9 Best Toys Wholesale Distributors: Compared by MOQ, Region and Price

A toys wholesale distributor buys toys in bulk and sells them on to shops. You never deal with the factory. You deal with stock, a price list, and a minimum order.

That is the whole trade-off. A distributor costs more per unit than a factory does. In return you get small minimums, delivery in days, and one invoice instead of ten.

This list covers nine of them. Six sit in the US. One is in France. Two are on the China side, including us. Every number below is a rough guide from recent orders, not a promise. Check the current terms before you commit.

Not sure which kind you need? Start here:

If you are…	Start with
A US gift shop or toy store	License 2 Play, Shepher, UPD Inc.
A dollar store or discount chain	4SGM
A school, church or non-profit	Fun Express
An Amazon or eBay seller	EE Distribution, then TonySourcing
An EU retailer who needs CE stock	Socio del Grupo WDK
Building your own brand	TonySourcing
Chasing the lowest unit cost	Yiwu market, with an agent

What Does a Toys Wholesale Distributor Actually Do?

Three things, and none of them is making toys.

They hold stock. A distributor buys ahead, warehouses it, and sells from that stock. That is why you can order today and ship this week.

They carry many brands. One account, one cart, one invoice. You would need ten factory relationships to build the same range yourself.

They take the minimum risk off you. A factory wants 1,000 units of one item. A distributor will sell you one case. That flexibility is what you are paying for.

What they rarely do is custom work. No private label, no your-own-packaging, no changed mould. If you want your brand on the box, you need the factory route. We cover that in section 10.

The Nine at a Glance

#	Distributor	Where	Mejor para	Typical minimum
1	Licencia para jugar	New Jersey, USA	Licensed brands	Account + case quantity
2	Distribuidores Shepher	New York, USA	Testing a category	As low as 1 case
3	UPD Inc.	USA, 3 showrooms	Seeing goods first	$1,500–$2,000 per order
4	Fun Express	Nebraska, USA	Schools, events, giveaways	Bulk packs
5	4SGM	Los Angeles, USA	Dollar stores	Around $250
6	Distribución de EE	California, USA	Collectibles, Amazon	Varies by line
7	Socio del Grupo WDK	France	EU-compliant stock	Ask per line
8	TonySourcing	Yiwu & Shantou, China	Private label, volume	Mixed, per design
9	Yiwu Trade City	Yiwu, China	Lowest unit cost	Per booth, negotiable

#1 License 2 Play: Licensed Brands for US Shops

License 2 Play started in 2004. They work with around 85 licensed brands — Barbie, Hot Wheels and Pokémon among them. They ship inside the US, mostly by FedEx.

What they carry. Action figures, arts and crafts, candy and drinks, dolls, and counter displays.

How you buy. You must register an account before you see any price. That is normal for licensed goods. The brand owner decides who may resell it.

Watch out for. Licensed toys sell on brand pull, not on margin. Your margin is thin. And you cannot put your own logo on anything.

Best for. US gift shops, novelty stores and marketplace sellers who want recognised brands without a direct brand account.

#2 Shepher Distributors: One Case and You’re In

Shepher has been in the trade since 1950. It is one of the oldest names in US toy wholesale.

What they carry. Action figures, dolls, games and preschool. NERF, Play-Doh, Fisher-Price and Disney.

Minimums. As low as one case on many lines. That is about as gentle as wholesale gets.

Watch out for. You still need to register to see prices. And licensed lines move fast — popular items sell out well before the season ends.

Best for. Brick-and-mortar shops testing a category before committing real money.

#3 UPD Inc.: Three Showrooms You Can Walk Into

UPD lists more than 2,600 toy products and runs showrooms in Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.

What they carry. Licensed toys and novelty. Disney, Star Wars, Barbie and Hot Wheels.

Minimums. Around $2,000 for online sellers and $1,500 for store retailers.

Why the showroom matters. You can handle the product before you buy it. That is rare in this trade, and it removes most of the guesswork.

Watch out for. Their minimum is set in dollars, not units. Work out your landed margin before you fill the cart.

Best for. US retailers who want known brands and want to touch the goods first.

#4 Fun Express: Built for Schools and Events

Fun Express is the education and party arm of Oriental Trading, based in Nebraska.

What they carry. Educational toys, party favours, candy, crafts and giveaways. Bulk packs are the whole point.

Who they serve. Schools, churches, camps and non-profits. Some institutions buy tax-exempt.

Watch out for. These are value packs, not retail-ready lines. Packaging is plain, and the range is built for handing out rather than for shelf appeal.

Best for. Anyone buying for a group, an event or a programme — not for a shop shelf.

If party and seasonal goods are your thing, our notes on suministros para fiestas al por mayor y wholesale party favors cover the same buying pattern.

#5 4SGM: Dollar-Store Pricing at Scale

4SGM supplies dollar stores, discount stores, pharmacies, supermarkets and gift shops from Los Angeles.

What they carry. Around 10,000 products across toys, home and clothing. Their backbone is toys priced under $1, and under $0.55.

Minimums. Around $250 to open an order.

Watch out for. At these price points, quality is what it is. Inspect a sample case before you buy a pallet.

Best for. Dollar stores, discount chains and anyone competing on price.

Nuestro novelty toys wholesale page and our guide to kids’ wholesale toys go deeper on this price band.

#6 EE Distribution: Collectibles for Marketplace Sellers

 

EE Distribution, in California, works the collectible end of the market.

What they carry. Funko Pop!, vinyl figures, and geek and game culture items.

Who they serve. Amazon sellers, comic shops and game stores.

Watch out for. Collectibles move on hype. A line that is hot this quarter can be dead in two. Buy narrow, reorder fast.

Best for. Marketplace sellers who know their niche and can turn stock quickly.

Selling on Amazon rather than in a shop? Our Amazon toy sourcing guide and our list of best-selling Yiwu products for Amazon sellers both start from the seller’s side.

#7 WDK Groupe Partner: CE Stock Inside Europe

WDK is a French distributor with roughly 60 years in the trade and about 245 staff.

What they carry. Board games are their strongest line, plus seasonal releases and general toys.

Why EU buyers care. Stock is CE-marked and EU-compliant. That saves you the compliance work you would face importing direct from Asia.

Watch out for. Their catalogue is built for the French and wider European market. It is not the cheapest route if you sell outside Europe.

Best for. European retailers who want compliant stock and short delivery.

UK buyers have their own route — see our pages on toys wholesale in the UK y wholesale toys UK.

#8 TonySourcing: Factory-Direct From China (That’s Us)

Disclosure first: this is our own company. We are on this list because most US and EU distributors above are reselling toys that were made in China anyway. If you buy at volume, or you want your own brand, the factory route is cheaper.

What we do. We are a sourcing team with offices in Yiwu y Shantou, the two main toy hubs in China. We have worked with more than 200 buyers across 40 countries since 2012, and we hold a network of over 5,000 factories.

What you can buy. Educational toys, squishy, RC and car toys, plush, dinosaur, puzzles, arts and crafts, fidget, pretend play and board games. The category pages run deeper: juguetes educativos, juguetes de peluche, juguetes antiestrés, juguetes blandos, Juguetes RC, juguetes de dinosaurios, juegos de mesa, artes y oficios y juguetes de madera.

Minimums. Stock items can often be mixed across designs, which is how small buyers reach a workable quantity. Custom colours, logos and packaging need more. Our page on Yiwu toy prices and MOQ shows how this works in practice.

What we handle. Sampling, quotation, logo and packaging, production follow-up, inspection, consolidation and shipping to more than 120 countries.

Compliance. We help you review the paperwork your market needs: EN 71 for the EU, ASTM F963 and CPSIA for the US, and a PCCh backed by a CPSC-accepted lab report. Our guide to toy testing labs and the EN 71 / ASTM standards sets out what each report actually covers. Amazon sellers should also read our notes on the CPC children’s product certificate.

Watch out for. We are not a domestic stock distributor. Production runs about 20 to 35 days, then 25 to 35 days by sea o 7 to 10 days by air. You also handle import clearance. If you need stock next week, use one of the distributors above instead.

Best for. Buyers building a private label, buying at volume, or consolidating many categories into one container.

#9 Yiwu International Trade City: Where Much of It Comes From

Yiwu is not a company. It is the largest small-commodity wholesale market in the world, and the toy section holds thousands of booths.

What it is good at. Mixed orders, small quantities per design, and price. One container can hold thirty categories from twenty different booths.

What it is not. Most booths are trading companies, not factories. They will not volunteer where the goods are made unless you ask.

How buyers use it. Either in person, or through an agent. Our Yiwu toy market guide y Yiwu toy buying guide cover the layout. Our what is Yiwu market page and buying-from-Yiwu guide cover the mechanics. If you cannot travel, a Yiwu agent can walk it for you.

Watch out for. A price quoted at a booth is usually EXW and often excludes carton size. Always get carton dimensions and gross weight in writing.

Best for. Buyers who have outgrown domestic distributors and want factory-adjacent pricing on mixed orders.

How We Picked These Nine

We did not rank them by size. We ranked them by whether a buyer can actually use them.

1. Can a small buyer clear the minimum? Some “top distributors” want $10,000 to open an account. Those are not useful to most readers here. 2. Do they ship to the market they claim to serve? Several only ship inside one country. 3. Is compliance handled, or dumped on you? A distributor selling into the EU should hold EN 71 reports. 4. Can you see the goods before paying? Showroom, sample, or live video. 5. Is the pricing honest? Carton size, gross weight and Incoterm included. 6. Do they answer email? It sounds trivial. It removes more names than any other test.

Others we checked but left out: Juguetero (strong on STEM and eco lines), Distribuidores de juguetes australianos (Australia and New Zealand only), Van der Meulen (Benelux and France), OcioStock (Spain, licensed gift), Distribución de juguetes en Texas y Industrias globales A&A (vending and prize toys). All are legitimate. Some only sell to chains, and some need a resale certificate before they will quote. Our worldwide distributor list covers more of them by region.

Marketplaces Are Not Distributors

Alibaba, DHgate and Made-in-China all come up when you search this term. They are marketplaces, not distributors.

The difference matters. A distributor holds the stock, checks it, and stands behind it. A marketplace lists whoever pays. You do the vetting.

That is not automatically bad. Marketplaces are fine for a first test order. Just do not confuse a listing with a supplier relationship.

If you go that route, read our comparison of Alibaba against buying direct from toy factories and our Alibaba buying guide. For smaller orders, our DHgate vs Alibaba page covers the trade-off. And our note on why to stop buying from Alibaba directly explains where the extra cost hides.

Five Checks Before Your First Order

Get the terms in writing. Minimum order, minimum order value, payment terms, and who pays freight.

Ask who owns the compliance. The EU wants EN 71, CE and a Declaration of Conformity, plus REACH. The US wants ASTM F963, CPSIA compliance and a CPC. If a distributor cannot tell you which reports exist, assume none do. Our toy certification page and our EN 71 / ASTM / CPSIA guide spell this out.

Compare landed cost, not unit cost. A $2 toy with $0.80 of freight is not cheaper than a $2.50 toy delivered. Our page on how to check a toy quotation walks through the maths.

Order one case first. Check the printing, the packaging and the age grading in daylight.

Check the company, not the website. Ask for the business registration number. Pay to a company bank account, never a personal one. Our guide to reliable China toy manufacturers goes deeper on this.

Preguntas frecuentes

What is a toys wholesale distributor?

A company that buys toys in bulk from many makers and resells them to shops. They hold the stock, set a minimum order, and deliver in days. They do not make the toy, and they rarely offer custom branding.

What is the difference between a distributor and a manufacturer?

A manufacturer makes the toy. A distributor buys it and resells it. Distributors give you small minimums and fast delivery. Manufacturers give you lower unit prices, custom tooling and your own brand — but larger orders and longer lead times.

Do I need a business licence to buy from a toy distributor?

Usually yes. Most US distributors ask for a resale certificate or business licence before they show wholesale prices. Sole traders are often asked to register an account first.

What is a normal minimum order for wholesale toys?

Domestic distributors often start at one case per item, or around $250 to $2,000 per order. China-side sources usually quote per design, and can often be mixed across colours to bring the number down.

Can I put my own brand on the toys?

Only through a manufacturer or a sourcing partner. Distributors sell other people’s brands. For your own logo, colours and packaging, the factory route is the one that works — see our Embalaje de juguetes personalizado page.

Is a US distributor cheaper than buying from China?

Per unit, China is cheaper — often 30% to 60% less at the same spec. But add freight, duty and four to ten weeks of lead time. Below about $1,000 of stock, a domestic distributor usually wins on total cost.

Can a China distributor ship straight to Amazon FBA?

Yes, most sourcing partners do. They handle FNSKU labels, carton marks and pallets to Amazon’s rules. Our Amazon toy sourcing page covers it, and our custom products for Amazon and Shopify sellers page covers branding.

How do I check a distributor is real?

Ask for the business registration number and check it. Ask for a live video of the warehouse or showroom. Pay to a company bank account, never a personal one. Our page on reliable China toy manufacturers goes deeper.

Which certificates should a toy distributor give me?

For the EU, EN 71 with CE and a Declaration of Conformity. For the US, ASTM F963, CPSIA compliance and a CPC backed by a CPSC-accepted lab report. Ask for the report number and check it with the issuing lab — borrowed certificates are common.

Can I mix toys from several suppliers into one container?

Yes, and most importers do. Make sure every supplier quotes on the same basis: same Incoterm, same port, carton dimensions included. Our page on consolidating goods from Yiwu shows how it works, and our shipping from Yiwu page covers the freight side.

I have never imported before. Where do I start?

Start with a domestic distributor for a test order. Learn what sells. Then move the winners to the factory route. Our step-by-step import guide and our case study on importing toys with zero experience both start from nothing.

Wrapping Up

Nine distributors, one decision: do you want stock now, or do you want the best unit price?

If you need goods next week, in small quantities, with brands your customers already know, use a domestic distributor. License 2 Play and Shepher will sell you a single case. UPD will let you hold it first.

If you are building your own brand, or buying enough to fill a container, the distributor layer is costing you margin. Go to the source instead.

We work out of Yiwu and Shantou year-round. That means we walk the markets and the factories whether or not a fair is on. Send us your product list and your target prices. We will come back with 3 to 5 supplier options, real MOQs, and what compliance paperwork already exists for your market. Request a quote here o send us your sourcing requirement.

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