Spreadsheets
Sources

Five sources on the shelf

This is a shelf for comparing, so it helps to know what each source is. Five marketplaces feed it: Taobao, Weidian, 1688, Tmall and Pinduoduo. Pinduoduo is the one people ask about — it is the group-buying platform, priced aggressively and variable in quality. The others behave as you would expect: breadth, independents, factory pricing, brand shops.

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Five sources

Taobao, Weidian, 1688, Tmall and Pinduoduo. Breadth, independents, factory pricing, brand shops, and aggressive group pricing.

  • Taobaobreadth
  • Weidianindependents
  • 1688factory pricing, minimums
  • Pinduoduogroup pricing, variable quality

Marketplace rules and coverage shift. The platforms govern.

What each source is

In the order most useful for comparing rows on the shelf.

  1. TaobaoOpen market

    The biggest source on the shelf, and the one where two rows for the same article can sit far apart. That spread is precisely why a comparison shelf is worth keeping.

  2. WeidianSmall storefronts

    Independent sellers, thin stock, new pieces early. Whether a row is still live is only settled when somebody actually tries to buy it.

  3. 1688Wholesale listings

    Factory-side pricing quoted by quantity, with the minimum shown so you can see whether the figure applies to you at all.

  4. TmallMall shops

    Established retail storefronts held to stricter seller standards than the open market. Usually dearer, usually safer.

  5. PinduoduoGroup buying

    Bargain listings priced for combined orders — worth a look, slower and less predictable than the others.

Telling them apart

The shelf states the source on every row, and the source tells you what kind of seller you are comparing: open market, boutique, factory, mall or group-buy.

  • Check the domain: the host name gives it away: taobao, weidian, 1688, tmall or jd.
  • Check the price: Prices on 1688 tend lower, while brand shops stay close to retail.
  • Check the minimum: Bulk listings carry a minimum order quantity; check it before committing.

Comparable here

✅ What the shelf guarantees
  • · Oopbuy covers all five marketplaces
  • · Which marketplace the row came from is recorded
  • · Minimum quantities are noted wherever a seller sets one
🔎 Confirm elsewhere
  • · That the shelf listing is live at the price shown
  • · Whether the cheapest source is acceptable for this item
  • · That your chosen line takes goods in this category

Public material arranged for comparing one shelf with another. Live pricing stays where the sellers are.

Want to compare sources?

Browse the shelf