Most buyers ask whether the middleman can be cut out, and expect a simple yes. For a mixed first assortment of soft toys the honest answer is more useful than the simple one.
A factory sells what it makes. If the shelf needs four families and the workshop runs two, the buyer either drops two families or runs two orders through two workshops and coordinates both. A trading company sells the assortment, so the coordination is part of the product rather than an overhead to be argued about.
Price is where the argument gets thin on both sides. A single line at volume will usually be cheaper direct. A small mixed order that needs packing decisions, carton marking and pre-shipment photos costs somebody time, and that time is either priced into the unit rate or silently dropped from scope. The second outcome is worse, because it only becomes visible at the packing stage.
The question worth asking is who carries the risk when something goes wrong, and how that leverage is documented. Working notes on how the assortment is organised sit in the wholesale sourcing guides, and the company structure is described on the company page.
A sequence that works for many importers: use an assortment-led supplier for the mixed first order, then move proven high-volume lines direct once the volume justifies a dedicated production slot. That gets to market quickly and reaches direct pricing only where it pays.
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