Indonesia Export News & Updates » Indonesia

Wholesale Balinese Banana Leaf Furniture – Price Update

Sean — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:28:09 +0000

Wholesale Banana Leaf furniture from Bali – Prices Updated.

Prices on Banana Leaf (bananaleaf) furniture have been due a price check since the beginning of this Summer and, sure enough, prices have gone up.

The makers (or weavers, if you prefer) blame the increase on higher fuel and transportation charges on raw materials as well as increases per kilo or cubic meter on the banana leaf itself.

Long story short, you’re looking at a 10-20 percent increase over the old pricing.

For example, BLF-400, a 2-seater Banana Leaf Sofa, used to cost just under US$150.00, now costs US$184.00.

Technical Details on Handmade Balinese Banana Leaf Furniture

Banana Fibers (also known as abaca fibers, abaca-banana fiber, musa textilis) have a high tensile strength and resist rot. Historically they have been used to make rope. They are environment friendly and renewable.

Banana Leaf furniture is hand woven from Banana fibers. The fibers arrive at the factory already treated against parasites and bugs.

The process starts with the building of frame out of wood. At this point in the process, once can select from a variety of wood options but usually banana leaf furniture is woven on top of fairly low quality wood.

We inspect the wood before production on our orders to ensure moisture content is in range (i.e. the wood is dry) and that the wood is free from bark.

The banana fibers are then woven to the furniture frames by hand, treated again to avoid insects and mould and then painted, stained and finished with a clear gloss top coat (you’re welcome to request alternative finishes for your orders).

We’ve uploaded a video to youtube so you can see exactly how this furniture is made – please click here to see the making of banana leaf furniture:

http://youtu.be/XLkXpAhgdl8

Depending on fiber stock and the complexity of an order, a 20’ container load of banana leaf furniture can usually be finished within 5 weeks.

Uses of Banana Leaf Furniture

The range includes mirrors, coffee tables, loungers, dining chairs, sofas – practically speaking any type of furniture can be adapted to be made from Banana Leaf.

Importing, Wholesaling and Retailing Coconut Wood Bowls

I do like banana leaf furniture in Bali… by which I mean I like it here as product to use here – we have a banana leaf sofa set in the office and one more in the warehouse. We’ve had them for years and they’ve stood the test of time pretty well.

We did see a little unraveling towards the base of one of the armchairs but were able to fix it pretty easily by gluing it back in place.

I’m not completely convinced about the general merits of exporting the banana leaf furniture. It’s inexpensive but bulky which means it takes up a lot of space inside a container. One banana leaf sofa set (2-seater sofa + 2 armchairs + 1 coffee table) can easily take up 3 cubic meters inside a container.

That means, you could quite easily fill a 20’ container with US$4,000 worth of product or less.

That’s a low value 20’ container and I really have no idea on what kind of returns you would be looking at… my guess is that this furniture is best imported either by specialist furniture outlets with the ability to retail sets and pieces at high volume or perhaps as just occasional pieces when your order is ready to go but you still have a few cubes of space of available.

I would also recommend against online only retailing simply because Ebay and price comparison websites routinely show, for example, banana leaf dining chairs at around the US$60.00 mark which is roughly the price we see them at here.

Obviously, we’re not talking about the same quality product but it’s almost impossible to judge that online.

Retail markups at higher class outlets like John Lewis, Ralph Lauren, HayNeedle and their ilk are much healthier.

Visit our banana leaf furniture online by clicking here:

http://www.indonesiaexport.com/frame.php?category=Furniture+–+Banana+Leaf

As always, if there’s a style you have in mind but can’t find in our catalaog, go ahead and send us images and details — if we can’t find it, we can have it made for you.

Conclusion & Final Word

Banana Leaf Furniture Reviewed by Sean Hynes on Dec 12
A nice product made in an interesting way but not a ‘get rich quick’ import.
A little too bulky to be hugely profitable but potentially a useful, inexpensive addition to your container if you have empty space or you are a high volume furniture retailer. Rating: 3.5

Enjoy,

Sean

Note: don’t forget, in order to see pricing you must first logon or register for access to pricing.

Handcut and carved, traditional style wooden Christmas Decorations

Sean — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 05:43:59 +0000

Charmingly simple, handmade traditional style wooden Christmas decorations for those of you who’ve had enough of bling and glitz for one year.

See the range here:

http://www.indonesiaexport.com/frame.php?category=Traditional+Style+Wooden+Christmas+Tree+Decorations

We have only 8 models to show you in this update but, of course and as usual, we’ll be happy to work on your custom designs and models.

Production lead time on this range is pretty quick — two to three weeks will probably be more than enough for 1-2,000 pieces.

You’ll also find more Christmas Related Items at:

Enjoy,

Sean

Note: don’t forget, in order to see pricing you must first logon or register for access to pricing.

Shipping Guitars from Indonesia to Canada

Sean — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:55:37 +0000

The Question:

We are planning on importing guitars from Bali to Montreal Canada, what do you recommend as method of shipping? we are planning to purchase 50 guitars at a time. air?sea?

Thank you,

Roger from Canada

The Answer:

Hi Roger,

LCL Sea Cargo, definitely. Yes you have to wait a long time and yes there is a greater risk of damage but guitars are light and bulky; you’ll get murdered on shipping charges trying to ship those by courier or air freight.

For more information, please take a look at:

http://www.indonesiaexport.com/freight.php

You may also find this article of interest:

http://www.indonesiaexport.com/wordpress/2010/07/06/shipping-handicrafts-or-furniture-lcl-from-bali-to-the-uk/

By the way, I’m assuming you’re talking about full sized guitars… if you’re talking about miniature guitars, they may still be cost-effective by courier, Indonesian post (express and standard).

Regards,

Sean

Resin Buddha Statues

Sean — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:44:05 +0000

We’ve just uploaded a new category: Resin Buddha Statues.

The statues are made from solid diecast resin, handpainted and finished in Bali.

The casts are based on woodcarvings and bronze statues.

Custom casts, sizes and colors available – just drop us a line with details of what you need.

And you may like these related categories with Buddha statues and motifs:

Enjoy,

Sean

Note: don’t forget, in order to see pricing you must first logon or register for access to pricing.

Sea Cargo Container Rates Bali to San Diego USA

Sean — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:40:05 +0000

Container rates for San Diego (based on mixed container load of handicrafts & furniture):

FCL	20′	40′	40′ High Cube
Volume	30 Cubic Meters	60 Cubic Meters	72 Cubic Meters
San Diego, USA (Valid ’till end August 2010) Carrier: MSC	3,790.00	4,450.00	5,013.00
Feeder Fee Bali – Surabaya	630.00	1,020.00	1,130.00
Handling	130.00	190.00	240.00
Fumigation Standard	40.00	95.00	70.00
Super Dry — Absormatic $5.00 / pc	20.00	40.00	50.00
Document & Courier	60.00	60.00	60.00
Bill Of Lading	40.00	40.00	40.00
Custom Clearance	30.00	30.00	30.00
TOTAL (excl. packing material)	4,740.00	5,925.00	6,633.00


THC (Freight Collect Only)	95.00	145.00	145.00
Fumigation Ispm#15 if contain any wood packing
Fumigation Ispm#15 Full Container ( 48Gr/Cbm )	120.00	140.00	160.00

Stone Washbasins – Prices Cut… chiselled down… no, hammered.

Sean — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:06:36 +0000

We’ve managed to dramatically reduce pricing on most of our natural stone, marble and granite washbasins.

For one or two pieces, prices are basically unchanged but the average reduction across the line works out to be a very healthy 33% saving on last months list pricing with some pieces going down by nearly 60%.

I don’t often use exclamation marks but… HOLY COW! SIXTY PERCENT!!

We’re happy.

See the new pricing by clicking the image above or following this link:

Bali and Java Stone Washbasins Wholesale Promotion

You may also want to take a quick look at our July Promotion page:

Indonesia Export – July Promotion

Enjoy,

Sean

Note: don’t forget, in order to see pricing you must first logon or register for access to pricing.

Tiki Guitars, Tiki Surfboards, Tiki Paddles and Signs – Wholesale from Bali

Sean — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:55:24 +0000

We’ve just uploaded over 130 new models of tiki paddles, tiki guitars, tiki surfboards and tiki signs & wall decorations.

Click the image below to see all of our tiki lines in one presentation or visit the links below to see them one line at a time (new categories at the top).

As always, if you need a sign or a statue customised, talk to us: we can help.

Mahalo,

Sean

Note: don’t forget, in order to see pricing you must first logon or register for access to pricing.

Wholesale Balinese Beach Sandals

Sean — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:20:25 +0000

We’ve just added 21 new models of Sandals to our catalogue.

We’re also able to source many different types of fashion and beach sandals available on Bali — let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll get to work.

Click the image above or follow this link to see all the new models:

Wholesale Balinese Beach Sandals

Enjoy,

Sean

Note: don’t forget, in order to see pricing you must first logon or register for access to pricing.

Wholesale Prices Cut – Indonesia Export Sale begins July 10th

Sean — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:23:47 +0000

We’ve reached that time of year again when orders start to pick up for Autumn and Christmas sales.

This year, we’re kicking off the season a little differently — we have a promotion and a promise:

The Promotion… July 10th to August 10th

For the next month, we’re lowering wholesale pricing on the following product lines:

Balinese Umbrellas & Umbrella Stands

So far this year, Balinese Umbrellas have been one of our most requested and ordered product lines — we’re now offering them at nearly 20% lower than list price based on orders of 10 pieces per color / motif.

We’re also offering the handcarved Stone Umbrella Stands with similar savings. So, if you had any plan to buy these from us this year, now is the time to order.

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Bamboo & Wood Containers & Offering Baskets

Surprisingly popular — meaning, we were surprised — these traditional food and offering baskets have been brought back up to date with new colors, motifs and styles.

The Covered Baskets have been reduced by around 20% from list and we’ve gone even further with the Offering Baskets, now reduced by 30% from list.

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Here are those links again:

Or you can see all the sale items by going here:

http://www.indonesiaexport.com/frame_search.php?search=july+promotion&=Search

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The Stock Catalogue — Sale

600 products now on sale — 15 categories including Abstract Carvings, Buddha Reliefs, Drums, Rainsticks & Didgeridoos, Handbags, Javanese Style Wooden Decor, Mosaic Bowls & Pots, Tiki Figures and more.

Go directly to the Sale items by clicking here:

http://www.indonesiaexport.com/iex-stock/prices-drop.php?n=20&orderby=price&orderway=asc

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Notes & Terms

Prices go back to normal on August 11th.
No further discounts are available on these items — you’re welcome to ask but the answer will be ‘no’.
Promotion prices do not include packing material or any freight related costs.
Promotional prices are only available for customers ordering US$2,000 or more.
If the rupiah exchange rate changes dramatically between now and August 10th, we may have to change pricing to reflect the new rate — ongoing orders should not be affected.

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The Price Promise…

We promise that if you can find one of our products (same material, workmanship, quality, size, etc.) cheaper from one of our competitors, we’ll do everything possible to match or better that price.

Likewise, if there’s a product you want and it’s not already in our catalogue, you can send us all the details and we’ll do everything we can to match or beat that price.

If you have any questions, drop us a line.

Regards,

Sean

Note: don’t forget, in order to see pricing you must first logon or register for access to pricing.

Bali Baskets – Handmade, Wholesale from Indonesia Export

Sean — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 04:46:30 +0000

We’ve just added 14 new models of Bamboo and Wood Containers to our line of wholesale Bali baskets.

Each model is a nesting set of 3, these pieces feature bright colors, with raised texture outline graphics and patterns of geckoes, turtles and so on.

These are part of the traditional crafts of Bali.

You can click here: Wholesale Bamboo and Wood Containers or click on the image to visit the line.

Newest models are at the start of the category – model numbers BWC-180 and up.

You may also want to have a look through the following categories for similar items:

Enjoy,

Sean

Note: don’t forget, in order to see pricing you must first logon or register for access to pricing.