Figured I'd help some people considering a trip to China to purchase Bitcoin ASIC antminers.
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BTC 3HUCuot8X2q8gcwfgNymAeBdR1aDqFsKmY) if this was helpful or saved you money.
So I made two trips, first time I visited HK/Shenzhen, and the second time I visited Beijing and Shenzhen.
See links for photos (Newbie account on forum, but long time with crypto, btc/alt mining, and visited forum frequently)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10h3oq46J4atn-8Hc5UxGi3JKcfTwdENuhA/view?usp=sharingFirst of all, Important Considerations you should understand before the commitment. Make sure, if you do decide to travel, you have a visa before you make the trip to Mainland China.
Understand that you will not be able to access large sums of money as you would in other countries.
There are limits to the amount of money a person can withdraw from an ATM from at a Chinese bank.
There are strong laws preventing the import of foreign currency into the country with strict security at airports and
travel ports, both into and traveling out of the region.
ASICS are just as hot in China as they are over in the United States for those who actively participate, but most everyday Chinese citizens will be clueless (Mary and Joe Public).
There are NO ASIC miner stores and you won't find them in a computer store or local shop (
), so if your plan is to step off the plane, go to Walmart, and ask the store manager where can I find the aisle with the S9s , best that just stay home and cpu mine on the desktop instead.
Also, the Chinese economy/regulations are very complex, and can change one day to the next, sometimes with no clear notice or reasoning. Large scale business transactions conducted in the country, require a licensed business entity registered with the Chinese government, with adequate visa privileges based on the type, depending on a set of bus entity formats in the registration process, there are initial capital requirements, limits on bank transactions, formal letter of invitation from the business you intend to work with, etc. There are free trade zones in the country that offer incentives for business transactions and international exports of Chinese goods, if your interest is conduct large business transactions in the country, my suggestion is hire a consultant to assist you who can facilitate, and guide you in this process. There are also off-shore options to consider as well. If the intention is a small scale purchase of the devices, use a travel visa, just have a plan to pay for goods if you are thinking a small farm type purchase, again, import of foreign currency is limited in China.
If this is your first time going to China, the shear size of the country, infrastructure and population size requires some preparation and research. Most often, many people are overwhelmed on their first trip. There will likely be some areas where you fail to plan properly, or find yourself in some unexpected situation. One consideration would be if you are not prepared with readily available access to mobile wifi or vpn internet access. Without some method of accessing information, small issues can quickly turn to larger issues, that can affect the costs and the overall success of the trip, I suggest conducting a lot of research.
As stated earlier, the devices have limited availability, in a few specific locations, (1 location, post per section)
Saige (SEG) Electronics Market Plaza Huaqiangbeihttps://drive.google.com/open?id=1_bfmfKBlqLVlzoWcKOZ5a92XpRC5w-JpLAhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1LqV93f6NX3rYYC2xDpikzF1b0bGqzL8EPA/view?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1mx8gpSkKhesVAADPcrsR_8_T42r7KTFg3A/view?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1r89_bv0-CTHU7iVZhiJnAMWuIrpVa4Zccg/view?usp=sharingThe fastest and easiest place to get your hands on an ASIC Antminer (such as the S9) is the Saige (SEG) Electronics Market Plaza Huaqiangbei, located in Shenzhen, China, known regionally as Mainland China, just north of Hong Kong (HK).
This towering multi-floor building is home to one of the largest electronics markets in the world with each floor separated for specific types of electronics and components.
There are around ten to twenty vendors who will either have the ASICs displayed on a table/counter ofin their vendor location or display a Dry eraser board with some hand written advertisement that they sell s9 +L3 or D3 ASIC Antminers.
The market vendors are very good at identifying foreign tourists looking to purchase mining equipment, ienGraphics Cards or mining accessories (ie riser cards, psu). If you are looking to get your hands on an s9 at some low-ball price, its not worth your time, cost or effort. Many vendors, like many living in the country, don't know a lot of English and will either use some type of translation app on their smartphones, or they will negotiate price via displaying the price on a calculator. Doing business in China requires greater understanding of their culture, business practices and customs. The market vendors value strong relationship-building, trust is a significant concern to vendors. When first arriving at the market, may misinterpret the business as casual, with small shops offering their goods to one another, but this is incorrect. Its best to build a small network of vendors, and build trust with small consistent small purchases. The market is better describes as a year-round trade fair, rather than a local market. That being said, cash is still king here, and if you are willing to pay in Yuan, there are many who will accommodate anything you ask from. Just don't come with expectations that if you purchase a sum of 10 units, your are entitled to some exagerated discount. A discount for Ten units will usually be presented to you amounting to 50 CNY discount for 10 ASICs (around $10 usd). Unless you have an experienced guide or local person who is well trusted among the base community of vendors who can manage transactions on your behalf, you'll learn that the prices for s9s will be priced at a small discount to listings on ebay for s9s or the retail price of devices purchased through verified online website mentioned in other bitcointalk forums posts (BitcoinTalk/hardware).
A recent WeChat price quote (Nov 1 '17) from a vendor in Shenzhen, listed the current price for an Antminer s9 14 TH/s around 18,000 CNY (or a little over $2500 US), which might save you $500 from prices on Ebay, this may include PSU, this might not, depends on the vendor.
This is a good option for those looking to buy multiple ASICS at reasonable price, that doesn't involve a lot of research, time and effort as it would with alternative options, that will be presented in later sections. No restrictions on order size, no limits or maximum (only by the vendor's inventory)
The culture in China prides itself for fostering honest business practices. But as with any business transaction, there are risks associated with your purchase where the vendor might take advantage, an example might be where you pay the full retail price expecting a brand new ASIC, but later learn you received a second hand device. Another example, might be the vendor selling defective or damaged units, make sure you inspect the equipment. If you are not careful or don't have operational understanding of the mining equipment, I would not recommend visiting China to purchase your equipment.