Wholesale and Bulk Beads: Understanding, Buying and Why They Can be for Everyone
To beaders everywhere… heads up! Even if you’re not a designer or selling your work professionally, there are things to consider when buying beads for your jewelry. If you’re selling your work, then you can use wholesale to make a better profit margin. If you’re making jewelry as gifts and don’t sell your work, then there are ways to stretch your dollar so that you have more beads at nearly the same cost. And if you’re a bead store, we need to talk.
 
The Beadin’ Path is so many things… and more!
To the casual shopper at the retail store or web site, it may not be so noticeable that we’re a wholesaler that services designers and bead stores. Its available to anyone with the appropriate credentials, and if you’re selling your work and haven’t signed up for wholesale, then ask yourself why. Should you? Shouldn’t you? Hopefully the next few paragraphs will help you decide.
 
What is it?
To buy wholesale simply means that you are purchasing beads in quantity with intent to re-sell them and are receiving them at a lower price than regular retail. Discounts are logical if you’re wanting to make a better profit margin, and buying in bulk gives you a better price all around. That means you can save more m-o-n-e-y. And that means you can buy more beads, which is what we all want, right??  
 
Wholesale around the world
This is important… each company that you buy wholesale from may have different requirements. For instance, some wholesalers (also known as jobbers or distributors) require you to meet a minimum amount of money, and sometimes the amount is quite high. You’ll need to buy in large volume to meet the minimum, and that will cost you a lot of bread (also known as cash or moolah). Keep that in mind if you’re buying solo, or if you can pool funds with others to meet this minimum then you’re ok. However, I recommend choosing to buy from companies that have no minimum. That way you’re not overspending and you can buy more variety of what you like from the same vendor or others. And guess what… the Beadin’ Path has no minimum. Hooray for you! This is our philosophy because we’re on your side. And we know over time you’ll come to appreciate the turnover of vintage beads and components and you’ll come back to us. It’s a partnership that keeps us both in business!
 
How to know if you qualify
Buying wholesale means that you are going to re-sell either the goods themselves, or you’re using the goods to create something that will be sold. If you’re selling enough to friends/family/boutiques/retailers or anyone else, then you would really need to buy wholesale. Re-sell is the key word. Now, that being said, stuff that isn't actually SOLD doesn’t qualify for a wholesale price. For instance, needles, scissors, bead cases, trays or tools are considered to be part of your work station, not part of your finished design and therefore wouldn’t be eligible for any type of discount. But beads, thread, wire, clasps, crimps, chain and anything else that your customer will walk away with will qualify. 
 
A special thing for designers…
Did you know that the Beadin’  Path offers something called a pick box? It’s a delicious box of vintage bits and pieces and beads and components and other gorgeous stuff that we send to you to peruse. It’s a perfect way to select what you want in person if you’re far from the brick and mortar Beadin’ Path. We simply authorize your credit card prior to sending the box out, and then after you send back what you didn’t choose to keep, we then charge you for what you couldn’t live without. Think of this as a mini-trunk show sent specially to you! If this sounds like a must do for you, then give us a call!
 
If you’re a bead store
Then high five!! We love fellow bead stores! Your wholesale situation is a bit different, and in a good way! You’ve got the advantage of buying in potentially larger quantities from companies, especially if you have more than one location, or if you’ve got other bead store owner/friends that are willing to go in on stuff with you. Would you be interested in hosting a Beadin’ Path trunk show? We would gather a pile of irresistible vintage Lucite and vintage metals and ship them to you to display in your shop for a week, then you’d send back what didn’t sell. It’s a great way to have a promotion in your store to bring people in!
 
Something else…
Bead stores also seem to love our pick packs. A healthy selection of best sellers, current trends and vintage beads and components are sent to you all ready to hit your selling floor, pre-stranded and priced with no company information on the tags. There is a flat rate cost for this pick pack, and you’ll find it to be very profitable for your store.
 
Get started!
If you’re ready to be a wholesale buyer, you can simply follow the directions at the bottom of our home page. And if you have questions, feel free to call us!!
If you’re not qualified for wholesale, then remember that by getting your beads on a strand instead of a few at a time, you’re getting a better price. These days we save money where we can. But we have to have our beads!