How much does mold/tooling cost? Who owns it? Can it be refunded?
Mold cost reference:
- Simple injection mold — $400-1,500
- Complex injection mold — $1,500-7,000
- Metal stamping die — $300-3,000
- Die casting mold — $1,200-4,500
- Silicone/rubber mold — $300-1,200
Ownership: You pay → belongs to you (specify in contract); factory free → belongs to factory (agree no use for others).
Refund: Many factories refund after 5,000-10,000 units; or amortize into unit price.