deltabase is going international (starting with the USA)

It started as a local experiment

When I started deltabase, I only intended to serve the local Singapore market.

It was my first time selling physical products. There were already so many things to learn — sourcing, packing, delivery, customer support. Selling within Singapore is one thing. Selling overseas is a completely different challenge. Shipping alone can give you enough headache.

At that time, going global wasn’t even on the table.

The reality I couldn’t ignore

Over time, I noticed something interesting.

Almost 4 out of 10 visitors to my website are from outside Singapore.

Some of them end up buying from popular global platforms — the website that starts with “A”, the app that starts with “T”. There’s nothing inherently wrong with those platforms. But I also keep seeing horror stories:

• Broken boxes
• Missing manuals
• Incomplete sets
• Customer service that practically doesn’t exist

That’s when I realised this wasn’t just about expanding sales. It was a problem waiting for someone to step up and solve it.

(Cue Rocky theme music)

Why international shipping is so complicated

Most people think international shipping is expensive because of distance.

That’s only half the story.

Couriers don’t just calculate by weight. They also calculate by parcel dimensions — whichever is higher between actual weight and volumetric weight.

And for plamo, that’s almost always unfavourable.

The boxes are big. Inside? Mostly plastic and air.

Take BAKI as an example. The box is almost as big as a PS5 box. When it comes to shipping, the courier doesn’t care that one is a game console and the other is runners and sprues. They look at the size and charge accordingly.

So you can end up paying PS5-level shipping for something that’s maybe 10% of the value.

That’s problem number one.

Problem number two: estimation.

I cannot accurately calculate shipping cost without knowing the actual box dimensions. That makes it almost impossible to confidently accept international pre-orders for products that haven’t been released yet.

And here’s the part many don’t see.

The profit margin for plamo is thin. Which means the margin for error is thin too. One wrong shipping estimate doesn’t just reduce profit — it can lock in a confirmed loss.

That’s why international shipping isn’t something I can approach casually.

The breakthrough

For weeks, I was looking for a workable solution. I almost gave up.

Then one simple thought came to me:

Why am I routing products China → Singapore → overseas… when they can just be shipped direct from China to the customer?

China ships millions of parcels every day. Adding a few boxes for deltabase shouldn’t be a problem.

I had a call with my logistics buddy in China (who has been helping me with Sheik Mainland). He agreed to test this new arrangement.

I reached out to a few overseas customers who had previously emailed me. I gave them a quote for direct shipping from China instead of routing through Singapore.

The difference was significant.

They confirmed almost immediately.

That was the validation I needed.

The website risk

Next hurdle: the website.

Initially, I considered creating a separate international version of deltabase. But after thinking it through (and consulting my virtual advisor, aka ChatGPT), I decided to enhance the existing site instead.

Anyone who works with websites knows that modifying a live site carries risk. One wrong move and you could break something that’s already working fine.

I hesitated.

But I went ahead and did it carefully.

And it works.

Controlled rollout: USA first

For now, this new shipping option is only open to the USA.

I’m also only making a small number of selected products available for overseas orders — mainly the ones that make logistical sense.

I expect teething issues. So I’m rolling this out in a controlled way instead of opening everything at once.

Shipping cost is something I will continue to monitor and adjust as I gather real data. But based on experience, early-stage rates are usually the most favourable. Once I see the actual numbers over time, adjustments are more likely to go up than down.

So if the current pricing makes sense to you, now is probably the best time.

What about other countries?

If you’re outside the Singapore and USA, don’t worry.

You can still reach out to me. If I receive enough serious interest from a particular country, I may open that route next.

If you want deltabase available in your region, tell your friends to come and bug me.

deltabase is stepping into the international market — one country at a time, making sure it’s done properly.

Friends from the USA, this page is for you.

Don’t forget to switch to view prices in USD too: