Import Question

[Wyman]

My dad travels a lot (abroad), and he recently brought back a hand-crafted "knick-knack" that I thought was really cool. We'll call it a widget. I thought maybe I was the only one who liked it(as most of the time, he brings back things that we sort of shake our heads at and think "why would you buy that"), but recently, many of our visitors have remarked about how cool our widgets are and have asked if we could get my dad to bring some more back the next time he's away.

These are extremely inexpensive pieces where he buys them; for the sake of this post, we'll say they're 1 USD each. I suspect that these would sell well in the US, at a much higher price. So I have a few questions:

1) Does anyone have any experience approaching international vendors and setting up deals like this -- whereby they would be responsible for producing a certain quantity of widgets?

2) Are there (feasible) options besides a cargo ship for transporting these to the US? Do I talk to US ships or foreign ships about getting my merchandise to the US? Can anyone ballpark a cost (or provide some sort of direction toward a source)? How bad are import taxes if I keep the purchase cost of my goods low?

3) Does anyone deal with distributors? I imagine it's more profitable to keep and sell the items yourself, but it's a less immediate ROI. The work in selling the widgets might not be worth it. I have samples now, so is it a good idea to show them to a distributor now? I just don't know how this all works.

As you can tell, I am a beginner -- very far away from making such a purchase. On the other hand, I'm very interested in hearing success/horror stories, any positive/negative reinforcement, and any advice you can provide.

Thanks MMB.

[pokerbobo]

There are alot of variables here. Import costs vary on what you are bringing in. Export quotas also vary on a weekly basis. Container ship is the most economical for shipments, and generally take about three weeks to cross Pacific and clear customs.

Use a customs broker for sure the first time. There are too many mistakes you could make or forms you could miss. (you also have to bond the shipment with a customs broker)

[MrBlue]

Don't have experience in this field but I've used export911.com to educate myself at one point.