Importing Questions

Q: Don't I have to buy huge quantities like hundreds of thousands to be able to import products?

A: Not at all.  We have been working with some of our factories for so long that we can order quantities as small as 150 on some items and get the same pricing that you would if you ordered thousands.

Q: Aren't the costs of customs and shipping outrageous on small quantities?

A: Not necessarily.  Customs and importing fees are not based on quantities, rather on the material the item is manufactured from.  Cotton, for example, carries a higher quota fee than man made materials such as nylon or polyester. Shipping costs can be the area that can make a difference.  Most small orders can be brought here via air express, and still be extremely cost effective.  Large items that do not weigh in proportion to their size, or items that are very heavy can be cost prohibitive on small quantities, the only way to know for sure is to ask us for a quote.  Large quantities are usually most cost effective brought over on a ship.  The time frame for ocean freight is usually 30 days from manufacturing plant to your door, plus the time to manufacture the product.  Don't ever rule anything out until we can research it.

Q: Doesn't it take a long time to manufacture overseas?  I've heard it can take as long as 6 months or longer to receive your product.

A: Time is a consideration, but 6 months is an exaggeration.  When importing you always have to consider the time to manufacture the item.  Almost all products coming from overseas are made as ordered, and usually the raw materials have to be purchased before manufacturing can begin.  However, depending on the product and quantity, manufacturing time is usually 2 to 4 weeks.  Small quantities can sometimes be completed in as little as a week.  Air express shipping will usually deliver in 5 to 7 days and we can even bring items expedited which arrives in 2 or 3 days.  Here again, cost is always a consideration and we will always give you a bid in advance so you can make an informed decision.

Q: Do you offer standard terms on invoicing, such as Net30?

A: On all domestic products we offer Net30 terms to qualified accounts.  Importing requires us to handle the accounting differently.  As stated above, when an order is placed the manufacturer purchases the raw materials before beginning production.  It is standard practice to pay 50% in advance on all orders.  This is because the plants have been taken advantage of over the years and orders have been placed and never paid for.  You can imagine how frustrating it would be for a plant to manufacture thousands of custom products and then not be able to sell them.  Because of this, it has become an industry standard to pay 50% of the order in advance, and the balance prior to the item shipping from the manufacturer upon completion of production.  Naturally with our contacts and relationships we are offered some leeway in this but in order to maintain our good business relationships with our factories we always like to maintain this standard.  There are some exceptions where we will take advantage of our special standing with our established factories, such as in a rush situation, but for the majority of our orders we ask you to respect the standard and follow the 50% in advance and 50% upon shipping procedure.

Q: What about patents and knock offs, I've heard there are big legal problems with items being brought in from China on those things?

A: Well, our integrity and reputation are very important to us, so we won't knock off patented items.  The big difference is that although we won't do exact duplicates of a patented item, many times we can get an item very similar without infringing on any patents.  We work very closely with our factories to be certain that we never infringe on any patents or trademarks.

Q: OK, so I decide I want some pens with my company logo, can I order 150 and still be cost effective, or do the small quantities just apply to high end items like MP3 players or DVD players?

A: Good question.  The price of the item isn't what allows us to import it in small quantities.  What allows us to import small quantities is our relationship with certain factories.  Many factories we have worked with for so many years and our purchase volume with them is so high that they have given us special volume pricing even on small quantities.  Also, since we have these long term relationships they will produce a much smaller quantity for us than they would a new customer.  For example, we have a wonderful relationship with a hat factory.  For a new customer they would require a quantity of 1000 pieces before they would even consider putting an order on their production line.  You see, they do not keep pre-manufactured product in warehouses waiting for orders.  Everything they manufacture is done on an as ordered basis, so when someone places an order, they purchase the fabric and all components needed for that order specifically and then put it on the production line.  That is why they won't usually do small quantities, because they have to purchase the fabric and other components in bulk and for new customers who they aren't familiar with they will not purchase a bulk roll of fabric, have it dyed, and cut a small portion off.  Often they will be left with that fabric and have to store it for long periods of time before they can use it.  They know that we order constantly and that we will always use whatever they purchase for our jobs, so they are very willing to do small quantities for us because they know we will use it right away.  There is not enough space here to list all the factories we have this type of relationship with, the best for you is to always contact us for a bid.  We will always tell you before you ever place an order if what you want is cost effective or not.

Q: OK, so can I get custom colors, custom designs, and my custom logo on any small quantity item?

A: That depends.  Some custom items like pens will require molds and design engineers before they can even begin production.  In this case, no, small quantities would not be cost effective because the molds alone can cost thousands of dollars depending on the intricacy of the design.  However, most factories have standard designs in a catalog that we can pick from and usually your custom design is not far from something they already have a mold for.  Custom colors are not as difficult, but can be depending on the color.  Usually if it is a standard PMS color they can do it.  Since PMS is the world standard for color matching, that usually isn't a problem.  We have PMS color charts so come on in and take a look, it is almost certain your custom color falls under a PMS color code.  Custom logos are simple, all we need is an electronic file such as an .eps or .jpg of your logo with the PMS colors, which the artist who designed your logo will have, and putting your logo on the product is not an issue.  The same applies to embroidery.  We have a huge chart with standard colors of thread that will certainly have the color you need for your logo.  It just takes some matching to find the color that is perfect for your logo.

Hopefully we have answered many of your questions here.  Please do not hesitate to give us a call or send an email if you have any questions at all.  We are more than happy to answer even the smallest question for you and we will gladly give you a bid on any item you are interested in, regardless of size or quantity.

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