You do not need a factory or a container. Most small Etsy and Shopify sellers buy single units from Taobao or 1688, check one sample, then consolidate a small batch into one parcel. Three things decide whether it works: unit cost, volumetric weight, and whether you are actually allowed to resell the product.
The mistake most new sellers make is assuming they have to order wholesale to buy from China. They do not. Taobao sells single units at retail prices, and 1688 — the domestic wholesale site — also sells single units from many sellers, often at half the Taobao price. That means your first order can be one or two pieces.
The sequence that works for a small shop is:
If you skip straight to a few hundred units before confirming quality and demand, you are guessing with your own money.
| Where | Price level | Minimum order | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taobao | Retail | 1 unit | Testing a product, unusual or consumer-packaged goods | Prices include a retail margin; some listings are resellers, not makers |
| 1688 | Wholesale, often much lower | Often 1 to 2 units, higher for custom work | The same goods as Taobao at wholesale price | Chinese-language interface, and payment usually needs Chinese methods |
| Alibaba.com | Export wholesale | Typically 50 to 500 units (MOQ) | Custom branding, larger repeat orders | MOQ is real; export pricing can include costs you do not need |
| AliExpress | Retail with international shipping | 1 unit | Quick test with shipping already included | Unit price is higher; slower and less predictable than consolidated freight |
| A sourcing agent | Supplier price plus a service fee | None | Buying across several sellers at once, paying in one go | Choose one who shows you the supplier receipt and inspects before shipping |
Not sure which of the two domestic sites to use? Read 1688 vs Taobao: which should I buy from?. If you have hit the payment wall on 1688, see Can I buy from 1688 without a Chinese bank account? and How do I pay a Chinese supplier without a credit card?.
A small seller gets into trouble by comparing the product price to their selling price and forgetting everything in between. Build your margin from this list, not from the sticker price:
| Cost line | Notes for a small seller |
|---|---|
| Product unit price | Falls as quantity rises, but the first drop usually happens between 1 and 10 units |
| Domestic shipping inside China | Often free or very cheap, but it adds up across several sellers |
| Consolidation and packing | Combining five sellers into one box is usually far cheaper than five parcels |
| International freight | Charged on volumetric or actual weight, whichever is greater |
| Inspection | Small cost that prevents shipping 30 units of the wrong thing |
| Duty, tax and carrier fees | Depends entirely on the destination country and the declared value |
| Payment and currency costs | Bank fees and exchange rate spread on each transfer |
| Marketplace fees | Listing, payment processing and any offsite ads on Etsy or Shopify |
Work out the full landed cost per unit before you set a price, not after. See How much does it cost to ship from China? for how the freight part is calculated.
Practical consequences:
Branded goods, character goods and look-alike designs are the fastest route to a takedown, a frozen payout or a seized parcel. If the listing shows a brand you do not own and cannot get authorisation for, do not list it. This applies to Etsy and Shopify policies and to customs, independently.
| Destination | What to check before pricing |
|---|---|
| Australia | Imports below A$1,000 are generally duty-free, but 10% GST normally still applies. Fresh food, meat, dairy, eggs and plant material are blocked by biosecurity — I check every food item before it ships. |
| United States | The long-standing USD 800 duty-free exemption for parcels was suspended in 2025, so small parcels now usually face duty plus a per-parcel processing fee. Confirm the current rule before you promise a delivered price. |
| United Kingdom | VAT applies from the first pound on most goods, with duty above the threshold. Check the current threshold rather than assuming. |
| European Union | The low-value duty exemption has been under review and the rules have been changing. Check the current position for the specific country you ship to. |
These are starting points, not tax advice. Rules change, and the carrier or your tax adviser has the final word.
On a small order, one bad unit is a visible share of your stock. A pre-shipment check of quantity, colour, size, obvious defects and packaging costs little and is the cheapest insurance you can buy. See How to inspect goods before shipping from China.
Big forwarding warehouses are built for volume. Their value shows up when you are shipping cartons regularly. When you are shipping one sample or twenty units, what you actually need is different:
The trade-off is capacity: a one-person operation cannot absorb a sudden pallet order the way a warehouse can. For the stage where you are ordering 1 to 50 units at a time, that trade-off usually favours the smaller setup.
Yes. Taobao and 1688 both sell single units at retail or near-retail prices, and many sellers ship domestically inside China for free or very little. That is why small shops usually start with one or two pieces, check them, and only then place a batch order. Factory minimums apply mainly when you ask for customisation.
A common pattern is one sample, then 10 to 30 units, then a repeat order once you know the sell-through rate. Buying 10 to 30 keeps the freight per unit reasonable without tying up much cash. Avoid jumping straight to a few hundred units before you have confirmed quality and demand.
Because carriers charge on volumetric weight, not actual weight. A light but bulky parcel is billed as if it weighed much more. Foldable, flat-packed and compressible goods ship far cheaper per unit than rigid or bulky ones. Measure the packed box, not the product, before you price your listing.
No. Branded and character goods without authorisation are a common cause of takedowns and account suspension on Etsy and Shopify, and they can be seized by customs. Some categories also need destination-country compliance, and fresh food, meat, dairy, eggs and plants are blocked by Australian biosecurity. Check the product and the destination rules before you list it.
Testing a product for your shop? Send me the Taobao, 1688, Tmall or Weidian links and the quantity. I reply with goods, freight and my service fee as one figure, and I check the goods on camera before they ship.
Request a free quote Freight estimator