A ten-minute 1688 supplier checklist

You cannot verify a supplier in ten minutes. You can eliminate most of the bad ones, which is the same thing at the start of a sourcing project.

The checklist

1. Order count: hundreds of completed orders, or none? None is not disqualifying, but it is unproven.
2. Price tiers: where does the price actually step, and is your quantity above it?
3. MOQ: total, per colour, per size — and does mixed-batch apply?
4. Seller type: licence scope or production photo that matches the product.
5. Photo consistency across listings: a real stockkeeper photographs the same way.
6. Response quality: ask one technical question and read the answer, not the speed.
7. Packaging: retail-ready or bulk only — this decides your resale options.

The three questions that filter hardest

• What is the real minimum for my colour and size mix?
• What is the lead time from payment, not from confirmation?
• What happens if the goods are wrong — who pays, what evidence do you need?

Sellers who answer all three precisely are rare and worth keeping. Sellers who answer with a photo of a catalogue and a price list are telling you they handle volume, not exceptions.

Then do the sample

The checklist narrows the field; the sample order is what converts a shortlist into a supplier. One unit, one parcel, and a written record of what arrived versus what was promised.

Common questions

How many suppliers should I shortlist?

Three. Fewer means no comparison, more means you will not check any of them properly.

Is a long-tenured seller safer?

Slightly. Tenure proves survival, not delivery performance on your order.

What if nobody answers the three questions?

That is your answer. Proceed only if the order is small enough to lose.