Where to source cheap LCDs from

[michaeliv]

Hello,

I was wondering where do manufacturers who make devices in medium quantity get their LCDs from.
An example would be the DSO138(or clones) which sells for $19 on eBay( after fees and shipping, ~$15) and comes with a 2.4" LCD.
Searching DigiKey for similar displays shows prices higher than the entire DSO138.
Given that a 7" complete Android tablet sells for $40 new on eBay, I would expect to be able to find 7"displays around $5-$10 and smaller 2"-3" displays around $2-$3.
From what I've searched, 7" displays cost more than a tablet that comes with one.
The only one I can find that would fit expected pricing is : http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/371161579196 which is 2.2" 320x240 for under $2. But this seems the exception rather than the rule.
And I think that you can't just buy your LCDs off eBay if you're actually looking to put it in a product.
Anyone designed a product with a small size LCD, and if yes, where did you source them from ?

Thanks!

[ataradov]

I bought a few displays from http://www.buydisplay.com/ and their prices are reasonable considering the quantity. They have huge selection and customization options.

It is probably possible to find some specific display a bit cheaper some place else, but I have not found a better way to get a general idea how much those things cost.

[ericloewe]

It's really not the kind of thing you can get at DigiKey.

I always imagined you just go to the shadiest alley in the shadiest part of Shenzhen where a guy will tell you he has a factory that can sell you $_amount of LCDs @ 1-3 bucks each. You don't get to ask many questions, but a truck will deliver the goods on the agreed-upon date.

It's mostly speculation, but I imagine the truth isn't much different - just less shady.

[uncle_bob]

Hi
l
Ok, here's how it (sort of) works:

If you are buying enough displays "to matter" you send out RFQ's for your need. Back come the quotes on the displays delivered at a rate of 10,000 per day for 180 days. You pick one and go with it. At the end of the 180 days, that display is no more and both you and the manufacturer move on to something more interesting.

Let's say you got to the end of production and you (or the manufacturer) had a few days worth of displays sitting around. You (or he) dump them along with a bunch of other excess parts on the surplus market. ZIP the world is flooded with a bunch of really nice displays at a really good price. Two months later ... nothing to be found anywhere.

Even if you buy a display from a "product line" catalog, you get into the same issue. What is in the catalog this year ... not so much next year. Certainly not so much a few years from now. Again there is an interesting price curve. The display gets more expensive as it nears end of life. It then drops abruptly when it goes surplus. It climbs pretty fast after that.

If all you need is "a display" and you never need to replace it ... off to the auction sites you go.

Bob