# Reference Bands | Benchmarking Before You Verify

> What the reference bands are, how they are stated, and how a buyer uses them alongside the four verification checks.

Source: https://luressource.com/insights/how-to-verify-a-chinese-supplier/bands/

Direct answer. Verification tells you whether a supplier is what it claims. A reference band tells you whether the number is plausible. The two questions are separate and both are worth asking before an order. Key facts. 1) Verification answers whether a supplier is what it claims. 2) A band is a range per sub-category, published with the unit it is quoted in and the order quantity it applies to. 3) The order matters, and it runs in the opposite direction to most buyers' instinct. 4) Used at the end, a band answers the question a buyer actually has: is this number normal for this product, at this quantity, on this basis. 5) Three signals are worth reading from a comparison between a band and a quotation. Reference bands for the products you are checking Direct answer Verification tells you whether a supplier is what it claims. A reference band tells you whether the number is plausible. The two questions are separate and both are worth asking before an order. Key facts Verification answers whether a supplier is what it claims. A band is a range per sub-category, published with the unit it is quoted in and the order quantity it applies to. The order matters, and it runs in the opposite direction to most buyers' instinct. Used at the end, a band answers the question a buyer actually has: is this number normal for this product, at this quantity, on this basis. Three signals are worth reading from a comparison between a band and a quotation. Verification answers whether a supplier is what it claims. A reference band answers a different question: whether the number in front of you is plausible for that product. Both are worth asking before an order, and neither substitutes for the other. What a reference band is A band is a range per sub-category, published with the unit it is quoted in and the order quantity it applies to. It is drawn from the listings sampled on this site rather than from a survey, which is why the quantity matters as much as the range: a band quoted at 2,000 units is not a statement about 200. What a band contains, and what it is not. Published Not published A range per sub-category, with the unit stated A binding price, or a price for a specification we have not seen The order quantity the range applies to A guarantee that any factory will quote inside it The price basis for the reference figure A comparison across bases — EXW and FOB are not mixed The date the band was last restated A market size, because a unit price says nothing about volume How to use a band alongside the four checks The order matters, and it runs in the opposite direction to most buyers' instinct. Run the entity and main-business checks first, because a quote from a company that is not a maker is not a price for your product. Run the export and interview checks next, because they produce the capacity and lead time that decide whether a programme is feasible at all. Then use the band, on the specification you have already fixed. Used at the end, a band answers the question a buyer actually has: is this number normal for this product, at this quantity, on this basis. Used first, it becomes an anchor — and a buyer who negotiates against a band rather than against a specification is negotiating about the wrong thing. Three signals are worth reading from a comparison between a band and a quotation. A quote inside the band is plausible and the conversation can move to lead time and tooling. A quote below the band usually means a different material, lighter hardware or a different order quantity, and the correction is worth asking for before assuming a bargain. A quote above the band is often a specification difference the buyer did not intend — a named hardware part, a printed pack, a tighter tolerance — and finding it is usually worth more than the negotiation. What are the reference bands for the products you are checking? Reference price bands by sub-category, aggregated from 62 sampled listings. Basis must be confirmed per quotation (FOB port or EXW factory). Sub-category Sample size Reference price band (US$ / unit) Median low MOQ band (pcs) Category Fishhook 9 0.07 – 2.40 / piece 0.65 100 – 2,000 Fishing Accessories Spoon & Spinner 6 0.31 – 6.00 / piece 1.25 50 – 500 Fishing Lures Other Hard Lure 6 0.56 – 12.04 / piece 2.95 20 – 500 Fishing Lures Soft Lure 6 0.20 – 3.85 / piece 1.55 50 – 1,000 Fishing Lures Hard Lure 6 1.85 – 3.20 / piece 2.60 100 – 100 Fishing Lures VIB 6 0.24 – 2.50 / piece 1.39 100 – 500 Fishing Lures Minnow 6 0.37 – 3.17 / piece 1.40 50 – 500 Fishing Lures Metal Jig 5 0.97 – 2.01 / piece 1.39 100 – 200 Fishing Lures Fishing Rod 3 9.15 – 132.55 / piece 28.05 20 – 100 Fishing Rods Crankbait 3 0.30 – 0.85 / piece 0.66 200 – 500 Fishing Lures Octopus Skirt 3 0.08 – 2.80 / piece 0.98 100 – 2,000 Fishing Lures Fishing Accessory 3 0.62 – 60.00 / pack 9.62 5 – 200 Fishing Accessories Where this sits in the process This page is one topic out of the verification standard. The overview is How to verify a Chinese supplier before you pay a deposit . Where to next Product catalogue Sample listings with price per unit Verified directory Factories that passed 4 verification gates How sourcing works Six steps, timing, failure modes Price benchmark Reference bands and MOQ tiers Updated 2026-09-12 Scope Fishing tackle sourcing Sources 1 cited Was this page useful? Yes, useful Not really Sources Method follows our published four-gate verification standard (see /verification/)