Guys,

"China" scares people as does Malaysia, Hong Kong and the like. They want to see a US address on the shipper, so work out shipping the stuff to CONUS and ship from there.

I had a couple of very nice pens, Dupont, that I picked up overseas. Assume that they were copies but still they were very nice. Liked the gold one, the silver one did not. There were a couple just like it on Ebay at the same time I listed mine but they were being sold from overseas. Mine sold for double the price of the others...

Need I say more? Buyers trust an American address and seller over an overseas one.

Yes, I worry about drop shipping from China, though it's very doable. I get my Zhong Nan Hai cigarettes that way and it's never been a problem. But I wouldn't buy anything that was expenisve that way. BTW, is it illegal to sell cigarettes on eBay?

Are you paying the federal and state taxes on the cigarettes when they are imported? If so then it should be legal but I aint no expurt...

Hey guys, let's revive this one. I'm settled in Phoenix now, working from home and have a lot more time to devote to this. I just emailed one of the mega sellers I bought a holster from and asked how he does it. No reply. I don't want to compete with him anyway. Just curious how to get set up with wholesalers who handle billing and drop shipping. I've been doing very well on eBay and even Gunbroker recently, but only with stuff I had laying around the house. I'd like to step things up a bit and don't have much more junk to unload.

BTW, a few years ago I was at a Guitar Center, saw a new guitar for $600 that I was pretty sure was going for $1100-$1200 everywhere else. I called my gf and asked her to look it up on Musician's Friend and eBay. She confirmed my suspicion, so I bought the guitar and listed it on eBay. Some idiot kid in S. Korea won the auction for over $1000, but didn't pay. I relisted and a guy in Germany took it and I made about $300 on it. Sure wish those deals were more common.

Rick,
If you have an account with the wholesaler or manufacturer and purchase X $ worth of goods from them, they might be willing to set up a drop ship and billing system for you, or you do the billing, they do the drop ship. It depends on their capabilities and anticipated volume to absorb the add'l overhead. I don't think many wholesalers would set up a system for small quantities, otherwise they'd be in retail themselves.

Drop ship retail merchandise from China? I think the key is making the purchasing experience convenient for your customers. That would include reasonable delivery time and excellent customer service. Price point depends on your customer base. Your fiance's father would seem to be a reliable contact for goods (albeit in a very competitive market segment). Long distance transactions is a potential issue with unknown suppliers. Less so, the more resources you have (oversight, inventory, several sources, etc.).

You want a win-win situation for him and yourself. That's good motivation for all. All you need is an internet presence, perhaps a separate website to establish a legit retail business. Having unique products would help distinguish your company from the other thousand t-shirt and cap businesses.

As for other products like cigs; yeah, check out the fed laws regarding tobacco taxes and such. Some folks don't care what they sell as long as they can sell it. If that's the case, it's easier to choose a product line. Getting people to buy it from you is another thing.

MHO,
Sherwood