David's AW News: The Secret Prices of Crystal City
Greetings from Yiwu, China
I hope you guys are doing well.
First, a huge thank you to everyone who supported our Nepal Appeal. My YouTube video about the disaster somehow reached more than one million views—wow. That left me feeling more than a little humbled.
The full fundraising results and report are below. Thank you to everyone who ordered, donated, shared the video or simply helped spread the word. It really did make a difference.
Last week, I was telling you about our road trip from Yiwu to Nanjing and then onwards to Donghai—better known as Crystal City. I also told you about the extraordinary Lunar Market for artisans. If you missed it, you can catch up here.
Well, we spent several days in Donghai and rather fell in love with the delightful, friendly and remarkably calm people there.
It isn’t a noisy city. It isn’t brash. In fact, it feels almost rural in places. Perhaps it’s all those crystals keeping everybody grounded. We had far too many adventures to tell you about everything—but here goes one story…
The Secret Prices of Crystal City
The main crystal market is vast. It is built in a similar style to the enormous Yiwu Market, with several floors and different sections devoted to every imaginable corner of the gemstone world. Most of the buyers appeared to be Chinese. In fact, I don’t recall seeing another Westerner while we were there. So, for once, we were the exotic people, walking through their world of exotic products.
And the ideas! We saw so many ideas—a completely fresh angle on the gemstone industry.
But could we find genuinely commercial prices? Nope.
Just like at the outdoor artisan market, it felt as though you needed a secret password, special handshake or possibly a crystal ball just to discover the real price. There was clearly a local price and an outsider price. I’ve experienced this before. Then Coco had one of her bright ideas.
Coco Goes Knocking on Doors
Coco kept pointing towards the small industrial units lining the streets around the market. “I think it’s going to be better there,” she said.
And she had a point. After all, our long-time supplier Jon doesn’t have a shop inside the market—he supplies the people who do.
So, we went knocking on doors.
We found one place that looked quite new. They were still setting up the displays, and inside it looked like a giant pick-and-mix sweet shop for gemstone lovers.
There were boxes and tubs filled with tumbled stones, large chipstones, tiny chips and fine gemstone pieces—plus one very interesting product that, for now, I must keep secret.
A calm and friendly lady showed us around, let us take photographs and patiently answered our questions. When we asked for prices, things finally began to add up rather better. Not perfect—but certainly interesting.
She then explained that her husband was actually the boss and that we should visit him at the factory.
Where was it?
Outside the city, apparently, not too far from Jon and his family workshop—about half an hour’s drive away.
And that is how we found ourselves bouncing down a tiny rural road between farmers’ fields, passing groups of farmers playing cards—which seems to be a major pastime around here—and repeatedly stopping to ask for directions because the map had given up. Eventually, in the middle of nowhere, we found it.
Where the Tumbled Stones Begin
We pulled into a large compound filled with piles of rocks and those enormous square pallet sacks normally used by builders for rubble.
We wandered around looking for the boss. The people working there smiled and seemed genuinely delighted to see us. Nobody stopped us or looked worried. “No problem—look around.”
Some workers were sorting stones by hand. Elsewhere, ladies were carefully breaking pieces of rock crystal into smaller chunks. From a barn at the back came a noise like rolling thunder. Naturally, we headed towards it. Just as we reached the barn, the boss arrived in his pickup truck. He was another gentle character—not especially chatty, but friendly and perfectly happy to show us his tumblestone operation.
In another barn, clever sorting and grading machines separated the finished stones into different sizes. Then we met a cheerful, bare-chested older chap operating a great clattering machine that cleaned, sorted and spat out the little gemstone chips used on gemstone trees. It was quite a sight. We took photographs and asked plenty of questions.
The boss simply shrugged. “Traders at the port…and from all over China.”
I suspect he also buys offcuts and waste material from the high-end gemstone workshops, then gives it a second life by turning it into smaller, affordable products. If so, that makes very good sense.
The workers seemed relaxed and happy. There were prefab buildings for their breaks, masks were being worn for the dusty jobs, and the whole place felt organised, industrious and surprisingly calm—despite the constant rumble. Eventually, we said goodbye to the boss and his crew.
There was no big sales pitch. No negotiation. In fact, there was no real price discussion at all.
He seemed to have taken the measure of us. He waved goodbye, climbed back into his pickup and drove away.
Later that evening, Coco received a WeChat message.
No fuss. No long explanation. Just a new price list.
The prices had dropped by 25% to 40%.
Now we were talking.
Suddenly, several very good products had become commercially possible—products which, if everything goes to plan, should begin appearing in your shops over the coming months.
And that includes the secret product which I am fairly sure your customers are going to love.
But I’m keeping quiet about that one for now…
Back to Yiwu—and Back to Christmas
After Crystal City, we made the epic drive back to Yiwu in a single day.
I’m writing this early in the morning because there is so much to do here today. Products to develop, samples to check, prices to negotiate—and, of course, more doors to knock on.
Meanwhile, back in the UK, it is already the middle of September—which means it’s time to start thinking seriously about Christmas. Sorry. I said the C-word.
But this is the moment to stock up, prepare your displays and make sure you have enough of the products that will carry you through the busiest selling weeks of the year.
Make yourself a warming drink, have a good browse and get those shelves ready. Christmas has a habit of arriving rather more quickly than expected. This year, a Pet Gift section might be a wise investment. I'm pleased to introduce our newest brand. PAW pet products..
Take care, keep warm—and have a great weekend.
David
P.S. Next week, we’re heading back to Nepal. Stand by for the full report on the appeal, where the money is going and what your support has helped us achieve.
Nepal Appeal—The Results
Together, we achieved:
YouTube views: More than 1 million
Total Nepal-product sales: €28,848.54
Amount donated: €5,769.71
Additional company contribution: €4230.29
Total raised: €10,000
Beneficiary: Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund
Number of supporting customer orders: 211
Once again, thank you. One order, one share or one kind message may not feel enormous on its own—but put them all together and something rather powerful happens.