Toy manufacturing in Chenghai runs on a fixed rhythm: Chinese New Year, the Canton Fair, summer production, the Christmas rush, year-end clearance. Buy with the rhythm and you get better prices, better slots and fewer surprises. Buy against it and you pay for other people's planning.
Factories close for 3–4 weeks around CNY (late January / February). Production before the holiday is rushed; right after it, workers return slowly and lead times stretch.
Factories release their new lines; the spring Canton Fair sets the year's trends. Every buyer is looking at the same new items — the good ones get exclusive-claimed fast.
Summer production ships out. Under the surface, factories are already sampling Halloween and Christmas items — this is when festival pricing is most negotiable.
Christmas and Halloween lines run at full capacity. Freight rates start climbing toward peak season, and container space gets tight.
Sea-freight cutoff for pre-December delivery lands around mid-October for most destinations. Factories begin clearing leftover summer stock.
Factories dump overstock and canceled-order goods at deep discounts, and quietly prepare next year's samples. The calmest — and often cheapest — sourcing window of the year.
Building blocks, RC, pretend play and baby lines sell year-round. Typical production + domestic delivery cycle: 30–45 days. Plan reorders one full cycle ahead of your shelf date.