1688 Spreadsheet: Buying From China's Wholesale Site Through an Agent

What is 1688, and how is it different from Alibaba.com?

1688.com is owned by Alibaba Group and was launched in 1999 as a business-to-business marketplace for trade inside China. Manufacturers and wholesalers list there to sell to Chinese shops, not to the world. Alibaba.com is the export-facing sister site, built for international buyers and priced accordingly.

Source: WorldFirst's guide to 1688; our summary of the three platforms.

The price gap exists because 1688 sellers price for domestic trade without export middlemen. WorldFirst's example — $8 on AliExpress, $3–4 on 1688 from the same factory — is a common pattern, though not a rule for every product.

Verdict: 1688 is where to buy when you want factory prices and you're buying in multiples. For a single item, Weidian or Taobao is usually simpler.

How do minimum order quantities (MOQs) on 1688 work?

Many 1688 listings set a minimum — two pieces, five, or several dozen. The MOQ is shown on the listing, often with price tiers that drop as quantity rises. They vary by supplier, and are generally lower than on export platforms.

• Check the tier table. The headline price is often the price at the highest quantity tier, not for one piece.
• Mix colours or sizes. Some sellers let you reach the MOQ across variants — ask your agent to message the seller.
• Watch volumetric weight. Ten of anything bulky gets expensive to ship. 1688 savings disappear fast on a heavy parcel on an express line.
• Consider sea freight. Agents such as Superbuy offer sea shipping, which is slow but far cheaper per kilo for bulk orders.

Verdict: 1688 rewards planned bulk buying: small reseller stock, gifts in multiples, or basics you use a lot. Price the shipping before you commit to the MOQ.

Which agents buy from 1688 without a service fee?

For bulk 1688 orders, the agent's ability to message sellers in Chinese matters as much as the fee: negotiating an MOQ, confirming a colour mix or checking stock all happen in conversation. Superbuy's published fee table also lists a "shipping expert" service at 10% (¥20–300) for orders that need more hands-on handling.

Verdict: Superbuy is the natural 1688 agent: fee-free on the platform, with sea freight and a published price list.

How to order from a 1688 link through an agent

1. Copy the 1688 offer link — detail.1688.com/offer/ plus a long number.
2. Paste it into your agent's search. The agent shows the listing, the price tiers and the minimum quantity.
3. Choose quantities per variant to reach the MOQ, and add a note if you want the agent to ask the seller about a mix.
4. Pay for the goods and domestic freight. 1688 sellers often ship by domestic freight, which can take a few days longer than Taobao parcels.
5. Check the QC set carefully. With multiple units, ask for photos of several pieces, not just one.
6. Pick a shipping line by weight. For heavy bulk parcels, compare sea freight against air.

A note for resellers

If you're buying from 1688 to resell, work out your landed cost per unit — goods, domestic freight, international shipping and duty — before you price anything. The 2026 customs changes in the US and EU have changed the maths for small resellers: with no US duty-free allowance and a €3 per-category duty on small EU parcels, fewer, larger shipments usually come out ahead.

What do people look for in a 1688 spreadsheet?

Google suggests "1688 cnfans spreadsheet", "1688 lego spreadsheet" and "taobao 1688 spreadsheet". The first is a sign of how many 1688 sheets were built around CNFans, which closed in August 2026 — their links need converting to a working agent. The Lego searches point to building-block sets, a popular 1688 category because they're bought in multiples and ship well in sturdy boxes.

If you inherit a 1688 spreadsheet full of agent links, the fix is the same as for any closed agent: find the 1688 offer ID in the link (1688 addresses look like detail.1688.com/offer/ followed by a long number) and paste it into your new agent.