Post: #1

Im sure most of you know how expensive electronics are in many south american countries. Has anyone ever thought to finance their trip by bringing some electronics with you to sell?

For example, here in argentina a new iphone sells for $1000. 4 Gig micro SD card sells for $25 (new on amazon for $10), etc. Laptops sell for double.

You can easily bring $3K worth of electronics, and maybe sell it for $5K quick.

Anyone try this?

Post: #2

i know some cats in ba that did this

Post: #3

For a trip it's doable if you can get it in the country and then find a way to sell it (Mercado Libre is a good place to try... it's like South America's ebay). But after expenses the profit may not be too glamorous.

Post: #4

(03-05-2010 09:22 PM)Roosh Wrote:  For a trip it's doable if you can get it in the country and then find a way to sell it (Mercado Libre is a good place to try... it's like South America's ebay). But after expenses the profit may not be too glamorous.

To get it into the country I recommend the following:

1) dont bring the boxes, only the electronics.
2) bring only one of each type of thing: one laptop, one small camera, one DSLR camera, one ipod, one phone, memory cards you can bring a few, one external hard drive, etc. Make it look legit.

Post: #5

"Anyone try this? "

I looked at doing some big scale import/exports on this right before the economy tanked (I have some connects).

I should re-look into it.

Small scale stuff could work.

Back when I was a kid, I used to bring surf boards to France and make a hefty profit (Kona, you should like this one).

Post: #6

I always bring electronics for my friends when I go to Brazil. In the past I have always just sold it to them for the US price in exchange for a place to stay. I actually even brought a TV the first year I went out there and had no problems going through customs. I was thinking about electronics and clothes with me to sell for a profit next time because I know my friends know people that will buy them. But it is true, it's a good idea to only bring one of each thing and say it is yours. I always take the tags off of clothes or take the electronics out of boxes with price tags and everything off.

Post: #7

I had some chicks swallow some iPhones for me to get them into Colombia. They only get x rayed leaving Colombia, not entering!

Post: #8

(03-06-2010 10:59 PM)armanid27 Wrote:  I had some chicks swallow

i like it when chicks swallow

Post: #9

Swallow iphones are you kidding ? but anyone going to Brazil could bring both european chocolate and protein power which is 3-5 times the price... fucking so happy I brought like 6 kilos of proteinpowder with me or I would starve

Post: #10

Wow! Brazil has old technology for 3x the price as usual. Orlando is packed with brazilians buying everthing in site to take back home!

Call it the MAC cartel!

Post: #11

(03-05-2010 11:41 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  "Anyone try this? "

I looked at doing some big scale import/exports on this right before the economy tanked (I have some connects).

I should re-look into it.

Small scale stuff could work.

Back when I was a kid, I used to bring surf boards to France and make a hefty profit (Kona, you should like this one).

I'm actually looking into exporting LG HDTV's from NYC. Got any ideas or information that can point me in the right direction?

Post: #12

For buying electronics cheaply you should go to singapore.

They have zero percent import tax on electronics and the sales tax you claim back at the airport on the way out.

Result = you pay zero tax which means its cheaper than buying stuff in the US.

Post: #13

I know a guy who imported electronics into Brazil on a large scale, not through personal travel. I think he imported components and not actual consumer goods.

My sense is that if you have the right connections to bribe the customs agents you can make good money.

Post: #14

I did this going back and forth to Venezuela. I lived in Merida up in the mountains and the most popular item was old bag phones! They wanted them because they where much more powerful for use in the Andes mountains.

I have brought all types of cell phones, electronics and name brand clothes that I purchased from a discount department store with great success.

Post: #15

(03-23-2011 08:53 AM)fman Wrote:  I did this going back and forth to Venezuela. I lived in Merida up in the mountains and the most popular item was old bag phones! They wanted them because they where much more powerful for use in the Andes mountains.

I have brought all types of cell phones, electronics and name brand clothes that I purchased from a discount department store with great success.

How did you get it all through local customs to still see a nice profit?

Post: #16

im thinking about getting some electronics to sell in Colombia in a few weeks for some extra spending money.

anyone know the best way to go about fishing for buyers and what I should bring to make like a 400-500 profit?

Post: #17

(03-23-2011 08:59 AM)MiXX Wrote:  

(03-23-2011 08:53 AM)fman Wrote:  I did this going back and forth to Venezuela. I lived in Merida up in the mountains and the most popular item was old bag phones! They wanted them because they where much more powerful for use in the Andes mountains.

I have brought all types of cell phones, electronics and name brand clothes that I purchased from a discount department store with great success.

How did you get it all through local customs to still see a nice profit?

I brought a big duffle bag and bundled the clothes with the electronics. I traveled very light so it seemed like I was just bringing my own personal stuff. I ran into a problem once when I had a few items shipped to me. They got stuck at the port and I had to go get them. The customs officals wanted to charge me about $100 per item. Fortunately I had a friend that was a local and he went to bat for me. In the end it only cost me giving the officals enough money for lunch...lol

Post: #18

Do you know if there is the same demand for electronics in Mexico? I am moving down there in a month.

Post: #19

Most countries have tariffs when it comes to imported electronics. Add that in with shipping costs, and there is a huge incentive to illegally smuggle that kind of stuff through luggage to make a profit. Electronics are often sold in Brazil at twice or even three times the price at retail outlets and I remember Diesel jeans being like 3 times the amount like 5 years ago.

Customs knows about this, and will probably catch on to anything that seems excessive.

If you have a kind of story to back up a couple extra laptops or ipods or whatever, I don't see it as a problem. However, doing it on a scale larger than that like packing a suitcase full of electronic equipment will definitely raise some eyebrows.

That being said, if I had a buyer set up through someone I knew was legit (someone met on a previous trip that I had kept in contact with), I would have no problem bringing in a couple things so we could both benefit from the price differences.

Post: #20

where is the best place to try and sell electronics? electronic store owners or is that to risky?

Post: #21

You could sell a brand new Wii for $1200 in Brazil. I wish I knew that before I went. =(

The trick is to profit twice. Bring something back from South America that you can sell in the US as well.

I thought about buying some nice classical acoustic guitars in Brazil because they're made with nice sounding exotic wood. Could probably sell them pretty easy in NYC boutique shops or Ebay.

Post: #22

Thing is most of the time you don't get searched by customs. If you pack things right, you'll fly right through. If you get picked for a random search though, then you'll have some explaining to do.

Post: #23

where can you sell a Wii for 1200 in Brazil?

Post: #24

i was doing fine with US and japanese electronics in peru

Post: #25

I'm heading to Brazil. I have an old laptop I'm thinking of bringing to try this. What kind of stuff can I bring back to sell in USA?