Just FYI, for those interested. I found another source of acupunture needles which does NOT required the minimum order....
http://www.bluepoppy.com/store/needles.cfm
I just ordered two boxes. Both were 15mm/.5in and were 36 gauge (20mm) and 38 gauge (18mm) in size. At $4.50/box and about $5 for shipping, that's around $15. Not bad!
Make sure you skip to the bottom of the page and order the sharp brand needles.