Now I realize that Williams idea was in jest, at least I think it was lol, but I just wanted to point out a couple of problems you need to be aware of with the sample idea as it is a very legit idea and one that I absolutely agree with.
Firstly, yes it is always a good idea to get a sample of anything you are going to market, but some sellers are quite prepared to bait and switch. So you get the quality product as the sample, then when you join the program and you start placing orders, the quality can drop off dramatically and your customers get the garbage.
Anyone doing the sample test, this is my suggestion. Buy one, check it, if your happy then place three fake orders and have them sent to three friends at different addresses. If all of those are of the same quality as your sample, then you can have far more confidence in the quality across the board.
Now sample buying is more about testing the quality of a product, not identifying if it's legit or not. Manufacturers can make A1 fakes, that is EXACT replicas (cosmetically) So buying a sample is never any guarantee it's a genuine product, no mater how good it looks. As Irene highlighted, always ask for proof of authenticity up front and yes, I have seen cases of even fake certificates from Chinese sellers so the safest option is to use your smarts.
If a product sounds too good to be true, then chances are it probably is and NEVER buy branded good from mainland China, it's a absolute hot bed for fakes, including A1 replicas.
In this game, the best tool you have is your smarts!