Buy Wholesale? Overseas?

My stepdad used to run a variety store, and he bought stuff wholesale. Sometimes he would take me or one of my brothers on the long trip to the “big city” (Buffalo or Watertown, NY) where he would walk through these enormous warehouses and fill the van with stuff. It was a really neat experience.

I know the value of buying wholesale. I try to buy stuff wholesale in bulk for my family; the spate of warehouse-like stores that have cropped up the past 15 years or so has made it a little easier to find stuff. But I’ve noticed recently that warehouse, or “big box,” stores have been increasing their prices. The quality is going down and the prices are going up. :-p

I’ve recently heard of a new company- based in China, believe it or not- that sells goods at wholesale prices directly to consumers as well as businesses. Ever hear of Light in the Box? The Newsmy product line? China is making leaps and bounds with goods. I’m still very upset about their melamine in the food supply, but to ignore the rising economy of China is to do so at your own risk, I think. The manufacturing and retail economy of the country may soon overshadow our own, if America continues on her present course.

Newsmy is an electronics brand in China. They make car electronics, mobile storage devices, communications devices, etc. Light in the Box is a global online distributor, based in China. The two companies have teamed up to offer consumers great deals on electronics at wholesale prices- including the $1 MP3 player and the $1 cellphone you may have heard about. (You can check out the Newsmy deal here.)

What do you think? I just LOVE online shopping (I tend to hate crowds and stampedes and pushy shoppers, yah). I do almost all my shopping online, except for groceries and furniture. I have visited online stores in the UK and wished that I could order stuff (they only deliver to the UK). I think it’s neat that Light In the Box is making products available to the “little guy” on a global basis. As long as the products are good quality. But a $1 MP3 player! Yow! That’s not too shabby!

What do you think? Would you order stuff direct from China? What do you think this would do to industries in the United States?