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For friends and family try listen to their problems/annoyances. Usually people tend to complain until they fix it by themselves and if not, it’s your chance to shine.
If you want to contribute something to a hobby, ask first or gift cash. Most of the time the gift will be not needed or already surpassed with better/more expensive gear.
I try look for higher sold numbers and review amount. Than looking for the sellers rating and also numbers.
A lot of brands have official AliExpress shops which you can reach via their website.
On the other side, get yourself a limit you’re comfortable to “lose” and buy expensive stuff locally.