Opening an account with wholesaler

Exactly how much time does it take to open an account and get a price list? Surely in the year 2011, everything is automated nowadays?

I'm starting from scratch, and in my province it's legal to operate a business for 60 days without having to register it. I want to get legit to avoid legal problems, I'd just like to avoid it now if I can afford it.

Is that kosher simply to ask for a price list before opening an account?

Thanks BHW.

It really depends what sort of thing your looking for. It's hard to get accounts with the brands and manufacturers, you will have to have a reputable business that they can trust to sell their product.

If you're starting from scratch I'd say find a good drop shipper and start with that. I've got a friend who recently set up an entire surf store with his friends and they're making some nice sales without having any of the stock physically themselves.

I agree with Nick1. If you are talking about ordering directly from manufacturers, you will need to spend some serious money to get started. It would be a lot faster, easier, and cheaper to start by using suppliers or dropshippers.

With the dropshippers, you won't need to stock any physical products. With a supplier, you will most likely need to order and keep stock on hand which might be costly up-front depending on what you are looking to sell.

Some suppliers and.or dropshippers might require a tax ID# in order for you to get an account and access their pricing. If you are in the U.S., you can get one for free online from the IRS. If you are outside the U.S., you will need to get a tax ID# from your country. Also, some suppliers/dropshippers might charge you to become a member. I have always felt that you should never have to pay in order to do business with a company, so I don't use any companies that charge you to have an account with them. They want to sell products, and you want to buy them, so why would they charge their customers?

Nick1 said:

Exactly how much time does it take to open an account and get a price list? Surely in the year 2011, everything is automated nowadays?

Depends on the company. No, it's not automated. It usually takes 24 hours to 7 days, depending on wholesaler.

I'm starting from scratch, and in my province it's legal to operate a business for 60 days without having to register it. I want to get legit to avoid legal problems, I'd just like to avoid it now if I can afford it.

Is that kosher simply to ask for a price list before opening an account?

No. Most companies won't give you any pricing until you've opened an account. Pricing is also not definite in most cases. If you're only spending 1k at a go opposed to 50k an order, you'll be paying a lot more.

Thanks BHW.

Click to expand...

My answers are in green.

Here is a list of websites to help everyone out that may be looking for a certain type of product or is looking for wholesalers/dropshippers. I am starting a cell phone wholesale business, so if anyone needs new or used cell phones, please PM me or catch me on Skype or MSN Chat (chrispiper76). Also, I will probably be selling a list of DVD Suppliers, Wholesalers, and Dropshippers in the near future. Anything you need as fas DVD's goes will be included in this list: Suppliers, Wholesalers, Dropshippers, New DVD's, Used DVD's, Bootleg DVD's, Adult Movies, and some Video Game Suppliers. I hope this helps everyone, and feel free to let me know if anyone needs anything from me. I am always looking for new cell phone and iPhone suppliers. If anyone has any good suppliers, please pass them along or PM me with info. Good luck!

KNOCK-OFFS/DESIGNER INSPIRED PRODUCTS
1. http://www.storego.com
(Unbranded Electronics- MP3 players, cell phones, watches, tablets, etc.)
2. http://www.agoodic.com/
(Unbranded Electronics- Cell Phones, MP3 Players, Digital Cameras, etc.)
3. http://thepeis.com/index.html
(Knock-Off Purses, Clothing, Shoes, Watches, Jewelry, Sunglasses, etc.)
4. http://www.tbiapparel.com/main.sc
(Unbranded Clothing)
5. http://www.wholesalekid.com/
(Unbranded Kid's Clothes)
6. http://www.massvisionsunglasses.com/
(Designer Inspired Sunglasses)
7. http://www.ewholesalesunglasses.com/index.html
(Designer Inspired Sunglasses)

BRAND NAME PRODUCTS
1. https://www.dbldistributing.com/index.php?main_page=index
(Brand Name Electronics- Plasma/LCD/LED TV's, Camcorders, Home Audio, etc.)
2. http://www.megagoods.com/topitems.php
(Brand Name Electronics- Cell Phones, Video Game Systems, Home Audio, etc.)
3. http://www.fragrancex.com/
(Brand Name Perfume and Cologne)
4. http://www.wholesaleaccessorymarket.com/
(Watches, Bags, Purses, Accessories, etc.)
5. http://www.comecoinc.com
(Handbags, Belts, Eyewear, Accessories, Luggage, Shoes, etc.)
6. http://www.dhanish.com/default.asp
(Jewelry)
7. http://midsouthproducts.com/
(Collectibles- Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Betty Boop, James Dean, etc.)
8. http://www.asseenontvwholesale.com/retailers.asp
(AS SEEN ON TV Products)
9. http://www.yoni123.com/yoniusa123/index.html
(Car Audio- CD Players, MP3 Players, Subwoofers, Amplifiers, Speakers, etc.)
10. http://www.caliquidators.com/(Clothing and some other miscellaneous lots)
11. http://www.rgriley.com/
(Clothing- T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, Hoodies, etc.)
12. http://transamwholesale.com/
(Brand Name Men's and Women's Jeans)
13. http://www.ggbeverage.com/index.htm
(Beverages)
14. http://www.nu-era.com/default.aspx?
(Retail Supplies and Store Fixtures)
15. http://www.thompsontransfers.com/index.html
(Heat Transfers)
16. http://www.springhillwholesale.com/
(Heat Transfers)
17. http://thewildside.com/main.php
(Heat Transfers)

LARGE VARIETY OF MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS
1. http://www.ckbproducts.com/
(A Variety of Products)
2. http://sunrisewholesalemerchandise.com/
(A Variety of Products)
3. http://www.hjcloseouts.com/default.aspx
(A Variety of Products)
4. http://www.jdcloseouts.com/
(A Variety of Products)
5. http://www.wholesaleimport.com/
(A Variety of Products)

LOTS, PALLETS, AND TRUCKLOADS OF NAME BRAND PRODUCTS
1. http://www.eagletrade.com/Default.asp
(Lots, Pallets, and Truckloads of Name Brand Clothing, Shoes, General Merchandise, etc.)
2. http://www.tdwcloseouts.com
(Lots, Pallets, and Truckloads of Name Brand Men's and Women's Clothing, Kid's Clothing, Brand Name Handbags and Accessories, Cosmetics and Perfume, Housewares, Electronics, Domestics, Hardware, Shoes, etc.)
3. http://www.aaafleamarketsupply.com/index.htm
(Lots, Pallets, and Truckloads of Clothing Used Clothing, Jewelry and Watches, Furniture, Domestics and Bedding, Electronics, Housewares, Lingerie, General Merchandise, Office Supplies, Baby Items, Sporting Goods, Tools and Home Improvement, Toys, Shoes, Beaty Supplies, Drugstore Itmes, Name Brand Clothing, etc.)
4. http://www.salvagecloseouts.com/fleamarketmerchandise.html
(Lots, Pallets, and Truckloads of Name Brand Clothing, Electronics, Sporting Goods, Appliances, Housewares, etc.)

TOOLS & RESOURCES
1. http://www.shopster.com/
(All in one solution for selling online- Your own website, eBya listing tool, Inventory & Order system, and access to suppliers and dropshppers with over 1.5 million products)
2. http://www.salehoo.com/
(Membership site- Access to over 8,000 suppliers and dropshippers- $67 for 1 year membership and they include some pretty good training)
3. http://www.globalsources.com/
(Access to TONS of Manufacturers, Products, and Suppliers- I believe it's free to access everything)
4. http://www.retailersforum.com/
(Forum for Wholesale Sources)

MISCELLANEOUS
1. http://99price.com/
(Closed for Maintenance)