wanted: ipod voice recorder

Is there any wholesaler out there who has ipod voice recorders?

I'm looking for a supplier who can perhaps start with a small sample order to test the market, followed by a larger order, but who is able to deal with small businesses (ie not thousands of them at a time).

The amount I can order will depend upon the price per unit. If not too expensive, the order following the sample order can be larger.

If I was lucky enough for this product to catch on locally, then of course I would then have enough capital to maybe look at much larger orders.

I've located one model from a Chinese manufacturer, but unfortunately the models of Apple ipod that it works with aren't the most popular ones (ie nano, mini, video). I'd be looking at one that would work with these.

Two that I have seen are the Xtreme Mac Micro Memo and the Griffin iTalk voice recorder, but I know that there are more models out there - just have to locate them.

Currently, I have an inquiry going out to about 75 manufacturers regarding this item. None of the ones who have replied have this item, and one is looking into it, but if anyone knows someone who does make this, I'd love to know about it.

Try looking through our suppliers database of suppliers that sell items related to ipods. They might have what your looking for.


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By and large....nope. The only two I haven't tried are SellerKey and DHGate from that list (however, I seem to remember searching DHGate for something....maybe that was for digital photo frames, a different story again - so I may try there again for this one). I wouldn't mind trying SellerKey, since at least I can make contact with lots of suppliers, may be able to buy in smaller quantities, and at least have secure payment. Direct Chinese manufacturers don't seem to accept credit card.

Of 75 direct manufacturers to whom the inquiry has been sent, only 3 have any sort of ipod voice recorder. 2 of those replied, and one of those had a model which was unsuitable for most ipod types that are popular (ie Nano, Mini, Video). Only one had one which could be used with these models. A fourth company used to make the one that I deemed unsuitable and discontinued it because it wasn't that great. But only one company has the really new model (even though there are a few different brands of them being made - somewhere). I have done lots and lots of research to try to find this item; I can't find the 2 main competitors out there (Belkin and I think something called iGriffin), but the company I found makes their own one, and it is priced at $7.95 per unit. They also make the other rather limited one which is $20 per unit which is bulkier.

Very few people are selling them or even making them. I located a couple of articles discussing new products, which is how I came to hear of them, and last time I looked on ebay there were only 2 up for offer, both receiving about 12 bids each. Very hard to find.

If someone on Sellerkey can sell me a unit around the same price range and which works with the same models, with a smaller MOQ, it would be fantastic. As long as it isn't the clunky model that doesn't work with the best selling ipod models - and most of the ones that do sell this one. I'd be happy with a different brand (eg the Belkin or igriffin if I could find a supplier - though I suspect they would be more expensive for the consumer).

I ain't got US$14,000 for 2000 units!!!! (However, they will permit me a smaller sample trial purchase, which I could probably muster)

These are not terribly common items at present - which is why I want to get my hands on them and take a shot at promoting them!

Just found one at Rashmian - not the same one, and only limited to ipod mini (so less versatile), but it may be doable, depending upon the price per unit and shipping fees. I've filled in their form for an online account, but can't see the prices online until they process the application. Current similar items on ebay are currently selling between AUD$20-30, so it would have to be fairly low in cost for me to be able to profit. (Unless, of course, they dropship locally, then I could perhaps log on to the UK ebay site and sell to Brits....)

No way of testing it out first, of course. I don't have an ipod of any description as yet, and the acqaintance I'm going to talk into testing the thing owns a Nano.

Finally got my account processed at Rashmian. Their wholesale price for this product is above what similar ipod voice recorders are selling for on ebay (and that's without the postage added in), and it's much more limited in functionality that the other models I've researched. To buy from this firm would leave my business running at a loss.

I also noticed that other items on their site are approximately 3 times the price of the same goods in retail stores. I'd have less chance of selling anything from this site than I would buying it at a local retail electrical store!

I think my only option is to put buying leads out everywhere and hope for a supplier that will be able to supply my product in smaller quantities (say 200 MOQ, which I could afford at present) with further discounts for larger quantities if it sells well. I think the only way I'm going to get this product is to go direct and cut out the middle men, but that might be difficult.

I'll check out SellerKey and see what transpires, but if nothing comes up, I may be able to take the small sample order from the supplier I've already found, check out the consumer demand, and if it's good, see if I can team up with others interested in selling the same product (maybe in a different sector of the selling community - like small retail stores, etc) in order to meet the MOQ.

There is some risk to me via the dreaded Western Union payment system that I'm not happy with, but if I order under 20 to start with, I may be able to gauge whether the supplier is trustworthy at not too much risk. As I would be ordering from the factory itself, I doubt that they'd deliberately scam me, but things can go wrong with unsecure payment even if both parties are genuine.

I'll keep chipping away at it, though. I have a feeling the product may be worth it.

OK, I've now looked through everything on the list, including Sellerkey. None of them have this product. At least two thirds don't ship to Australia anyway, and the remainder have 'wholesale' prices that are more expensive than the stuff being sold on our local ebay - and that's without adding in shipping costs. Even a simple silicon ipod cover is priced somewhere between 3-5 times more expensive than what I've sourced independently from factories in China.

I don't see how I'm going to break even dealing with these middlemen once you add in shipping, listing fees, final sales fees, Paypal fees, etc, etc....

If my independent sourcing research so far is anything to go by, these wholesalers are making a lot of money out of little guys like us.