If you’ve been in the wholesale closeouts or liquidations industry for awhile then you may already be familiar with popular wholesale trading platform Alibaba.com. However, you may not be aware that Alibaba.com has launched a sister website, called AliExpress, which offers the same opportunity to connect with international wholesale goods sellers but with smaller minimum order amounts than you’ll find on Alibaba.com or other similar websites.

While you may find prices slightly more expensive on AliExpress it can be a good platform for beginners who may not have the cash or credit that is often available to seasoned buyers and business owners. The AliExpress platform could also be considered slightly less risky than placing a large order through regular Alibaba.com merchants, as less money is at play. Of course you will want to follow the same guidelines and safety precautions as you would anytime you deal with wholesale sellers that are unfamiliar to you.

AliExpress does not seem to (yet) have the amount of merchants that you’ll find on Alibaba.com, however they do offer goods in a vast variety of niches, including popular categories such as consumer electronics and apparel.

If you are an eBay seller, store owner, flea market vendor or even an exporter, yous should be on the look out for new sources for inventory. I am certain that you spend countless hours searching the net looking for new suppliers to buy from.

Have you tried wholesale trade magazines or better know as trade publications? I subscribe to several full color magazines which are mailed to my office once a month, free of charge.

Most of the magazines not only offer tons of new wholesale sources, but also current marketing and retail advice. One magazine in particular, WebWholesaler, is by far the best trade publication out there. Each issue is packed with a variety of wholesale sources for clothing, accessories, jewelry, general merchandise, tools, electronics and more!

I would personally recommend you sign up for a FREE subscription to WebWholesaler. There is no obligation what so ever. Fill out a simple form and you should receive the next issue hot off the press!

Who does not love playing with remote control toys? As technology advances we are seeing a myriad of new RC cars, trucks, helicopters, airplanes, tanks, hovercrafts and even UFO’s! Whether you sell online through an ecommerce store or list items on eBay, remote control toys command huge profits!

I know of several Kiosk sellers who set up displays in large malls and sell these toys daily. They simply sit around and play with the toys causing children, as well as adults, to come over and “play” before buying. What better way to sell then to let someone take a test drive! In my area the RC helicopters are selling really well, in fact I spoke with a kiosk seller who told me they are having a hard time keeping the little “mini” helicopters in stock.

I have found a few RC wholesalers who offer great pricing and depending on how you intend to resell, some of the prices I found are low enough to resell on eBay!

Small Case RC Wholesalers:

HobbyTron.com offers excellent small case pricing for a range of wholesale RC cars, trucks, airplanes and more. They also offer wholesale Airsoft guns. I cross refernced HobbyTrons pricing with eBay closing auctions and it looks as though you should be able to make a nice profit buying from this supplier!

Valorsinc.com – Another great source for wholesale RC products based out of Texas. You will need to register as a wholesale buyer before you can view pricing. One downside to this website, in my opinion, is the black background.

Emirimage.com – Great selection of the latest RC toys; direct import pricing allows the reseller to buy at a deep discount. Buy low, sell high!

There is this nasty little rumor going around that says importing small quantities of merchandise is something that is very difficult to do. But the truth is that you can get virtually anything and everything you want. If you want 10 sets of authentic Chinese medicine balls directly from China, you can get 10 sets of authentic Chinese medicine balls directly from China. Perhaps that is all your store needs and no one should tell you, “No, you can’t order that few although you don’t need very many.”

The main difference here is cost. Yes, it is more expensive to ship more items, but the bargain is greater the more you get. And yes, you get a better deal if you order more, but you shouldn’t order more than what you need or you are going to find yourself with an excess of Chinese medicine balls. This actually results in a greater loss for you than having to pay more in wholesale cost because you ordered less. You don’t want to find yourself with an excess of the item and not be able to sell it.

But what happens if a company says they have a minimum order?

How do you conquer that?

Well, even if a company says that they have a minimum order of 25 items and you only need 10, you can order what is called a “sample order.” A sample order is a way in which you can see how the item performs in your store. If it performs well, then you can order more later on. It is important to keep in mind that these companies doing the exporting will not turn down money. They are not going to say, “No, you can’t have this because you don’t need 25 of them.” Letting you order 10 is going to provide them with money they wouldn’t have otherwise. No good business is going to turn down the very cash that makes them grow. That would be counterproductive, don’t you think?

With a sample order you will pay more per piece, but you have the benefit of “testing the waters” before you order in large quantities. So don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t run the store the way you want to run it with the merchandise that you want to sell. Better yet, don’t let them tell you how much of your merchandise you can buy and sell. That is just right out wrong. If you want to order 10, go for it. If you want to order 5, don’t let anyone push you around. You’re the boss, so let them know that.

Most manufacturers realize that a small sample order can quickly turn into a larger order and then, of course, an ongoing trade relationship. A great resource to get started in importing is a site called Alibaba.com where there are plenty of worldwide manufacturers ready to ship in small quantities.

I am an advocate for staying updated with the latest Wholesale Industry trends and suppliers. Anyone one who is actively engaged in buying wholesale merchandise should subscribe to some of the larger wholesale magazines. Not only will your subscription offer new sources, but you will also be updated about consumer retail trends, marketing and merchandising. Subscription fees will vary, but again, well worth the spend!

Here are some of the more popular magazines:

Cover – Tag line reads, “Americas Source for for Wholesale Merchandise“. I have subscribed to this publication for years now. It is roughly 100 pages in length and offers page after page of wholesale suppliers for a wide range of merchandise. In addition the magazine offers retail trends and trade show information. You can view the latest issue online. Take a look- Published by Sumner Communications.

WebWholesaler – “The official print publication of Wholesalecentral.com”.  Published by Sumner Communications, this wholesale magazine is a great compliment to Cover (Above). As of this blog post, you can sign up for a free subscription!

The Merchandiser Group – Magazines for the Flea Market and Swap Meet Industry. Published again by Sumner Communications. If you are a Flea Market vendor you need to get your hands on this wholesale trade magazine. Issues are geographically based on three areas: West, Midwest and east coast. Latest issues are available online!

Merchants News – Wholesale trade publication published monthly by Merchants Media. Filled with reputable and long time advertisers, Merchants News, offers a wealth of supplier contact information. A must have subscription!

Wholesale Merchandise “80,000 readers monthly” cannot be wrong, publication offers tons of supplier contacts for flea market vendors, eBay sellers and traditional retail stores.

Closeout News – Counterpart to Wholesale Merchandise, The Closeout News has long been considered the Industry standard for ‘below Wholesale” suppliers. This publication offers suppliers from the Liquidation market. A must have.

Over the years I have subscribed to all of these fine trade magazines. Chose one or all, you will not be disappointed.

Buying wholesale merchandise can be like learning a new language. When searching through catalogs and viewing merchandise online the new wholesale buyer can be confused by the terminology and industry specific abbreviations.

I have compiled a small list of some of the more common wholesale packaging definitions for those who are new to the industry:

Case – This term describes to the wholesale buyer how many of an item will come in the original manufacturers shipping box. Many wholesale distributors will require you to purchase by the case.

Inner Case – Smaller box found in a Case. For example, a Case might contain 60 pieces which is comprised of five Inner Cases of twelve pieces. Five times twelve equals sixty total pieces.

Unit - A unit describes a single item or piece. For example, a case might contain 12 units or individual items

Gross - Term used to describe 144 of any one item. This term is often used to describe small, inexpensive items like children’s rubber bracelets. One gross equals 12 dozen. Abbreviated as “gr”

Dz – Abbreviation for one dozen (12) of an item

Poly Bagged – Refers to an item placed in a polyethylene or polypropylene plastic bag which allows for merchandise protection and consumer inspection. Often used with a colorful or informative Header Card.

Display Boxed – A box specifically designed to be placed on a shelf or retail counter. Display boxes will usually offer product information including merchandising graphics designed to “entice” the consumer into a purchase

Header Card – Cardboard folded card usually attached to the top of a clear poly bag in which the item is held. Offers the consumer an easy way to view merchandise contents.

Window Boxed – Cardboard box with at least one side protected by a clear plastic “Window” which allows the consumer to view contents. Used heavily in the retail toy industry.

Clam Shell – Retail packaging designed to open and close by a hinge along one edge. Clear plastic protective packaging also allows purchaser to view all sides of an item prior to purchase.