Pinoy Gloves Have Arrived... Monday, May 28

My Empowered Slay boxing gloves from my second potential supplier arrived!!!  Yeah.

[Enter happy dance here.]

[Enter happy dance here followed by a on-the-bed-flop with possible disappointment.]

Today's gloves were actually manufactered here in the Philippines so the factory is local.  It makes it great for building a better business relationship with them because I could simply jump in a Grab and head to their factory, meet them face-to-face, and see how they make the gloves first hand.  

I was really pulling for this Filipino company but the design quality just isn't up to par with my supplier from Pakistan.  The printing on the glove is off and so is the padding and leather around the fingertips.  They fit super snug though, I'll give them that, and considering most of my clients are Filipino women with smaller hands, this snug fit is really good.  

Pakistan supplier or Pinoy?!  That is the question.

At first glance, it seemed like a no brainer.  The Pakistan glove is visually nicer looking and I think the padding is of better quality.  

Price wise though, the gloves from Pakistan is so much cheaper. 

It's cheaper for me to get a customized leather glove from Pakistan than it is to get a synthetic glove from the Philippines, even when you consider delivery costs.

The Pakistan glove seems like a no brainer... when you ignore customs here and how brutal they are.  Things get stopped at customs often, especially the big orders, so of course an order of 30+ pairs of boxing gloves will get stopped.  They'll get stopped, time will take longer, and then I'll get taxed.  I don't know how much I'll be taxed but I might come out of this making nothing or it costing me.  It'd be pointless for me to then go with Pakistan.

Decisions, decisions.