So the opportunity came up for me to buy a few machines for a very low price in China, through some local connections. It sounded exciting at first, but then some problems came up:
It currently takes a couple of months to order mining machines, and a few more weeks to set everything up. So we're looking at some 3 months before everything can be set up properly and start mining.
Secondly, China is a problematic place: Bitcoin and other crypto currencies present a problem to the Chinese government, since they allow people to purchase things and services without the government being able to monitor the process. China is not following the democratic way of law-making, and so laws may be passed there overnight, without any public debate or warning. You can wake up one morning, and find out that the mining operation you've spent so much money on is now illegal, and the government is seizing your equipment up. The risk is bigger than just losing the money you've invested.
So I'm still struggling with the concept, and would love to hear everyone's thoughts!