Idea -A place to sell small batch Electronics products and metrology accessories - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: PascalNE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 05:15:32 pm
content: Hello everyone,I'm just making this post to gauge the interest for an idea I've been thinking of for a while.I don't have the time to execute this now but I know I will in a monthso I wanted to get it out here now.What I want to do is to make an online store that does two things, the first function will be to provide a place for members of this forum and the wider electronics community to sell their small batch electronics products without having to worry about shipping, customs or advertising. And to also provide a way for buyers to have a safe and straightforward way to buy these products.The second function will be to sell from a location in the UK chinese and other metrology accesories and components providing shorter shipping times, less customs and shipping cost, and better overall prices.I will now outline how I plan to make both these ideas work.1. A place for people to sell test and measurement and metrology productsAdvantages for buyers- Easier to find good small batch electronics products as all products will be in one place- All products will have a sample verified and tested so less trust is need in sellers- Easier shipping- No surprise shipping and customs fees all tax will be paid at checkout-You can know the stock levels of different products so you'll know if its available to orderAdvantages for sellers- Greater product visibility as customers don't have to find your specific website or EBay- Easy shipping- No worrying about filling in customs forms for each country you send to (I know from first hand experience how annoying this is)- Don't have to deal with payments or paypal fees as these will be included in any site commission- Less customer service burden and Emailing you would simply receive an order and have to post it- All you'd have to do is make your product and drop it off at the post office.- Less trust is needed in buyersRequirements for sellers- Be able to make at least 5-10 units per month (depending on the item)- Have a good reputation and be polite.- Dispatch parcels in a reasonable time (2-4 days although it isn't decided)- Send a sample of your product for verification and product photos (this will be returned but shipping costs are covered by you)-Be in the UK/Europe (maybe north America and other regions)-Keep us updated on stock levels.2. Distribution of Chinese and other metrology accessories and componentsWhat I will sell(for more info seehttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/chinese-metrology-accessories-list/-Low thermal EMF copper binding posts from various sellers plated and un-plated-Low thermal EMF copper crimp connectors plated and un-plated-Low thermal EMF banana plugs- various other metrology accessoriesAdvantages for buyers-Items are tested and verified for material quality-No dealing with freight forwarders-much shorter shipping times (buying through freight forwarders can often take up to a month)-No surprise customs or extra shipping fees-No (or less) language barrier-Prices should be cheaper overall as I have a direct relationship with the makers of the products and can negotiate discounts.( I can also discuss changes and modifications to future versions)- Better customer service.- Items are shipped directly from the UK (this is only applicable for this section)I am serious about this idea so If you have any questions or suggestions reply to this post Email me or PM me.(pascal@pascalne.com)If you make a product you think would be suitable for this platform please let me knowas I said before I'm not ready to properly start work on this now but I want to have sellers lined up before I launch anyway so I'd love to talk about what you have.I'm also not under the impression that running an E-commerce store is easy which is why I'll be using as many "off the shelf" solutions as possible (e.g shopify and shipping managers). Due to the use of these services there will be a platform commission paid on each sale that will be deducted from your payout (I do not know what this will be at this point in time but definitely <=10%)Thank you for reading.Best Regards,Pascal.

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 06:04:33 pm
content: Just of the top of my head, you handle the shipping, otherwise what are you offering over etsy. You will be able to negotiate better rates than an individual can and pass this on, as well as getting a daily collection. The evaluation item can be the first sale, then you order more depending on sale levels. These would be on sale or return so no financial outlay for you and the seller gets paid immediately on sale. For the customer, they will know the product is in stock and can be shipped same or next day.Just a thought.

author: PascalNE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 06:16:54 pm
content: Quote from: woofy on May 30, 2025, 06:04:33 pmWhile in principle I agree this would be ideal, I think it just adds too much inefficiency especially considering I want this to be an international store. Imagine a maker in germany and a customer in germany the item would goDE->UK->DE having to pay tax and international shipping each time. (this could double the price)Regarding stock levels I should've mentioned it but I'd make the sellers keep me updated with the exact stock level which would be displayed on the website so buyers know what it is.The advantage over sites like etsy is the specialised nature and the verification of products which would lead to greater trust from buyers. Using a shipping manager the customs and shipping will be automated so all you have to do is pack and drop it off.Thank you though for your suggestion

author: Simmed
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 06:39:30 pm
content: just use another platform ?https://www.crowdsupply.com/

author: PascalNE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 06:47:17 pm
content: From what I can see that platform does not seem to selling the kind of product I am intending this for. They all seem like larger scale crowdfunded products with proper production runs I am talking about smaller products like voltage or resistance references and items people sell on here where they only make a few per month I'd also like to facilitate larger projects but it's not quite the same .I also intend for it to be more specialised in test and measurement accessories and projects not just anything.Also looking at the application form for that site it seems to be only for crowdfunded itemshttps://www.crowdsupply.com/project-submission(its also a much more complicated process to get listed)So I don't think that's really equivalent

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 07:16:07 pm
content: Quote from: PascalNE on May 30, 2025, 06:16:54 pmWell you did say:- Items are shipped directly from the UKLet me say this, I spend a lot of money with Amazon on stuff that I could get at a fraction of the price on AliExpress. Why do you think that is? It's the trust and convenience of having the items next day.It's your store, but if you don't differentiate it will be just another etsy.However I really don't want to discourage you so I'll leave it there and wish you good luck with it anyway.

author: PascalNE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2025, 07:24:59 pm
content: Quote from: woofy on May 30, 2025, 07:16:07 pmI stated that part in the "Distribution of Chinese and other metrology accessories and components" section so those products I will be buying stock and selling from the UK it is separate from the other part of the business. (Apologies if that was unclear)While I agree speed of shipping isadifferentiation point its not one I think is completely necessary especially for the sort of product I'm selling you wouldn't need a voltage reference next day (of course it would be ideal for impatient people like me) But it taking a week to get to you isn't quite equivalent to buying something from Aliexpress that could take weeks.Thank you though for your responses.

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2025, 07:04:45 am
content: So you essentially want to act as a platform, dealer, manufacturer - without having to care about all those pesky rules attached for commercial offerings? Creating 10 devices per month for sale is considered commercial, at least in Germany, and likely in all of Europe, and likely in UK as well. There are strings attached. Lots - as in LOTS. Better talk to a business advisor, lawyer and tax consultant first.

author: PascalNE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2025, 07:43:05 am
content: Don’t worry, I know there will be tax implications I will be talking to a solicitor and creating proper contracts for sellers. I just didn’t feel the need to mention that in the post as it is a behind the scenes issue and I don’t fully know what will be needed yet. But I will certainly be looking into it thoroughly. Thank you though for your response maybe I should’ve talked about it in my original post I do want it to be a legitimate platform.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 02, 2025, 08:32:43 am
content: Seems like the infrastructure for this already exists, as some of the previous posts pointed out.Tindie is one that comes to mind that I have ordered from several times before.

author: PascalNE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2025, 08:43:08 am
content: I guess the idea is that is that it is more specialised for metrology and test and measurement and that you'd be able to go there and browse those things easily in one place instead of having to seek them out specifically from all the other websites they could be on.It's also different than other platforms as the products will be verified which is important for a lot of metrology stuff for example.So I suppose it's a bit more than the infrastructure but serving the community with a good central place to sell things.Maybe I should edit the first post to make it clearer it'll mostly be for test and measurement as that's what I will be selling and that's what it will be primarily focused on.

author: PascalNE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2025, 08:49:27 am
content: Because either way I will be starting my shop selling metrology and test and measurement accessories (cables, binding posts etc) So I thought it would be useful to let other people sell on there too as, I see a lot of products floating around on here that I'm never quite sure where to buy.