1. Raimondi at a Glance — Real Prices from US & UK Dealers
Raimondi is an Italian brand with 70+ years in tile installation. Their products are manufactured in Italy and sold through authorized dealers. Here is what Raimondi clips actually cost, per publicly listed dealer prices as of July 2026:
| Product | Dealer | Pack Size | Price | Per 100pcs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/16" HD Clips (1.5mm) | TileThis (US) | 250 pcs | $21.65 | $8.66 |
| 1/16" HD Clips (1.5mm) | Tools4Flooring (US) | 250 pcs | $24.00 | $9.60 |
| 1/16" HD Clips — Bulk Box | TileThis (US) | 2,200 pcs | $154.60 | $7.03 |
| 1/8" HD Clips (3mm) | Tools4Flooring (US) | 250 pcs | $24.00 | $9.60 |
| 2mm HD Clips | Northants Tools (UK) | 250 pcs | £10.99 | £4.40 |
| 2mm HD Clips — Bulk Box | Northants Tools (UK) | 2,200 pcs | £81.99 | £3.73 |
| Wedges | Northants Tools (UK) | 500 pcs | £32.50 | £6.50 |
| Wedges — Bulk Box | Northants Tools (UK) | 1,000 pcs | £61.99 | £6.20 |
Sources: tilethis.com, tools4flooring.com, northantstools.com — publicly listed prices, July 2026. Dealer trade/volume discounts may apply but are not publicly quoted.
What does that premium buy? Italian manufacturing, a 70-year brand that contractors trust, and local dealer stock with no minimum order. For a US contractor buying 5 bags for a single bathroom, Raimondi from a local dealer is the obvious choice — $108 gets the job done tomorrow. No argument.
But for a wholesale buyer ordering by the container, these numbers paint a different picture. At 50,000 clips (500 factory-direct bags × 100pcs, or 200 Raimondi bags × 250pcs), the Raimondi dealer retail tab hits $4,330-4,800. The bulk box route brings it to $3,556. Neither includes international shipping from Italy. Neither includes your margin.
2. Factory-Direct from China — Same PP, Same Tolerance, No Brand Tax
A TÜV Rheinland-certified tile leveling clips factory in Wenzhou, Zhejiang runs 16 injection molding machines (120T–380T), uses the same virgin PP raw material as any European factory, and holds the same ±0.1mm dimensional tolerance. The product is materially identical. The difference is the business model.
A China-based manufacturer ships directly from the injection molding floor to your container. No authorized dealer margin. No Italian labor premium. No brand marketing budget baked into the bag. The publicly listed wholesale price: $0.70-0.85 per 100-clip bag FOB Ningbo. That is not a teaser rate — it is the standard factory-direct price for a 500-bag minimum order.
And there is an option Raimondi does not offer at any price: OEM/ODM. Your logo on the bag. Your Pantone-matched brand colors on the clips. Your packaging design. Raimondi sells Raimondi-branded products — full stop. A factory-direct OEM tile leveling tool program starts at 500 bags for standard colors and delivers in 15-25 days for custom production.
3. Head-to-Head — 6 Dimensions Compared
| Raimondi | Factory-Direct (TÜV Certified) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 100 clips | $7.03-9.60 (US dealer, public list) | $0.70-0.85 FOB Ningbo |
| Price per 100 wedges | £6.20-6.50 (UK dealer, public list) | $0.50-1.00 FOB Ningbo |
| Material | Virgin PP | Virgin PP, 100% batch traceable |
| Tolerance | ±0.1mm (industry standard) | ±0.1mm, AQL 2.5 per-batch inspection |
| Certifications | CE (self-declared) | TÜV Rheinland + ISO 9001:2015 + CE + RoHS |
| MOQ | No minimum (retail/dealer) | 500 bags standard, flexible for combo orders |
| OEM / Private Label | Not available | Full OEM: logo, color, packaging, custom mold |
The certification row deserves attention. CE marking is a manufacturer's self-declaration of conformity — the factory states the product meets EU standards. TÜV Rheinland requires an on-site factory audit by German engineers who physically inspect production lines, verify quality systems, and audit working conditions. The TÜV certificate is publicly verifiable on Certipedia. CE alone is not. See our guide to the 4 certifications that actually matter for wholesale buyers.
4. Real Order Comparison — 50,000 Clips Delivered
Here is what a 50,000-clip order actually costs, using July 2026 data:
| Line Item | Raimondi (US Bulk Box) | Factory-Direct (FOB Ningbo) |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | 23 boxes × 2,200 pcs | 500 bags × 100 pcs |
| Product cost | 23 × $154.60 = $3,556 | 500 × $0.78 = $390 |
| Sea freight | Italy → US: ~$600-900 | Ningbo → US: ~$800-1,200 |
| Total before duties | ~$4,156-4,456 | ~$1,190-1,590 |
Raimondi pricing: TileThis bulk box $154.60/2,200pcs (public list, July 2026). Factory-direct: $0.70-0.85/100pcs FOB Ningbo (midpoint $0.78 used above). Freight estimates: US East Coast delivery, FCL. Actual rates vary by season and fuel surcharge.
The factory-direct route lands at roughly 25-35% of the Raimondi bulk box cost, delivered. At 35-55% wholesale distributor markup, the margin difference between the two sourcing strategies is $2,500-3,500 on this single order. Now multiply that by 4-6 containers per year.
Add tile leveling wedges, cross tile spacers, and horseshoe shims to the mix — each sourced factory-direct — and the per-container savings compound further. Our China vs EU vs Turkey manufacturing comparison provides the regional economics in detail.
5. When Raimondi Makes Sense (And When It Doesn't)
Raimondi is the right call when: you need 5-10 bags tomorrow for a single project and a local dealer has stock. The convenience is real. Pay the premium, get the job done. No argument.
Factory-direct is the right call when: you are ordering 500+ bags, can plan for production (3-7 days) plus sea freight (15-18 days to US West Coast), and want to build a brand rather than resell someone else's. You get direct factory access — talk to the production manager, not a distributor sales rep. You get OEM that Raimondi will never offer. And you keep the 40-55% brand premium that would otherwise go to the Italian factory and its dealer network.
The calculation shifts further when you stock multiple product lines. A mixed container of spin doctor leveling systems, clips, wedges, spacers, and shims sourced from a single TÜV-certified factory simplifies logistics, consolidates quality assurance, and maximizes container utilization. Read our complete B2B import guide for the end-to-end process from supplier selection to customs clearance.
Bottom line: Raimondi's US dealer retail price for 1/16" HD clips is $8.66/100pcs (TileThis, July 2026). Bulk box pricing brings it to $7.03/100pcs. A TÜV-certified factory-direct alternative ships the same virgin PP clip at $0.70-0.85/100pcs FOB Ningbo — with deeper certifications (TÜV + ISO), broader OEM options, and no brand tax. At 50,000-clip volumes, factory-direct saves 65-75% on total landed cost vs Raimondi bulk. That is not a coupon. That is a supply chain decision.