I been curious on some affordable cheaper bubblers myself, I seen the grav labs cheaper end ones that looks like hit pretty decent, skeptical as im thinking I want to get something a bit nicer
Grav labs has some nice stuff. And, there are many others out there who do decent stuff at a reasonable price, too.
Buying cheap Chinese glass is just that. Cheap Chinese glass. I agree with what most said here about the cracked piece from YingMin. That sucks and shouldn't be like that. 10% off is a joke, and IMO $11 refund is fair.
But, keep in mind this is always going to be a crapshoot with pieces this cheap and bulk free shipping via cargo ship.
Don't get me wrong... I love my cheap Chinese pieces and have been pretty much lucky with them. But reasonably priced higher quality US glass is out there. It's not $30-$50 a piece shipped, but there are a few places to get stuff in the $100 - $150 range that is superior. As posted a few times, my current favorite is the jhanpixel sidecar UFO.
http://www.ioffer.com/i/8-circ-ufo-showerhead-sidecar-bubbler-water-pipe-546073474
He's got some other nice stuff on his ioffer site, and others post their glass on ioffer. My jhanpixel is solid, has much better workmanship, is larger and functions without a hitch.
Go back and troll the first 100 pages or so of this thread for many more options. Search on a brand name (or website name), or just scroll through and look for pictures and links.
On the other hand, if you'd rather spend less than $50 on inferior, spotty QC'd, nearly slave labor created glass - go for it! I have and enjoy a couple pieces like this regularly. But, please don't be surprised about long hard to track shipping times, spotty workmanship, inconsistencies between pieces, and crappy customer service.
It's the same with this stuff as with anything else. There are exceptions, but pretty much you get what you pay for. To expect different is like expecting a burger from McDonald's dollar menu to be as good as an organic buffalo burger at an upscale restaurant. Or, to pick up a 1/4 of schwag for $20 and expect the same flavor and results as a fire hybrid that's been well bred for a few generations. I'm not saying the McD burger or the schwag aren't good or worth it - only that top quality for cheap is a rarity. Top quality for a reasonable price is tough enough. Go check out ALT compared to jhanpixel or other reasonable US blowers and you'll see what I mean.
Maybe we need a new thread for "Reasonably priced, high quality bubbler??" ?