u/Typical_Studio3065

I ship tons of mirrors from abroad every month, both frameless and framed. The last shipment was 70kg and it comprised both types of mirrors. 

I usually ensure proper packaging standards and I take my time to choose suppliers. However, this has not prevented some of the mirrors from breaking. At least 2 out of 30 mirrors end up breaking in each shipment.

After some serious observation, I noticed that;

-Frameless mirrors break more often than the framed ones.
-Most of the broken mirror were larger in size
-Poor handling during transit caused one or two mirrors to break. 

I have tried comparing notes with other sellers and many of them agree with my observation. But when I asked several Alibaba sellers about this, they don’t seem to understand what causes the breaking let alone the differences. 

I now insist on more cushioning for frameless and larger mirrors. I ask my suppliers to use a double-form and add cushions; sometimes at an extra cost. But I have not yet figured out how to ensure proper handling during transit. 

What's been your experience shipping framed and frameless mirrors? Which type is likely to arrive with fewer damages?

I do a lot of DIY projects, mostly wall decoration, and for the last one year I have totally redone my exterior walls. I have even helped friends and relatives with similar projects because most of them like my work.

Most sellers of these panels usually market them as DIY. Alibaba and Amazon also have these panels marked as “DIY”. But my experience has been totally different. Out of the ten people who tried to install themselves, only three were successful. I helped the remaining 7 complete their projects. 

For these three people; 2 colleagues and 1 friend; I noticed something similar in their projects;

1. They used lightweight panels which they easily mounted.
2. Their walls were more smoothed, which made DIY easier
3. 1 of the guys had some experience with wall decoration projects.

What I have learned is that DIY is possible with the right material and conditions. Also, a period of trial and error is necessary; which also means errors; before you can do a good job. In my case, I did a few shoddy jobs when I was starting. 

Who else has installed decorative wall panels without professional help and would you advise a newbie to undertake a similar project?

I have a quick one and it has been really bothering me. Please don’t judge me because I have no idea what to do. I am also trying to improve as a person.

Specifically, I am interested in knowing more about stackable storage. You see, we stay in a dorm with my friends and the place is really congested now. 

Yes, we are tech savvy, and we tried searching for boxes on Alibaba but we didn’t pick anything. You see, we would like something that works. Maybe we could stack our stuff together and would allow us some extra space. 

I think the problem is that as a group we are a little choosy. Everyone is coming from a different background and has their interests. That’s why we are probably overthinking a good idea. 

If I was alone I would probably store my stuff under the bed and have all the other space for other things. Or I would not even bother because I don’t have much space by myself to fill a room. 

Adulting is tough but I think the most challenging part of adulthood is actually parenting. You’re now responsible for another life. You must be there for them, be sure they’re feeding, and try your best to grow in a loving environment and finally into responsible human beings.

But that’s the general part. The specific part or phase that calls for all your attention is when these people are young. You have to pull up your socks and be really present. I am a toddler parent and I can see what it takes. 

Right now, we are planning to travel. I know it will be difficult finding the right feeding equipment, so I am trying to prepare. I don’t want to check sites like Alibaba because I haven’t done this before; travelling with a young one. I want to make sure they have all they need when we are travelling. 

And I thought instead of disposable snack cups, I should get reusable ones. This can be a simple decision for some people but for me, I can’t take risks. I need to be sure I can find something good for my little girl. 

I would like to have some coffee in my office or serve some to my guests. I usually store some in a flask and this has been working well for quite some time. But sometimes we have a lot of visitors and it fails to be enough for them all.

I thought an electric kettle could probably be helpful. I could boil a quick cup anytime I want or whenever I get a visitor. And I could store some in the flask just to try and save energy costs. 

However, I am not very informed about kettles. We use an old, small one that my wife bought last year in my home, but it’s too small. She doesn’t even remember where she bought it. She has mentioned several stores including Alibaba, so we aren’t exact about the source. 

I would want to know which size would suffice if I had ten visitors in my office and each was served a cup of coffee or tea. I am generally generous and that’s why I want something that would for me as well as my visitors. 

I  think optimizing spaces in my house is a big challenge. I am always looking for new ideas and the right places have always been these communities. I like learning from real people rather like bloggers because I believe if someone has gone through something they’re likely to give good advice.

I want to take advantage of every empty space in my house and add some storage. I am now considering going under the sink. I might be too ambitious but I guess it could have worked for someone. 

If it’s a good idea, I would like to know what works. My sink space is huge and I think I could be wasting some opportunity here. I also think it could be a space where I hide what I don’t like to be visible in the kitchen. Sometimes I feel too many items in the visible ruin the aesthetics. 

I would appreciate any idea brought forth even if you’re asking me to check online options like Alibaba or maybe something you saw on social media. If it works, I don’t care where it comes from. I am usually this open minded.

My house has become smaller over time. When I moved in I had the luxury of all the space, and I never worried over storage. But with time, I have bought a lot of stuff, and everyday seems like another day to think about looking for more storage.

I think it’s time I take on these projects and create more spaces to store more items. I am trying to be as smart as possible and leverage any empty place in my house. I read some blogs and watched some videos and noticed that people were mounting organizers on entryways.

It looked like a great idea and solution for any home or apartment owner. Unfortunately , when I checked Alibaba and other online stores, I couldn't find any popular wall-mounted organizers. It could be that I am not good with searching or I was overwhelmed but I would probably need help with that. 

An easier option would be if someone told me what they used for their home. If it’s a solution that you are happy with, I would like to hear or learn more about it.

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Which storage containers are suitable for under-bed storage? I have never liked the idea of storing things under the bed, but it seems like a good idea. I guess with spacing becoming minimal in my house, I just have to try to maximise each space.

I am asking about good options because the space under the bed is also a tricky place to store. I used to store some items in sacks under the bed, but then it would get dusty and then cleaning became tricky. 

Basically, it’s a challenge finding good storage items on your own. You could go on Alibaba, or marketplace or wherever, but when you don’t have an idea of what’s really good, then it can be a waste of time. 

For example, a while back I bought an espresso machine from an online store. I just liked the ratings and bought it, and I didn’t even overthink or try to find much information about it. This was one of my big shopping mistakes. Within a short time, pipes were leaking. I learnt my lesson, and I am nowadays more cautious.

I have always thought I am very clever in organizing things around my house. But, poor me,  there’s a lot I need to learn. Spare me, because I should not have been too egoistic. 

I usually use old-school bins for storing items, especially in my kitchen and bathroom, but as things have increased, I need more space. These haven’t been sustainable, and I think I need a quick change. My girlfriend suggested ordering some bins, I think she mentioned Alibaba, if I'm right. I didn’t listen, and we stopped discussing the same because she thinks I am too stubborn.

Basically, I can’t ask her right now, and what she was suggesting is not similar to stackable bins. I saw some pics of these bins online and immediately fell in love. I will show her because she will help me make a better decision. 

But she isn’t an expert in storage, and whatever we do in my and her home is basically DIY stuff. Sometimes it looks good, sometimes we fail ourselves. In this case, I would take the opinion of someone who has actually used these new bins. I am specifically interested in knowing what works for bathrooms.

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I am always looking for different ways to maximize my storage space. I never trust myself in a field I don’t have expertise in. I believe I am not overthinking, but I think interior designers or carpenters might have better storage improvement solutions.

I might be wrong but I don’t like taking big risks like hoping on Alibaba and picking a storage solution. Sure, I must first listen to people knowledgeable on the subject.  I would not like to blame myself for not taking a credible opinion.

I even believe people who improved their storage spaces might provide some amazing tips. That said, this time I am considering making use of the under sink area. I want to be storing some cleaning and utility items there rather than have them visible. This is important to me because my house is an open plan setup. So, I don’t want these items to be visible. 

I am gathering all the ideas I can come across, because I want to get right on the first setup. I don't want to make a mistake and incur more costs because I have a fixed budget for this project.

Shopping for groceries is sometimes hectic but it’s one of those things you just have to like. Because you just have to do it if you want the right things. I don’t let someone else do it for me because I believe what I eat should be entirely what I like. And not just the product, but the texture and looks especially for things like veges and fruits. 

The bad side with grocery shopping is you easily end with several crates in your home and they can be bad for space. I laugh at my friend because he’s always buying a new crate every time he goes shopping. Like man? You can only do so when you forget to put one in the car boot and you must pass by the grocery store.

So his house is full of crates and he’s trying to get rid of them. I told him he could ship them back to Alibaba for a refund, and he couldn’t stop laughing. It’s crazy but I think we could possibly use collapsible ones. I guess they must be better at saving space. If anyone knows which are best for groceries, I would like to know. 

Like many of you here I like to make my life easier. My bedroom, while I like it, holds some of the most important gadgets like laptop, phone, trackers and more. I think technology became so much part of us we can’t get it out of our resting spaces.

But this also comes with a problem; more clutter in the bedroom. And I don’t really like clutter in the bedroom. I want to see it airy and comfortable, and I believe any sort of clutter ruins that for me. I now have to get charging organizers in my bedroom just to make sure my devices don’t mess up with my peace. 

I checked out local stores to see if I could find some, I tried a few but I didn’t like them. I thought of Alibaba but I am yet to decide if that is the right source. And the moment I started searching for this, many ads have been popping up. I come across tons of them but I don't know which ones are actually the best.

We are planning to travel soon with my girlfriend, and we have been shopping around for some essentials. We have been on multiple online platforms, like Alibaba, trying to scour for various items. 

We haven’t found everything we need, and we are still researching. Forums like these have actually been helpful. We could go through reddits and find some very helpful tips. I think I even trust communities more than reviews on selling platforms. 

Right now, we are looking for some mirrors. I figured she can’t be using the ordinary ones, and when I asked, I was told she should try compact ones tailored for travellers. I was surprised to know that a product like this actually exists. 

I googled for these mirrors, and I could see what they look. But just seeing various options makes me raise more questions because it’s something she doesn’t even know. She also has a bad experience with mirrors. Some mirrors we ordered last time turned out to be very different from what we saw online.

I don’t want to make the same mistake, and I want to create a good experience for her. Her mirrors should be the least of her worries. We would want to know what would be best for her.

It’s a big challenge when you try to DIY many things let alone anything involving cabling. But I usually do a lot of my things myself, especially when I have the right material.

I sometimes do plumbing myself because I am very handy. My problem is usually getting the right tools and materials because of a lot of counterfeits these days. Especially when it comes to anything related to cables, you don’t know what to trust. 

This has made me doubtful. Right now, I want some cable sleeves for my TV, and I can’t seem to find the right ones. I know these are not exactly cables, but I guess you can point out where my fears come from.

I have looked at Alibaba, eBay, and a local store, but I think I just don’t know how to pinpoint the best products. What should I consider for cable sleeves, because I want the setup to look very professional? 

I don’t have any electrician friends or contacts to reach out for advice. As a DIY pro, I haven’t made any good friends with blue-collar professionals. Otherwise, I could call and ask.

I hired a carpenter to set up my girlfriend’s bathroom and install some shelves. He did a really bad job and I am left frustrated, not just because of the shelves but also because my girlfriend is annoyed. 

It was like a birthday gift for her. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary and address a problem she had been struggling with for a while. I thought it would be a great surprise because she was in my place when the carpenter was working. But it seems I let her down.

I know all is not lost, and I can still redeem myself. I love my girlfriend, and I don’t want that eyesore to remind her every time of one bad decision I made. You know this is a mess in her favourite space, and every time she’s in there, she’ll just be seeing it. 

I have been researching online on Alibaba, Google, Marketplace and other popular furniture stores. I haven’t discovered anything worthwhile that could actually put a smile on her face. I think I could get helpful ideas here.

I started creating content, and I am looking for various accessories. I see there are tons of them when I look up on Alibaba. I don’t know what’s necessary or what I should actually go for.

Just to make my question a little specific, right now I am looking for phone grips. At first, I thought any phone grip would be good. But what I bought locally was a big letdown. 

I believe there’s a difference in quality and features, especially because content creation has grown into a big industry. This also makes me a little sceptical; the market is likely saturated with low-quality products.

I am really cautious because I, at some point, bought a fake phone online. It was a huge disappointment because I thought I had done all due diligence. But I think the market doesn’t care about what you know, especially when it comes to these devices.

I think right now the best people to listen to would be real content creators. I am sure one or more people in this community can shed some light on the topic. And it would be for the good of not just me, but many other new creators trying to get the right equipment.

My mum recently started content creation. She has always been into natural beauty and wants to share tips and help other people. Her skin looks youthful despite her age. She’s in her 50’s.

She’s not someone very conversant with digital technologies, but sometimes watches enough reels to know what’s going on in the industry. Her Instagram page has grown considerably, and I think she’s doing many things correctly.

She’s become so passionate about the field, and she’s currently looking for ways to create some great content for her audience. At some point, she was looking for tripods and was searching on Alibaba, Facebook Marketplace, and other platforms. But it took her lots of time to find a good one, and she didn't like the hassle. 

Lately, she’s been talking about getting selfie lights. She wants her face to come out properly, I think, in any setting. And because of her experience with these platforms, she asked for my help. Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with most of these tools. If someone has an idea of good selfie lights, I will be happy to know more, and probably I would be able to help her. 

I have had a problem with my drainage. I can guess it’s almost clogging because water is draining really slowly. I had the problem some time back, and it cost me some good money to hire a plumber.

One of the challenges has been stopping hair from going down the drain. There are several people in the house, so it can be a challenge to control the problem. Last time it happened, the plumber removed a big mound of hair from the pipes.

I know it can be messy because all this gets mixed up with other dirty. I think if I had a good drain hair catcher, it could really help. I have tried looking for one on Alibaba, but I can’t make the decision straightaway.

Do I have to look for a specific brand or what? Or should we consider some specific features? I would also consider buying locally if I knew a good vendor. My wife has tried looking around, but she’s also not very knowledgeable about the stuff. We are basically comparing notes right now.