Selling Wholesale Hello Kitty Accessories Online

You'd be forgiven for ignoring Hello Kitty merchandise and accessories as a viable option for a product to sell. After all, it's hard to take something as simple as a white cat with a bow in her hair seriously. However, Hello Kitty sales topped $1.08 billion dollars last year and being a trusted brand, the sales tally will continue to climb. Do you want to be part of this global phenomenon and earn good money from selling wholesale Hello Kitty accessories? Read on for a beginner's guide to this market. 

More than just fluffy toys for pre-teens

Hello Kitty is a ubiquitous brand that started off with a market for younger females, but has since found appeal among older consumers as well. Initially Hello Kitty's product range was limited to mostly dolls and fluffy toys. Now, however, you can find stickers, greeting cards, clothing, fashion accessories, electronics accessories such as phone cases and laptop cases, home appliances and more. In fact, you can even buy Hello Kitty guitars, wine and video games! 

This has dramatically broadened the potential market for Hello Kitty products, this means there is a huge potential audience for you to get in front of. Their product range also range broadly in price: Sell a suitcase for $260 or a key chain for $3.95. This gives you a range of price points to work with, while providing you with plenty of upsell options for eager buyers. 

Offering cupcake makers, popcorn makers and sandwich presses, Hello Kitty's product range is so much more than stickers and toys!

If that doesn't convince you of the power of this little white kitten, perhaps you'll be impressed by the fact that the Hello Kitty brand has its own commercial Boeing 777. Passengers on the plane enjoy Hello Kitty branded pillows, playing cards and toiletries (lotion, toilet tissue and even air sickness bags). Even the fruit salad is cut in Hello Kitty shapes! As over the top as this all might seem, it demonstrates how strong a following this brand has. 

Where to buy wholesale Hello Kitty goods 

It's not always easy getting your hands on branded items, especially ones such as Hello Kitty, which are so sought after. Here are a few tips on sourcing quality, well-priced and authentic Hello Kitty goods. 

Discover what Hello Kitty fans want most

If you're like me and don't quite understand the fascination with Hello Kitty, don't worry. There is one simple way to tap into your audience's mind and discover which products they like most, and which aren't so popular.

All you need to do is head over to Amazon.com and search using the keywords "Hello Kitty." You can then filter by department, or just browse around and see which products are getting good customer reviews, and which are not. Amazon is one of the best places in the world to read product reviews. I often read Amazon reviews before I buy something, even if I am buying it locally. Product ratings in the 4-5 star range will tell you which products are most loved, while 2-3 star ratings will indicate that you should stay away. If a product has thousands of reviews, you know it's popular among buyers. If there are no reviews, or less than 50, it might mean the product is less popular. On the other hand, it could mean it is up and coming, so look carefully and don't be afraid to take a (calculated) risk. 

Don't be fooled by fakes 

There is an abundance of replica and counterfeit wholesale Hello Kitty merchandise for sale at very low prices around the web. Buyers know this, so make sure your product listings clearly state that you only deal with authentic Hello Kitty merchandise. As you hopefully know by now, selling fake items can be disastrous for you. You could have your account closed by eBay, get caught by customs when you import the goods, or be sued by Sanrio, the Japan-based company that designs the Hello Kitty merchandise, which works fiercely to protect the brand's integrity.

Here are a few tips for spotting fake Hello Kitty goods: 

• Authentic Hello Kitty products always have her bow/flower on her left side. There are no exceptions to this, so it's a very easy way to spot a fake.

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• Aside from in animated cartoons, Hello Kitty doesn't have a mouth. If you see a Hello Kitty with a mouth, it's fake. Apparently the designers do this as a marketing technique so that people can "project their own feelings onto the character" and "be happy or sad together with Hello Kitty." 

• Look out for the Sanrio license. Every single piece of Hello Kitty merchandise has the license printed on the product or the product packaging... unless it's fake! 

      Sanrio licenses will look like this, or similar.

SaleHoo's wholesale suppliers with authentic Hello Kitty goods

If you're a SaleHoo member, you can skip the anxiety of not knowing whether goods are authentic and check out these SaleHoo-approved suppliers of genuine Hello Kitty merchandise. 

• Supplier #1 (Join SaleHoo for instant access): This California-based supplier has been in business for over 10 years and offers Hello Kitty toys, puzzles, electronics, beauty accessories and more. 
• Supplier #2 (Join SaleHoo for instant access): Based in Canada, this supplier offers drop shipped and wholesale orders and offers a range of electronics and accessories such as headphones, phone cases, alarm clocks and more. 
• Supplier #3 (Join SaleHoo for instant access): This Arizona-based supplier is known for its wide range of products. When it comes to Hello Kitty, you'll find an incredible range, everything from party supplies to backpacks, games, electronics and more. 

My final two cents

Hello Kitty presents quite an opportunity to sell quality branded products to adoring fans. In this market, your biggest obstacle will be avoiding fakes, which are a dime a dozen. The tips I have listed above will help to make finding genuine merchandise easier, but if you really want to protect yourself from fakes and the serious consequences they present, join SaleHoo and work with only trusted and verified suppliers.  It'll be the best money you ever spent on your home business. 

Skip the scammers and fakes. Keep you and your money safe when you join SaleHoo and get access to our approved and verified suppliers of Hello Kitty goods and accessories.