We would rather tell you the real numbers than a sales line. Our minimum order is 500 pieces per design for an in-stock colour, or 1,000 pieces for a fully custom Pantone colour. There is no honest "no minimum, fully custom" offer in this industry — set-up, moulds and colour changes have fixed costs that only make sense spread across at least a few hundred pieces. In practice that 500-vs-1,000 split is the honest signal: an in-stock colour just needs a setup, but a custom Pantone means flushing and re-matching the whole spray line — something we've found only pencils out across roughly a thousand pieces, which is why we set it there and not lower. What we can do is keep that minimum low and tell you exactly where the money goes.
MOQ & wholesale pricing tiers
Unit price steps down as quantity rises. The cleanest way to lower your cost is volume on a single SKU — five colours of one model at 1,000 each prices far better than the same total split across many unrelated items, because each setup is paid once.
| Quantity / design | Pricing tier | Typical buyer |
|---|---|---|
| 500 – 999 pcs | MOQ / pilot | First private-label run, market test |
| 1,000 – 2,999 pcs | Standard wholesale | Regular reorder, promo campaign |
| 3,000 – 4,999 pcs | Volume | Established brand, retail line |
| 5,000 pcs – container | Best price | Importers, distributors, chains |
The six levers that build your unit price
1. Material & construction
The biggest lever. Single-wall plastic is cheapest; single-wall steel next; double-wall vacuum steel highest. Bigger capacity = more material = more cost.
2. Quantity per SKU
Each setup, mould and colour change is a fixed cost. More pieces of one design spreads it thinner and drops the unit price.
3. Decoration
One-colour silk-screen or laser is cheapest. Each extra print colour, position or a full-wrap UV/heat-transfer adds cost.
4. Packaging
A polybag is nearly free; a printed colour gift box with insert, sleeve, barcode and hang tag is a real per-unit line item.
5. Tooling (ODM only)
A brand-new shape needs a one-time steel mould. An existing model with your colour and logo avoids it entirely.
6. Freight
Sea freight is standard; per-unit cost falls sharply with volume. We quote FOB Yongkang / Ningbo / Shanghai and can arrange door-to-door.
Samples, tooling and lead times
A pre-production sample takes 7–10 days; samples are usually chargeable with the cost credited back against bulk. If your design needs a new mould, tooling starts from about US$3,000 with roughly a 60-day mould lead time — but most first orders use an existing model with custom colour and print, so there is no tooling fee at all. Once the deposit lands and you approve the sample and artwork, bulk production runs about 30 days, plus sea-freight transit to your port.
Payment & Incoterms
Standard terms are 30% deposit, 70% balance before shipment, by T/T. We quote FOB Ningbo or Shanghai by default; CIF and door-to-door (including direct-to-Amazon-FBA) can be arranged. For repeat customers and larger programmes, terms can be discussed.
How to lower your unit cost (practical)
- Concentrate volume on fewer SKUs — order more of one model, fewer one-offs.
- Pick an existing mould and customise colour + logo instead of a new shape (saves tooling).
- Keep decoration to one or two print colours unless full-colour is essential.
- Choose a polybag + master carton if you don't need retail shelf packaging.
- Combine styles into one container to cut per-unit freight.
- Lock artwork early — re-sampling and changes add time and cost.
Order direct — browse and request pricing
Send your styles, target quantity and packaging — Beyond will build the quote and tell you honestly where you can save, usually within 24 hours.