Buy at Jewelry Shows or Wholesale Shops
One of the best places to pick up jewelry supplies for near wholesale prices is in those “travelling” bead shows that are constantly going on. I’ve been to a couple, but the Rings ‘N Things Bead Show that happens every year has been the best bet so far. These bead shows provide a good selection of everything from precious stones to jewelry tools at prices that are far cheaper than anything you’ll find in a catalog. Now, some of the items they are selling in bulk are items that didn’t sell well in the catalog. However, this is actually OK since you get to physically look at the items. Just because it didn’t sell well, doesn’t mean it won’t be perfect for use in your own jewelry making.
In bigger cities (at least in L.A.) there are true “wholesale” shops that have an actual physical location. Often they are clustered together in the commerce or “garment” districts. I haven’t really patronized too many of these places because for the most part they require you to buy jewelry supplies in huge bulk amounts.
Stuff like seed beads and standard crystals can be found for amazing prices. Many of the smaller local bead stores actually buy their stock from places like these. There are a few downsides, the most important being that some stores will not even sell you anything unless you can provide a State Tax Resale ID, which I’ll talk about on the next page. Don’t expect to pick up single strands of beads here… many are sold by the hank or larger quantities. This is not that good of an option unless you are going to be making a large amount of the same jewelry pieces…
