How do you buy glass?

[Greymatter Glass]

Ok, when you need more clear glass, what do you do? I'm trying to decide is piece sales on tubing and rod will be worth my time, or if I should just stick with whole cases only.

[mer]

i don't know if it would be worthwhile to ship by the piece but for local sales it seems to do well. one of the best things about having a local supply store is being able to try something new without having to get more than you need. i like to keep a few pieces each of a lot of different sizes in golf bags just to have around but if i had to buy a whole case to have access to 2mm rod i would ever use it. cases and pallettes are really only for the staples of my prodo lines.

[n3rd]

i wish i had a local supplier, i miss globaltradingglass :(

who ships simax cheap?

[HOSS]

i wish i had a local supplier, i miss globaltradingglass :(

who ships simax cheap?


Generations (cheap shipping=free, plus 10% GLDG discount).

I'm with Mer I only get whole cases of sizes I need every day, more occasional stuff I get by the 1/2 or 1/4 case.

[newmexicomagma]

i try to get enough glass to last me about 6 months.this last time i think i got enough to last me a year.

[Meerkat]

When I lived in Vancouver it was great, you could just go to Andrighetti's glass and pick up whatever you needed from glass to tools and take it back to the shop either on the bus or walking.

[jethro]

Being new to all this I generally buy by the piece when I am not sure if I will use something and in larger quantitys when I know it is something I will use.

I am a big fan of the 1/4 case price breaks they seem to fit in nicely with my budget.

[puddletown]

we are pretty lucky here in portland. not only is there Glass Alchemy, which has cheap pounds of color, but there are a few places to get glass either by the case or single stick. It mostly depends on what you want to pay per pound.

I didnt mention northstar because they dont like dealing with the public and dont let people go and buy color directly from them anymore.

[somewhere]

I'd say by the piece for local pick up. I stock glass here for resale but it isn't worth my time to ship it. I have several people here in the area that buy from me. I price match on anything less then a case they bring a print out or a catalog and that's the price they get. I encourage people to buy by the case and even offer an addition discount if they place there order ahead of time. That way I don't have to shelf glass I don't use. I order it then they pick up and pay when it arrives.

I do recommend you keep it as simple as possible or you will find yourself doing nothing but running a buy sell business.

[Glacier_Arts_Studio]

things around here are very open...
1/4,1/2 and full cases but, no pallets yet...
i work on the hippie system of, i spend about
everything i have and float as best i can till i
can recover... the least i have ever ordered
was my last one of just over $150... it was
two quarter cases and several mixed goodies...
i prefer to spend more like $3-500... but, none
of my system would work if you were using a lot
of larger tubing... i believe that 36-38 is about
all i go up to...

[Swampy]

Clear rod & tube = by the case

Colour rod = shorts or by the pound for a specific colour

Frit = by the 4 or 8 oz

[beachglass]

usually a length of this a length of that. a few hundred bucks worth at a time (with some colour). I'd like to get cases, but we get ripped hard here in Canada (try almost $300 for a case of 31 hvy)

I was going to get a couple cases from generations, but when i put my address in it said shipping would be $500 :O. oh well, i guess i should just call them and see if they can help me out because i'd really love to pay less than half of what i'm used to for clear....especially with our dollars being almost par

[garrick]

just because i got a couple of places within driving distance, i only buy what i need to last me a week or two at a time.

[The Glass Fish]

How long do you plan on working glass? Next month? Next year? Glass doesn't ever spoil, and you get a huge price difference by the case. Save up and buy by the case. I always buy cases. Color by the pound. Frit by the pound. And one day when you are low on cash, look at your stock and smile that you can work for a really long time before restocking.

[newmexicomagma]

i agree with the fish. i try to make sure that if everything goes wrong i at least have enough glass to take care of me. i mean if we see it as a job we have to deal with it as a job. i make sure my over head is taken care care of just like my bills are taken care of. im hoping to continually build my overhead revenue to where i can buy enough prodo stock to last me years.

[ShttrdSpctrm]

I just turn around and grab a tube or a pound af rod and then BANG!!!!! I have glass.
I suggest getting cases of what you use. and the get a case of what you wanna try.

[Blacksheep]

usually a length of this a length of that. a few hundred bucks worth at a time (with some colour). I'd like to get cases, but we get ripped hard here in Canada (try almost $300 for a case of 31 hvy)

I was going to get a couple cases from generations, but when i put my address in it said shipping would be $500 :O. oh well, i guess i should just call them and see if they can help me out because i'd really love to pay less than half of what i'm used to for clear....especially with our dollars being almost par

hey thats for sure -forget generations it appears they couldnt give a shit to include Canada in its customers i add a blowhose kit it adds 70 bucks shipping in the cart. i emailed generations about a glass order & was told oh would need several boxes etc etc i emailed back saying that the cart uses the most expensive express internation shipping there is -airmail is insurable and trackable -takes a couple weeks never heard back so obviously ill never shop there
fuckin rediculas mail cost.
ive gotten some glass from Trevs but still waiting -a week or so for a quote on shipping for 200 worth of glass -they do use a better mail though-how about it trevs would like to get the mail cost for this order
just keep looking fo someone just over the boarder from you that will use an affordable mail dont go with ups either they add brokerage charges ontop of freight and taxes that is expensive.

[Cosmo]

We buy by the case, but we sell by the piece. Some places won't cut down full length rods, but we have no problem cutting them down. There are many people who won't want to buy a full case of glass. Out of the over 300 orders for glass we did this year, only two of them were for full cases.

[ech]

Perspnally I buy whatever I need in the largest quantities I can afford to get at the time. Very rarely do I buy clear in less than case quatities. I Only buy less than case quantities when its some thing that I will only need once for a special project or if I just don't have the cash to get a blk amount. When You buy bulk you get a better price and you save on shipping, etc.. But when you have a local supplier and can walk in hand pick your own glass from open cases it definately makes it more convenient, especially on those special project items and spur of the moment things.

[MoltenLife]

I agree with ech, I buy whatever I need in the largest quantities I can afford to get at the time. I sometimes consider convenience over price.

[e-jipt]

A lot of times I order large quanity but always *try* to buy the case. Unless it's something I've never used before. I like to spend like $500 when I order but I'd love to spend more then that =p

[Cosmo]

I can see a lot of you have never dealt with the beadmaking public before. I prefer to buy my glass by the case as well, but all of the beadmakers I've ever dealt with buy small quantities. I have several customers who buy single rods of clear or color at a time. I've even started breaking up 4 oz. frit jars into 1 oz. bags for them. They all like to try things out, or just buy a little here and there. Honestly, if you are getting a lot of beadmaker customers, I think you will lose a lot of business if you only sell by the case. But, that's just me...

[Swampy]

Yeah some of them folks like just small amounts like Cosmo said, just to try it out.

[The Glass Fish]

Cosmo, I completely agree with you. A lot of people only want a little. If everybody bought in cases only, a lot of sellers would go under. This is a thread about how you buy, not how you sell, though.

I met this bead lady at a 3 day event. She was cool, so we let her try our phantom out. She loved using boro, so I traded like a pound of various colors and about 3 pounds of clear for some cool finished beaded jewelry. She was extactic. She thought it would be enough to last a while. Shit is like crack. She'll probably give you a call soon. lol

[SNYD]

Because shipping to Hawaii Is murder I buy by the Pallet fo sure:D Just ordered 10 cases last week.

[CripSkillz]

OMG all i can say Is I love Generations -- jstu split an order with my buddy and got a case of tube some more tube shit load of rod and 1 1/2 # of odds

no tax freeshipping gldg discount damn how can they do it I got a lot of shit for 270$

[dapper]

Where can I get broken/shorts of color for a good price? Gen. Glass?

[HOSS]

I think Trev's has the best price I know of on bags of NS shorts (about $10/lb?). Glasscraft has them too and also carries the GA "bag o bits" (about the same price). I think Frantz and Winship do too. You can get a mix of both GA and NS from ABR, sometimes momka too, usually has bigger pieces but there is also soft glass mixed in.

[Big Jay]

not sure how you can really buy any order for less then 100 bucks. All the discounts usually don't start tell you get a couple hundred bucks and you can them almost order 1.5 x's as much for the same price.

[Big Jay]

Where can I get broken/shorts of color for a good price? Gen. Glass?

Generations has the best price out there on Northstar odds and seconds. I think its less then 10 bucks a pound with the free reward(by 4 ounces get 4 free). 250 dollar orders get free shipping. Just call him to check his stock.

[CripSkillz]

i got 1 1/2# for 18$ of the NS seconds

[chayes]

i use money to buy my glass

[Wierdeer]

generally like to buy over ten cases so I can get that ten case break, this way I don't have to worry about it for long time

[dimebag4ever]

Generations (cheap shipping=free, plus 10% GLDG discount).

I'm with Mer I only get whole cases of sizes I need every day, more occasional stuff I get by the 1/2 or 1/4 case.

hey man where is generations

[Dom]

GenerationsGlass.com

[Berferker]

generally like to buy over ten cases so I can get that ten case break, this way I don't have to worry about it for long time


exactly...cheap glass for a long long time. But at minimum a case...single rod is stupid expensive.

[Big Jay]

If everybody bought in cases only, a lot of sellers would go under.



I kinda don't understand that but I am not a glass retailer. But it seems to me they don't have to unpack the cases, stock them, cut them , repack them, weigh them. So they get paid to receive it and redirect it. Less chance of piece loss as well due to breakage.

[Eric S]

I kinda don't understand that but I am not a glass retailer. But it seems to me they don't have to unpack the cases, stock them, cut them , repack them, weigh them. So they get paid to receive it and redirect it. Less chance of piece loss as well due to breakage.


yes but theres a limit to the overall volume of glass that can be used by artists. if all artists switched to large orders, there would be a much smaller # of orders placed each year and the shops with the best deals would take all the business. lots of shops make money on small orders cause theres so much higher markup they can get paid the same for selling much less glass.

[Big Jay]

but you only buy tube/rod by the case. There is always color, torches, kilns, tools etc.

EDIT- damnit hit the button before I finished. Not to mention when people order color in large quantities they will sometimes order color they never would have to fill the order. I just ordered a pallet of cases of rod/tube from one place and a large order from another. In order to get my discount on color I ordered 2.5 pound of color I never would have to get the quantity discount.

[hoosierglass]

I live in Indiana, and normally just go to ABR Imagery. They are always really helpful, and it is nearby. I do know they are pretty reasonable for shipping, and trust me, they have TONS of simax in stock. They are never out of the tubing I use.