Wholesalers....

Awl --

I'm looking for the following

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, variously called foam handles, nylon handle straps, cable handles, etc. For my Folly.... The item itself isn't important, it's finding wholesalers.

Web retailers of this item abound, and most of them proly get their stuff from a few wholesalers. The Q is: Who are these wholesalers, where/how are they found?? Thomasnet.com is not such a big help here.

Wholesalers in particular seem to keep a pretty low profile, which I initially found odd, but now sort of makes sense, if you view the Web as revenue-maximizing machine, where the situation now seems to be that increasingly local sources can meet or beat Web prices, just as small hardware stores can very often meet or beat big box prices, save for their loss leaders/promos.

I think that if a wholesaler has a web presence, the prices you see are retail.

Thus, the choice seems to be these dime-a-dozen retailers (who all charge about the same) or the china-based suppliers who need an order for 1,000 or more.

How does one find state-side ware-housers/wholesalers, who would deliver batches of 50-100-200?

I suppose I could contact some of the alibaba.com chinese vendors, and find out who they sell to, stateside. Does that sound like a plan? Heh, will I need a translator?? Is there any other way, searching on the web? Any other strategies? Any other links like alibaba or directories for fitness equipment-related parts and components?

Reply to
Existential Angst
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Dealing with the Chinese is easy, all the sellers speak English and I assure you they do NOT observe exclusivity, if they deem doing otherwise is in their advantage. Just ask and the right people will find you. Steve

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, variously called foam handles, nylon handle

a few wholesalers.

is not such a big help here.

found odd, but now sort of makes sense, if you

be that increasingly local sources can meet or beat

prices, save for their loss leaders/promos.

about the same) or the china-based suppliers who need

batches of 50-100-200?

out who they sell to, stateside.

other links like alibaba or directories for fitness

Reply to
Steve Lusardi

When I've had similar needs (for different products, of course), I've had best results just from buying one of the things from the cheapest source I could find, and then looking for the manufacturer's name or logo, the point of origin that it shipped from, etc. Many of the web retailers you see are literally web-only companies. They don't have warehouses, or inventory, or anything silly and expensive like that. They take your order, turn it around and send it to their source, and then have the product drop shipped to you. When you get it, there are sometimes clues all over the box and the product itself about where it really came from.

Even if all you get is the manufacturer's name, that can be enough. Call, write, or e-mail them, telling them you want to be a distributor. When they ask how much you expect to sell in a given year, tell them the truth, as long as it's more than what a retail-buying end user would say. They'll either sell to you direct, if your needs are big enough, or they'll put you in touch with the importer, jobber, wholesaler, or whatever, at the right level for you.

HTH.

KG

Reply to
Kirk Gordon

You can also contact my company:

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-- we're one of the world's largest, oldest (connecting buyers with China suppliers since 1971) and most reputable (our verified suppliers have all been visited by our team to make sure they are real companies, not fly by night China organizatiuons). Just search for suppliers in the categories you wsant, you'll find hundreds--possibly thousands!

Reply to
Serene Ong

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