.

Check this article out also about dealing with Chinese Suppliers

Had any good or bad experiences with importing from China? Any nuances that would be lost on us brits that are the norm in china?

Comment!