A Chinese influencer on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has gained unexpected fame by mastering just five English words to promote toys made in Yiwu International Trade City, located in Yiwu, East China’s Zhejiang Province. His unique sales pitch in New York’s Times Square turned him into an internet sensation, attracting overseas merchants who placed bulk orders of 100,000 to 200,000 units at a time. This success has made him one of the leading offline sales influencers in the United States.
Nicknamed “Dollar Guy,” the influencer has gone viral for his simple yet remarkably effective sales strategy. Using only a few English phrases such as “two dollars,” “very good,” and “beautiful,” he markets a creative toy from Yiwu called the “Exploding Eyeball Dragon.” His heavily accented English, combined with the quirky and amusing toy, creates a humorous and memorable sales experience. Every time a customer buys a toy, he responds earnestly with, “thank you, sir,” adding to his charm.
Despite the language barrier, Dollar Guy’s toys have become an unexpected hit. Whether on busy streets or in subway stations, he consistently manages to sell his toys, turning them into best-sellers.
The “Exploding Eyeball Dragon” toy’s original manufacturer in Yiwu has also seen the craze take off globally. The toy, initially designed for the Year of the Dragon, has experienced a resurgence in popularity towards the end of the year. Orders from overseas are pouring in, with some merchants requesting hundreds of thousands of units at a time. This surge in demand has left the factory struggling to keep up.
A man named Liu, who works at a trading company in Yiwu, explained that while his company can currently produce 30,000 to 40,000 units daily, they still remain out of stock. “Even if we increased production to 100,000 a day, it wouldn’t be enough. The demand is overwhelming, and our production capacity simply cannot catch up,” Liu stated.
