As a huge baseball fan living outside of China, getting my hands on official MLB gear, especially for a team like the Seattle Mariners, can be surprisingly difficult and expensive. Local stores often have limited stock, and international shipping from US sites is a nightmare with high costs. That's when I discovered the magic of using a buying agent. Specifically, I decided to try JOYABUY, a prominent Chinese purchasing and forwarding agent platform, to buy a jersey directly from Tmall, one of China's largest e-commerce platforms.

Why JOYABUY and Tmall?

I had heard about the great deals on authentic sports apparel on Tmall but was always stopped by the fact that most sellers don't ship internationally and the entire website is in Chinese. A friend recommended JOYABUY, which acts as a middleman. They provide you with a personal Chinese shipping address, handle the purchase on your behalf, and then forward the package to your home country. Their service seemed perfect for tackling these hurdles.

The first step was finding the right product. Instead of browsing Tmall directly, I often use resource hubs that aggregate the best deals. I found an incredibly helpful resource: https://finds.cheap/. This site features a regularly updated spreadsheet that lists trending and discounted items on various Chinese platforms, including Tmall. It was there I found a link to an officially licensed Seattle Mariners Baseball Jersey at a fraction of the price I'd see elsewhere.

The Purchasing Process Made Simple

With the product link copied, I went to the JOYABUY website and created an account. Their interface was available in English, which was a major relief. The process was straightforward:

1. I pasted the Tmall product URL into the search bar on JOYABUY's order page.
2. The site quickly fetched the product details, including price, color options (I went with the classic navy blue), and size charts (Asian sizing can be different, so I checked carefully).
3. I confirmed the order, paid for the item itself, and their service fee, which was quite reasonable.
4. JOYABUY purchased the item for me and had it shipped to their warehouse in China.

After a few days, I received a notification that my jersey had arrived at their warehouse. They provided me with photos for quality verification—a fantastic service that ensures you get exactly what you ordered. Once I approved it, I paid for the international shipping fee to my country. They offered several shipping lines, and I chose a cost-effective one with tracking.

The Final Result

The entire journey, from ordering to delivery at my doorstep, took about two and a half weeks. The packaging was secure, and the jersey was perfect—absolutely authentic and brand new with all the tags. The cost, even including all the service and shipping fees, was still significantly cheaper than any other option I had found online.

My experience with JOYABUY was overwhelmingly positive. They bridged the gap between me and the vast Chinese market effortlessly. For anyone looking to shop on Tmall, Taobao, or other similar platforms, I highly recommend using their service. And don’t forget to check out https://finds.cheap/