Here is some basic information about buying Christmas ornaments from Poland. It should give you a brief overview of what is available, what is expected of you by the factories, and how you should approach buying Polish Christmas ornaments.
In general the Christmas season ends for manufacturers in June or July. They spend the remainder of the year completing orders and shipping. You may be able to place some orders after that time, but your possibilities will be limited. So order early.
If you are buying Polish ornaments for the first time, or are buying less than a full container load, it is recommended that you use a Christmas Ornament procurement service.
Many of the factories are family owned and have been making Christmas ornaments for years. They are well established and have developed regular clients all over the world. Some do not take new customers since they are content with what they have.
Each Christmas ornament factory in Poland tends to specialize in a particular type ornament. And each has its own style.
Poland distinguishes itself in the Christmas ornament business by having a large selection of high-quality, hand painted, hand formed, Christmas ornaments.
Polish Christmas ornaments are not sold based on price competitiveness. They are sold based on quality and uniqueness. Factories do not respond to requests for competitive prices. They respond with prices for quality products.
There are no cheap Polish Christmas ornaments. Generally Polish Christmas ornaments can be considered as collectors’ items.
The typical Polish Christmas ornaments are high-quality. The factories exist on high quality, small production runs and not on low quality high production runs.
For the less complex ornaments, in the retail trade in Poland, prices run from typically $10 to $40 per ornament. Some small ornaments are sold at lower prices.
Some Christmas ornaments from Poland have a wholesale price of $100 and up, each . These are reasonable prices for the product. They retail for up to $500 each. These are also reasonable prices. Examples are at glass ornaments
Marketing Note – Tourists in Warsaw, Poland generally do not question the price of the ornaments. They typically take the highest quality ornaments and more expensive ornaments.
Manufacturers have minimum order requirements. Some manufacturers require that you order a minimum 20 ft. container. Others require a minimum of 50 to 100 pieces of a particular design. That means same size, color, form and pattern. Mixing is generally not allowed.
Most factories have showrooms where they put excess production. If you go to the show room you can purchase of what is there and only what is there. If you desire anything that is not in the show room you must order it and comply with the factory minimum requirements.
Some factories have exclusive arrangements with distributors. And some factories deal directly with certain large corporations who order Polish Christmas ornaments as corporate gifts. They will not entertain any order from anyone for any purpose where the product is to be delivered to anyone with whom they have an agreement.
Large orders for Polish Christmas ornament are typically taken in the first quarter of the year. In the first quarter, Christmas ornaments factories attend trade shows around europe. Distributors and large retailers from all over the world come to the shows and place their orders.
Deliveries to the large retailers and distributors generally start in about June of the year. But there are some companies that start shipping to specialty distributors (those that supply year round Christmas Shops and Corporations) in January.
Polish Christmas ornaments are manufactured to order. Factories do not maintain inventories. It takes weeks to months to have an order filled.
You may have ornaments private labeled. Generally the minimum order for the boxes for your label is 1000 boxes. You must provide the artwork. The costs of the boxes are in addition to the cost of the ornament. The number of ornaments packed in the boxes must be in accordance with the minimum requirements.
Custom designed ornaments can be made. Information about them is at Custom Polish Christmas Ornaments.
Shipping Considerations
Shipping Polish Christmas ornaments can be very expensive. The least expensive way to ship them is to ship them by sea freight. Shipping by sea freight can take four to six weeks.
Regardless of the factory minimums, you should consider ordering at least a pallet load of Christmas ornaments at any one time. If you order less than a pallet load you will pay the costs of shipping as if you would have ordered a full pallet anyway.
A pallet load if Christmas ornaments can also be shipped by air freight. The costs of air freight are higher than the cost of sea freight.
You can ship Christmas ornaments by express mail but there are package size limitations. Such a package will contain a relatively small number of ornaments. You will pay 50 to $100 to have that small package shipped. It makes the end cost of the ornaments to you very expensive as compared to those shipped by sea freight.
Christmas ornaments can be shipped by regular mail but once again is a this is expensive and there are package limitations. Breakage in regular mail is, however, rather high.
You must always consider the time of the year when you order and you must factor in the shipping time. If you order late in the year, such as September, it may take a month or more to fill your order. And then it may take six weeks to have your product delivered if you choose by sea freight. That means you might not see your order until December.
If you order in September and use an express shipping service, the cost of your ornaments will be much higher when you factor in the shipping cost. The profit margins will be much reduced.
So shipping costs are really a determining factor as to when you should order.
About A Factory Visit
You may place orders for ornaments provided you meet the factory minimums.
You may generally visit a showroom where excess production is offered for sale. Not all pieces manufactured are displayed. What is there today will be different than what is there tomorrow.
Factory showrooms are cash an carry. You must provide your own packing and must take what you buy with you. The factory does not ship for you.
Not all factories have a factory showroom and they may not consent to meet with you unless you are a major buyer.
Factories are located at diverse locations around Poland. You will need a cab or car to get to them. By way of example, factories around Warsaw are about 1 hour by car from the Warsaw Centrum. A translator or guide is recommended, especially if you take a taxi.
If you would like to arrange a factory visit, you are invited to look at the information at Visiting Suppliers
To Order Factory Direct – For wholesale prices on ornaments ordered in at least the amount of the factory minimum, please click here. Polish Product Information Center
We recommend you use a Procurement Service.