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Taobao, Weidian or 1688?
| Marketplace | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Taobao | The widest choice of everyday products and sellers | Huge variation in seller quality |
| Weidian | Small independent shops, often shared by link | Fewer reviews to judge a shop by |
| 1688 | Wholesale prices, straight from factories | Minimum order quantities on many listings |
How to search
- Search in Chinese. Translate your search term into Simplified Chinese; results are usually far better than in English.
- Search by image. Taobao and 1688 support image search in their apps. A clear photo of the product often finds many sellers at once.
- Use LitBuy’s search. LitBuy’s homepage lets you paste a product name or link and search the marketplaces it supports.
- Compare several listings. The same item often appears at different prices; compare before you choose.
Reading a listing
- Variants change the price. The headline price is often for the cheapest option; select your size and colour to see the real price.
- Check the size chart in centimetres. Our sizing guide explains how.
- Look at buyer photos and reviews for how the item really looks.
- Note the weight and size of bulky items; they drive your shipping cost. See how shipping is priced.
Choosing a seller
- Prefer shops with a long history, many sales and consistent reviews.
- Be wary of prices far below everyone else’s; branded items priced like that are very likely counterfeit.
- If something is unclear, add a question in your order notes through LitBuy before paying.
Adding it to LitBuy
Copy the listing’s link, paste it into LitBuy, choose your options and add it to your cart. The rest of the process, from payment to QC photos to shipping, is in how to use LitBuy, step by step. New account? Sign up with invite code BLAZE first to get the new-user LitBuy coupons.