What we can help you buy on 1688
Homeware breaks and homeware is bulky. Those two facts, not the unit price, are what decide whether an order lands profitably.
Domestic 1688 packing is built for a two-day van trip inside China, not six weeks at sea, and a bowl that costs a few yuan can cost far more than that to ship.
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The default is thin cartons and minimal inner protection, which is adequate for domestic delivery and not for an ocean container. We agree the inner packing — foam, dividers, double-wall cartons — before production, and check it at the warehouse.
Mugs, bowls and baskets are light and take a lot of space, so freight is charged on volumetric weight. Carton dimensions and how tightly the item nests matter more than the weight on the scale.
Tableware, cookware and anything holding food or drink has rules in most markets — glaze and heavy metals for ceramics, food-grade confirmation for plastics and silicone. We ask what documentation exists and tell you what does not.
Ceramics and glass vary between pieces more than most buyers expect. If you are selling a set, or the items have to stack, the acceptable variation has to be stated rather than assumed.
Reactive glazes and natural materials are meant to vary, but there is a difference between character and a bad batch. Our inspection photographs pieces across cartons so you can judge.
Some breakage in fragile goods is normal. What is worth agreeing in advance is the expected rate and what happens when it is exceeded — afterwards, that conversation has no leverage.