Same outfit / Different Suppliers...why two prices...?

You may see a Indian outfit and wonder why prices can vary.  It's not always the case that someone is charging extortionately whilst someone else may seem more reasonable.

This is because, outfits once released are copied by other manufacturers BASED ON THE BUYERS (retailer's) BUDGET. Quality, materials etc can be different and thus reflects on the purchase price.  
Some may request high quality and some may request best price. It also depends on if the retailer buys from a manufacturer direct or via a merchant and the retailer having to add his profit margin on top of that which will include import duty and VAT.

So if you see the same outfit, ask both suppliers what is the material, what's the border contain, does one have pearls and the other have diamantes? Is one heavier and one lighter.  Is the blouse made or blouse piece? Is one on velvet and the other on satin?  This will determine which you'll purchase based on the materials used.  Here's an example.......

My client sent me on a mission to find this saree.

A velvet midnight blue,embroidered flower pattern on top and the bottom of the palla had rows of faux pearls.

The blouse :see through, part lined  with embroidery on both sides.

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Supplier 1 

Colour is lighter

Pearls are patchy and missing but will have been made good on sale to me as part of the 'finishing' process.

The blouse piece does not seem to be the same. There isn't enough of the design to reach both the back and front of the blouse and the pattern seems different.

Pictures are blurry so it's hard to tell for sure. 

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I don't know where the client got the description velvet from. Perhaps it was the retailers blurb on the saree. Without the retailer having this in stock, they wouldn't know for sure.
The client didn't go for this in the end which wasn't a surprise.  The main difference was the colour being too light than shown in the photograph. She was expecting velvet and neither were. She was expecting pearls and it was unclear if any of them had pearls.

There was a huge difference of £80 at cost price between supplier 1 and supplier 2 with supplier 1 being more expensive. Hmmmmmmm

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SUPPLIER NO. 2

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BLUE IS SAME. 
Material appears to be satin not velvet.

These look like flat shiny disks not diamantes or pearls

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When things go wrong : (

Here's another example of a difference between the 'same' saree by the same supplier sent to me on two different occassions. The first and second orders were perfect but the quality of material and print on the third order was drastically different. The print was bigger and patchy on the final third order.  The chiffon was different and very poor quality. There were frays and patchy threadwork throughout.....(yes we parted ways over this). As he advised that because it's block printing,'there's nothing I can do'. OBVIOUSLY I can't sell this batch to anyone and clearly the print on the sarees before were stunning! (picture top left and the bottom is the original saree)

When ordering catalogue sarees, please be sure the retailer send you a picture of the actual outfit they have in stock.  

With Manufacturers, you are only able to see the catalogue picture. With Merchants, they are your eyes. I expect high standards and my new merchant only sends me pieces she is happy with.  I then take the time to drape these on my own mannequin and forfeit the catalogue picture so you can see what you are actually buying.  

Pic taken with Mobile phone