buckle down

Am back working on packs again. Struggling a little with finding buckles etc to try ideas - needed a buckle like this but smaller - aka a bra clip. I can get them from a supplier in China for US$0.001 each in the colour, size and material I want - up to a million a day but needed some to test the idea. Spotlight was the first port of call.

"Hi, I need to find a buckle like this but smaller."
"Yes we have them, but not that big. "
"Thats handy"
"They're over there on the other side of the store with the buckles"
(they weren't)
"Excuse me I'm looking for a buckle like this but smaller - I was told they were over here"
"Like this?" (pointing at something different), "No, like this" (pointing at my example), "Like this?" (pointing at something different), "No, like this" (pointing at my example), "Like this?" (pointing at something different), "No, like this" (pointing at my example), "Like this?" (pointing at something different), "No, like this" (pointing at my example), (repeat until all the buckles of all sizes and shapes on the stand have been pointed at.) "I'm sorry we don't have anything like that"
"Thats a shame, I would have thought you'd have something as common as a bra clip."
"Oh bra clips? They're on the bra repair stand on the other side of the store."

And sure enough, they were. For $17.99 for four.

"Surely this price must be wrong?"
"Yeah I think you are right."

It was. The real price was $1.69 for four. Thats about $0.005 for product and the rest is packaging, distribution and markup. Not bad.

At least I managed to get the bits I needed to do the testing.

:]