Sourcing Agents vs. Sourcing Platforms, which one are you using?

Hey guys, looking for some real strategy advice here. I’ve been dropshipping for a little over a year now, and from day one, I’ve been using a private sourcing agent to handle my suppliers and logistics. It’s been comfortable, but my margins are getting squeezed tight lately.

A close friend of mine who runs a similar store skips agents entirely. He sources everything directly from B2B platforms like Alibaba, deals with the factories himself, and his profit margins are honestly making me jealous.

For those of you scaling right now, what’s your setup? Are you paying an agent to handle the headaches, or are you going straight to the source on platforms like Alibaba to keep every cent of profit? Is the extra communication and quality control work of doing it yourself worth the bump in margin, or will I regret ditching my agent? Let me know what you think.