What wholesale kits really cost, why the same kit is quoted at $2.40 and $5.80, how FOB Qingdao differs from DDP, and the eight-point check before you pay a deposit.
Wholesale paint by numbers is a strange category to buy in. The retail price looks simple — a kit sells for $19.99 to $39.99 — but the wholesale quotes you receive for what looks like the same product can differ by more than double. After a decade of manufacturing these kits in Qingdao, we can tell you exactly where that gap comes from, and how to read a quote properly.
What wholesale buyers actually pay
For a 40×50 cm kit with 24 colours, three brushes, a printed box and a reference card, most established buyers in 2026 pay somewhere between US$2.40 and US$4.80 per kit FOB, depending on volume, colour count and packaging. Below 50 kits per design you are effectively paying for setup time, which is why small runs quote higher per unit.
| Order size | Typical FOB range | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| 50–299 kits | US$3.90–4.80 | Setup cost is spread across fewer units |
| 300–999 kits | US$3.20–3.90 | Better printing and paint-purchase economics |
| 1,000–4,999 kits | US$2.60–3.20 | Material bought in bulk, scheduled production |
| 5,000+ kits | From US$2.30 | Container logistics, dedicated production slots |
The four cost drivers
If you want to understand a paint by numbers quote, look at these four things in this order:
- Colour count. Moving from 24 to 36 colours can add 15–25% to the kit cost, because paint, filling labour, pots and the colour map all increase. It is the single biggest lever.
- Canvas size and weight. A 50×70 cm kit at 400 gsm costs meaningfully more than a 30×40 cm at 280 gsm — canvas, printing and packing all scale.
- Packaging structure. A printed mailer box is not much more expensive than a kraft box, but a rigid tin or a two-piece gift box is a different product category.
- Brush quality. A basic three-piece set is cents; a branded four-piece set with a liner brush is real money at volume, and it is also the difference between a 5-star and a 2-star review.
Quantity matters — but it is the fourth lever, not the first. A well-specified 300-kit run will outsell a badly specified 3,000-kit run every time.
MOQ maths: why 50 is not really 50
A 50-kit MOQ usually means 50 per design, not 50 in total. If you order five designs, that is 250 kits. Keep that in mind when you compare suppliers: a factory quoting an MOQ of 300 kits per design and one quoting 50 per design are offering very different commercial relationships.
Also check what the MOQ applies to. Packaging is the common trap: a supplier may accept 50 kits but require 500 boxes if you want custom printing, which quietly turns your order into a 500-kit commitment. We print packaging digitally, which is why our printed boxes start at 100 units.
FOB Qingdao vs DDP: the hidden difference
FOB means the price includes everything up to loading on the vessel at the named port — in our case Qingdao. You (or your forwarder) pay ocean freight, insurance, duties and import VAT. DDP means the supplier delivers to your door with duties paid, which sounds easier and usually costs more, because someone has to price the freight risk.
| Term | Supplier handles | You handle | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Production only | Everything from our door | Buyers with a Qingdao agent |
| FOB Qingdao | Production, packing, export docs, loading | Ocean/air freight, duties, VAT | Most wholesale and private label buyers |
| CIF | Freight and insurance to your port | Duties, VAT, inland delivery | First-time importers |
| DDP | Freight, duties, delivery to door | Nothing (but verify the duty assumption) | Small or trial orders |
If a DDP quote looks remarkably cheap, ask what value the goods will be declared at. Under-declared parcels create customs exposure for you as the importer, not for the seller.
The sample process: what to ask for
Never approve a production run from photographs. Ask for one physical sample per design, and evaluate it the way your customer will:
- Paint coverage on the darkest and lightest areas — two coats should be enough
- Number legibility on dark backgrounds and in detailed areas
- Brush behaviour after ten minutes of use — does it splay or shed?
- Pot seals: fill one pot with water, cap it, leave it a day, check for leaks
- Packaging: is the box strong enough for e-commerce shipping without a mailer?
Samples usually take 3–7 days plus express delivery. Any supplier who credits the sample cost against a production order, as we do, is telling you they expect to win the order on quality rather than on sample fees.
Eight checks before you pay a deposit
- Written specification signed off — size, gsm, colour count, brush set, packaging, labels.
- Digital mockup of the final box and canvas, approved by you in writing.
- Batch sampling: the exact paint brand and canvas supplier, not 'equivalent'.
- A delivery date expressed in days after artwork approval, with a penalty clause if you are buying large volume.
- Inspection terms: AQL level, who pays for a third-party inspector, what happens on failure.
- Payment protection: T/T to a company account matching the company name on the invoice.
- Packaging labels: barcode, FNSKU, market-specific mandatory text, country of origin.
- After-sales: defect rate policy, replacement lead time and who pays freight.
None of this is exotic — it is just the checklist that separates a supplier you keep from one you regret. If you are comparing quotes right now, use it on every supplier, including us.
The cheapest quote is usually the one that costs the most, once you price in reprints, returns and a second production run.
Where to go next
If you want the terms rather than the theory, see our wholesale paint by numbers programme for MOQ, tiers and lead times, or compare sourcing models in private label vs white label. If you already know your specification, send it over and we will quote it against this checklist line by line.