Finding bead wholesale suppliers manufactuers. Any ideas?

[kezbelly]

Hi everyone

I am looking for some advice on how to source suppliers or manufacturers of beads and findings.

I have recently found out I am pregnant :) and feel now is a good time and a definite driver to pursue that own business dream I have so that a few months after baby is born I can return to work but this time it will be based at home.

I make jewellery at the moment (but never get around to selling it!) My dream would be to continue to make jewellery and to sell it but also to open an online bead store. The bead store is the big favourite for me.

I am in the planning stages at the moment. I want to get as much ground work done now in the coming months before baby. I know what I want to sell but I now need to find suppliers.

There are loads of beadshops around but I am really struggling to find suppliers that I can buy at good prices to be able to resell and still make a business out of it.

There must be a way to do this as there are many bead businesses out there doing well but I dont know where to start!

I have been advised to order from the far east (I am in the UK) but how do I do that? I find it difficult to find suppliers from the far east on the internet plus there is the worry about quality as well.

If anyone has been here before or can offer any advice or guidance I would really really appreciate it!

Thanks all

Kezbel
x

[Caroleecrafts]

for beads I use Sandra's Accessories (http://www.sandrasaccessories.co.uk), they are purely wholesale.

[Peter]

for beads I use Sandra's Accessories (http://www.sandrasaccessories.co.uk), they are purely wholesale.
£250 minimum order!!!!!:o I use US wholesalers and only get $250 dollar minimums! :)
It's worth a lot of research re setting up an online shop Kezbel, there are a lot of middle market bead shops either struggling or going down at the moment. I'm moving from my own website to Etsy just because I can't wait until Google get their fingers out - I'm far too tight to pay them, money = beads! ;) The good thing is that beads are not perishables, if you can afford to wait they will wait with you! :)
peter

[auntynet]

That £250 minimum applies to your first order only. After that there is no minimum.

[beckyboo]

A good UK wholesaler to start with is

http://www.beadsales.co.uk/wholesale

they are quite reasonable and can bring the cost of making pieces down by quite a bit

looking at the sale section on big sites such as beads direct etc is a good idea as well

good luck Kez and big congrats on your pregnancy

[steve-bead]

Hi Kezbel,

To answer you thoughts on 'the far East' - yes, there are plenty of beads out there and good quality stuff.

If you go the importing route you can be looking at dealing with China, Japan, India, Taiwan etc etc as well as Europe (for Czech glass and what have you).

With diligent research it is possible to track all these down, but the main issue that often stops 'hobbyist' buying direct is the costs involved.

We get all our stuff by sea freight, which is pretty good value over all, but still spend 'thousands' on each order

(OMG let me sit down after thinking about that!)

We (at Nilas Beads) have not really pursued the wholesale supplier idea, but if you want to drop me a line (PM or via our web site) we might be able to come up with some prices for stock that you can benefit from, or maybe a sales partneship or something (im talking off my head as it comes to me, but you get the idea!)

All the best

Steve

[kezbelly]

Thanks all for your replies will include all in my research! Thanks :) x