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.
| 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?
| 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.
Sources
- Method follows our published four-gate verification standard (see /verification/)