TYPICAL ORDER CYCLE

For a mixed container, one should count a minimum of 45 days till 90 days or more, from the momentyou started selecting till the items are at your door.
For a direct container of one series of items from one factory, the leading times are of course drastically lower.
The typical phases in the process are: Online Selection → Sign Agreement & Pay Deposit → Sourcing & Buying → ( Custom Manufacturing, takes an extra of 2 to 4 weeks) → Consolidate, QC, Packing, Fumigate, Customs Inspection & → Transport to Port → Shipping

1. Online Selection (10 days): Go to our online catalogue and select your desired items into your shopping cart. Once you are satisfied with your selection and volume, just alert us by either sending us an email or contacting us by phone. We shall then walk you through for the next steps thereon.
   If you do not find what you are looking for, send us either pictures or a description, and we shall find pictures for you to approve and include into your order.
2. Sign Agreement & Pay Deposit: Once you are satisfied with your online “shopping cart”, you will need to place a minimum 25% deposit with us so that we can start buying the items for you. We cannot start this process until we have received your deposit in our bank. This initial payment will be used as a deposit and to “hold” your items at the various vendors where we will need to order your items.
3. Sourcing & Buying (30 days): During the process of finding each item, we shall then take digital pictures and send them to you for your approval. Once you have approved every item, and we have “ordered” them for you, we shall then ask for the remainder of payment that obviously, shall be spent paying for all your items.
4. Consolidate, Quality Control, Packing, Fumigate, Customs Inspection & Transport to Port: (Average30 days) We will then consolidate everything into our warehouse for customs inspection, fumigation treatment and packing. We will also take final pictures of everything for archive and reference. You will then pay our fee and any remaining amount due. Once all payments are final, your container will leave for port and immediate departure according to schedule.
5. Shipping(average 30 days at sea): We will ship according to schedule.

For antique items (or reproduction items that we have not already previously purchased) a photo of the item is taken and submitted to you along with an estimated price. If the pricing is in line with market pricing and we want the item we fill out the associated paperwork, lay a deposit down and the vendor will then hold the item. If for some reason the pricing is not in line, we simply go back and renegotiate or skip over the item.
Some items follow standard styles (like certain types of tables and cabinets), are plentiful and always readily available. For these items we don't need to re-photograph them or negotiate pricing, we simply buy x number more. Once a deposit is laid down the item basically becomes ours. The vendor will hold the item until we are ready to make full payment and arrange for pickup. (NOTE at this point we could theoretically photograph the item for pre-selling). This selecting buying process can occur pretty quickly (less then a week as long as firm decisions are made - though sometimes the decision to purchase is not made immediately). We usually try to do this once the custom built items are underway.

If you figure a week of selecting new items, a day or two of actual depositing and ordering, and a few days for wire transfers to process this quickly adds up to two weeks. Add to two to three weeks for custom orders to be built plus a week to two of packing, fumigation etc. under optimal circumstances the whole process easily adds up to six to seven weeks of solid work before the order ever even hits the sea. I do think this process could be streamlined and speeded up if we are highly decisive, organized and extremely efficient.

Do Chinese factories deliver on time?
Its in many ways a classic case of “china.” Sure when it's peak season : rather then tell us they need more time, they just slap it together. We have seen it before and so though we do keep them under deadlines, we try not to rush them too much. We think they will do a much better job. Our system of continuous quality control is more than necessary here.