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What Is the Minimum Order Quantity for Custom Mirrors from China?
Most Chinese mirror factories quote 100-500 pieces per model as a floor. We quote 1 piece on catalogue models — this explains why that is possible and where it stops.
Short answer: our MOQ is 1 piece for catalogue models. Custom outlines start at 100 pieces, custom body colours and retail packaging at 500, and toughened mirror wall panels at 50. Most Chinese mirror factories quote 100-500 pieces per model as a floor. We do not, and this page explains why that is possible and where it stops.
Why most factories quote 100-500 pieces
The floor is not greed, it is setup. A mirror model has a cutting programme, an edge-work setup, a backing spec and a packaging spec. Once a line is set for a model, running 20 pieces costs almost the same in setup as running 500 — so the factory spreads that cost over a batch and calls the batch a minimum.
The number goes up further when the model needs a mould, a printed carton, or a bespoke profile, because those are real one-off costs rather than setup time.
Where the MOQ actually sits, item by item
| What you are ordering | MOQ | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Any catalogue model, as listed | 1 piece | Tooling and programmes already exist |
| Toughened mirror wall panels | 50 pieces | Toughening is a furnace batch process; a part-load is not economic |
| Custom outline or profile | 100 pieces | New cutting programme and edge setup |
| Custom body colour | 500 pieces | Coating line changeover and purge |
| Retail packaging with your artwork | 500 pieces | Carton print run minimum, not ours |
The MOQ shown on each product page is the one that applies to that product. If a page says 1 piece, it means 1 piece.
What 1-piece MOQ is actually for
It is not a way to sell single mirrors. It is what lets a distributor carry range instead of depth.
A regional distributor who has to commit 300 pieces per model can afford three models. The same budget at 1-piece MOQ buys twenty models, one or two of each, across seven categories — a full shelf rather than three deep stacks. When the market tells you which two models sell, you reorder those in volume. That is the whole point.
It also removes the argument from sampling. If you want to see the product before committing, order the product. Start from any of the decorative wall mirrors or vanity and makeup mirrors and the same rule applies.
How it interacts with price and freight
Low MOQ is not the same as low price. Unit price follows the price ladder — typically stepping at 100, 300, 500 and 1,000 pieces — and a one-piece order sits at the top of that ladder. What low MOQ removes is the *inventory risk*, not the unit cost.
Freight is the other half. Small orders travel as LCL or inside a mixed container with other models, which is why we quote mixed loads as standard rather than pushing you to fill a full container of one item.
Common questions
Can I order one mirror to test quality before a real order?
Yes, and that is the normal way to start. Sample pieces are charged at the unit price plus freight and the amount is credited against your first production order.
Is there a minimum order value rather than a minimum quantity?
There is no separate minimum order value on catalogue models. What makes very small orders awkward is freight, not the goods — below a certain volume the shipping cost dominates the invoice. Tell us the destination and we will say honestly whether it is worth shipping now or worth waiting to combine with a later order.
Does 1-piece MOQ mean you are a trading company, not a factory?
Fair question, and the usual assumption. Ask any supplier for the same five things: a drawing marked up in their own hand, photographs of the part mid-process rather than finished, the packing spec, the name of the standard their packaging is tested to, and a delivery date they will put in the contract. A trader can supply the first and the last. The middle three are harder to fake.