What is taobao??

[PitterPatter]

Hey all,
I'm sure this will be a quick and simple thread but I still have to ask...

What is taobao??
I've seen it mentioned once or twice in threads but have noooo idea what it means? Does it mean something?

Thanks ^_^

[moving to Off Topic ~ many thanks ~ hathorcat]

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Taobao is Cantonese for "Treasure Hunting".  Basically it's a website similar to Ebay - only it's a Chinese marketplace.  You have to have an agent pay for and ship your items, though... like a personal shopper.   

Someone will likely add to this post whom a good reputable agent to use is.  I personally have issues with the way the MLP merchandise is acquired so I don't buy from the site, but lots of people have no problem with it.  Consumer choices and all that. 

[partypony566]

What lbs said

I have never used it, and haven't a clue how to!

[BrightIdea]

Its a Chinese online mall type thing where members of the site can sell items in their stores. It's sort of like ebay except all "buy it now" and only available to people that have Chinese bank accounts.

Beyond that, I don't really know much else about it. Maybe someone from China can explain it better 

[stormwing]

Thanks for asking this, lovesbabysquirmy! I've always wondered how Taobao works!

[Bergamot]

A lot of people find production toys on TaoBao before they are announced or hit the shelves officially, so we get a lot of "sneak peeks" from the product listings there.

As a buyer, the items look tempting because they are very cheap. Shipping from China is on the pricey side, however, and you have to pay fees to the agent you're working through. Many of the products seen there are "factory direct," so their acquisition usually implies some degree of shadiness. It's a great place to find unusual pre-release ponies and prototypes. There are a few "one of a kind" products floating around that are either prototypes or mysterious mismatches.

 Some conclude that the goods have been taken from their factory illegally, and that's where the politics of it all come in. Many people refuse to buy from TaoBao on principle.

[teresat]

I think of Taobao as the Chinese "Ebay." Most sellers only ship to China so if you live somewhere else, you have to use an agent. The listings are also mostly in Chinese. I use Google Translate to get an idea of what's on the pages. Also, you can still search in English. The agent I use is TaobaoNow.com.

[PitterPatter]

Thanks for the replies guys  ^_^

Sounds kinda weird/confusing/nudgenudge-winkwink kinda thing.

I think it'd have to be something pretty good to attempt to understand it fully.  Think I will stick with shops/ebay/charity/carboot and trade. I understand all those things!

[tiktok]

I browse taobao occasionally just to see what there is to see in the pony world. Sometimes the items are tempting, especially considering how much lower the buy price is for variants or things that are usually only available in sets can be! It does have a certain 'fell off the back of a truck/was "liberated" from the dumpster out back' vibe to it though sometimes.

[Takoto]

Taobao is a great place for finding out what might be up and coming in the release schedules, it's revealed a LOT of Blind-Bag ponies months before they've been announced, and sometimes brushables (Sunny Rays, Vinyl Scratch, Lyra Heartstrings and Trixie Lulamoon, most recently).

[Eviecorn]

I think others have answered your question quite well. 

[kaoskat]

What lbs said

I have never used it, and haven't a clue how to!

This.