Hi everyone,
I’d love to get some advice from this community.
A bit about me: I’ve been fishing since I was a kid (20+ years), and for the last 4–5 years I’ve been almost exclusively into lure fishing. Back in China, I used to test a lot of gear – I’ve tried dozens of rods, many reels, and countless types of lures. I loved experimenting, figuring out what works, and then reselling gear on second-hand platforms once I moved on to the next thing.
After moving to Sweden for research work one year ago, I did the same on Tradera (Sweden’s second-hand marketplace). Some of the lures from China I sold were gone fast, which made me realize there might be real demand here.
Here’s what I’ve noticed:
• Fishing gear in Europe is expensive and limited.
• Many big-brand lures (e.g., Westin, Savage Gear) are manufactured in China.
• A Westin lure might cost ~15 EUR here. On Temu or AliExpress you can find something that looks similar for 1–3 EUR, but the quality is way worse.
• What most people don’t know is that there are Chinese domestic brands/factories producing the same quality as Westin/Savage, just under different labels, selling for 4–6EUR. Still much cheaper than Europe, and much better than the “cheapest” stuff.
The issue:
• Platforms like Temu/AliExpress are full of low-quality products. The really good Chinese brands don’t show up there because their prices are a bit higher than the “ultra-cheap average.”
• For most people in Europe, it’s almost impossible to know which Chinese products are actually worth buying.
That’s where I feel I could add value:
• I’m both a fisherman (I know what works in European waters) and someone who understands the Chinese market (I know which brands and products are actually good).
• I’ve always loved testing gear deeply and separating what’s truly high-value from what’s just cheap.
Challenges I’ve hit:
• On eBay, I couldn’t upload lures – they were flagged as “high-risk items.”
• TikTok Shop isn’t available in Sweden, so I can’t use that option either.
• For now, Tradera works, but it feels limiting if I want to grow.
So here are my questions for you:
1. If you were me, how would you start? Keep it small (reselling via Tradera) or try building a proper online shop (Shopify/website)?
2. What gear would you actually want cheaper alternatives for? Lures, rods, reels, line, or small accessories?
Finally, my bigger goal is not only business: I’d love to help reduce the financial barrier for people to get into lure fishing. Especially for younger anglers who don’t have much savings, high prices can be discouraging. I hope that by providing quality but affordable gear, I can make it easier for more people to enjoy this sport and help promote lure fishing as a whole. 🎣
Thanks a lot for any thoughts or experiences you can share!
Posted by Freeman-Django