Taobao Addiction



If you need to shop online where do you go? In the U.S. and most other parts of the world, there is Amazon (and Amazon Prime)! It has everything. Well, almost.
Legit thing. Fish shoes.
They come in various different
colors and styles of fish
hence why it ranges from 44 to 99 yuan.

In China, there is Taobao where you can literally find anything and everything! And I mean EVERYTHING.

Let me explain. When I first got to China, I was told, "Don't buy it here. Just get it on Taobao" for literally everything.

I was like, "What?! Buy it for cheaper? Sign me up!"

So after my friend filled out my information on my newly installed Taobao App (in Chinese of course) I instantly kept adding things into my shopping cart and they would all arrive between 2 to three days.

I was hooked! Shopping on Taobao has been like the Chinese equivalent of scrolling through Instagram and Amazon combined. Or window shopping.

I have seen my coworkers scrolling through Taobao just grazing through and occasionally adding them to their chart. I have gotten in to the habit of now of taking screenshots of things on Taobao that catch my attention in a weird, cool, funny way. The best part?

You are thinking it right?

What is the delivery charge? 

Well... It's free! 

Okay well almost all of them are free to ship to anywhere INSIDE mainland China.

If the object is really heavy or tricky to send, there is a small(er than Amazon that's for sure) fee.

For example...
Get your own peacock.
From baby chicks to full
grown both in male and female.
30Y delivery fee.
I bought a bed frame that could support me better the dinky wood box frame I had on my bed. I went on Taobao and found a of metal bed frame, and since metal is heavy (duh) it cost 36 yuan to ship it to me (which is around 6 U.S. dollars). The thing was massive yet it cost me only 6 U.S. bucks?

HELL YEAH!!!

Now, whenever I get free time or have nothing to do, I go on my Taobao app and just window shop too.

I find so many things on there. You can buy your very own peacock and it will arrive to you via Express mail.

OF COURSE you can get a small baby (chick) peacock you can raise and if you want the big adult version it will cost you more.

You can also buy other exotic types of pets like foxes. All types of LIVE baby foxes that get shipped to you.
Silver tailed foxes,
Fennec foxes,
Red foxes,
Snow (Artic?) foxes,
Dogs,
Cats,
Turtles,
Hamsters,
Chinchillas,
Snakes,
any type of animal you can name, they have it and sell it.

.

You can buy ANYTHING!

A company that started as an online auction site evolved in to one of the biggest e-commerce markets in the world. 
THE 

FREAKING
WORLD.


It's like having a mall in the palm of your hand.
You want food? You can get it delivered to your home.
You want clothes, pick a style, a brand, a color, and it will be delivered to your home.
You want to by the most ridiculous pillows in various shapes and styles? Look no further.
Do you want to buy a new phone?
Do you need bread?
Or imported Cheese?
A new pet?
A new hobby?
Its all there in the palm of your hand. All you have to do is pay for it.

That's what makes it so strangely wonderful and addicting that people come back for more.
It's complete convenience. 
Yeah, sure, Amazon has the same thing, however for the average person who is not enrolled in their Amazon Prime package, it can get expensive and tedious.
Plus when your package does arrive, you have to keep an eye out for people who steal your Amazon packages because that happens all the time.

However, in China, your phone number must be included in your shipping address when you fill out your Taobao account because you get a call from the delivery man and you go and get the package directly from him. If you cannot go and meet him, he'll leave and come back again the next day until you pick up your package or pick it up at the post office.

My apartment complex (like most apartments here) has these high tech box lockers that the delivery man enters a code and then sends you a text message telling you the code so you can get it. Its really cool and I wish the U.S. had that too or a personal home version.  I thought I read Amazon trying something out like this somewhere but I can't be sure.

Like Always,
Zai Jian!

Kind of useful for protecting the
back of the baby's head. No delivery fee.

Leech juice or leeches
that somehow make your eyelashes grow?
No delivery fee.

Sushi girl toy?
10Y delivery fee.

Lucky Dick. That's what its called.
8Y delivery fee.

This makes me sad.
Silver tailed fox puppy.
10Y delivery fee.

Electric 4 week drive car.
1Y delivery fee.


Red Fox puppy.
100Y delivery fee.

Mixed Artic fox puppy.
No delivery fee.

Electric motorcycle.
Foreigners can buy these and drive them without a licence.
No delivery fee.

Artic Fox mixed breed puppy.
No delivery fee.

Rare peacocks. Chicks or full grown variety.
No delivery fee.




Snow fox puppy.
No delivery fee.

United States Teacup Pommeranian.
No delivery fee but
deposit of 200Y with your order to
reserve a puppy.

Mixed breed fox: Artic, Fennic,
Snow, and Blue Fox puppies
No delivery fee.

Fennic Fox Puppies

Mix breed Fox puppies.
No delivery fee.

Chinchilla. God, I see ChouChou
in these little guys all the time.
500Y delivery fee.

Hedgehogs
No delivery fees


I call them fortune cookie sandals.
No delivery fee.
Kinda clever if you think about it.
8Y delivery fee.

For people who want to
live in their bed forever. Now you can.
No delivery fee
Barbie can't needs a
daddy as fabulous as she is.
For the low price of just under 9K.
No delivery fee.
Customized tea ceremony table.
The Chinese are serious about their tea
and how they drink it! No delivery fee.
Reminds me of a Game of Thrones Chair.
260Y delivery fee
Chicken eggs that are nearly hatched.
35Y delivery fee.


Promises to magically make you grow taller.
Seems legit....
(-_-)
No delivery fee.




Cute bulldog blanket. I mean who can resist that face! No delivery fee.
Yeah but how do you read the time!
No delivery fee.



It gets pretty cold in China,
even more so while riding your scooter.
No delivery fee.
Doggo pillows.
You can even add your own doggo. No delivery fee.

What's up with all the damn food pillows.
 I'd probably eat them in my sleep.
Good thing these don't come scented...



They love to smoke here.
LOVE to smoke here.
This is called the boyfriend pillow.
You can get him in several styles and
with your beau's face on it instead
of this dummy. 8Y fee.


This shirt is gonna give me nightmares.
How can anyone like this??!
Whyyyyyyy???
Intestines. Washed and cleaned
for you and then
shipped to you. 10Y fee tho...
Cool shirt Bro...


When your kid has to go, he's got to go.
Buy him this.
Only works for on
boys cause, well, ya know...
Tired of picking after your dog's shit?
Well here you go.




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