How to ask a factory for a small first order

2026-10-24

A factory's minimum order is not fixed.

What sets the minimum

A factory sets its MOQ to cover machine setup time, material minimums and a run worth its floor space. Ask which one drives its number. A material minimum leaves little room. Setup time leaves more.

Molded products add tooling. Custom molds can cost $3,000 to $15,000 or more, and the MOQ is often tied to spreading that cost over the run. With existing molds, MOQs can be 200 to 500 units. Some molders also offer aluminum bridge tooling and no-minimum on-demand orders before you commit to steel.

Typical MOQs are 300 to 500 units for apparel and for bags and accessories, and 500 to 2,000 for injection-molded plastics. For bags, hardware such as zippers, buckles and clasps sometimes pushes the effective minimum up.

What can move the number

Many factories will lower the minimum for a first order if they believe the relationship will bring ongoing volume. They often hold the standard MOQ from the second order on. Some suppliers do the reverse: a higher first-order minimum that drops after a few orders paid on time.

Offer something in return. A simpler spec, such as fewer colors, removes setup work. A repeat order or a staged plan, a smaller first run followed by larger ones, gives the factory the volume it wants.

A smaller run usually costs more per unit, because the factory's setup cost is spread over fewer units. If cash flow is the real problem, better payment terms or staged delivery against the existing MOQ can solve it without that premium.

Ask what MOQ applies per colorway rather than per style, so you may be able to start smaller and still meet the factory's minimum.

Ask for more than one price

Add a quantity breakdown table to your tech pack and gather quotes from at least three suppliers. Ask for the price at your real quantity and at one or two higher ones, side by side.

Plan for the sample first

For most consumer products, expect three to five months from first conversation to goods at your warehouse, with sampling and revisions in weeks 3 to 6. In apparel, a first sample takes 2 to 4 weeks and revisions add another 2 to 6.

What I did on DCS Olivetti

I used price drops. The price falls as each MOQ tier is hit. Base kit:

$138 at 50 MOQ. $123 at 75 MOQ. $115 at 100 MOQ. $108 at 150 MOQ

It started as a private group buy in my Discord. There was more demand than I expected, so I made it public.

What I did on GMK Beige Addon & Extension

It had seven kits, each with its own MOQ and price.

CMYK Kit: MOQ 250, $60. Addition Kit: MOQ 250, $50. R0&R5 Kit: MOQ 250, $60. 2002 Kit: MOQ 250, $40. 40s Kit: MOQ 250, $50. BAE Kit: MOQ 150, $25. Bars Kit: MOQ 100, $15

The BAE kit needed a new mold. The set started shipping in February 2024, about 14 months after the group buy ended, and as far as I know it was the first BAE produced in a long while.

Before you send the email

1. Ask what sets the minimum Setup time, a material minimum or tooling.

2. Quote at three quantities Your real first order, plus one or two higher ones, in one table.

3. Say what you will reorder A promised second run is something a factory can price against.

4. Keep run one simple Fewer materials and no custom tooling make a small run easier to accept.

5. Ask what the minimum applies to Per order, per style or per color changes how small you can start.

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