MOQ, lead-time, sample and tooling terms are this factory's published trading terms; freight notes are market logic, not quotations.
The magnetic-closure box is the workhorse of commercial gift packaging — boutiques, e-commerce brands and corporate-gifting programs all land on the same construction. This page is deliberately the third cut of the same cluster: the magnetic gift box structure guide explains how the box is built and graded, and the closure comparison settles the magnetic-versus-ribbon decision. Neither covers what a wholesale buyer actually does between shortlisting a supplier and loading a container. That gap is this page: tier logic, one-off costs, the sample path, and the paperwork of a first bulk order.
Quick answer: wholesale magnetic gift boxes start at a 200-piece MOQ per design. Production runs 15-20 working days for 200-20,000 pieces and 20-25 days for 20,000-50,000, counted from sample approval and deposit. Two costs do not repeat with quantity — the cutting die at USD 50-100 and your sample round — so the cheapest verifiable path is a USD 25 custom sample plus USD 20 shipping, then one bulk order at the tier your sell-through supports.
Structure words and wholesale words
The structure words (magnetic gift box, magnetic lid gift box) and the wholesale words (magnetic gift boxes wholesale, custom gift boxes wholesale) name the same product at two stages of buying — specification and procurement. Buyers who type wholesale arrive with a budget and a purchase order; the quotation meets them with tier pricing and MOQ anchors.
The wholesale brief is a pricing document — quantity bands, MOQ and tooling on one quote, so tiers can be compared rather than guessed.
How bulk pricing is actually structured
Box quotations are not one price; they are a stack of four cost layers, and only one of them scales smoothly with quantity:
| Cost layer | How it behaves | At this factory |
|---|---|---|
| Unit box cost (board, wrap, magnets, labour) | Falls stepwise with quantity — sheet utilisation and make-ready amortise | quoted per tier |
| Cutting die | One-off, does not repeat on reorders of the same design | USD 50-100, dieline drawn free |
| Sampling | One-off per design decision | custom sample USD 25 + USD 20 shipping, 3-5 days |
| Freight | Steps with volume and pack format | air or sea from Shanghai or Shenzhen |
Two structural choices move the freight line more than any negotiation. A magnetic box shipped set-up (assembled) fills a container with air; the same construction engineered to fold-flat — creased walls, detachable or hinged magnetic flap — multiplies units per carton and is the standard choice for 5,000-piece-plus programs. The trade is a slightly heavier board spec to survive folding, which your supplier should quote side by side. Greyboard grade and magnet specification belong to the structure decision and are covered in the structure guide; ask for them in writing on the same tier quote.
The tier map a wholesale buyer should request
| Quantity band | Production lead time | What the band is for |
|---|---|---|
| 200-1,000 | 15-20 working days | market tests, product launches, first branded run |
| 1,000-20,000 | 15-20 working days | core replenishment; per-unit cost steps down |
| 20,000-50,000 | 20-25 working days | retail programs; sea freight and fold-flat engineering pay off |
Lead times are counted from sample approval and deposit, which is why the sample round — not the production window — is where most first orders actually lose time. A free stock sample ships in 2-3 days (plus USD 20 courier) and settles board feel and wrap quality before any custom artwork exists; the custom sample then proves print, colour and magnet placement on your dieline. If colour precision is part of the brand requirement, the colour tolerance guide explains the four-step control loop to hold across a tiered program.
What to put in writing on a first bulk order
- Tiered unit prices at 200 / 1,000 / 5,000, same dieline, so reorders re-quote themselves.
- Board grade and thickness, wrap material, magnet count per box — per the structure guide specification language.
- Cutting die as a named one-off line (USD 50-100 here), ownership of the die, and that reorders do not re-pay it.
- Sample approval as the lead-time start event, with the custom sample cost (USD 25 + USD 20 shipping) stated.
- Pack format — set-up or fold-flat — with carton dimensions, so your freight forwarder can quote before production ends.
- Payment terms (T/T or PayPal here) and Incoterms for air or sea from Shanghai or Shenzhen.
Bottom line
Wholesale is not a discount you negotiate; it is a ladder you read — and a 200-piece MOQ with a free dieline keeps the first rung low. Bring the six lines above to any supplier — including us — and the quote you get back will be comparable with the next one.
Ready to price a tiered magnetic box program? Send your size and artwork brief through the contact page — dielines are drawn free, and quotes come back tiered at 200 / 1,000 / 5,000 by default. For the wider capability set, see magnetic closure gift boxes and the custom gift box collection.