I probably get asked about 20 times per day, ‘What product can I sell to make money?’.
The answer I give is always ‘Adult Products’. And not because my mind is in the gutter. Adult products have a tremendous mark-up on their cost, so it really is worthwhile to buy them wholesale (or import them) and sell them from 50% to 70% markup on your original cost. When you think that most fashion items only have a mark up price of up to 25% (if that!) – Adult Products are less work for more money!
But, where can you buy them at a discount price?
Well, today we will help you with that. All the locations below will sell to you at a wholesale price, and if you are willing to take the chance and import them, you will make up to 200% profit on the products you sell.
If you stay ‘safe’ – get them from Australia. If you are more game, go overseas.
Some supplier do require you to have an ABN to purchase wholesale, so I have included some retailers in the list for people who are wanting to get started by dipping their toe in the water!
Adult Products Are Not Just Vibrators
But before we start, adult products don’t just stop at vibrators. There is a whole adult industry out there with many difference facets.
Just some ideas include:
Lingerie Bondage Gear (Latex) Cosplay Costumes Condoms and Birth Control DVD’s Fetishwear Massage Oils and Lube Lockable Sex Toy Boxes How to Start your Small Business in the Sex Toy Industry
First of all you need to find some products to sell. Below I have listed all the wholesale providers, both in Australia and overseas that are reputable. Do your research and find the best price and quality that you are looking for. Set a budget for your new business, and buy a few of each product to sample for quality.
Think about whether you want to go luxe products or cheaper products that are more affordable for your potential clients.
Once you have a small collection of products that you are happy with (and I’ve listed the wholesale distributors below) – the next step is to create a Facebook Page to advertise your wares. If you want to go into it seriously, think of a business name, register your domain and grab the business name (all the details are in the ebook below if you need more information). Starting out small is all good, but you still need enough product to be able to service your clients if they buy. Customers don’t want to have to wait six weeks for a shipment to arrive from overseas.
Make sure you take good photographs of the goods, and a rip-roaring write up about each is also great.
Other ideas to market your new business include:
Have a Sex Toy Party Host a Hens Night Do a Sex Toy Party Planning Business Be you local ‘Vibrator’ lady Think of unique ways to market your products, fundraisers for example.
Set Up Your Own Online Store
Adult products lend themselves to being purchased online due to the anonymous nature. So think about starting an online store! There are a few platforms that make starting a store really easy – and each has pro’s and con’s. The most popular online store platforms include:
Shopify WooCommerce
To read about each one to decide which is right for you, check out our article on ‘The Best Online Platforms to Consider for Start Ups’.
Personally, I love Shopify. Yes it costs about $30 per month and yes it may seem a bit complicated at first, but it is so scaleable (think big always) and has so many features that it is certainly worthwhile. Plus if you go with a smaller platform or free platform, and you need to scale up later – swapping over shops is a nightmare!
If you want a fully customised store – we highly recommend Tenacious Digital!. We use them ourselves.
Choosing What Sex Toy Products to Stock and Sell
There is a huge array of sex toys on the market. They vary in price, quality and style. Decide on what will sell well for your customers – and buy to suit. If you are not sure what you think your customers might like, then a range of each is a good way to go, then test to see what your market is buying. This is great if you aren’t sure about which niche to go into.
You want your customers to keep coming back, so make sure you choose something that will last the distance but is affordable enough that the average housewife can afford it.
Then if you want to get big, you need a niche. What part of the adult industry can you focus on?
Did you know that you can also find ‘White Label Sex Toys’?
White label is finding a product, and then branding it as your own. Imagine having a great big black vibrator with the name of your online store right there on the front of the packaging!!!!
White Label Sex Toy Providers include:
Alibaba.com Blush Novelties XR Brands Sex Toy Factory You Can Also Get Your Own Design of Sex Toy Manufacturered
If you have an idea on something unique – you can have your own line of adult products manufactured from scratch. Here’s who does it:
Sex Toy Factory Build a Sex Toy
Finding Your Sex Toy Niche
Whenever you start an online business, all the experts say you have to find your niche market. And they are totally correct! But what is a ‘Niche’ in the Sex Toy Industry? Well I’ll share just a few here:
Bondage Sex Toys Geeky Sex Toys Gay Sex Toys Clitoral Stimulators Straps-Ons Sex Furniture Latex Lingerie Sex Machines Sex Dolls Male Masturbators Sex Games Sexual Enhancement
So as you can see, there are many niches to choose from. If you do one of them well, it can be a lot more lucrative than doing all of them a bit average.
Postage and Packaging
Make sure you always package sex toys discretely if they are going in the mail or are shipped. Many people order them online for the anonymity the internet gives them. Plain brown paper packaging and a discrete name will ensure your customers’ details are kept confidential at all times.
Grab our list of packaging suppliers here!
Pricing Your Sex Toys for Resale
If you are planning on importing your products from overseas, you can afford to mark up the price of your sex toys from 50% to 150%. Probably even higher if you can import them from China. However if you are buying in bulk from Australia, you can really only markup the cost around 30% if you want to stay competitive.
Luxe products can be marked up more than low-cost products.
So Who is My Competition?:
There are big major players in this industry. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for you! The following are the current big guys that are already importing and supplier Vibrators. I’ve included the list here so you can see the markup on prices and how they market their items. Remember – what will set you apart is your niche!
Adult Toy Megastore (Au) Adult Shop (Au) Love Honey (Au) Femplay (Au) Wild Secrets (Au) Friller (AU) Black Label Sex Toys (Au) Shop Naturally has organic vibrators (au)
Although you should never ever copy anyone else’s ideas, finding your competitors that are doing it well, is a good way to brainstorm how you can make your online store a bit different. Plus there may be functionality ideas that you haven’t thought of that can be implemented!
I Can’t Afford to Buy Stock, What Do I Do?:
Drop Shipping is where you don’t even need to see the product. A customer will order a product from your Facebook Page or online store, then you submit it to the supplier who will then send out the product directly to your client. Sounds great huh.
BUT (there is always a BUT), Drop Shipping can take a lot longer for postage and handling, and there are some shonky operators around. So always do your research first if you decide to go that way. I’m hoping that Drop Shipping businesses will get more reputable as time goes on, because it is seriously a great ‘business platform’ for small business.
Inventory Source
Inventory Source is a full service drop shipping service that will assist you in locating suppliers and products and will assist in setting up your online store. Plans start from $50/month. They have a number of Adult suppliers such as Eldorado, Sex Toy Distributing.com and Be Wicked.
Dropship 24/7
Dropship 24/7 is Australian based and the only authorized adult toy drop shipper. They carry brands such as Ansell, Doc Johnson, Flesh Light, Love Honey and Four Seasons.
XSales
XSales is another Aussie based Sex Toy supplier that has bondage gear, fetish wear, penis plugs, lubes and an array of sex toys.
Adult Wholesale Direct
Adult Wholesale Direct carries brands such as Doc Johnson, Trojan, Durex and Wet. They have 65,000 products to choose from. When drop shipping they add a 5% surcharge.
Australian-based Wholesale Vibrator Suppliers: AliExpress (Aliexpress is a Chinese based business – but this seller ships from Australia) Blush Novelties are makers of the world’s best sex toys! Claredale Distributors Pty Ltd Forbidden Toys Sex Toy Distributing.com OzWand Wholesale Two Ducks Distribution
Overseas Adult Product Wholesale and Manufacturer Suppliers:
There are all wholesale suppliers of Adult Products. All are reputable and have a good track record with sending correct orders on time, and with a good feedback rating from customers.
The Official Durex Store Crystal Delights
Crystal Delights are manufacturers of high quality glass sex toys.
Eden Fantasys Adult Wholesale Distributors (US) Bang Good Vibrators.com Loewie Trading Ltd Deep Memories AliExpress (China) Lelo (High-end Adult Products) Vibrator Show To Buy (US) Too Timid (US) Shiela Products Wholesale (US) My Magic Wand (US) Shiri Zinn Pink Cherry Wholesale (US) Vibrators.com (US) Love Honey (UK) Honeys Place (US) ERO Partner (UK)
Big Teaze Toys
BMS Factory
List of Wholesale Lingerie Suppliers and Manufacturers: Lingerie Mart Corporation
Lingerie Mart is one of the largest distributors of lingerie in the US. Numerous manufacturers and brands are working with them so they have a wide selection of lingerie and other intimate apparels. They have a warehouse in Atlanta where you can buy their products for a much cheaper price.
Lingerie Mart has been in the business for over 22 years. Among the brands they distribute include:
Affinitas Be Wicked Dreamgirl Sophie B.
Wholesale2B
Wholesale2b, apart from lingerie, also sells electronics, pet supplies, baby products, garden decors, and so on. They are a dropshipping company that aims to help sellers save time. If you purchase one of their plans, you’ll be able to access tons of products that are very much affordable. Their plans range from $20/month to $40/month.
Lavinia Lingerie Inc.
Lavina Lingerie is a family business that was established in 2002. The types of lingerie they sell are comfortable to wear and the sizes can fit up to J cup. The colours, moreover, are fashion-friendly.
Their product range includes:
Bridal/honeymoon lingerie Plus size lingerie Activewear
TheOne Apparel
Theone Apparel offers collections of lingerie that are 10-20% cheaper compared to their competitors. Nonetheless, the products are of good quality. You can ensure that your privacy isn’t violated as they do not disclose any information on the packaging.
The kinds of lingerie they sell are, among others:
Bodysuits Corsets Lace Robes Silk and Satin Empress Mimi Lingerie
Empress Mimi takes a different approach on their business. Apart from it being a store, it is also a ‘subscription box’ wherein if you subscribe to one of their Honey Bunny Boxes, which basically contain a set of lingerie under the same category, you’ll get to receive it every month for as long as you’re subscribed. You can cancel your subscription any time.
Their Honey Bunny Boxes are:
House of Frillies The Queen Box The Empress Box Pink Queen Apparel Inc.
Pink Queen was established in 2008 and to date, it’s one of the most acclaimed online stores. Their products are suitable for women aged 18 to 35 and the product prices are affordable. They have a wide range of lingerie and clothes that are good for any occasion. Among the products they sell are:
Printed Leggings Sexy Swimsuits Vintage Lingerie Stylish Outwear Festival Costumes Wicked Temptations
Wicked Temptations is a Los Angeles-based company that was established in 1993. They design and manufacture some of the products they sell. Among the lingerie products you can find on their store are:
Bridal Crotchless Camisoles Deal: 50% off on selected items Other Suppliers: Magic Silk Shirley of Hollywood
This vibrator from Aliexpress is only US$18.19 per piece. You could re-sell this for $60.
For more information on marketing your new business – grab a copy of our ebook, ‘How to Find, Source and Sell Products Online’. We go through how to Market your business and find a niche market!
This list will be added to continuously as we find more suppliers. If you know of a wholesale supplier and are more than happy for us to include the link, please drop us a line! Good luck!
Remember to Subscribe to our Page ‘Tenacious Business Development Group’ for more detailed information on starting a small business!
If you want to start selling online, need help on marketing strategies, website development, content creation, video production and much more! We could help you to start your business online! Please click here. #AdultToys #HomeBusinessIdeas #SmallBusinessHub #Jobs #WhereToBuyWholesaleVibratorsToSellAtAProfit
