Separate unit cost from project cost
A unit price may exclude tooling, artwork setup, sampling, laboratory testing, inspection and freight. Ask for one-time charges and repeat-order charges separately. For internal planning, allocate one-time development costs over a realistic purchase volume; do not assume the launch forecast will be achieved.
Define the material and finished weight
Material grade, formulation, filling and finished weight affect cost. Similar external dimensions can hide different wall thicknesses or filling quantities. Specify the approved construction and tolerances before comparing suppliers. If a lower quote requires a material change, treat it as a design change and review the safety and performance implications.
Understand the tooling and process assumptions
Cavity count, cycle time, curing time, yield and manual finishing influence available output and unit cost. A multi-cavity tool can require a larger initial investment while changing the production economics. Ask how the quoted capacity was calculated and whether the bottleneck is molding, curing, decoration or packing.
Price the actual retail presentation
An OPP bag, printed sleeve, display tray and individual retail box have different material, assembly and freight implications. Confirm barcode labels, instructions, language versions, assortment and outer-carton marks. Use the final packed dimensions when estimating freight; a small toy can occupy substantial shipping volume in a display package.
Make compliance and inspection visible
List the destination markets, age grade and retailer requirements in the request for quotation. Identify which existing reports apply and which tests are additional. Agree who commissions final inspection and who pays for reinspection after a failed result. A quote that omits these decisions is not yet a complete landed-cost comparison.
Compare quantities and trade terms consistently
Distinguish a stock-carton MOQ from a custom-color, custom-package or private-mold MOQ. Request price breaks against the same specification and named Incoterms location. EXW excludes many onward costs; ask your freight partner to calculate the transport, clearance and destination charges applicable to your shipment.
Why Chenghai quotations can be genuinely lower
Pricing from Chenghai, Shantou often leads comparable quotes for structural reasons rather than corner-cutting: mold making, compounding, pigments, printing and carton supply all exist within kilometres, cutting transport and transaction cost, and decades of export toy production have refined labor methods and cycle times. The buyer's task is to confirm the low quote still names the same material grade, finished weight, test scope and packaging — then the cluster's cost advantage is real margin rather than a hidden trade-off.
Quotation comparison worksheet
| Cost line | Use the same basis | Question for the quotation |
|---|---|---|
| Unit manufacturing | Same material, dimensions, fill, finish and quantity | Which specification revision does this price cover? |
| Tooling and development | One-off cost separated from recurring cost | Who owns the mold and pays for revisions? |
| Retail packaging | Identical pack, assortment, print and languages | Are inserts, barcodes and assembly included? |
| Testing and inspection | Same market, scope, agency and responsibility | Which report or inspection charges are additional? |
| Freight and import costs | Same named trade term, destination and packed volume | Which charges remain outside the supplier quotation? |
| Comparison result | Recurring order cost plus separately identified one-off costs | What changes at the next order quantity? |
Questions & answers
Frequently asked questions.
Why do two factories quote different prices for the same-looking toy?
The quotes usually hide different material grades, wall thickness, filling weight, packaging, included services or volume assumptions. Reconcile every cost line against one specification before treating the lower number as the better deal.
Is the cheapest quotation the best choice?
Not until landed cost and risk are compared. Add tooling, testing, inspection, packaging, freight, clearance and likely defect/rework exposure; a slightly higher unit price with SKU-matched reports and AQL release is frequently cheaper in the end.
What Incoterms give the clearest price comparison?
Compare supplier quotes at the same named point — commonly FOB Shantou, Yantian or Shenzhen — then let your freight forwarder quote the onward legs. Comparing one EXW price with another CIF price produces a meaningless gap.
Are molds charged once or per order?
Tooling is normally a separate one-time charge defined in the tooling agreement, including ownership and revision responsibility; recurring unit prices should not include hidden mold amortization unless stated. Ask both figures explicitly.
How do quantity breaks and MOQs interact?
Stock-carton MOQs, custom-color MOQs and private-mold MOQs differ. Request price breaks against the identical specification and confirm what happens to price and lead time at each step up in volume.
Apply this to your program
Bring a specific model into the discussion.
Attach your destination, expected quantity and approval requirements to the SKU.
Discuss Your Requirements