Isn't dropshipping different from Wholesale?

Ok guys, so I have been hearing this buzz about auctioning stuff on ebay and elsewhere and I think the best place to source stuff is Hong Kong as they have this free port and shipping is dead cheap ifyou choose their airmail. But when i google for Hong Kong Dropshippers, I get only wholesalers and when i contact them they say they only wholesale, and dont ship stuff individually to clients.

Can anyone help me with this? Dealextreme is a good place, but they delay like hell to ship. Shipments from HK to USA don't take over 5 days, but DX tkes 7 days to pack the stuff and have it shipped. I'm looking for a better provider who can send out stuff to my individual buyers and bill me wholesale prices.

All help appreciated.

edit: i'm looking for dropshippers so that I don't have to buy stuff wolesale and worry about packing and shipping myself to my buyers. hope i make my requirement clear.

Which products drop shippers you are looking for ?

^^ electronics primarily, would like to venture out into other categories too

Yeah, it would be nice to hear some better shops than dealextreme

Paranoid Android said:

Ok guys, so I have been hearing this buzz about auctioning stuff on ebay and elsewhere and I think the best place to source stuff is Hong Kong.

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Have a look at 'chinavision'. I have not tried it, but have heard good about it. Also I would like to warn you about Chinese Stuff, these goods are not reliable at all. Chinese products are like 'Love relations', it can work good for years, or doomed in hours...

Also remember, If you order anything, tell them to send as 'Gift' to save duty.

Due to my own experience...

China is great but they are like a child that still needs their hand held. For that reason, dropshiping is tricky because you dont get to inspect the product first. Having it sent to you first will lead to less problems in the long run. (IE chargebacks).

Has anybody found drop shipping profitable? Seems like anything I find is still being sold cheaper on ebay.

^^ i don't fine it really profitable, but compared to the investments that i need to make and employ staff to do the packing and shipping of products and manage the inventory and make sure the staff don't take stuff away, i think a little less margin that i make with dropshipping is good enough, absolutely no risk as long as you work with a decent company.

As a drop shipper it is hard to compete with a real wholesaler, especially in the electronic section. Just think about it, the drop shipper who is providing you with a service of course charges you for that by in form of a premium. In order to make money you also add a margin. At the same time the drop shipper is also able to sell the product on the regular market such as eBay. Of course you are not able to compete with him ...

^^ don't sell brainded electronics

Paranoid Android said:

Ok guys, so I have been hearing this buzz about auctioning stuff on ebay and elsewhere and I think the best place to source stuff is Hong Kong as they have this free port and shipping is dead cheap ifyou choose their airmail. But when i google for Hong Kong Dropshippers, I get only wholesalers and when i contact them they say they only wholesale, and dont ship stuff individually to clients.

Can anyone help me with this? Dealextreme is a good place, but they delay like hell to ship. Shipments from HK to USA don't take over 5 days, but DX tkes 7 days to pack the stuff and have it shipped. I'm looking for a better provider who can send out stuff to my individual buyers and bill me wholesale prices.

All help appreciated.

edit: i'm looking for dropshippers so that I don't have to buy stuff wolesale and worry about packing and shipping myself to my buyers. hope i make my requirement clear.

Click to expand...

If your looking for legit goods and products with good pricing, you are looking in the wrong direction..dealxtreme.. etc etc etc..

If you want to hire people and make this a business, you have to treat it like one.

First thing you need to do is register a business license in your state. A sole proprietor AKA DBA (doing business as) and then you will get wholesale prices from real companies that make the products..and will be happy to dropship.

There is a british forum about wholesale and they have dropship section. They have quite legit members that might be able to help you. Google wholesale forum uk and you will find it.Their members are from all over the world so you will find both us and asian members.

What i have found more wise is not to spend too much time at the first pages of the results on google. If they are legit, the competition on ebay will be high and profits non existent.

I am actually starting now to dropship and what i did is come up with a niche and found local manufacturers who have no idea about ebay or are too busy to get into such business. Contact them and tell them that you would like to sell their goods on ebay. You will get ignored by some but when you find one, competition will be low(you have some kind of monopoly if you wish).

This was the only feasible way that i thought of so i would have some profits after all these fees(listing,succesful sale,paypal).

if you are drop shipping, you can't expect wholesale prices.
because, i run a similiar site, saraoutlet(dot)com and for cheap accessories, actually the shipping costs more than the item itself.
And, when you are drop-shipping, items are shipped to individual addresses and the cost for the provider is no different.
as such, seller will be unable to offer you wholesale price.

yeah it's so flawed...replicas in the only way I see to make a real profit!