/csg/ Guide

Notes/preamble

This guide was written collaboratively within the thread. In general the guide aims at recommending types of products over listings, because listings tend to change over time and are region-specific.

A word on quality: In general, you get what you pay for. You can get really great quality at fair prices, but if you always filter by price ascending and choose the first listing, don't expect high quality. The advice in this guide aims to help you find the former and avoid the latter.

Old versions

This guide has had several different versions.

If you want to visit an old version, simply navigate to "https://csg-guide.neocities.org/index_old_i.html" where you replace i with the version (starting at 1)

Currently there are:

• V0 (offsite, written 2021)
• V1
• V2

Contributing

This guide is a community effort. Contributions are what keep it alive. Feel free to write your own sections or re-write those made by others.

If you want to submit a new/refreshed section, please make sure it is formatted as Markdown (link to cheat sheet). That basically means plain text, except with minor flavors for bold, italics, headings and links.

To submit, either reply to any post made by the tripcode "NeoOP !NeoOP.rVNQ" (check the OP of the general), which makes it likely that the OP sees it, or if the OP wasn't made by NeoOP, you can also submit by email at csgguide@cock.li . If and what gets added is then up to NeoOP. If you contribute by posting in the thread and your section would take up more than a full posts (~2000 letters) please instead link a rentry or pastebucket link with the section, to avoid spam in the general.

Thanks for your contributions, they are what keep this general relevant.

What is /CSG/?

/CSG/, "Chink Shit General" is a general on the 4chan "/g/ - Technology" board, intended as a place for anons to share, discuss and discover deals and items from overseas, Asia specifically. The thread started appearing around 2015, and became a somewhat regular general around 2016. Since then it has been an on and off staple of /g/ board culture.

/CSG/ focusses on stores that send items specifically from Asia, but any item made in Asia and resold in the west is allowed as well.

Motivations for anons to participate in /csg/ can differ from interest in weird items not intended for western markets, money savings due to arbitrage between different markets or a genuine desire for items not found or available in the west.

General advice

This section covers general advice that applies to all stores, or things that you should keep in mind for any source.

It has also been overhauled for brevity, as a lot of the stuff mentioned should be self-explanatory.

General precautions

Do not get chinked!

Before buying anything, always check the product's reviews and the store's feedback rating. Anything lower than 4.7 stars is probably shit. Some sellers also leave fake reviews, this is easy to spot.

A general rule of thumb is that if it smells like a scam, it most likely is.

Always check the specification sheet on the listing. They can lie on the name and the pictures, but not on the specs sheet, if they do, it's an easy open and shut dispute for you.

Problems with your order?

If something happens, such as not getting the right item, the item never arriving, arriving broken, etc. Do not attempt to contact the seller, open a dispute right away with as much evidence as you can collect. AliExpress will side with you if you have enough evidence of wrongdoing. They might request you to send the item back, which seems to have become more common now as a way of fraud prevention. If you are requested to do so they will cover the shipping costs back.

If the seller contacts you asking you to close the dispute saying he will refund you, ignore him, this is a surefire way to get fucked over. Let Ali sort it out.

Stores

While any stores from Asia, or any store that primarily deals in Asian products is technically discussed in /csg/, some stores are far more popular than others. In this section a list of stores is meant to be created, including name of the store, target audience/items, link and peculiarities/general information.

AliExpress

AliExpress is without a doubt the most popular and largest store discussed in /csg/. It doesn't have a particular target audience in terms of what is sold, anything and everything is fair game. It's considered a sort of "baseline" store, against which other stores are compared.

Shipping times can vary wildly, but these days a lot of items will ship within a week from local warehouses or via plane. In the past packets routinely took a month or two.

One of the reasons why AliExpress is so popular is their refund policy: Provided the buyer does his due diligence and follows procedure correctly, they will usually get reimbursed should any damages occur to an item, or should the seller try to swindle them out of their money.

After buying there is a limited "buyer protection", which you should keep an eye on. Once this protection runs out, you have lost your bargaining power in the eyes of AliExpress. If you confirm that an item has arrived/been shipped, you have 2 more weeks to dispute should you come across any faults. Should an item not arrive within that time, you can (and should) dispute. If there is a valid reason to dispute earlier, you can do so as well. Valid dispute reasons can include fake tracking, items not turning up, wrong or broken items, false advertising, etc. Try to document whatever you can to prove your case (video/picture evidence is encouraged if it is applicable), then provide that evidence during the dispute. AliExpress will almost always side with the buyer, unless the buyer is grossly negligent.

If a seller contacts you in chat and asks you to cancel a dispute, this is usually a cause for concern and can mean you are about to get scammed. If you cancel a dispute in the eyes of Aliexpress that means you have given up your bargaining power and you are now forced to hope that the seller is keeping their word. The storeowner might tell you that they will send you a new item for free, or give you your money back. The reason they do that is because a store loses standing in the eyes of AliExpress if too many disputes happen. Just be aware that complying and canceling disputes means you are now at the sellers mercy.

Temu

Temu is the new kid on the block and had a massive marketing push to gain market share. As part of that push, they had really good newcomer bonuses and coupons, but have since slowed down, making many anons consider them a "slightly worse Aliexpress". There are still item categories they can be competitive in however, especially generic items or clothes might be worth a look.

Less popular stores

Summarized for brevity.

• eBay: A lot of sellers on Aliexpress etc. sell on eBay too. Unless prices are much better stick to Aliexpress.
• Shein: International store, big focus on textiles and clothing. Less popular
• Banggood: Mostly (but not exclusively) has a US focus and sells mostly electronics. Generally considered less reliable than Aliexpress.
• Taobao: The Amazon of China. Better prices than Aliexpress usually, but likely will not sell to you, or require a "agent" (middle man that forwards the packet to you and handles export). Agents also enable buying from Websites like Weidian, 1688 and wechat/yupoo. Popular Agents include Basetao, WeGoBuy, Pandabuy.
• /asean/ stores:
• Shopee: Biggest store. Exists in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and also non-/asean/ countries: Taiwan, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Poland.
• Lazada: Second biggest store. Available in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Philippines.

Items/Recommendations

Over the years, various topics come up more often than others on /csg/. The goal is to create a resource here for new anons, or anons who can't be bothered to read old threads, so that they can get some general pointers before they have to ask in the thread. It's separated into categories, there's also a misc category for random items not warranting their own categories.

EDC/Office equipment

EDC Knives

EDC knives are a common topic that pops up in irregular time intervals. While in the past a lot of fakes of western brands were popular, these days a lot of domestic chinese brands have popped up. Check local legislation so you don't get shafted by customs if you plan on buying (you got a loicense for that mate?).

Opinel Knives ($10.00-$26.00)

Opinel knives are not /csg/ knives, but very reasonably priced, so that they should seriously be considered before buying a /csg/ EDC knife. They come in various sizes ranging from a 3.5 cm blade (No.2, available starting at $10.00) to 12 cm blade (No. 12, available starting at $26.00). A Opinel No.6 for example will fit very well into any pocket, take up little space and have a great performance/price ratio. While they have no quick opening feature, their locking mechanism has proven its reliability over the years. Stainless steel and carbon steel variants are available. Look for local offers across different stores.

Sanrenmu 1555Ti ($20.00) / Kershaw Cryo 2 ($15.00-$20.00) / Sanrenmu 7010 ($20.00)

Both Sanrenmu and Kershaw have been /csg/ memes for EDC knives for a while, though they are a little outdated now. Check local legislation to make sure your order doesn't get stuck at customs. Much like with some other /csg/ knives, expect cheaper, softer steels, meaning more frequent sharpening is needed and edge retention is lower, in exchange for less danger of chipping. If you can live with that, these are some nice folding knives.

Capsule/Keychain knives ($2.00-$6.00)

Very small "knives" in a capsule that looks like a medical pill. There's cheap ones (usually around $2.50-$3.00), which have a single thin blade screwed onto the housing, and more expensive ones ($4.00-$6.00, depending on if you want a box for it), where instead of a blade they have one massive piece that is sharpened towards the front. Their advantage is that should the blade dull or break you can replace it by unscrewing the old blade and buying replacement blades, though sourcing those can be difficult depending on the exact version of capsule knife you have. If you want something more sturdy, get one of the more massive ones. The thin ones can be found in the bundle deals regularly, in which case you can get them for $2.00.

EDC Torches

Consider checking out zakreviews's "arbitrary list". His list isn't just /csg/ related, but can give you some pointers.

Convoy S2+ (plus) ($15.00-$20.00)

Longtime /csg/ recommendation for a "goto" flashlight. Takes 18650 cells (sold and charged separately). Great value and quality. Long battery life, high brightness, lots of replacement parts available, big selection of options to choose from (black light/head mounts/clips/etc.). Convoy has an official AliExpress store.

Keychain Torches

Trustier Mini 2 ($10.00-$20.00)

Very small (smaller than a AA battery) and big power. Has 2 brightness levels controlled by twisting the top half of the flashlight. The low setting is very low and perfect for not disturbing others, i.e.. walking around/reading or just generally not wanting to burn your eyes late at night. The high power setting (twisting more) is surprisingly bright, great for daytime use. I've never let it die so cant comment on full battery life but I do top up maybe once a month for light usage couple times per week usually for quick inspections/sessions.

Uses a micro USB to charge it's bundled 10180 Li-ion battery. Trustfire has an official AliExpress store.

RovyVon Aurora A8 clones ($8.00-$15.00)

A tiny flashlight at 6cm*1cm (2.36” * 0.4”) weighing only 18 grams that packs a lot of light. It’s powered by a 300mAh battery that’s rechargeable through the built-in USB C port. The main torch has 5 brightness levels going up to 400 lumens, with additional single brightness white, red and UV LED’s on the side. The back of the flashlight has a keyring and two built-in magnets to hang the flashlight from metal surfaces. It may not be as bright as a real Aurora A8, but at a fraction of the cost you can’t really go wrong. Can often be found on AliExpress listed with names such as “Mini Keychain Flashlight USB C” as well as on Amazon.

Y41/S11 flashlight (2-5$)

Sold under various names and brands, these are small flashlights with a magnetic base, USB-C charging and suprising brightness. Make for good gifts and overall are very nice to have around the house. There's versions with glow-in-the-dark dust in the plastic, which can be nice to find them in the dark. They have both a focussed beam and a floodlight in the handle.

Kitchen Knives

Knives are arguably the most important and widespread tool in the kitchen, so it's no surprise they appear in /csg/ as well. In general, anything in the /ck/ knife guide https://imgur.com/a/mWK2xSG applies here too, particularly the materials section. If you are tempted to ask in the thread, consider reading that guide first so you can ask more exact questions which will lead to better answers too.

No-name low carbon stainless steel knives ($20.00-$25.00)

These have been a around for a while, and appear under different names and different brands. You can find them as "XYj kitchen knives", but you may find them under names such as "Anhichef" "Xituo" and similar. All of these brands make higher quality ones too, so don't associate them with low quality. Sets can be had as low as $20.00-$25.00 for 3 knives, often discounted heavily around 11.11.

For your money you get some nice stainless steel knives, with surprisingly good handles, balance and look/feel to them. However the materials used will usually be low carbon content stainless steel (7CR17 or similar), which means the steel will be soft and as a result the knives will need regular sharpening more often than other knives you can buy. Apart from that aspect, they are great value for money though.

Shibazi F208 ($30.00-$40.00)

The Shibazi F208 is a Chinese vegetable cleaver (this does not mean it's only for vegetables) and has been a meme in /csg/ for a while. Decent stainless steel, adequate edge retention, great handling, nice handle. It's a great kitchen knife if you want actual quality and are willing to pay some money for appropriate performance. Sadly Shibazi is not nearly as unknown a name as it has once been, so it has been priced in far more in recent years. Pricing in general for the F208 cleaver can vary, but it can usually be found for somewhere between $25.00 and $30.00. Check bundles for cheaper listings.

Damascus knives ($20-50)

The term damascus steel refers both to an ancient way of making steel, and a modern aesthetic mimicing that old aesthetic. If you see a listing on Aliexpress mentioning it, it's talking about the aesthetic.

There's two ways it's achieved: Laser engraving (the cheaper option, you will be able to tell from pictures) and folded steel layers (if the images look cool, this is likely what it is). This is usually a mostly aesthetic cladding over a more performant core that does the actual cooking. It looks cool, it has some genuine performance justification to exist (helps with chipping), and it lowers the cost of the knife, as the cladding can be made from cheaper steel than the core. You can get some seriously high performant steels for seriously cheap in this category. Look for "VG MAX", "VG 10" or "AUS 10" steels for the core. Pretty much any shape you want will be available. In this section specifically, checking coin discounts is worth it, as there's some VG10 blades that are sold for ludicrously cheap with coin discounts, think something like a 8' damascus knife with wooden handle and VG10 core for 16€.

Cleaning Equipment

Melamine Sponges ($5.00 for 100pcs)

These get stains easily out of almost everything. Probably sold locally under various names ("Magic Eraser") for massive markup. Melamine Sponge is the generic name. They don't last very long before they degrade, but at $0.05 a piece, that hardly matters. Wet them with water before use and do not use them on acrylic baths. Highly recommended.

Fountain pens

Inks

Don't bother buying ink from Chinese vendors. It is not going to be cheaper than cheap ink from your local vendors.

Jinhao

Jinhao manufactures decent pens at a low price, so they are great for entry level.

• 86 - Parker 51 clone, EF or F nib.
• X750 - Modern-style brass pen. Snap cap, M nib.
• X450 - Classic-style brass pen. Snap cap, F or M nib.

Consumer electronics

Accessories

Chargers, cables and the likes.

Ugreen, Choetech, Baseus and Xiaomi are some of the more popular brands. All of these you can trust. Also popular, but a little less established are Essager and Toocki.

Baseus has been getting more expensive, there are some brands like Essager that rebrand some Baseus products and sell them cheaper, try looking for those when buying Baseus chargers, you might find the exact same product for cheaper under different branding

Charger reviews: https://www.chargerlab.com/ - English version of Chongdiantou.

Apart from paying attention to the brand (which essentially works as a insurance that the claims by the company are somewhat accurate), pay close attention to the protocols and power ratings of each cable.

Especially when it comes to USB-C connectors or cables, there's different protocols that can handle different things, with the two big ones being USB Power Delivery (USB PD) and Quick Charge (QC), which has different versions. Make sure whatever your device needs is either covered by the cable and charger, or it's at least compatible with it (QC4 cables will fall back to USB PD should the device not support the QC protocol). The power rating you need will be decided by your charging devices (the sum of their max charging wattage). Make sure your charger and cable are rated for that number or bigger if you want the quickest charging times.

SD and microSD cards

It's not worth it, just buy local.

Xiaomi 65W GaN charger ($25.00)

65W charger with ONE USB-C output (the version with an extra USB-A port is different). Has PPS support. Output measures well. Goes up to 20V. Comes with a cable.

Main selling point is the size, about 4 AAs put together plus some extra length. The domestic market version is shorter since it uses the shorter Chinese plug.

USB Bluetooth 4.2 dongles ($1.00)

These all use the exact same CSR chip. Do not buy a more expensive one thinking it'll be better, even the PCB will be the same.

USB 3.0 1080p60 capture cards ($20.00)

A recent upgrade to the old USB 2.0, 1080p30 MJPEG only capture cards. The new one does "uncompressed" YUV422 in addition to the old MJPEG mode. There are versions with a built-in passthrough but they cost twice as much, might as well buy a cheap splitter instead.

Make sure it says USB output is 1080p 60fps and/or the chip used is the MS2130.

Mousepads

There's various mousepads available in basically any size you may need. Try to make sure that the edges of the mousepad are sewn with proper thread instead of simply glued on. If they are glued in the middle it doesn't really matter, but without a seam the edges are likely to start separating eventually, making it last a lot less long.

A favorite of the thread for a while have been custom mousepads. There should be many options available, just choose any listing with a decent review and order backlog. Sizes may vary a little compared to the advertised size (1-2 cm difference can happen). Once you ordered one of these custom mousepads, the seller will contact you (on AliExpress via direct message) and ask you to provide the image you want printed onto the pad. Make sure this image is approximately the same aspect ratio as the mousepad and high resolution. If it isn't, you can try AI upscalers, or choose another higher resolution image instead. Some of the mousepads are of poor quality and are not worth purchasing. If you're located in the USA then it might be worth purchasing from a more well known mousepad manufacturer such as Inked Gaming for custom prints & Puretrak for high thread count.

Gaming Handhelds

What is it

A portable Linux or Android powered device that allows you to play games. Imagine a GBA, but powered by a modern ARM SoC, with a screen that you can actually see and USB-C charging port. Now, unlike GBA it doesn't play any games specific to it, but rather comes with a ton of emulators preinstalled -- from pong consoles to Switch; and some source ports and native games.

Why not just use a phone

Same reason you might use a separate music player, e-book reader, a watch and so on - a specialized device for a single task. In case of a handheld it has built-in controls, often a screen with an aspect ratio more fitting for emulation of some systems, OS configured for easy access to games akin to modern consoles. On a more philosophical side of things you might want a distraction-free device to play distracting games; just conserve phone's battery or like the way they look and feel. You will not get a better performance out of them over your phone with some gamepad attached (except for x86 handhelds).

Linux or Android

These are two of the most popular operating systems for ARM-based handhelds, and which one to get is a preference. Emulators of older system are often more stable and feature-complete on Linux, with a good amount of source ports, but far more development is happening for Android -- Switch emulators, Windows emulators, just plain new games. Since Android is made by an actual big company that has a mostly functional QA department, it is often more functional out of the box. The open nature of Linux, on the other hand, gives a way for the community to come up with fixes and enhancements, and it spawned a lot of custom firmwares for most popular handhelds, such as MuOS, Knulli, MinUI, Rocknix and even Android ports (GammaOS).

What to get

The handhelds market changes very rapidly; they're mostly made out of cellphone parts, and often when something new becomes available in large quantities, every manufacturer makes an updated version of their devices with said part; so any recommendation will become outdated pretty fast. Still, there are some things and devices that are worth pointing out.

I just want to try it out

• R36S family -- this device doesn't have a set manufacturer, and is cloned a lot, but is incredibly popular due to its low price (as low as 5 bucks with some crazy promos; around 25 with coupons on average day) and great screen. Thanks to that it amassed a large community that even ported Android on it, and came up with a lot of mods and improvements. Plays everything up to PS1 just fine, some PSP, N64 and Dreamcast games are playable. Has its own wiki

Useful things to know: - How to spot a clone - Variants with different layouts - subreddit

I want a solid everyday device under $100

• Anbernic RG-XX series -- an entire family of devices based on the same hardware in different form-factors. Has a large community with a lot of CFWs and mods available. You can buy any one you like and be sure that it will work exactly like any other one from the series. Plays about the same systems as R36S with better (but still not perfect) performance with N64, Dreamcast and Saturn emulation, but has a much better build quality, Some notable models:
  • RG CubeXX -- has the most comfortable shape known to man with a 1:1 screen that works great for a surprisingly large amount of retro consoles and PICO8
  • RG-40XXH/40XXV -- the classic, in vertical and horizontal forms.
  • RG-28XX -- truly pocketable device, very small
  • RG-34XXSP/RG-35XXSP -- remember GBA SP?
  • RG-34XX -- remember GBA?
• Trimui Smart Pro/Trimui Brick -- slightly better performance than Anbernic offerings, about the same build quality, slightly worse community support due to different chipset, but still pretty solid. Smart Pro is for people nostalgic over PSP, Brick is a modern GBC replacement -- small, light, but powerful and sleek. There's a version in a metal case; Brick Hammer.
• MagicX Zero28 -- small alternative to RG-28XX, but for some inexplicable reason running Android on the same hardware as Trimui without a touchscreen.
• MagicX Zero40 -- oddball with a vertical screen. Certainly a choice for DS emulation (although the resulting screen size is smaller than DS) and TATE-mode arcades.

I have a 150 bucks to burn and want more power

Here we're entering the Android zone -- Linux support on more powerful SoC is pretty bad. Despite Play Store being a giant pile of shovelware, there are some genuinely good Android games, mostly ports of indie or board games. Some devices will give you a choice of several different SoC -- Snapdragon usually have much better support from emulators and games. OLED/AMOLED screens render much deeper blacks and nice contrasting colors and are generally preferable, but some people are sensitive to its PWM flicker.

• Anbernic RG series -- same idea as with XX series: most of devices share one of three platforms, so pick whatever you like the most. Model name usually follow a pattern of RG-AAB[C], where AA denoting a screen size (35 for 3.5", 40 for 4" and so on), B - how new the model is with newest ones sporting 7 (you want either that or 6), and optional C show form-factor or special feature (Vertical, Horizontal or Metal). Should run anything up to Dreamcast without breaking a sweat, with a lot of GC/Wii/3DS/PS2 games playable. Some models to consider:
  • RG Cube -- Android-based and more powerful of CubeXX
  • RG Slide -- remember PSP Go? You can have one now.
  • RG-406H/RG-406V -- the classic, horizontal or vertical
  • RG-556 -- big 5.5" AMOLED screen, usually closer to 200 bucks, but can go much lower on sales
• Mangmi Air X -- a more powerful take on Smart Pro formula. Plays everything up to Dreamcast and Saturn decently, Android, PSP-shaped. Can't go wrong.
• Retroid Pocket 4/4 Pro -- a direct competitor to RG-406H, mostly equal to it in all aspects. Discontinued, so grab on sale while you still can.
• Retoid Pocket Classic -- an odd one. Has a great, almost square AMOLED screen, pretty powerful hardware, Android -- and no sticks. So you can't play anything past PS1, despite it having enough power for PS2. Has a six-button version in classic Genesis colors, which is cool.

PS2 is my childhood

Devices in this category all should play anything up to PS2/Wii just fine, with decent WiiU support, and even some lighter Switch games.

• Retroid -- offers well-built, powerful devices with a reasonable prices. Has a spotty track record (hinge problems, lying about true screen resolution (lowering it in specs)), but generally responsive to community shitstorms with returns and refunds. Current line up is consist of three models sharing the same hardware platform (SD865+6/8Gb of RAM) and AMOLED screens:
  • Pocket Mini v2 -- small 3.7" device. Don't ask what happened to the v1
  • Pocket 5 -- PS Vita if it was good. 5" AMOLED, plays anything up to and including PS2, with some lighter Switch and WiiU games also playable.
  • Pocket Flip 2 -- Pocket 5 in a clamshell version. Every color but green has a high chance of a hinge cracking, which can be significantly lowered
  • Dual Screen Add-on -- not a handheld, but a second screen than can be added to basically any device in this category to make it into a great DS/3DS emulator; or to play Subway Surfers footage on it.
• Ayn -- sister company of Retroid (which they deny), produces slightly more high-end devices, with better SoC and bigger screens. Should comfortably emulate Switch and below, WiiU and even modern some Windows games (through Winlator or Gamehub)
  • Odin 2/Odin 2 Mini -- yesteryear flagship hardware in a handheld shell. Main downside is a non-OLED screen. Very comfortable to hold.
  • Odin 2 Portal -- 7" version of Pocket 5. AMOLED, high-end hardware, sleek glass design
  • Odin 3 -- upcoming 6" Snapdragon Elite device, taking design cues from Pocket 5.
  • Thor -- upcoming dual-screen clamshell.
• Ayaneo -- Apple of Chinese handhelds. Powerful, goes for the premium feel -- with a price to match.
  • Pocket Evo/S/ACE -- different flavors of the same thing: G3x Gen 2 chipset, AMOLED screen, Android. Differ in screen sizes and styling.
  • Pocket Air -- weaker SoC (Dimensity 1200), but still perfectly capable of playing anything below Switch, but a lower pricepoint.
  • Pocket Micro/Micro Classic -- if you ever dreamed of playing Genshin on a Gameboy Micro, this little device can help. No reason for it to exist, aside from novelty factor -- despite the price, it uses pretty weak G99 SoC. Still should run PS2/Wii and below games just fine.
  • KONKR Pocket Fit -- Ayaneo's "budget" handheld. Newer G3x G3 chipset, IPS screen, still almost $400 price tag.
  • Ayaneo Pocket DS -- upcoming dual-screen clamshell.

Give me everything

At this point we are moving away from Android and ARM and entering proper handheld x86 territory. This category is mostly occupied by "real" brands like Asus, Lenovo and Valve. If you're willing to drop that amount of money on a toy, do your own research deeper than reading a guide written at 3 am by some anon powered by 3 cans of Monster and mild autism.

Some Chinese brands to consider that might be not as visible as big players: - GPD -- OGs. Were making handheld computers way before Valve, still do. - Ayaneo -- they're making a couple of proper handheld PCs, including an upcoming dual-screen or QWERTY clamshell - One Netbook/AOKZOE -- very pricy, but unusual devices, like Ryzen AI 9-powered tablet and this transformer looking thing

What to avoid

• No-name 9999 in 1 consoles -- those are usually NES-on-a-chip with several hundreds repeating 8 bit games and bootlegs, not worth the plastic they're made of.
• Anything by DataFrog -- low quality garbage with locked-down software. Simply Fantastic.
• Miyoo devices -- they're praised for custom OnionOS, which doesn't outweight the subpar hardware.
• Any hinged device should be considered very carefully, since it's a very difficult problem to solve, especially if you have no budget, time and skill to do so. SP series by Anbernic holds up remarkably well, Retroid Flip 2 started to develop cracks in opaque shells en masse, and Miyoo Flip sometimes arrived pre-broken right out the box.

Useful resources

• Spreadsheet with basically every single handheld. Your primary resource for comparison, filtering and choosing. Updated regularly.
• /vr/hhg -- it's a thing. Probably one of the most active generals on the board.
• SBC Gaming subreddit -- very active, will post the news and updates first. inb4 reddit: this is a best place to keep up with updates, developments, releases, mods and fixes. Feel free to ignore them -- you control the buttons you press.
• Youtube -- Retro Game Corps, TechDweeb, Joey's Retro Handhelds. ETA Prime fell out of favor due to low quality reviews mostly done to appease sponsors.

Controllers

There's a lot of decent or even great controllers for cheap to be had on Aliexpress. Most will have the XBox layout (similarly to the XBox360 Controllers). You'll want to at the very least get hall effect sticks. If it's wireless, you'll want a 2.4 Ghz USB dongle for lower latency. If it should work with a phone or handheld, you'll also want bluetooth. Most controllers will support all 3 of these.

Gamesir Nova Lite (12-20$)

Consider this your entry level model. It's got everything you need for cheap, and not much else. Good ergonomics, hall sensors, bluetooth, 2.4 Ghz USB dongle. No "pro" buttons. It comes with a very thin plastic case, which is unlikely to last long (as the hinge is just molded plastic), but is a nice bonus for storage and travel. It has rumble, but some people complain it's not the greatest, while others don't mind. The biggest downside is the relatively small battery (600mAh), resulting in 10-15h of charge, not a big factor if you're at home and can charge overnight, but might be a factor if traveling.

Overall a great choice for cheap. Check bundles too.

Gamesir T4 Pro (20-25$)

A slightly improved version of the Nova Lite for not much more money. Most notably comes with 4 back buttons (M1-M4) and has Gyroscope support for switch games. It has the same relatively small 600mAh battery, though at 10-15h it won't matter in most situations.

8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless (50-55$)

Comes with a charging dock, well made, compared to the default Xbox 360 form factor the grips/arms are a little more straight, which some people don't mind while others dislike it. Use TMR instead of Hall efect, which is considered slightly better in precision and drift. It also has gyroscope support, which might matter to you depending on the games you play. Up to you if you consider these improvements worth the big price jump from the Nova Lite.

Other controllers

In general, there's plenty of options notably by Gamesir, 8bitdo, GuliKit, DataFrog (mostly for budget offerings), Flydigi and more. A lot of it is preference; check battery size, form factor, connectivity, gyroscope support and analog stick technology (traditional resistance, hall effect, TMR). Maybe consider polling rate if you're more competitive too.

Audio equipment

Visit /iemg/ for the latest IEM FOTM.

DAC/Amp: You probably don't need one. If you do, you'll know.

Headphone \& IEM graphs with good quality reviews: https://crinacle.com/rankings/

TWS

The most popular category of headphones in /csg/ are TWS (True Wireless Stereo) headphones, so headphones without any cables. The meta here changes all the time, so here's the only site you need: https://www.scarbir.com/

Go on here, look for their ranking, and choose one of the top 2-3 options that fit your budget. You won't regret it. Double-check prices as their listed prices are prices at time of review, and some TWS got much cheaper in the meantime.

IEMs

IEMs, or "In ear monitors" are, simplified, headphones that use cables. /g/ has a dedicated thread for these, so ask over there they should be able to give you better advice.

Ugreen CM402 Bluetooth DAC ($30)

Small Bluetooth to 3.5mm single ended adapter. Uses a CS43131. Supports aptX. Has multipoint connection support. Built-in mic so you can also use it as a headset adapter. Also works as a USB DAC (only up to 16/48).

Good deal at $30 (a CS43131 dongle is already at least $20). A steal if you can find it below $20.

Venture Electronics Megatron DACAMP ($50)

Extraordinary large "dongle", made for "harder to drive" equipment such as higher ohm headphones. Uses a ESS9018K2M, has multiple outputs (3.5SE, 2.5BAL 4.4BAL, 3.5 "Line Out"). Has a decent quality aluminum body but expect a scratch or two due to shipping (scratches can be used to get a partial refund in a dispute).

Lapel Microphones ($1)

There's a variety of cheap lapel microphones on aliexpress that are under 2 USD, the sound quality on the majority of them are pretty decent for the price. Winning a dispute on a microphone means you need to record yourself plugging it in & recording audio through it.

Moondrop Blessing 2 ($320)

Sounds good and you can have them custom engraved with the metal version.

BM800 Mic ($20)

Longterm meme mic. Comes in 2 variants, USB and XLR. Make sure to pick up the Xlr version. Requires a phantom power supply or audio interface to be usable. You can pick up a whole kit from different sellers and have a good mic set up for around $50 in all.

Capture Cards

MS2130 USB 3.0 Video Capture Card 1080P@60fps ($15.00-$20.00)

Uses the new (late 2022) MS2130 chip to record at 1080p@60 compared to older 2020 models that used the MS2109 which only did 1080p@30fps and with higher latency. These older models can be found for <$15.00 if you don't mind the lower quality.

There are a few different models around and more are likely to come out, search for the chip name to find the one you're looking for.

See for MS2130 test results https://twitter.com/Ascii211/status/1593408460283969537

Security Cameras/Spy Cams/CCTV

(im sure im missing things here, someone more knowledgeable can probably expand)

Forget thinking about using a plug and play camera with mobile app remote viewing unless you like Chang watching from afar. You want to get something that you can access directly via IP and get a clean audio/video feed from. look out for terms like ONVIF and RTSP, thats what you want. Then you can create a segregated network just for these cameras with no external access, look into VLANs if a networking dummy.

You then need to pair an appropriate software for recording, mobile access and any advanced features (AI recognition/alerting/etc) Examples include BlueIris, MotioneyeOS, Zoneminder, iSpy etc.

If you just don't care, Hikvision and dahua are the big names in CCTV.

HQCam Official Store (Aliexpress) $10-$40 range

https://hqcam001.aliexpress.com/store/716987

Good selection of peephole cameras, spy cameras, outdoor/waterproof cameras, 4k/x256/PoE/Wifi cameras, USB OTG Cameras. Generally all accessible over IP and provide good image quality. Seller is helpful and usually supplies test footage. Various lenses and sensors available per listing depending on usage.

Wearables/Smartwatches

Xiaomi Mi Band ($13.00-$45.00)

The Xiaomi Smart Band or Xiaomi Mi Band is a series of Fitness trackers, meaning it's not strictly speaking a smartwatch. Pricing and capabilities depend on the version, usually differences between versions are not gigantic, but the larger the number, the better the features. Up to 2 weeks of Battery life, the usual features you'd want from a fitness band, including step counting, exercise, heartrate, blood oxygen and sleep monitoring, as well as light smartwatch capabilities like notifications, alarms, phone control (controlling audio playback or making the phone play audio to find it easily), messaging (and quick reply), etc.

To get a good reading from the sensors the band has to sit somewhat tight around the wrist. Free custom watch faces are available on amazfitwatcheshttps://amazfitwatchfaces.com. If you want to sync data with Google Fit, use the "Zepp Life" app, rather than the "Mi Fitness" app. They are almost identical in terms of features.

A very capable Fitness tracker, that feels like a smartwatch in terms of features at a fraction of the price. Check local pricing, as that may be competitive.

Plenty of clones and fakes out there, make sure it explicitly says Mi Band.

Mi Band straps ($1.50-$3.00)

Aside from the default strap the Mi Bands come with, there's various other straps available, made from nylon, metal or leather. As these are largely generic (meaning different sellers sell the same items), just find a seller with a decent amount of items sold and get whatever appeals to you. The Nylon straps are supposed to be very nice.

Nato straps ($1.00-$4.00)

Cheap straps that can be used on majority of watches, very popular with the Casio F91W. Most are made from nylon. UTHAI is a decent seller for watch straps (nato \& non-nato). Be sure to get the proper sizing for your watch.

Tablets

The meta for "minimum viable" Tablets changes all the time, so just look for "tablet" and filter by orders.

For mid-market tablets, consider the offerings by xiaomi. The Redmi SE pad is really nicely priced, if you want more power then the Mi Pad 6 and Mi Pad 7 are both great.

It's also worth checking local prices for the cheap offerings by Samsung. The entry models can compete in this space for quality.

E-readers

E-readers are a topic that comes up occasionally in /csg/. There's two types of E-readers: E-book readers, which usually have limited processing power and are meant for E-books and static files, and E-paper tablets, which can run for example Android, and can be better for things like manga reading, however they will need charging after a day or two, as opposed to the weeks a E-book reader can last. Common consensus at the moment is that E-book readers are not worth getting from Asia.

To unlock the potential of your eReader of choice Kindle/Kobo/etc. you should investigate setting up Korereader.

Korereader lets you load a bunch more files types and has a overall better experience than stock software.

https://github.com/koreader/koreader

That being said, here's the worthwhile options (not from Asia) at the moment:

Kindle ($80.00-$150.00)

One of the better options is a Kindle (Paperwhites are good), which are often available used and even new are reasonably priced (since Amazon makes a lot of their money via the store). You can consider getting the ad infested version to save $20.00, then simply delete the ads off the device, provided you don't plan on connecting to the internet/Amazon store in the future. (Check if this is still possible before buying).

Rakuten Kobo ($99.00-$400.00)

The Rakuten Kobo is the alternative to the Kindle, and can be found on their website: https://www.kobo.com/. Make your own decision regarding which one of these fits your use case best.

Onyx Boox ($150.00-$750.00)

Onyx Boox is one of the best E-paper tablets right now. Fair price compared to other E-paper tablet and have decent user experience thanks to their custom launcher and nice-to-have features that dedicated for E-paper tablets (Yes, most E-paper tablets are garbage to the point where some random Chink can make it better than most in the markets). Come with Android so you can use any Android app. Note that some older models doesn't have Google Play Services and newer models required some additional setup to make Google Play Services work. Onyx also declined to release their modification of Linux kernel source code, a violation to GPLv2 license. Also, say goodbye to your privacy (https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/onyx-boox/))

E-ink tablet

If you want an android running tablet with E-ink screen, note that you'll combine some of the issues of the technologies; The energy savings of e-ink won't be as great as with a normal e-reader as the processor still consumes a lot of power. The refresh rate and response time of an android tablet enabled by the processor will be offset by the limitation of e-ink displays.

Basically these are good for manga/tachiyomi and maybe browsing text-heavy stuff or pdfs. For pure text they are more expensive and worse than a e-reader.

Unfortunately there isn't a meta pick here at the moment that the thread can agree on. Worth checking locally. E-ink as a technology doesn't seem to have enough market saturation to really make it worth having competitive offerings for chinese sellers it seems.

Hardware/Devboards

Sadly the chip shortage has made the pricing of all these Devboards highly volatile, meaning you should double check if any specific board is worth it.

Arduino news: https://www.cnx-software.com/news/arduino/

Arduinos

Arduinos are a group of microprocessors, developed by the Arduino company/project. They are open-source hardware, meaning they are effortless to create for Chinese imitators. As a result, basically any Arduino can be bought for substantially cheaper from Aliexpress, etc. It will work basically the same, with the notable exception of the type of bootloader that's on them. Older bootloaders may mean you have to change some settings in the Arduino IDE, and some boards (though very rarely) come without bootloader at all, meaning you have to manually flash them. This is easy to spot however, as these listings will usually have many bad reviews with people complaining that the boards don't work. Other than that they work great, and there's really no reason to buy from the official Arduino company unless you want to support their cause.

Arduino Uno ($4.50-$8.00)

The most common "starter" Arduino, with convenient headers and a good baseline to get to know the Arduino ecosystem. Note the USB Type-B cable you need to interact with it.

Arduino Nano ($3.50-$6.00)

Basically the same as the Arduino Uno, but smaller, with some slightly different stats. Better for most projects due to the formfactor.

Sparkfun Pro Micro ($4.00)

Even smaller ATmega32U4 board. Popular in the mech. key community as a controller. Original design uses micro USB but there are variants with USB-C.

WeAct Blackpill STM32F411 ($6.00)

These may be hard to find now due to the chip shortage. Sports a STM32F411, one LED and two buttons. STMduino and Zephyr support.

STM32 "Bluepill" Board ($2.50-$4.00)

A higher maximum PWM frequency, more interrupt pins, more accurate ADCs (analog to digital converters), slightly cheaper than Arduino clones. The big downside is that you have to program it using a USB to Serial converter breakout board, and fiddle slightly more in the Arduino IDE to get it to work the first time (Just download the appropriate library from the IDE). Also the programming is very marginally different.

Most of these boards now use STM32F1 compatibles, not actual ST chips. Some even use fake STM32F1s (3rd party clones marked as genuine ST chips). See https://hackaday.com/2020/10/22/stm32-clones-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

ST-Link clones ($2.00)

If you've got a Cortex-M board and want a SWD debugger, this is probably the cheapest option. Most will also work with STM8 chips.

Can be flashed with blackmagicprobe firmware to provide a on-device GDB server.

(NodeMCU) ESP8266 / STM32 Devboard ($3.50-$5.00)

Think of these as Arduino boards, except they have a built-in wireless functionality. Very neat if you want to do IoT projects, get data wirelessly, or have it access the internet in general. Different versions available, all of them have worked for me in the past.

ESP32 devboards (price varies, starting from $1.00)

There are many ESP32 chips, with the newer ones sporting RISC-V cores. Which means there are only even more devboards out there. Some boards like the popular LILYGOs bundle extra hardware (a screen in the case of LILYGO).

ESP32 chips are 32bit and much faster than the old ESP8266. The original ESP32 has WiFi and dual mode Bluetooth. Later chips removed classic Bluetooth (LE only) and some don't have Bluetooth at all.

If you need a low power BLE controller it's better to look elsewhere as ESP32 is relatively power hungry.

• ESP32 chips: https://www.espressif.com/en/products/socs
• Official devboards: https://www.espressif.com/en/products/devkits

RP2040 boards ($2.00-$5.00)

A Cortex-M0 microcontroller from RPi. Most notable feature is the PIO which allows you to implement an interface in software without bit banging (this was only available on expensive micros before).

PIO examples: https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-examples#pio

PC hardware

It's highly suggest that you look locally or on ebay before you check aliexpress/taobao for computer hardware, majority of the time you will find a better deal on ebay for the same product (depending on your local market situation).

CPUs

Generally safe to buy, pick a store with a good amount of orders and favorable reviews.

Most CPUs bought off Aliexpress that goes into a new build would be either an old Xeon E5 (v3 and v4 are the best choice right now), an ES CPU (cheap, unlocked multiplier) or a laptop convert LGA1151 CPU (cheap, ES versions have unlocked multiplier).

GPUs

Not always safe. Some like the 6600M are ok, but if you see something like a 3080 or a 6900xt on Ali, assume it's a scam, either it doesn't exist or is a heavily used card, most likely for mining. If you want newer high end cards, go to Taobao. Beware of desktop graphics cards being sold with their mobile chipset counterpart. Mobile chipsets can be used to save a decent chunk of cash but be aware of the driver issues before purchasing. Mobile chipset GPUs are also a viable option if you're looking for a low wattage gpu.

SSDs

Trash 99% of the time, most of them don't have DRAM, use shitty controllers and are probably QLC. Some particularly shitty ones may use recycled memory chips. OK for short term storage of unimportant data. Some recommended brands are Netac, Asgard, Goldenfir, Kingspec, Xraydisk. Most of them use the exact same chips so just pick the one that better suits your needs. You can also get OEM versions of SSDs from major brands like Samsung from Ali.

RAM

Safe, though most of them will have worse latencies/timings than better brands. Most of them use Samsung or Kingston chips so it's all the same chink shit

External storage

SD cards, USB sticks and similar items are not worth it. Most of them are fake, be it the rated speed or the storage size. The legit ones will be almost the same price as if you bought locally

Clothing/Apparel/Textiles

In general when buying Chinese clothing, unless stated otherwise assume the sizes given to not coincide with the sizes you are used to, particularly if you are buying ones made for the opposite sex. Usually any seller of clothes worth anything will have a sizing chart in the description or item images somewhere that will explain what measurements which sizes have. Pay attention to that chart to figure out what size you need to order.

Football ("soccer") jersey replicas

China has been cracking down on these so you won't find them on websites like Aliexpress anymore. Instead you will have to hunt down the sellers web pages. When you find a good one, it's recommended that you add the chink on WhatsApp so you get updates on where to find him when his current page is inevitably taken down. A current seller that is reputable is jjsport24, but there are many others. You will usually find new sellers on reddit, but some of them also like to hide in Facebook Groups.

The fabric is (or at least used to be) the same used for the official kits. Patch quality may vary, but in any case do not get a jersey with a printed club logo, always get one with the embroidered patch. The glue on the prints like sponsors and name/number will wear off quickly after washing a few times, so if you want a custom name and/or number, buy an extra set of the prints because you will eventually have to glue on a new one.

Accessories

Shemagh (generic) ($2.00)

A Shemagh or Keffiyeh is a square cotton scarf usually worn by men in the middle east and popular in the western outdoor community. These are surprisingly versatile and can even be pretty fashionable. They can be used as a scarf, for both winter and summer, as a headdress, filter, sunshade, wind protection and more. They can be bought in various stores for dirt cheap and while the quality of the fabric might not be the best, for the price they are very good value. They are obviously mostly suited for warmer climates, but are surprisingly effective even when it gets colder.

USB powered heated fingertopless gloves and shoe inserts ($5-$8)

If you hate having cold feet and cold hands these are a must have. The gloves will keep your hand warm enough for you to use your phone outside. Paired with leather gloves your hands remain warm and toasty even during -15°C (5°F) nights. The wires can be detached at the wrist for easy removal while running the wired through your sleeves. The shoe inserts do an excellent job at keeping your feet warm even in the snow. These too can be detached so you can easily run the wires through your pants. A 6000mAh power bank should be enough to power both all day.

Tools

Soldering irons

A soldering iron is, together with a multimeter, the most important tool to work on and repair electronics. A good soldering iron has 4 virtues: Accuracy, power, ergonomics and tip type.

• Accuracy means that it gets to the temperature you set it to quickly, reaches it with minimal overshoot (ideally) and stays at that temperature. The important thing to look out for here is a PID controller, which is a fairly simple to implement control circuit. All suggestions here except the cheapskate one have this.
• Power is the raw ability of the iron to put out heat energy. This doesn't matter on small parts, especially for SMD work raw power isn't much of a concern, but the bigger the heatsink, the more important it gets. If you have to solder speaker wire or larger heat sinks, a weak iron won't be able to heat the part to the point where you can solder properly.
• Ergonomics is a mix of how heavy the iron is, how close the tip is to the handle (most people prefer closer) and how good it is to hold.
• Tip type is one of the big differences between types. There's 3 main types: Permanent tips (usually best to avoid, only cheapskate option has this), sleeve/passive tips (very cheap to replace, but worse performance) and cartridge tips (what you probably want, the big 3 here are TS100, T12 and JBC (C245/C210)).

To find out what iron you want, you have to ask yourself what you want to use it for. The 3 big uses are: Casual Home use (soldering together wires mostly), through-hole or larger components, SMD.

A word on combo stations: Some stations have both a iron and a hot air gun. Hot air is nice for SMD work, but most of the combo stations have passive tips, which are generally less accurate than cartridges, and accuracy matters most with SMD work, so for most people these are okay, but probably not worth recommending. You can get standalone hot air guns or stations, which is often a better idea, especially if you don't know yet if you'll do much SMD work to begin with.

Cheapkate option (5$)

At its core a soldering iron isn't complex, so if your usecase is simple and you want to save money, you can get a really cheap one. These are a grip, usually with a rotary knob for temperature on it, and end in a mains cable. If your use is to solder wires in the house and maybe very rarely work on large components (the odd larger capacitor here and there), these are fine. You can find them in bundles around 4-10$. You can alternatively go to your local hardware store and just ask for the cheapest one they have, this is probably the type. In terms of the virtues, these will have none except mid ergonomics and raw power, but they'll overshoot with heat and be inaccurate. Again, if you're soldering wires that doesn't matter, but for real work on actual parts, you probably want more.

The default - pinecil V2 (40$)

Long ago, soldering irons were expensive and shit. Then the chinese company miniware came along and made the TS100, which was a cheap portable soldering iron that quickly got popular in the fpv drone and maker communities. As miniware released all schematics etc. open source, plenty of clones popped up. The american founded company pine64 (now situated in Hong Kong) then did some minor changes to lower production cost and added better PD support and released it as a "pinecil". This has become the de-facto default suggestion for anyone who doesn't know what they want exactly. Buy this from pine64.com, aliexpress offerings are often V1 and no less cheap. It has a PID controller, decent ergonomics and crucially it's portable and easy to take with you. TS100 tips are both fairly cheap and widely available too. Word of warning: You need a good PSU and wire or it'll run like utter shit. Consult https://pine64.org/documentation/Pinecil/Power_supplies/Watts/ for more information. Pinecil also comes with ironOS pre-installed. It's just a really decent middle market iron overall. If you're a euro, you can still get the pinecil from pine64, but it'll be a lot less of an attractive offering. Keep in mind that the global version doesn't include VAT and import taxes, so factor that in on top. They have a EU store which has them included, as a result everything is more expensive there.

T12 stations (25-60$)

T12 cartridges are a generic version of the T15 cartridge originally developed by Hakko. There's plenty of T12 stations that use these, most of which fall into two categories: Those using a STM32 microcontroller and those using older microcontrollers (often STC15W408A5). The case often looks the same for these, but they are distinct products. The basic distinction is that STM32 microcontrollers are more powerful which leads to better PID controller behavior. They also tend to be later revisions using better internals, often supporting higher wattage, having better control circuitry and being less likely to have the mentioned grounding issues. That being said, the STC15W408A5 chipsets aren't garbage and are definitely still usable. If a listing for a station you found doesn't specify what controller it uses, assume it's the STC15W408A5.

They are solid allrounder stations and T12 tips are both reasonably priced, widely available and well established. If you want to save some money over a pinecil and don't care about portability the STC versions are a good choice and also save you from the annoyances of PD power supplies. Also slightly better ergonomically over the pinecil and slightly more consistent for longer work sessions. A word of caution, some STC ones aren't properly grounded, reports are very inconsistent if something is or isn't. Improper grounding can mean a risk to you and the electronics you work on, so you should test for that and fix it if it isn't, especially if you work on sensitive electronics. If you'd rather get something with better QC, mechanic is a trusted brand that also makes T12 stations where you can be pretty sure they are well made, but you'll pay 5-10$ more for the privilege, as they cost around 35-40$.

Consider looking into the T12-955, T12-956, T12-958, T12-959. All of them use STM32s, later models (higher numbers) tend to have better UI, but slightly less power. Starting at version 956 they switched from 907-Style handles to M8-Style handles (both work with the same tips).

Honorable mention to a new group that recently came up of T12 stations that are compatible with makita batteries. All of these I've seen have used the STC15W408A5 chipset and targeted the entry level market segment. If you need a portable iron and already have the batteries, this is a very nice in the field option, but if you use it at home, don't bother as this usually isn't the greatest for the cells and longevity.

Yihua stations (and C245/C210 tips) (40-150+$)

Yihua has been around for ages and can be considered a decently trustworthy brand. They have plenty of stations, some cheaper some less cheap, also most of the combo stations are by them. Pay attention to the tip type, as some use passive tips. If that's okay or not depends on your usecase. Upsides of these tips are cheap replacements, downsides are less accuracy. Of special note is the yihua 982 (50-60$), as it takes both C245 and C210 tips, which are JBC clones and the de-facto industry standard for soldering irons at the moment. C245 tips are great for larger heatsinks, while C210 are nice for more accurate work. Consider this the "more professional" option out of all the ones mentioned here. The default station if you really want a 2-in-1 hot air and soldering station is the Yihua 8786D (~60$). It's solid and tested. However for a similar price you can get a T12 station and a standalone hot air gun, which will probably outperform it in the soldering deparment (though the hot air is likely slightly worse). Really you should only consider this if having it as one device is important to you.

Standalone Hot Air stations/guns

Instead of getting a 2-in-1 station, you can get a hot air gun/station separately. Most of these options that are worth considering are by Yihua. They're fairly simple devices, but also cheap and easy to replace.

Worth considering here are:

• Yihua 8858IV (~25$) which is a handheld air gun (check bundles for this).
• Yihua 8858-I (~30$) which is also a handheld air gun (again, often found in bundles).
• Yihua 858D (~35$) which is a proper station (albeit a simple one).
• Generic 858D (~25$) same as the yihua, but cheaper and with a marginally higher chance of bad QA.
• Yarboly 8858 (~25$) think of it as a Yihua 8858, but with the PSU and control being in a separate brick. Halfway between a handheld and a station.
• And plenty other options at higher prices.

Beeboon TC22 (~70$)

Without a question the most performant soldering station of the ones mentioned here, consider this a realy competitively priced premium option. Up to 240W power output, great grounding, Supports C115, C245, C210 tips and T115,T245,T210 Handles. Also has a graph showing temperature curves. It's more than many people will need, but if you want a great station, this is your pick.

Honorable mentions

There's plenty of other options, of note are the TS101 (miniware's response to the pinecil, but not better enough to warrant the cost usually), TS80 (Miniware's attempt to diversify, uses rarer cartridges), TS100 (depreciated by the pinecil), FNIRSI HS-02, ANENG SL108, FNIRSI HS-01, Alientek T80 and more. None of these will be bad, but they also have usually either one flaw that makes them not worth as a general consideration, or they are too new on the block to say they are established yet.

There's also premium options in the 100$+ range, but frankly if you wanted one of those, you shouldn't be using this guide and already know better. At this price range it's also worth considering the more established non-/csg/ brands.

Soldering supplies

For all of these it depends on your usecase. If you solder two cables together, you probably don't need the highest quality solder and flux and a cheap aliexpress substitute will do the job just fine. The finer your work and the more it is supposed to last, the more important quality becomes.

Solder

Can be garbage and/or overpriced, but doesn't have to be. Brands like Mechanic are trusted here. Alternatively buy locally from trusted brands, like Asahi, Kester, Felder, etc.

Flux

Avoid anything from "Amtech", "Kingbo" on Ali, those are both 100% fake and 100% garbage. Preferably get something locally from a good brand like Chip-Quik, Flux-Plus, Ersa, Genuine Amtech from a trusted store. Mechanic SD360 and Amaoe M50 are some decent options from China.

Screwdrivers

Xiaomi | Wiha Screwdriver set ($20.00)

Used to be the definitive CSG meme and well deserved. The collaboration with Wiha has stopped years ago though and now you can't get it anymore, only fakes or clones. If you get a clone these days, it'll be cheap and soft steel. May still be worth it if the form factor is worth it to you, but it's likely no better performance wise than any generic cheap screwdriver set.

Wowstick electric screwdriver ($20.00-$30.00)

It's an electric screwdriver with plenty of bits. Sadly the way the bits are stored is not very convenient for changing the bits and it's neither the most long lasting, nor the most tolerant of medium to high torque applications. Realistically you shouldn't need an electric screwdriver unless you assemble and disassemble electronics for a living, but then again, for a electric screwdriver these are quite cheap.

Miniware ES-15 electric screwdriver ($100.00-$130.00)

Think of this as a Wowstick, except better in every way. Metal housing, great UI/UX, made from stainless steel, better gearing, massively more torque, some smart features. If you want a great electric screwdriver, this is it. But the truth is unless you do this for a living, you don't need one, and $100 is a steep price for a screwdriver.

115/117-in-1 sets from Bundle section (7-12$)

These are unbranded and have a lot of bits, as well as a plastic handle and some tools for electronics repair. Do not use these for anything with medium to high torque, but for electronics work they may be enough and are good to have for that one time every few years you need some obscure bit. If you currently have no bitset at all, this is a cheap way to get started. The 117-in-1 sets are considered marginally better than the 115-in-1 sets, as there's been some reports of off-center torx bits on the latter, but both will do the job likely.

Cutters

Fake Plato 170 side cutters ($1.5-$2)

Great cheap side cutters for working with plastics, wires, electronic part leads. Avoid using them on hard metal objects like nails, screws, etc. since they will break and that may send a piece flying right into your eye.

Tweezers

AT-11JP/AT-15JP precision tweezers ($5-$10)

Very thin precise tweezers. Really great for SMD work and similar, but a bit too fragile for most tougher uses.

Mechanic AAX-16 tweezers (3$)

Come in a nice metal box, are nicely sized, precise and most importantly really sturdy. Great allround tweezers that don't suck.

Generic Ceramic Tweezers (2.5$ for 2)

Nothing too special and can be slightly out of alignment, but decent enough for their purpose. As tweezers they are worse than the others mentioned here, but if you want tweezers with all the advantages of the material properties of ceramics (anti-static, corrosion resistant, temperature resistant ...) they are fine.

Generic "ESD Anti-Static" Tweezers (2.5$ for 6)

Stay away, these are cheaply made, won't grip well, deform quickly and overall be a pain to work with. You'll thank yourself for buying something more capable instead.

Calipers

Plastic digital calipers (2$)

There's plenty of generic plastic digital calipers in Bundles. These use PCB traces to measure distance usually and need coin cells to run (first one included when you buy them). While nothing special and not super accurate (expect accuracy to at best 0.1 mm), they are good enough for quick measurements or most 3D printing work, and convenient to have around. If you don't have calipers yet, get some.

Generic stainless steel digital calipers (~15-20$)

These usually come in a black plastic case and are generally better built and more accurate than the ultra cheap ones. The metal construction also makes them not deform as much. You can usually see they have a small metal wheel at the right side of the screen, which indicates a different way of measuring the distance. Consider them a sort of halfway-point. More accurate and resiliant than generic plastic bundle calipers, less reliable than e.g. shahe. Probably more than enough for 3D printing use etc.

Analog Dial Calipers (~15-20$)

Similarly to the generic stainless digital calipers, these don't have a brand. They have a big rotary dial in the front and advertise an accuracy of ~0.02mm. Their biggest upside to the digital ones is that they don't need batteries, so if you rarely use your calipers, these are much nicer. Moving the jaws has a bit more resistance due to the mechanical mechanism inside compared to the digital option and they are mildly harder to read. Check coin discounts for good deals here. Some anon who got both these and generic digital ones said they disagreed ~0.04-0.06 mm in their measurement, so assuming a ~0.02mm accuracy on both devices sounds about right. So likely as accurate as you'll ever need for non-professional use.

Shahe digital calipers ($30-$60)

High quality digital calipers, much better build quality and battery life than most generic digital calipers from China. Shahe may be slightly more accurate than the generic options, but most importantly it is reliably accurate and usually comes with a calibration certificate. Basically it's a bit more trustworthy than the generic options.

Multimeters

First of all, please don't buy cheap chink multimeters if you plan to use them on mains or high voltage circuits. It would probably be better to avoid the non-cheap, still-chink ones too if that's your usage scenario. Chinese DMMs (Digital MultiMeters) tend to be just as accurate as the ones from good, reputable brands. The reason they cost a fraction of the latter is that all kinds of protections are skipped or severly downsized. That's perfectly fine if you're planning on using them on low voltage, low current scenarios, but it can be deadly otherwise. Please don't do anything stupid.

The absolute barest minimum you want as an hobbyist is a multimeter that can measure:

• current down to the microamps range (μA)
• voltage down to the millivolts (mV) both in AC (⏦) and DC (⎓) (sometimes you'll find a single glyph for both, ≂)
• capacitance (-||- or -|(- symbol on the dial) as low as 20-40 nanofarads (nF)
• resistance down to the ohm (Ω) and as high as tens of megaohms (MΩ)

and has:

• diode testing mode (-►|- on the dial)
• continuity testing mode (🔊)

Non-autoranging dmms work fine but they're more annoying to use and there's little reason to go for one of those nowadays.

Good but not essential features that separate one cheap dmm from another are:

• a high count number (does not directly equates to precision, but it lets you see more digits on screen)
• dedicated current ports (cheaper dmms have the lower ampere ranges share the same port with voltage and other functions, having them separated means it's harder to burn the multimeter by mistake)
• autohold function (you press the button, take the measurement and the screen freezes once the value taken becomes stable)
• min/max functions and/or relative measurement function
• screen backlight that doesn't automatically turn off (sadly most do)
• the diode testing function using 3V or more (this makes LEDs light up when you want to check if they're burnt out)
• a highly responsive continuity test mode
• temperature measuring
• square wave generation function
• Frequency measuring (Hz)
• Having decent and easy to replace fuses is something most multimeters have these days, but can make a big difference in terms of longevity

NCV mode can be useful to have but not in the context of the hobby.

Borderline useless features that shouldn't sway you when comparing multimeters are:

• non-auto hold button (you'd need to magically grow a third hand to push the button that freezes the screen while taking the measurement)
• hFE test mode
• sound/light sensors (usually stupidly inaccurate)

DMMs to consider:

• Aneng AN8008 (~$26.00)
• Aneng AN8009 (~$26.00)
• Aneng AN870 when on sale (~$31.00)
• Zotek ZT301 (also sold as Bside ZT301) (~$26.00)
• Zotek ZT302 (also sold as Bside ZT302) (~$26.00)
• Uni-T UT136C+ (~$31.00)
• Uni-T UT139C when on sale (~$46.00)

Glue, Adhesives, etc

Kafuter A+B Acrylic 2-part glue ($4-$5)

Tough fast-drying 2-part epoxy for variety of purposes. Works great for repairing broken laptop hinges and other plastic parts.

Kafuter K-704/704B/705 silicone glue/sealant ($4-$5)

Silicone glue/sealant, similar to what's used in various electronics to fix components from flapping around in the breeze. Remains somewhat flexible after curing. Good when you need a glue that is semi-flexible and temperature-resistant.

IT Technician Tools

Pegatah CCTV tester with HDMI VGA Input and Network tools ($200.00-$240.00)

Not just a "CCTV Tester" its an Android tablet that also bundles as a external HDMI/VGA monitor, capture card, Ethernet cable tracer and tester, network discovery. Very useful if doing CCTV installs or any type of IT role that involves onsite visits.

Good overview video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZQSkFl4yIM

Pegatah has an official AliExpress store where this can be purchased.

Models:

• TI-N9651: Support 8MP TVI+8MP CVI+8MP AHD+4K H.265 IP +Analog+HDMI IN+VGA IN test
• TI-N9651C: Support 8MP TVI+8MP CVI+8MP AHD+4K H.265 IP +Analog+HDMI IN+VGA IN test+Cable Tracer
• TI-N9652: Support 8MP TVI+8MP CVI+8MP AHD+SDI+4K H.265 IP +Analog+EX-SDI/HD-SDI+HDMI IN+VGA IN test
• TI-N9652C: Support 8MP TVI+8MP CVI+8MP AHD+SDI+4K H.265 IP +Analog+EX-SDI/HD-SDI+HDMI IN+VGA IN test+Cable Tracer

PI-KVM ($40.00-$70.00 + RaspPi)

Opensource project https://pikvm.org/ Buy official gear ($200+)to support creator or buy kits on the cheap from Ali.

You will need to supply your own RaspberryPi 4 in most every case.

Available as standalone units https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004451752086.html or you can buy custom builds designed to fit into a PCIE slot (handy for permanent installs) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004975293077.html

Can find plenty of different options by searching Ali. Buy individual components as needed or buy a kit like above.

Can be bundled with an external "normal" KVM with serial or USB conntroller interface which shows up in Pi-KVM software for easy switching between devices. eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTchVKxx7Fo

Ezcoo 4 port hdmi kvm is a known working model per youtube link but retails on Amazon for $75-$150 need to find /CSG/ Alternative.

GDP Pocket 3 mini PC ($750.00 - $1200.00 - 2022/23)

Can probably fit in other sections but included here specifically as is the only PC/MiniPC that has HDMI/USB/Serial Inputs built in. This would allow an IT Tech or similar the ability to have a portable "crash cart" for connecting into headless (no screen or KB/M) servers/PCs with minimal cables and peripherals, everything is done on device. Downside is that the Serial module is seperate from the HDMI/USB-C module and is an extra cost. For the time being (late 2022) this is the only device that does this so cleanly, hopefully an area that expands.

Fanless Mini PCs Routers/Firewalls - pfsense/openwrt ($150.00-$300.00

Small low power mini PCs with 3 to 5 1.0-2.5 even 10GbE ports perfect as an cheap (to run) opensource/free firewall/router/VPN solution for your home or business. Of course you could easily DIY your own from an old PC with a network expansion card but the key selling point with these is size, power usage and ease of use.

AliExpressStores - Topton/KingNovyPC/others

Latest news/reviews - https://www.servethehome.com / https://www.youtube.com/@ServeTheHomeVideo/videos

Typically comes in differing CPU variants, RAM and storage are optional as you can easily supply your own.

You'll want a better specced CPU if you're looking to use advanced FW features, high throughput Wireguard/VPN, using as a VM host etc.

As of late 2022 the main CPU varients are Intel N5105 and N6001 pentium processors. There are some pricier Ryzen and Intel varients around but for most the cheaper pentiums should be fine. Depends on use case.

Travel Routers ($50.00-$250.00)

For when traveling and not wanting to connect all your devices to sketchy WiFi networks. Different models have different features but at a bare minimum they should provide a separate SSID for you to connect your devices to instead of public wifi. Can sit in the middle between your devices and the public wifi or run off of cellular data bypassing public networks entirely. Use it to stay safe and/or pipe back to your home network when on the road.

Recommended - GL.iNet devices. Specifically GL-AXT1800 as of late 2022. Comes with VPN build in, can do OpenVPN/Wireguard. WAN can be any or all of the following, public wifi, usb/wifi phone tether, ethernet. Runs Linux, has AdGuard built in, can install other packages as needed. Has SD card slot for Samba shares.

Glasses

Optical Glasses

China has a huge myopia problem so there are lots of vendors selling high index lenses (choose a vendor with a lot of orders and a store rating higher than 97%). Getting your lenses or glasses from China is probably a much better idea than paying the 10000% markup prices at your local optician. After buying a certain lens, vendors would expect you to send them through the Message Center your measurement, so make sure you have it handy and don't forget to have your PD (pupillary distance) measured as well if you want them to cut the lenses for you if you choose a frame as well from the store (which they do for free). In addition, note that these stores charge more for high astigmatism (usually higher than 2.5), typically 5-8$ per single lens. The best AliExpress store in terms of price is Handoer (about 29$ for a pair of 1.74 index aspheric lenses and 17$ for a pair of 1.67 index aspheric lenses), but you can check other stores as well if you're not satisfied with their frames such as HOTOCHKI or BCLEAR.

Outdoor items

Outdoor knives

The advice regarding knives will vary a lot from location to location, partially due to legislation being different and partially due to different items being more or less competitive in different markets.

Broadly speaking, the places that sellers save on for outdoor knives are the same as kitchen or EDC knives: Material choice (usually softer steels), quality control and build quality.

However, in the outdoor market there's some decent western brands that covered the budget sector so well that it's usually not worth getting a /csg/ knife. These western brands are:

Opinel Knives ($10.00-$26.00)

Opinel folding knives come in various sizes ranging from a 3.5 cm blade (No.2, available starting at $10.00) to 12 cm blade (No. 12, available starting at $26.00). While they have no quick opening feature, their locking mechanism has proven its reliability over the years. Stainless steel and carbon steel variants are available.

Optics (Binoculars, Monoculars & Magnifying glasses)

Optics are pretty hard to produce. The expectation for many people is excellence and to reach that excellence production has to be amazing. If you want amazing optics, be that for military, job or because you are a very demanding hobbyist, this section is probably not for you. Instead, it will cover optics that are "good enough" for light hobbyists, nature enthusiasts or kids, do not cost much, and aren't expected to have amazing performance.

Binoculars \& Monoculars ($5.00+)

Binoculars and monoculars are, for the sake of this section, identical, except binoculars cover both eyes, are more expensive and bulky, but allow for better depth perception compared to monoculars and are often more stable, simply due to the bigger body.

There's some things inherent to optical systems that apply to this section as well:

• The higher the magnification of your optical system, the dimmer the image, and lower the field of view (all else being equal)
• The higher the magnification, the harder it is to stabilize the device unless it has a mounting system

These tradeoffs are unavoidable.

Binoculars and monoculars will often be designated two numbers in the style of AxB, where "A" is the magnification, which is decided by the lens of the device closer to your eyes and "B" is the aperture or size of the objective lens (the one further away). The aperture determines how much light is gathered, larger means more light.

Angle of view and field of view are different ways to denominate the same metric. If angle of view is really high, they probably are using "actual angle of view", which means they multiplied the angle of view with the magnification. FoV is usually written in meters per kilometer or feet per 1k yards, though it can also be using other reference distances.

The exit pupil number is the size of the image leaving the binoculars and hitting your eyes. This number is the objective lens diameter (aperture) divided by the magnification. Bigger is better, anything above 4mm is considered good, it maxes out around 6mm, anything above can't be captured by the eye anymore. A high exit pupil means a brighter image. Bigger is better.

If you decide on binoculars, make sure you can adjust the distance between the different lenses, or you will have a bad time.

If you just want something to birdwatch for cheap, 8-10 times magnification is probably best. There's pocket monoculars on AliExpress for around $5.00, they won't be great in terms of build quality, color correctness or aperture, but they will work, and do so for a very reasonable price. Maybe nothing for someone who takes birdwatching seriously, but a good way to test if it's something for you.

Magnifying glasses ($3.00+)

When buying magnifying glasses and planning to use them outside, make sure to get something that has a reasonable case that can protect the lenses from damage when carrying them. On the lower price spectrum you will probably get plastic lenses, but those work just fine for watching bugs, plants or similar.

The terms: "Jeweler's loupe" or "folding magnifying glass" should be decent places to start searching. There's versions out there that have multiple lenses in one folding case, which are great if you value the space they take up on a walk in the woods.

Phone Lenses ($2.75)

There's a decent amount of so called "phone lenses", which are lenses (often multiple) in a kit that you can fix to your phone camera with some sort of clamp. Usually they will contain a fisheye lens, macro lens and maybe a wide lens. There's also contraptions to put monoculars on a phone lens. The same rules apply as for eyes, except a low light image means cheaper phones with worse camera sensors will struggle quickly to take decent images unless the lens captures enough light. Make sure the lens is centered on your phone camera for good pictures and check the review images of listings to get a idea for what those lenses can do before buying.

Camping cookware

From stove designs to material choice and even style, almost all outdoor cookware you can buy locally will have a very similar copy on AliExpress, usually for cheaper. There's really no need to manually list things, just search for the terms you want and compare prices. Titanium cutlery and cups are classic choices to buy from overseas, as it's the same items (often from the same factory) as locally, except without the brand name and premium price. Choose Titanium if you want lightweight and durable metal, stainless if you want to pay less money in exchange for more weight, or aluminium if you want to save money in exchange for durability.

Fishing supplies and equipment

Note about this guide

I go fishing in Spain and therefore the products recommended here have been tested in that area and they’re price/performance ratio has been compared with stuff that can be bought either locally or online.

General advice

Before buying anything from the chinks I recommend you to check local and online fishing stores prices. In the past year the price of fishing stuff have increased noticeably so it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it or not.

Take a look at the different categories, check the stuff with most sales, but go a couple of pages deep. People usually buy the cheapest shit like hotcakes but a lot of times the actual great stuff is a bit more expensive. Check pictures and if you’re in the market for fishing lures pay special attention to people buying from your country that have actually tested them.

Things I would not buy

Rods and reels

I have no experience buying them from Chinese stores for a couple of reasons.

• They are the cornerstone of your fishing gear and quality must be ensured

• Reputable brands offer cheaper entry level models that have been battle tested, have better quality control and local stores are familiar with them in case you need something repaired

You can get Daiwa and Shimano spinning reels and rods for about 20 bucks. Surfcasting ones are pricier but they are also prone to heavier stress so I don’t recommend getting your average chink shit.

Sinkers (surfcasting)

I have yet to find ones with the appropriate weight to use in surfcasting (60-150g) that are cheaper than buying locally considering shipping.

I do recommend checking your local Craiglist or whatever the equivalent is to see if anyone is selling them, because at least in my country this is pretty common and will save you some bucks.

Surfcasting stuff

Line

500m Japan monofilament nylon

Probably one of the first results that you will come across, the picture has the Daiwa logo, but it is most likely fake. Anyway this line is pretty good to tie hooks and has low memory, comes in a wide variety of colors and diameters. I’ve been using it for years without a problem.

Fluorocarbon line

Pay attention to the description and make sure they aren’t lying on the title. There’s two kind of fluorocarbon line, 100% and coated, both have their use but the first one is considerably more expensive, so be wary about sellers.

If you are buying 100% check the pictures to make sure it is real (line should turn black and burn like plastic if put under fire). Also check weight resistance.

You should also consider line memory. If note mentioned on the reviews then it’s a gamble. I got one from Seaguar and had a lot of memory.

SeaKnight Monster – Braided line

Haven’t tested it but it has favorable reviews and is usually recommended in fishing channels.

Steel line

The cheapest one you can find in a plastic roll with a blue logo that reads “Evia” is good enough.

Advice buying line

Line is a very important part of your gear and you shouldn’t use stuff with dubious quality, especially in your reel. Fluorocarbon and specially braided are expensive, so be very cautious about deals that seem too good to be true. Line diameter and resistance is usually exaggerated on the cheapest models.

Polyester bait elastic thread

I’ve tested a couple of them and they felt the same, they come in different diameter.

Heat shrink tube

If you like to set up your own surfcasting sinkers this one is a must, way cheaper than buying local. Different colors and diameters, quality is more or less the same, get the cheapest one.

Hooks

100/600 Barbed hooks (plastic box) / 100PCS Barbed hooks

The most popular and probably the cheapest ones. I’ve been using them for years with good results, surprisingly resistant to oxide. I’ve had a couple of them broken by bigger fishes but they can also break the ones that cost 10x. If you are starting out I’d get the 600PCS box because it usually offers free shipping.

Hirisi barbed hooks (50PCS box)

These ones have better quality and come in different shapes. I started using them recently and I’m pretty happy with it.

Treble hooks

These are more expensive than regular ones, Samolla has decent ones that aren’t that expensive. Choose them depending on how you’re going to abuse them.

Advice buying other hooks

If you need something more specific check reviews and double check that the store feels legit and is not some smart ass selling the cheapest shit but rebranded.

Hook remover

There are different models and they just work. Consider getting medical forceps instead, as they are very convenient and similarly priced on ali.

Swivels

“Eight shaped” swivels

I’ve bought them from different stores including Aliexpress and eBay ones and they all look like the same thing to me. Never had one breaking, so I suggest buying the cheapest you can find.

Different models that allow opening one end

I’ve tried 3-4 variants and I was never quite happy with any of them. This is another item you must be sure of its quality because its failure can result in the loss of a catch.

Check reviews and pictures, don’t go for the cheapest ones because they are usually really flimsy and prone to rusting, which will also make them prone to breaking.

Plastic beads and line stoppers

It’s just a piece of plastic, buy the cheapest you can find that fits your needs. They come in different size, color and some are fluorescent.

Foam rollers (for tied hooks)

There are different colors and sizes, materials are the same, buy the cheapest ones.

Bite alarm buzzer

This one is attached using a plastic clasp and operates with two circular pieces that go around the line of your reel. It’s really convenient to use and pretty loud. I’ve been using it for years and works pretty well but I don’t recommend using it on windy days because waves will most likely trigger rendering it as a useless headache.

Light sticks

There are different models and it comes down to your personal preference. There are the simplest ones which are those chemical sticks you “break” to make them lit. You can just use some transparent duct tape to fix them at the tip of your rod but there are adapters for them. There’s also light sticks that already have the adapter built in and are disposable, these ones are especially convenient.

If you dig a bit there are battery powered ones as well if you prefer that approach.

Tackle box

The most generic 10 compartment small box, really handy to put hooks, swivels, chemical lights and any accessory you want to keep at hand.

Spinning stuff

Line, treble hooks and swivels

The tips from the surfcasting sections apply here as well.

Advice about buying lures

If you know what you’re doing just skip this, but if you are just starting out I urge you to check some spinning videos from your area. The lure type (the water depth it is intended to work on), its length, weight and color are really important factors most of the time and they should be appropriate for your fishing area.

Most of the cheaper ones ($1-2) are shit. The treble hooks will rust really quick and the paint of the lure will fall quickly as well. They also don’t have a proper movement under water, you can catch something for sure, but don’t expect it to work consistently.

Recommended lures stores

Bearking

Probably the most famous one, they got a lot of stuff reasonably priced and they’re quality is pretty good. They also seem to focus on creating their own lures instead of replicas. You can’t go wrong buying a couple of their minnows.

Samolla

The cheapo king. Their most sold lure (search for “pencil fishing lure” on their store) is exceptional when it comes to price/quality. A couple of them in different colors and size along with some minnows would be a good starter pack.

D1 Fishing

They have quality stuff, including quality replicas of lures that cost $20-25.

HuntHouse

Pretty much the same as D1 Fishing.

Tsurinoya

Most expensive ones but they offer great quality stuff.

Lures box

Check the one that fits your needs, the ones with front and back opening are ideal.

Sabiki

I’ve bought many of them from Aliexpress and eBay because they were a lot cheaper than buying locally. The line they use to tie the hooks is beyond abysmal and the hooks are shit as well, so my suggestion is buy the cheapest one, decide if you want to use them, and then buy the materials and build them yourself.

Besides the hooks and line, make a quick search for these items: “plastic rainbow fish skin”, “holographic fly fishing string”, “sabiki hot beads”.

Other outdoor equipment

PU gloves ($1.00 a piece, in packs of 6 and up)

These are cheap, give you good grip, protect you from thorns, nettles, dirt getting under your fingernails and even embers (if you only touch them very temporarly, if not they will melt). They keep your articulation intact so you can still do most delicate tasks and due to the open back, you won't really sweat in them much. They don't last super long before degrading (heavily depends on the type of usecase), but at $1.00 a piece the value for money is still immense. Highly recommended for gardening, outdoor activities, fishing, foraging and anytime you need cheap yet functional gloves. Not cut resistant.

Toys/Figurines

In general, don't expect the quality to be the same as the real deals as they are made without any quality controls whatsover and can have various defects. Compare the price and only buy them for the lulz.

Lego clones \& alternative bricks

While there are plenty of clone Lego sets from Chinese companies, there have been a move toward MOC sets or completely original, in-house designed sets (some are even officially licensed theme sets).

Quality varies, with bigger, long time names like Sembo being on the better side. Brands that use Gobricks parts are also considered good quality.

Some brands like LOZ also use "minibricks" that are smaller than Lego, which allows for a smaller set or finer details.

Listings on storefronts often omit the brand and set name, you need to use the set code when searching.

• Set lookup: http://brick4.com/ - Shows set codes from all brands producing a certain set.
• Reviews: https://its-not-lego.blogspot.com/

Figurines

Bootleg figurines

Bootleg figures are everywhere on AliExpress. These are cheap reproductions of official figurines which can greatly vary in quality. Sometimes you get a laughably bad figure, other times these are nearly indistinguishable from their official counterpart. Most sellers will call their bootlegs “China version”, “Q version” or some shit to avoid disputes from angry weebs who thought they were buying an official figure. Common issues to expect with bootlegs are loose hinges on posable figures, missing accessories, (minor) paint defects, slanted decals and/or incorrect bases.

Always check reviews with pictures before ordering any figures to determine their quality. Also keep in mind these figures will be worthless for reselling and do not support the official creator. In some countries it may also be illegal to import fake goods, although in my experience none care about big tiddie anime waifus anyway.

Official figures

While not as common as bootlegs, some sellers on AliExpress do sell official figures. Most often these will be SEGA or Bandai price figures from Japanese arcades and pachinko parlours, or small gashapon figures. Most sellers will offer to include the box and sometimes even flatten it so it wont get damaged during shipping as some people are extremely anal about the box condition.

As usual, always check the reviews for pictures, look for telltale bootleg signs like the mentioned “China version” and if it’s priced too good to be true it probably is.

Plastic model kits, add-ons and accessories, and tools

Plastic model kits

You can find all kinds of plastic model kits on AliExpress, both official kits by the likes of Bandai and Kotobukiya, as well as unlicensed third party kits. Price-wise official kits tend to be similar to local pricing making buying these more a matter of availability. Unlicensed third party kits are where AliExpress shines. Daban focuses heavily on their own take on Gundam kits, including Gundams that never got a model kit. Then you also have tons of garage/resin kits which offer a lot of custom kits of characters, alternative designs and conversion kits. These kits are sometimes fully original and sometimes stolen models form Etsy stores. They also require painting and sometimes glueing making them less suitable for beginners.

Add-ons and accessories

There are multiple types of add-ons and accessories to be found on AliExpress.

• Add-on packs: These are to be used with existing kits to provide them with alternative parts, armour, weapons and such.
• Decal sheets: These often come in both original and custom designs. Very useful if you fucked something up or want to spice things up.
• Etching sheets: Usually these copy the original decals, but for use with etching.
• Stands: Bandai Action Base clones, generic cheap transparent figure stands (can recommend), NECA stands and unofficial custom stands for specific kits.
• Knock-off Bandai LED units. Same part, but at 1/15th of the price. All of these are of acceptable to good quality and can be made to stand out with a bit of love and care.

Tools

All the basic tools for building model kits can be found for cheap.

• Self healing cutting mats.
• Side cutters aka nippers. Protip: Use a wide tip cutter higher up the nub to remove the part from the runner and then use the fine tip to remove the nub from the part. This gives you a smooth cut that requires little to no cleanup and lengthens the lifespan of your side cutters.
  • Fine tip: DSPIAE ST-A 3.0, Mineshima D-25 (Same factory as Godhand according to anon), Tamiya fine tip.
  • Wide tip: Tamiya carbon steel wide tip, cheap wide side cutters, old dulled down/ruined fine tip nipper.
• Hobby knives and blades, perfect for touch ups after cutting.
• Sanding sticks.
• Handheld precision drill sets and saws. Used for modding, repairs, customising and the occasional resin kit that requires manual drilling. For plastic cement/glue, paints, brushes and markers do yourself a favour and visit your local hobby store or webhop. Also if you don’t know what to get, you probably wont need any of this other some quality cutters to get started.

Adult toys

Yes you can get onaholes, insertables and tons of fetish equipment from China. But before you do, here’s a little rant about toy safety because I am worried about of some you:

• NEVER BUY OR USE JELLY TOYS! These toys contain phthalates which are proven to have given people cancer from fucking themselves. They are also porous in nature and disintegrate quickly over time, making them the perfect breeding ground for nasty bacteria. There’s a good reason the EU and FDA have banned these toys.
• Smell and taste test it and be alert during first use! If a new toy has a strong chemical smell, tastes bitter and/or causes a burning sensation during use it is 100% unsafe to use. This is mostly noticeable on mentioned jelly toys as well as PVC toys that use unsafe materials to cut prices. Also if you notice irritation or itching you might be allergic to the material.
• Anal toys: use plenty of lube and always make sure the toy has a strong wide base to prevent it from fully going up your butt. Or you know, have fun visiting the ER and explaining why you’ve got a Xiaomi Yeelight stuck up your butt.

Onaholes

Chinese onaholes tend to be safe but if you have a gigachad monster cock you’re going to have a bad time with most of the solid cup style models. Look for a model that’s easy to clean and dry and just get a USB powered onahole heater for additional immersion. There also are fake butts, fuckable tits and anything else that might rock your sick twisted mind. Also your fuckables ever start to feel sticky after cleaning, just slap some baby powder on them and they will feel brand new.

Insertables

Read the above safety warning again! There are plenty of safe Chinese toys to be found as long as you think with your big brain instead of the little brain between your legs. A lot of these are also sold on Amazon which may or may not be cheaper or offers more reviews to make sure you’re not throwing away money.

Reputational brands include FAAK and NNSX.

Fetish stuff

• Fetish wear, restraints and basic bondage equipment are all fine. In fact what you can buy locally are the same products with a 500% markup and a different name slapped on.
• Whips, clamps, CBT torture stuff and such are perfectly fine. Those cheap estim sets work but are limited compared to proper sets.
• Knockoff chastity cages are safe and work well. You may find that the plastic molding leads to a sharp edge, usually on the inside. Chinese chastity cages will typically come with a piece of fine sandpaper that's meant to file that down nowadays.
• For sounding, look for all-metal sounding rods. Chinese silicon sounds are usually more abrasive than you'd expect or want, forcing you to go slow or not at all. Do not buy flexible metal sounds, they will cut up your dickhole from the inside. As always, never insert anything into your dick unless you can pull it out easily.
• Those timed locks are unsafe. They stay locked when the battery runs out, don’t have a proper failsafe release and the battery drains rapidly even when not in use. There is an undocumented release button hidden in a pinhole underneath the sticker next to the display. Then again, you should ALWAYS have a backup release anyway.

Misc/Other items

Note about flashlights and similar items, some listings will have options that ship the product with an included (or extra) battery: do not bother, you will spend more on a garbage battery that you will have to replace anyway

Razors

If you want to escape the grasp of brands like gilette who overcharge you for some plastic razor with 8000 times folded blades in a plastic housing that mysteriously dulls or needs replacement after a week, consider buying a razor. While straight edge razors can be a bit of a hassle to buy and use, safety razors are cheap, last basically forever (you have to replace the blades obviously) and are easy to use. There's also a good bunch of /csg/ approved copies of tried and true designs, without the giant margins of local brands.

QShave Double Edge Razor ($6)

The basic safety razor. Cheap, functional, gets the job done. Consider this your "entry" model.

QShave Adjustable Safety Razor ($12)

The slightly more fancy safety razor. You can adjust it by twisting the handle, for stepless adjustment between the settings 1-6. The handle doesn't have any texture, which is suboptimal, but this is a good razor for very cheap that will last you many years or decades.

Other shaving equipment

If you start using a safety razor, you'll need shaving cream (which is best bought locally, either in a aerosolized can or as shaving soap in a container). If you bought shaving soap, you'll also need a shaving brush, which are a good /csg/ item to buy. Once you're getting those already, get yourself a stand that holds your shaving brush, razor and optionally a bowl. You can find various options, from bent acrylic to metal on AliExpress and similar stores.