Small Orders, and Why Our Minimum Is 5,000 Pieces
We manufacture to order for importers, distributors, chains and hospitality groups. If your requirement is 100 or 200 pieces with your own logo, this page explains the position honestly — and the routes that do work at that volume.
Stated plainly, before you spend time on a quote
We are a factory, not a wholesaler of small lots. Everything we make is produced to order, and a decorated ceramic order only makes economic sense from a real production quantity.
Our minimum is 5,000 pieces per design or per decoration.
We are not able to help with a 100 to 500 piece custom run. That is not a negotiating position — it is what the production process costs. If we quoted it, the unit price would be dominated by setup rather than by the product, and you would be paying for our preparation instead of your goods.
Below the minimum, the routes that genuinely work are on this page. They are practical, and we recommend them without reservation.
Why a small custom order does not work
Three fixed costs that do not shrink when the quantity shrinks.
Production setup is fixed
A decorated order runs as one batch: kiln load, print or decal preparation, packing configuration and quality control against a written standard. Almost none of it scales down with the piece count.
The unit price stops making sense
Spread over 200 pieces instead of 5,000, the preparation cost multiplies the unit price. A quotation built that way is not one we would want you to accept, and it would not be honest to present it as a fair price.
The quality risk lands on you
A short run leaves no room for re-fired rejects and no spare pieces for replacements. If a small percentage fails inspection, the whole order is affected instead of absorbed within a large batch.
Four routes that actually work at small volume
We recommend these in order of practicality — and we mean them.
- Buy from a local importer, wholesaler or promotional-products distributor. They purchase at production volume and absorb the minimum on your behalf. You pay a distributor margin instead of a factory setup cost, and you get the goods in weeks rather than months.
- Have your branding applied locally. Pad printing, screen printing or heat transfer on a plain ceramic item bought in your market — this is how most small branded runs are produced in practice.
- Consolidate with other buyers. If you need your own design, several buyers sharing one decoration can together reach a production quantity. We work with consolidators and can point you to one.
- Come back when your volume reaches the minimum. Send the artwork notes and packing requirements now; we will keep them on file so your first production order starts from a known position.
What importing ceramic actually requires
If this is your first import, these three things must be in place before the goods arrive — they cannot be arranged by the factory.
- An importer of record. In the EU, normally a VAT and EORI number; in the United States, an importer of record with a tax ID. In most markets the buyer, or a licensed agent acting for the buyer, must be registered to import.
- A customs broker. Your broker files the entry and pays duty and import tax on your behalf. We can suggest options in several markets, but the account has to be yours.
- A duty and tax budget. The rate depends on your country's tariff schedule and the product classification. Your broker will confirm the exact figure.
On a production order we supply the export documents your broker needs: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin, carton marking, and test reports on request.
About DDP
Ceramic is heavy, bulky and relatively low in value. Freight is charged largely by weight and volume, so on a small shipment transport can approach or exceed the value of the goods. A forwarder quoting DDP also accepts responsibility for clearance and duty in your country — which is why almost none will quote it on a small ceramic order.
The workable structure is FOB or EXW with your own forwarder or broker. If a delivered arrangement is essential, tell us the destination and the shipment size and we will say whether a partner service exists.
When you are ready at production volume
From 5,000 pieces per design we quote, sample, produce and ship — with artwork proofing, inspection and export documents included.