2-4 inch Color LCD's

That depends on what type of screen you want. Color/NB. TFT/STN. CFL/WhiteLed

For $25 -> 40$ you're not gonna have much. Maybe a lowres NB/STN ...

Sylvain Munaut

Ralph,

It depends on where you're buying them and from whom and in what quantities. I am guessing you are being quoted something between $70-$100-odd for a TFT panel in that size range, perhaps not including the inverter, and I'm further guessing that you are going through US distribution channels.

In those volumes - yes, you are totally wrong. You should be looking at surplus panels if your volumes are this low and cost is a criterion. You can probably meet your target price for surplus if you buy a year's inventory up front. You did look at

The only way to get new stock prices in your ballpark is to source direct out of the Orient and they aren't interested in your volumes. If you already have mfg in the Orient, get your purchasing people over there to ask HK and/or Japanese distris about pricing.

As far as buying LCDs through US distris - Fuggedaboutit, period. Prices are outrageous, support is ludicrous. Sharp is particularly insane, but the other major players - AU, Prime View, Kyocera, Samsung etc are not much better. With at least a couple of names on that list, you'll have a hard time even getting through to someone (in the US) who acknowledges that their company actually MAKES LCDs.

If you buy them in the quantities that Nintendo buys them for Gameboys, you'll get the price Nintendo gets, which is probably even lower than that.

If you buy them in small quantities, you'll pay a large amount.

That's just standard market economics. There's nothing unexpected going on.