Taobao Guide for Buying Kigurumi Masks and Hadatai
Taobao is a Chinese marketplace used by many types of sellers, including some Kigurumi Mask and Hadatai makers, costume sellers, and materials suppliers. International buyers may need a proxy agent that purchases domestically, receives the item at a warehouse, and forwards it overseas.
Some markets are able to register directly in the Taobao app and use Taobao's own shipping and warehouse service for international shipping. Not all storefronts support this, and generally it would not be recommended for more fragile or complex items like a Kigurumi Mask itself. A hadatai however can be a good candidate for this.
This page is a starting point not currently a complete walkthrough.
How a Taobao agent works
- Submit the Taobao item link, options, quantity, and any message for the seller. Need a measurement form? Ask the seller for it.
- Pay the item price, domestic Chinese shipping, and the agent's purchasing fees.
- The seller sends the order to the agent's warehouse.
- The proxy will typically send you photos upon arrival and if there are any obvious issues, raise them to you.
- Choose international packing, shipping, insurance, and customs declaration options. Most have a tool to help you choose what makes sense based off priority, weight, value and other factors.
- Pay the international shipping charge and any remaining fees.
- Wait for the item to arrive.
Choosing and using an agent
Examples that have offered Taobao purchasing include Superbuy and Sugargoo. Their inclusion is not an endorsement just an example, there are numerous taobao proxy services around but none too specific to kigurumi.