Wooden Toy Price Guide

Two quotations for what looks like the same toy are rarely for the same thing. This page sets out what actually moves the unit price, so a comparison is made between like and like.

The five things that move the price most

Most of the variance between two quotations comes from a short list, and it is usually visible before the numbers are compared.

Material. Species, grade and whether the part is solid or board-based. It is the single largest material line and it interacts with the finishing cost.
Finish. A painted item carries paint, a line setup and the testing that goes with a coating, which a bare item does not.
Component count and hardware. Every hinge, wheel, magnet or knob adds material, an assembly step and a small-parts consideration.
Packaging. On a small order the printed box can cost more than the difference in the item itself, which is why the packaging is quoted separately.
Volume. Setup is fixed, so the unit price falls with the batch and then flattens once the setup is absorbed.

What moves the unit price

Wood or board	Species and grade, and whether the part is solid or a board product. Solid parts cost more in material and less in finishing than a board-based part.
Finish	Bare wood, a clear finish, or a painted item. Paint adds material, a line setup and the migration testing that goes with it.
Component count	The number of separate parts and fittings. A puzzle is a cut and a print; a kitchen is doors, hinges, knobs and a frame.
Labour	Sanding rounds, assembly and packing. Edges sanded in two or three rounds cost more than one pass, and the difference is visible in the finish.
Packaging	A plain carton, a printed box, an insert or a shelf-ready tray. The print run and the die are often the largest setup on a small order.
Order size	Setup is fixed, so the unit price falls as the batch grows and flattens once the batch is large enough to absorb the setup.
Certification	Testing is charged per item and per material combination, so a new paint or board adds a test rather than being covered by the last one.
Incoterms and shipping	What the price includes: ex-works, FOB or delivered, and whether export packing and documents are in the figure.

Why the unit price falls with volume

It falls because the fixed part is spread wider, not because the material becomes cheaper.

Setup per part — cutting, drilling and shaping are set up per part, and the cost is the same at 50 pieces and at 5,000.
Painting line — a batch of paint and a line setup are consumed per run, whatever the run length.
Print and packaging — plates, dies and minimum print runs sit in the order whatever the item quantity is.
Documentation — testing and the declaration are per item and material combination, so they do not shrink with quantity but they do amortise across it.

This is why the answer to “what is the minimum?” and the answer to “what is the best price?” are usually two different numbers.

What is often not in the quotation

Tooling, where a custom item needs it. Ask for it as a separate line rather than inside the unit price.
Sample fees, which are usually charged and then credited. Ours is deducted once the order for that item reaches 1,000 pieces.
Testing for a new material combination, which is a per-item cost rather than a per-order one.
Shipping, duty and destination charges, which depend on the Incoterm quoted. Confirm whether the figure is ex-works or FOB.
Payment terms. Our standard term is 30 percent T/T deposit with the balance before shipment, confirmed with the order.

How to compare two quotations properly

Compare the same specification. Same species or board, same finish, same packaging, same age grade. A difference in any of these explains most of the price gap.
Compare the same quantity and the same Incoterm. A unit price at 500 pieces ex-works is not comparable with one at 5,000 pieces delivered.
Ask what is excluded. Tooling, testing and packaging are the three items most often left out of a headline figure.
Ask what happens at the reorder. A reorder price should be lower once tooling and setup are absorbed, and the answer tells you how the first price was built.
Check the lead time and the term together, because a price is only meaningful with the date and the payment condition attached to it.

See wooden toy MOQ for how the order size interacts with the price, and rubberwood vs beech for the material side.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest factor in the price of a wooden toy?

Material and finish first, then the component count and the packaging. On a small order the printed packaging can outweigh the difference in the item itself.

Why is a quotation cheaper at a higher quantity?

Because the setup — machine setup, painting line, printing and testing — is fixed, so it is spread across more units. The material cost per unit does not fall.

Do you charge for tooling?

Where a custom item needs tooling or a new print setup, it is quoted as a separate line so it is visible rather than hidden in the unit price.

Is testing included in the price?

Testing is charged per item and per material combination. A new paint, board or supplier means a new test, so it is quoted rather than assumed.

What does the price include?

That depends on the Incoterm quoted, so confirm whether a figure is ex-works or FOB and whether export packing and documents are included.

How should I compare two suppliers?

Compare the same specification, quantity, age grade and Incoterm, and ask each supplier what is excluded. Tooling, testing and packaging are the three lines most often left out of a headline price.

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