Choice of Reptile Products in Australia. Are you Happy?

[sengir]

Bumpies

[sengir]

Bump

[Tirilia]

A godsend would be a glass enclosure with sliding or opening doors at the front, with a fixed lid that is already set up for lighting and heat. At the moment all that is available is the above said but you have to drill holes yourself or find another way.. usually that means clamps and all kinds of clutterjunk.

[Jen]

bigger choice of insect food, and insects as food, ie, silkies and artificial silkie food, wax worms, butterworms, phoenix worms, also more choice in calcium and vitamin supplements

[stockeh]

Hey Jen we have a new range of calcium and vitamin supplements now available, so now you have a choice... they are on the following link just click on the pictures for more information http://www.animalattraction.com.au/r...-products.html

Take care
Matt

[Jen]

Thanks for that, great prices too!

[hugsta]

It is great to want to bring in all these products from overseas and how much 'possible' demand there is for them. It is not so much a question of what people want, but more a question of how much money do you want to invest to be able to make importing goods viable and successful. If it were that cheap to import products directly from the US, then why don't people do it? You need to outlay all expenses up front before they will even send out the shipment and to make it worth your while, you will need to load up a 40ft conatainer, then wait for a month, give or take, for it to get here. Pay all the relevant expenses, import duty, taxes etc, then add on your margins keeping in mind you need to be able to store it somewhere, add in all your ongoing coats such as advertising and promoting that you have products available. So before you know you have outlaid anything from $60 to $100k. Then you have to hope that people want the products you have brought in. It then becomes another game if you decide to wholesale products into shops, this is where your money gets really tied up and before you know it you are in debt up to your eye balls.

If you are going to have a go at bringing stuff into the country then great, go for it, the more stuff out here the better. Just make sure you look at all the hidden costs before you find yoursefl bankrupt before you start.

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by hugsta

It is great to want to bring in all these products from overseas and how much 'possible' demand there is for them. It is not so much a question of what people want, but more a question of how much money do you want to invest to be able to make importing goods viable and successful. If it were that cheap to import products directly from the US, then why don't people do it? You need to outlay all expenses up front before they will even send out the shipment and to make it worth your while, you will need to load up a 40ft conatainer, then wait for a month, give or take, for it to get here. Pay all the relevant expenses, import duty, taxes etc, then add on your margins keeping in mind you need to be able to store it somewhere, add in all your ongoing coats such as advertising and promoting that you have products available. So before you know you have outlaid anything from $60 to $100k. Then you have to hope that people want the products you have brought in. It then becomes another game if you decide to wholesale products into shops, this is where your money gets really tied up and before you know it you are in debt up to your eye balls.

If you are going to have a go at bringing stuff into the country then great, go for it, the more stuff out here the better. Just make sure you look at all the hidden costs before you find yoursefl bankrupt before you start.

for $27 odd dollars, we can bring in up to 10kg of products to australia via USPS. its not as much as you make it out to be.

some of us already do this because the prices here are rediculous. $15 odd dollars for suppliments. $60 odd dollars for a UV tube that actually works. try $5 suppliments, and $19 Uv's. with the current exchange rate its cheaper to buy straight from over seas.

unless were buyign alcohol or cigaretes i dont think we'll get taxed.

what the few, 3 or so reptile online stores inthis thread are trying to do, is get better, and more variety. which is what we need. out of all the world australia was considered to have the worst uv. tested.

we have VERY little, and these 3 stores are doing great, at least trying to get them in. i think as buisnesses they know about importing, taxes and addign prices for shipping etc.

its not as bad as you make it out to be IMO.

[hugsta]

Originally Posted by Kirby

for $27 odd dollars, we can bring in up to 10kg of products to australia via USPS. its not as much as you make it out to be.

some of us already do this because the prices here are rediculous. $15 odd dollars for suppliments. $60 odd dollars for a UV tube that actually works. try $5 suppliments, and $19 Uv's. with the current exchange rate its cheaper to buy straight from over seas.

unless were buyign alcohol or cigaretes i dont think we'll get taxed.

what the few, 3 or so reptile online stores inthis thread are trying to do, is get better, and more variety. which is what we need. out of all the world australia was considered to have the worst uv. tested.

we have VERY little, and these 3 stores are doing great, at least trying to get them in. i think as buisnesses they know about importing, taxes and addign prices for shipping etc.

its not as bad as you make it out to be IMO.

That's great, if you want to spend $27.00 bringing over products from the US then that is great, go and support the industry in the US, I am sure they love your business, I'll stick to supporting local businesses myself. And on the freight cost, make sure that it is 10kg by weight, as you will most likely find out it is also by volume, whichever is the greater. And 10kg by volume is not much.

I assume, that by mentioning UV tubes that actually work, you have a UVB meter and have actually tested the products available on the Australian market and know which ones are best!! Seeing as a lot that are available here are also available in the US.

I think that it is great that the 3 or more online stores in this thread, as you mention, are trying to do. And I am certainly not trying to discourage them. But, for them to import in a volume large enough to make things worthwhile, they need to be aware of added and hidden costs. They should. by all means go ahead and give it ago.

Importing from overseas is a lot different from buying from your local wholesaler, If it were that easy for shops to import enogh volume to keep customers happy and to cover the added expenses, then most would do so. However they don't.

I don't try to make it out to be bad, I just give out the facts, seeing as I work heavily in the industry, I do have some idea as to how it works.

Cheers Daz

[Importer]

Hugsta has it right. I import stuff from the US. You cannot get away without paying tax unless you are dodgy. Everyone pays GST. You will pay 10% on arrival in the country and then you have to add it on to your prices so that your customers pay it as well. Stamp duty and customs clearance is another cost. You have to pay someone to clear your stuff and UPS is the most expensive for that.
Not to mention packaging, advertising, storage, paying for the container and then delivery to your premises, fuel charges etc.
As for the right dollar rate you have to have the funds at the right time to place an order. Just because the dollar is going up and down it doesn't affect the price you have already paid for your stock.
I take my hat off to you guys that are doing it and I hope you are successful. I started my business for the same reason, in that I loved the product I was using and wanted to make it available to the public at the best possible price. I do that to the best of my ability but didn't realise all the added costs.
If you need any more advice feel free to pm me. I can put you onto cheap forwarding companies

Jason

P.S They sting you every which way they can

[CGSwans]

I think these look better than Boaphiles, but are designed along the same principles.
http://www.showcasecages.com/

If someone could get the right to build them under license or import them here in Australia I think they'd do well.