Ten traps a provenance log would have caught

Hunting treasure across Taobao rewards patience and punishes haste. Ten habits that turn a good find into a regret, each with the correction a careful hunter uses instead.

1. 1

   Compare several listings for the same find before committing

   The same garment often appears under a dozen sellers at different quality. Itaobuy rows keep the seller notes so the comparison can be made properly.

   Safer move: Taking the first row that looks right

2. 2

   Measure something you own and match it to the centimetre chart

   Vintage and Taobao cuts run small and vary by workshop. The measurements printed on the row are the only thing that transfers.

   Safer move: Buying the size you always take for granted

3. 3

   Declare the real amount and check the duty band for your country

   Declaration decides the customs outcome on every route, and an invented figure is the fastest way to a held parcel.

   Safer move: Guessing what the parcel is worth

4. 4

   Hold finds in the warehouse and ship them as one parcel

   Every separate parcel pays its own base charge. Itaobuy storage exists so a hunt can be gathered before it travels.

   Safer move: Sending each find separately

5. 5

   Read the images closely while the find is still on the shelf

   Warehouse photography is where a colour mismatch or a missing button is still cheap to catch. After dispatch it is not.

   Safer move: Skimming the warehouse photographs

Written from what buyers report, not from any official list. Itaobuy checkout and its policies are what stand.