u/Accomplished_Cut932

Hey everyone

I’m currently building a small clothing brand and I’ve been talking with a supplier based in China. They claim they can handle production, packaging, and fast shipping to different countries.

Before moving forward, I wanted to ask:

• Have any of you worked long-term with Chinese suppliers?
• How do you usually verify if a factory or supplier is trustworthy?
• What are the biggest risks I should watch out for (quality control, delays, communication, etc.)?
• Is it better to work directly with factories or through sourcing agents?

I’ve seen mixed opinions online—some people say it’s the best way to scale, others warn about inconsistent quality or hidden issues.

Would really appreciate real experiences or advice from people who’ve actually done it.

Thanks in advance 🙏

I’ve been studying dropshipping and ecommerce for a while, and one thing I keep noticing is that everyone talks about “winning products,” but nobody really talks about the process behind finding the first one.

For the people here who actually found a product that started getting consistent sales:

• How did you discover it?
• Was it through TikTok, Facebook ads, Amazon trends, or just random luck?
• How long did it take before you realized it had potential?
• What mistakes did you make in the beginning?

For me, I used to think the product itself was everything. But after talking with different suppliers and store owners, I’m starting to realize speed, communication, shipping stability, and testing strategy matter just as much as the product.

I’ve also noticed that many beginners focus too much on “viral” items without thinking about:

• supplier reliability
• inventory stability
• shipping times
• refund rates
• whether the product can survive after the trend dies

One thing that surprised me was how many stores fail not because the product is bad, but because operations break when orders suddenly increase.

I’d honestly love to hear real experiences from people who already went through this stage.
What was your first successful product, and what lesson changed your mindset the most?

I’m trying to learn from people with real experience instead of just watching YouTube gurus all day 😂

I’ve been studying dropshipping and ecommerce for a while, and one thing I keep noticing is that everyone talks about “winning products,” but nobody really talks about the process behind finding the first one.

For the people here who actually found a product that started getting consistent sales:

• How did you discover it?
• Was it through TikTok, Facebook ads, Amazon trends, or just random luck?
• How long did it take before you realized it had potential?
• What mistakes did you make in the beginning?

For me, I used to think the product itself was everything. But after talking with different suppliers and store owners, I’m starting to realize speed, communication, shipping stability, and testing strategy matter just as much as the product.

I’ve also noticed that many beginners focus too much on “viral” items without thinking about:

• supplier reliability
• inventory stability
• shipping times
• refund rates
• whether the product can survive after the trend dies

One thing that surprised me was how many stores fail not because the product is bad, but because operations break when orders suddenly increase.

I’d honestly love to hear real experiences from people who already went through this stage.
What was your first successful product, and what lesson changed your mindset the most?

I’m trying to learn from people with real experience instead of just watching YouTube gurus all day 😂

A lot of store owners message suppliers asking for pricing, shipping times, product videos, private labeling options, ERP integration, etc… but after receiving all the information, many of them completely disappear and never reply again.

I’m curious from the supplier and seller side:

• Is this mostly beginners doing “research mode” before starting?
• Are people comparing 20+ suppliers at once and choosing only one?
• Do some store owners not actually have sales yet, so they hesitate after seeing real costs?
• Or is this just normal behavior in dropshipping?

From my side, I don’t mind giving quotes or helping, but sometimes it feels like 80% of conversations end after the first price message.

I’d like to hear honest experiences from:

• experienced Shopify operators
• agents/suppliers
• people who scaled stores before

What usually causes people to disappear after asking for prices?

I’m not trying to complain — I genuinely want to understand how experienced sellers think when choosing suppliers.