People with home-based crafts businesses have had problems obtaining supplies at wholesale cost for the past thirty years. One reason is that most crafters who sell on a part-time basis at the retail level don?t sell enough of any one thing to justify ordering supplies in the large quantities many suppliers demand as a minimum order. No one has all the answers for the problem of how and where to buy raw materials and other craft supplies wholesale, but there are many ways to obtain supply source information:
- Learn who makes or sells what you need. Read trade magazines and other publications for artists and crafters. (Note: Trade magazines are not found on newsstands, but are available by subscription and often found in libraries. Selected publications are listed in Resources.)
- Check your library. Look for the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers, which lists products by category, trade, and brand names along with the names of companies that make them. When requesting a company?s wholesale catalog (which is rarely free), type your letter on business stationery. Otherwise you may be perceived as a hobby business that does not qualify for wholesale prices.
- Subscribe to periodicals that contain supplier ads. One of the best magazines for this kind of information is Craft Supply Magazine, a trade magazine aimed specifically at the gift producer market.
- Attend trade shows. Sponsors of the Hobby Industry Association (HIA) shows have finally recognized craft designers and ?converters of craft materials for the gift market? as a legitimate market. Although such buyers no longer have to go through all sorts of machinations to gain entry to an HIA show, it is still up to individual exhibitors as to whether or not wholesale orders will be accepted from them. ?Not every supplier exhibiting in such shows is interested in dealing with professional crafters (PCs), even when they can meet minimum order requirements,? an industry insider told me. ?Although PCs, for the most part, order in larger quantities than small retail shops, some suppliers fear their invoice won?t be paid. That?s why it?s important to dress and act like a business person at such shows. Don?t give suppliers a reason to doubt you won?t pay your bill. Don?t go up to them and meekly say, ?Will you sell to me?? Instead, state firmly, ?I?m ready to place my order; are you ready to take it???
- Join an organization. Membership in some organizations enables artists and crafters to buy supplies in bulk with other members.
- Search the Internet and World Wide Web. Teresa Niell says she is finding the Internet to be a great way to find the supplies she needs to make topiaries, wreaths, and related items. ?It?s a wonderful resource tool. You can search for almost any kind of material and come up with something. Since crafters are quick to share information, message boards are also a great way to find a certain product you?re looking for.?
- Other tips. In the beginning, when your supply needs are small, your best bet may be to concentrate on finding suppliers who offer bulk or special-discount prices. Craft magazines often carry ads of such companies. Since retail shops everywhere are hurting for business these days, some might offer a 20 to 30 percent discount on larger-than-usual orders. In fact, if you need fabric or fur, you might come out ahead buying this way instead of at full wholesale.
?Buying wholesale requires a large-quantity purchase and minimum orders at each wholesale house,? says teddy bear designer Jan Bonner. ?Fabrics purchased in 20-yard bolts are expensive, and you could easily be stuck with a large portion unsold at the end of a season. Patterns in fabrics and colors also change each season. Calico in style in the 1970s gave way to chintz fabrics in the 1980s, then to dark backgrounds in the 1990s. I?ve decided it?s better to buy some amounts on sale at 30 percent off than large amounts at 50 percent off. This enables me to achieve a variety of color for less cash output.?
Jan adds that you can always find a good buy on supplies, but never can replace the capital used to buy them. ?Always be careful to have an adequate supply of money on hand to make a quick move in the marketplace,? she cautions.
Dollmaker Rita Stone-Conwell has learned not to buy supplies in large quantities until she knows an item is going to be a good seller. ?I also learned that just because a color or style interests me, it does not mean others will buy it.? After a lifetime of sewing, Barbara Sharpe says her most expensive lesson was purchasing a huge stash of fabrics for projects never started. The fabric retailers have promoted the adage that ?She who dies with the most fabrics wins.? ?Wrong,? she says. ?Fabric does not earn interest.?
Fabric does earn respect, however, as Maria Nerius will confirm. She still cringes when she relates this story: ?I was fascinated with a product called lamb?s fleece. When it came on the market, I immediately bought $600 worth?a big investment for me?because I was so excited about working with this wonderful new material. I forgot only one thing: I?m allergic to wool. In my excitement, fleece and wool just didn?t correlate. Thirty minutes after handling the material, I was covered with red blotches and had to go to the hospital. I ended up giving all of this material to the senior center.?
Related posts:
- How to Find Good Shows to Promote Your Crafts
- Home-Based Crafts Business ? How to Develop Creativity and Design Ability
- Advertising Media ? Magazines
- How to Do Market Research in Art Industry
- How to Start a Professional Craft Business
Source: http://newbieanswer.info/home-based-crafts-businesses-how-to-buy-supplies-wholesale/
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