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Customer Service Kiosk -- Questions for LE vendors.

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  #31  
Old 2008-04-03, 7:28am
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Ha, you are funny. I'm down to one kid
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I use very little silver glass. I don't like the silvers or dichros overdone. Just bits for accents. I really only use silver glasses for froggies so I probably have enough to last me three lifetimes! I'm selling off my Bullseye (in the Garage Sale if anyone is interested). I just don't want to learn a whole new color scheme, and figure out cane and what color does what and so on, and so on and it doesn't flow like 104.


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But it's hard when you have to decide between keeping the kids or hawking them to buy expensive glass!

And it's hard when you have to decide between treating yourself to an expensive glass or doing whatever financially responsible thing you SHOULD do instead. I also wish the prices would come down.

I see both sides...

Sue
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  #32  
Old 2008-04-03, 8:30am
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I would definitely sell the kids...I love to try all colors. I don't need a lot of them. And the silvered glasses are FAB. You only need tiny bits to do great things.
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  #33  
Old 2008-04-03, 9:00am
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But I'm fickle. I like trying as many different products out there as I can find. Some are dirt cheap. Some are amazingly expensive. On a piece-by-piece basis, I know that I use about 6" of glass (average diameter cane) in a standard vessel. My standard vessels are priced at $50 each, which I think is pretty reasonable. I know I can get about 13 vessels out of one pound of glass, including typical waste. That's $650 of standard product out of one pound of glass. Whether that glass costs me $8/lb or $100/lb, there's still plenty of room to make a profit.
Bingo! I often like the Odd Lots because they work really well with silver and enamels, my two main bead ingredients! Also, the colors are fantastic!

If I spend $30 for a 1/4# of glass (about 5-6 rods) and I make $30 on ONE focal made from the glass - the glass is then paid for and I still have enough glass left to make about 12 focals - let's say avg price $25.00 ea... I have the potential to make $300 for $30.

And that's the main reason why I don't make sets. Sets use a lot of glass and the profit margin is crap for me. I do much better with one focal.
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  #34  
Old 2008-04-04, 4:18am
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I feel I haven't expressed myself well. Reading through the threads. Yes it is possible to make a nice profit even with the Expensive silver glasses - Yes, if one has mastered the art of beadmaking, it is possible to make nice beads without the expensive glasses.

But here's my worry. If we as a group gobble up every thing that is new and exciting no matter the cost, sooner or later the prices will increase "just because they can". The costs will increase to whatever the market will bear and we as a group are showing that we are eager enough to pay what ever is asked.

That is my concern - rising costs just because the market wll tolerate it.

Someone else spoke of creating art with low costs paints - but painters pretty much create their own colors with the pallette of colors they have regardless of whether is entry level paint or professional paints - I don't think paint manufacturers are coming up with tubes of new colors and the artists are all going out an buying it like we as beadmakers are doing with the new glasses - so there is no comparison.

Maybe high costs in the future will prohibit hobbiests from making beads - that's a bad thing because many hobbiests have contributed ideas and techniques.

You just have to love capitalism and all that comes with it, eh?

I can see it now, once prices have become totally ridicuous, Walmart will start selling glass rods made in Taiwan or Zimbabwey.
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  #35  
Old 2008-04-04, 4:55am
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Linda, good point. I think that won't happen, because like any other market, the more profit made in a product, the more competitors will see an advantage to entering the field.

If the greed level gets high enough, the large corporations will get in the act... corning may go right back to producing colored glass for example. With their equipment, R&A abilities, deep pockets (I own GLW stock, I can tell you, this company does it right... very very low corporate debt levels), and typically a very high cash level... Corning can kick anyone's butt for prices that are absurdly low. It's a matter of scale and demand. And once in, like Walmart, they can distroy all mom & pops to corner the market. No need for imports, which would require an even bigger scale to profitably enter the fray.

Soooo... it doesn't make sense for the mom's and pop's to attract that level of attention by producing the level of profits you worry about. Greed is self-destructive.

As it is, I'm a newbie, and I don't know if I want to obsess with glass forever. However, even with all my enthusiasm, I won't buy glass unless it's at a DEEP discount. I have never paid more than $45 a lb for the most coveted silver colors, including Momka murrini, and more like $19 a lb at GA's sale for $58 glass. I would imagine that most people do the same thing... refuse to buy any glass unless they are in dire need, or see an irresistable sale. Companies that don't have sales don't get as much business.

The market has a way of regulating itself... just as with products. If you produce a very superior product, you can charge a BIT more. If you produce an ordinary product for more than your competition, you will go out of business. If you are bad at customer service, you will eventually go out of business or become poorer by the day. People in glass go out of business every day, that means the market is still competitive.

When the pricing becomes uncompetitive, aka too profitable, you will see companies ENTERING the market in droves, not leaving it. As business is cyclical, that means that eventually, a good chunk of those selling glass, old and new, will no longer be in business once saturation is hit again.

If in fact hobbiests are prevented from entering the market due to pricing... then the businesses producing glass will begin failing... the prices will DROP to reduce inventory, and the hobbyists will be back buying again.

I think it is self-regulating. Again, greed, which is what you are worried about, breeds competition, which in turn, breeds loss of income.
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  #36  
Old 2008-04-04, 6:09am
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Helen,

Thanks for your thoughtful post - I hope you are right.
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  #37  
Old 2008-04-04, 7:13am
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Hi Linda, I think what you haven't gotten from some of these posts, though it has already been discussed, is that the cost to create a new color, especially some of the reactive colors, are astronomical. I don't believe that the glass companies producing these colors are making out-of-line profits from the sale of their glass. We, the beadmakers, are asking and begging for these colors, and companies that have the ability are producing them, but extraordinary glass sometimes costs extraordinary money.

I also don't subscribe to the theory that these reactive glasses are used so you don't have to learn technique. I've been learning technique for many, many years now and I love those glasses, whoever makes them. It gives me excitement to work with some of these reactive glasses to see all they will do. People make fantastic beads without the reactive colors, however people make fantastic beads with the reactive colors. People make horrible, ugly beads, whether using the reactive colors or not. Just because you use a certain glass doesn't make up for the lack of technique. In fact, you need to learn a whole set of new techniques to work with many of these glasses and the learning curve is sometimes long.

Would I love to see some of these glasses at $10 a pound, of course, but no one in their right mind would attempt to produce these glasses and sell it for that price. Perhaps some day if they can get their batching procedures honed the prices will drop, but like making a bead, the price is based, many times, on the amount of work that has been put into creating the bead, the number of attempts made that failed, the amount of time involved in getting it all to work together and finally, somewhat, on the cost of the materials involved.
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  #38  
Old 2008-04-04, 7:15am
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Linda-
what Helen said
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the market is self regulating....
this is just me, personally, but I bought alot of new colors last year(lots of Vetro odds!). So many, that this year I kinda don't want to buy much more--unbelievable for a glass junkie like me--I never thought I would hit a limit, but now I don't have the 'want' to buy unless it is:
1. an amazing deal
2. such an unusual color that there are none like it at all
3. rare or out of stock color
4. a new manufacturer(like TAG or Striking Color) that I haven't tried before

I haven't played with so many of the new colors--just tested them when I received them, so now I am going through and playing. Perfect timing too--the economy is not doing well--so now I can sit on my stash and play and not think about buying glass......too much
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and what Pam said about silver glass...
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Last edited by nagibeads; 2008-04-04 at 7:17am. Reason: just read Pam's post....
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  #39  
Old 2008-04-04, 7:29am
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Hi Linda, I think what you haven't gotten from some of these posts, though it has already been discussed, is that the cost to create a new color, especially some of the reactive colors, are astronomical. I don't believe that the glass companies producing these colors are making out-of-line profits from the sale of their glass. We, the beadmakers, are asking and begging for these colors, and companies that have the ability are producing them, but extraordinary glass sometimes costs extraordinary money.

I also don't subscribe to the theory that these reactive glasses are used so you don't have to learn technique. I've been learning technique for many, many years now and I love those glasses, whoever makes them. It gives me excitement to work with some of these reactive glasses to see all they will do. People make fantastic beads without the reactive colors, however people make fantastic beads with the reactive colors. People make horrible, ugly beads, whether using the reactive colors or not. Just because you use a certain glass doesn't make up for the lack of technique. In fact, you need to learn a whole set of new techniques to work with many of these glasses and the learning curve is sometimes long.

Would I love to see some of these glasses at $10 a pound, of course, but no one in their right mind would attempt to produce these glasses and sell it for that price. Perhaps some day if they can get their batching procedures honed the prices will drop, but like making a bead, the price is based, many times, on the amount of work that has been put into creating the bead, the number of attempts made that failed, the amount of time involved in getting it all to work together and finally, somewhat, on the cost of the materials involved.



I don't debate that the cost of the new silver glasses is justified - what worries me is that if the market sees that we will tolerate such prices for some glass that the price of common colors will rise too, because they have seen that the market will tolerate it - it all started with handpulled colors being higher than the factory pulled - we all learned to be dependent on the hand pulled colors and paid the price - somehow, I still think that not making myself clear that I am talking about supply and demand and what the market will bear.
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  #40  
Old 2008-04-04, 9:50am
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The thing is, the market won't tolerate it. When prices are too high... what do you do yourself? You likely do the same thing I do... don't buy.

And... people are complaining on this thread about glass costs... what's happening in the real glass market? People aren't buying... so there are huge sales... which makes people buy...

If the sales aren't deep enough, or people don't perceive value... their behavior changes (don't buy) and companies fail on the manufacturing and retail levels. Wasn't that what started this thread? And what is going on right now?

Apparently, the market perceives of prices right now as too high. When the retailers get hit, they don't reorder from the manufacturers who get hit... and they drop prices because they have bills to pay, or they go under.

The market does regulate itself, or a big player steps in and does the regulating for them by driving all greedy small businesses under. Business everywhere is tough, and the economy is not helping. But a flicker of hope... the stock market may be rounding it's curve... which generally predicts the economy 6 months out.
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  #41  
Old 2008-04-04, 10:58am
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I love Bullseye glass. I love that it's consistent. I love that it's made here in the US. I love that it's a bit stiffer --- Makes it perfect for blowing! I love their quality control and the fact that they, as a company, are so organized. Unfortunately, I just can't embrace their opaque colors. There's a "milky" look to many of them, or a lack of color saturation. The transparents are fabulous! I *love* the folks at Bullseye.
Tink, have you tried the new Opaque colors that BE has put out? They are aware that we want truly opaque colors and are starting to answer our call. There have been 6 opaque colors in the last 4 or 5 months - and they are YUMMY!
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  #42  
Old 2008-04-04, 1:05pm
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I think maybe this has more to do with frustration at not being able to afford the glass you'd like? And I can understand that.

I LOVE silvered glass but haven't bought any in so long, I can't remember when it was. I savor the rods I have left and use them sparingly. I'm not joking, I was still using the first 1/4 pound of Kronos I bought way back from DH right before everyone "discovered it". I shared a rod with Julz, JC and Jude when I was invited for a play date back in ... was it 2006? They tried it out and then went and got the laptop to check out the website to see if any was available.
I made it last that long.

So if "mom and pop" shops can make their dream come true by making money on specialty glasses and owning their own business, that's great.
If I want some of that glass bad enough then I'll find a way to get it, even if it means sacrficing somewhere else (or selling a kidney).
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So, I think I understand where you're coming from Linda. Glad you asked about it too because I always wondered what exactly was involved in those who sell glass. Importing sounds like a big pain in the hiney. And spending lots of money on experimental glass recipes that may or may not work.
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  #43  
Old 2008-04-04, 7:12pm
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I think maybe this has more to do with frustration at not being able to afford the glass you'd like? And I can understand that.
Not exactly - I have a full time job. Beadmaking is not my total income although I do pretty well at it. As I said, my concern is the same as for the rising costs of everything else from bread to property taxes - a little increase here and a little increase there and before you know it - boom, you really can't afford it an more.

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I LOVE silvered glass but haven't bought any in so long, I can't remember when it was. I savor the rods I have left and use them sparingly. I'm not joking, I was still using the first 1/4 pound of Kronos I bought way back from DH right before everyone "discovered it". I shared a rod with Julz, JC and Jude when I was invited for a play date back in ... was it 2006? They tried it out and then went and got the laptop to check out the website to see if any was available.
I made it last that long.
Yeah I still have some of that Kronos too.
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  #44  
Old 2008-04-04, 7:41pm
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Well Linda
I know a little about this, seeing how I am the guy discounting glass that made many of my peers upset.
Several other sellers have stated there are many hidden cost in this business as they stated.
So to let all know that I had a sale because I had more than a ton (2,000 Pounds of glass in bundles uncut that were paid for sitting here, and most of my Vetrofond bins were full besides.
Unlike most of my competitors I usually don't have any shipping cost.
I live in the same town as my distributor. A strategic location was one of the reasons I started this business. It just made sense.
I am now feeling the pain of other buyers because I have have to buy more glass from new suppliers because My main supplier is out of stock on a ton of colors that he will not sell to me. Very poor planning!

Tax time is also getting close and I just jumped back into the business full time again.
I decided to pump up business a little and get more exposure to my business.
Did I make a reasonable profit on the Vetrofond I sold?
Not really.
But I sold many other items and received many new customers.
It was worth it to me and to the customers that got a great deal.
As far as the oddlots that is different.
If you can remember that demand just goes through the roof when a color like V931 River Rock comes out.
There is only so much made, be it buy accident or not. Many people did and would and people are greedy simple fact. I know that about 100 Lampworkers control 90 percent of the hidden glass that you all want. Supply and demand drive the market.
If you don't buy the Oddlots the price will go down simple fact.
Look @ Mike's 40 % off sale.Less demand ...... less price, they go hand in hand.
Many of the retailers of the same glass are holding a bunch of glass that we thought we could sell at a reasonable markup.
We, believing that we may not get another chance to buy those oddlots try to stock up. Looks like we got burned on this one!
Also factor in there are many new resellers that have jumped into the market that dilutes the pool of prospective buyers down considerably .
I know I am not getting rich selling glass and supplies.
This is a story for you!
I work at least 16 hours a day maybe 6 days a week x 2 people(Bill & Donelle)= about $4.00 an hour if I am lucky. Yes I am making a killing.
If you think prices are bad now HOLD ON TO YOUR BUNDLES because I know it is going up,up, up!
Buy now and save money on the simple colors. I try to keep cost down . I don't overcharge on shipping and always refund the difference unlike others.
I don't charge for boxes,bubble, peanuts and shrink wrap. You cane almost buy a small car for what I spend a year.
I think that when you get down to it we all are feeling the inflationary pressures due to our economy .
I expect that there will be some people get out of the business because of it.
I jut hope it isn't me because I like working for $4.00 an hour!
Bill T.
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  #45  
Old 2008-04-04, 9:04pm
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Wow Bill You are making more than me!! I think I am netting 2 cents an hour. And I am up until 3 a.m. every night packing. I sure wish I had a wife to help! Weekends are spent either cutting glass or working on the website. Btw, I don't charge for peanuts or bubble wrap either and also do return extra shipping money because that is what I would want for myself!
I don't know of anybody getting rich in the glass business and I know a lot of people in it!
Well gotta run. More boxes to pack!

Paula
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  #46  
Old 2008-04-04, 9:12pm
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Maybe I'm silly, but I would expect the cost of packaging materials to be included somewhere -so if it's not in the shipping, it's somewhere in the cost of the goods purchased...
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Old 2008-04-04, 9:49pm
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I think that the current prices are more than fair. Sellers costs are going up just like our living costs are going up, and that drives prices up. Yet there are sales, which tells you it's hard times right now.

Linda, I see your point too, and I feel the pain of the costs big time, because I don't sell anything, I just spend money on glass stuff.

I'm very grateful for the suppliers sales. I agree with Bill, I think prices are going to go up too, as all costs continue to rise, which is why, as crippling as it is to be a newbie, I'm buying glass like crazy lately.

As Tink mentioned before, if you sell quality product you can buy a $60 lb of glass, and make $600, so $60 isn't very expensive in the scheme of things. But if I buy $60 worth of glass, and come out with 5 very amateurish pieces worth giving away... I am not able to keep that up for long, and I simply can't afford much glass.

It's very astute to notice that hobbyists are the cheapest, because we have the most to lose, literally. Some think that we can 'afford' it because we're new, and thus deserve to pay more because we are paying for our 'education', we can't, because it often means we can't play at all.

How many hobbyists would even get interested in glass if they were told up front, the MINIMUM to play for your first month will be $3000? And by the end of your 2nd month it's up to $5000? In parts of the US, that's enough for a downpayment on a house. And on top of that, you have monthly costs for as long as you are interested? Of course we have to be cheap.

Grant you, most hobbyists don't start out going after all their supplies their first month, but the costs don't change, there are things you need, and whether you get them in week 1 or week 30, you still have to have em.

I think we hobbyists drive the supply businesses through the hard times when things aren't selling, because we generally only buy the sales... we simply can't afford full price when we are only learning and not profiting to learn, and have already spent and spent and spent (ventilation system, table, fans, torch, hoses, regulators, kiln, propane, oxygen, tools, glasses, glass, books, videos, classes, etc etc)

Suppliers in this business can't afford to be greedy either, because there's always another supplier who NEEDS the money NOW... and to complete my point, I don't think any are. I think the glass suppliers we have, at least every single one I've dealt with so far, are among the most hardest working, giving people amongst all types of suppliers in general.... and just like their customers, deserve to be able to eat, and make a living at what they do. We are just all in a tough boat atm
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  #48  
Old 2008-04-04, 10:15pm
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That's a nice post Helen! I did the same thing as a hobbyist!
NLC I don't have anything added in for the shipping supplies in either the costs of items or at the shipping end. I probably am going to have to soon though.
Btw, it's very expensive getting items shipped to me. Some vendors don't really care what they charge to ship because they know we need product. I paid $4.36 a lb to get a certain color here a few months ago so that I would have it when it was released to every one else.
Paula
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Old 2008-04-04, 10:17pm
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I have to laugh at this! Linda, I agree with you!
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I have ONE stick of Gaia, and very little handpulled colors, no ASK, no CiM, no silver glass, no odd Vetro... My palette is the $7-$8 a pound stuff. I refuse to pay the cost of the "fancy" glass because #1 I can't afford it anyway, and I go through glass (I make a LOT of little beads!) like crazy. I'll buy 15lbs or so, and it's gone in about a month at the rate I work.
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Old 2008-04-04, 10:25pm
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Squidly, I haven't gotten any new BE in ages. I think it's been... Hmmm... Oh! When I was actually AT the Bullseye factory in 2006. LOL! I think. I do love how consistent BE colors are from one batch to the next. I love everything about BE except for the opaque palette. I guess I need to look into that, eh? Thanks for the heads up!

I just won a $100 Frantz gift certificate. As tempting as it was to run willy nilly to their website and use it to buy things I would NEVER buy otherwise, I am being very cautious (read: cheap) and will probably use it to stock up on stuff that I would need to get anyway. Well, that or the new colors that will be in soon. LOL!
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  #51  
Old 2008-04-04, 10:27pm
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speaking of molds. there is a definite learning curve to using molds correctly. i respect the artists who can use the molds well!
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  #52  
Old 2008-04-04, 10:27pm
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There's another aspect to this that makes me kind of chuckle. I started out with soft glass in 1997, but started experimenting with boro in 2000. Talk about sticker shock!!!!! While precious few Moretti colors were anything at or over $20/lb, most of the boro colors I liked were $35-50! I learned to make clear-core boro beads just to save some $$. This all just gives me a little bit of a 'now you know what it's like' feeling.
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Old 2008-04-05, 4:28am
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Bingo! I often like the Odd Lots because they work really well with silver and enamels, my two main bead ingredients! Also, the colors are fantastic!

If I spend $30 for a 1/4# of glass (about 5-6 rods) and I make $30 on ONE focal made from the glass - the glass is then paid for and I still have enough glass left to make about 12 focals - let's say avg price $25.00 ea... I have the potential to make $300 for $30.

And that's the main reason why I don't make sets. Sets use a lot of glass and the profit margin is crap for me. I do much better with one focal.
Exactly! Well-said, Amber! If a certain type of glass works for the beads you're wanting to make, it will actually increase your sales or the value of your beads. It's actually worth the higher cost in the long run. Oh...and it's sooo true what you said about making sets!!!

Quote:
But here's my worry. If we as a group gobble up every thing that is new and exciting no matter the cost, sooner or later the prices will increase "just because they can". The costs will increase to whatever the market will bear and we as a group are showing that we are eager enough to pay what ever is asked.

That is my concern - rising costs just because the market wll tolerate it.

You just have to love capitalism and all that comes with it, eh?
I think that all of these new odd lots and silver glasses are a surge in response to what we lamp workers want. We're hungry for new colors. Odd colors used to kind of trickle in. They were mistakes, no matter how pretty they were. These new colors are being purposely formulated for us because we want them and have shown we will pay well for them. If there were no market and the demand was low, what would be the impetus for creating new kinds and colors of glass? As with any new product, no matter what it may be, if you want to be the first to have it then you're going to pay more. If you bide your time, after the initial surge in sales, the price always comes down to a more reasonable level. But where odd lot glasses are concerned, unfortunately, there's no guarantee the ones you want will be there when that happens.
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  #54  
Old 2008-04-05, 6:20am
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"Hobbies" are NOT CHEAP.
Knitting/fiber works--some yarns are now $10 or more a skein. (freaked me right out!)
Painting--Good quality paints & canvasses & even those little boxes people paint on--again, not cheap (my mother does the sale thing for her paints for doing those silly floral paint things
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Wood & metal for sculpture--have you priced steel or lumber lately? Check out prices @ your local hardware store & ask them what their WEEKLY shipments look like & how often they're having to change tags because of the changes in inflation & what it's costing them to get their shipments & what cost of goods is! Then talk to the guys buying the stuff off the shelves--they're freaking out DAILY & they need the stuff for "real jobs" like construction & auto repair, etc!
(Plumbing supplies are going up too--because of the petroleum products in the plastics...ditto on the lightbulbs & anything *else* in glass--it's not just "our" glass! Little independent hardware stores are having to change their tagging on nearly a weekly basis right now...it's either that or lose money on every item they order--and who can afford that & stay in business?)

~luna
eating ramen noodles & making choices about what I can afford, when I can afford it & how to pay for it
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  #55  
Old 2008-04-05, 6:38am
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Quote:
Silver prices are going through the roof. I'm surprised there hasn't been a price increase in some of the silver glasses because of it. I suspect it's coming

Not only is silver going threw the roof right now. Real [hysical silver is costing a few dollars per oz over The daily spot price that everyone uses to go by for the price of silver. So the spot price is no longer having any thing to do with the selling price of real silver sence there is a shortage of silver and noone can get it. The price one sees for "spot" price now only applies to hypathetical silver contracts not real silver that you can hold or touch.
So regarless of what the spot price is. if anyone need real silver they have buy it on the open market. were the fake spot price is meaningless.
Right now today the spot price is $17.74 for traded silver contracts on the comex extange. But no one that has raw silver is letting it go for less the $20-22 per oz. right now. last week when spot price droped down to the low $16 range but there was a super shortage going on every one was selling at $25 or more per oz. Then the shortage eased a bit becase of some massive sell offs as paniced investers got the jitters and jumped ship and got off.
Now them few 1,000 ox have been gobbled up mostly aready and the shortages are comeing right back. no on in the industry sees a let up soon either sence there are no new sources of silver.
So any thing that involves using silver is going to get more and more expesive. Just because of supply and demand. as supplys get less and demand increases so wont the cost as a battel of how needs or wants it more will be the winner in the struggle. Even the us mint has been out of silver going on the 3 week now. because no one is selling 1,000 oz bars and the havn't figured out how to mint coins out of paper siver.

So I would expect silver based glass to be real expensive if they can even still keep getting silver in the comming weeks months or years. As other industrial users will be willing to pay much much higher prices then they are now willing to pay. Just to be able to get raw matrial for there needs. When it comes down to that last bar of silver and 2 users want or need it. its going to be the one thats willing to pay the most thats going to get it.
there are only about 7 trillion oz left on earth. And everytime an oz get used in something there goes one once down. Every time a solder manifatuer melts a few 1,000oz bars there is a few more 1,000 onces out of the remining 7 trillion.
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  #56  
Old 2008-04-05, 7:49am
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NLC I don't have anything added in for the shipping supplies in either the costs of items or at the shipping end. I probably am going to have to soon though.
Btw, it's very expensive getting items shipped to me. Some vendors don't really care what they charge to ship because they know we need product. I paid $4.36 a lb to get a certain color here a few months ago so that I would have it when it was released to every one else.
Paula
I didn't mean it as an insult to anyone -it's just poor business practice to not at least cover your own expenses. It may not be broken down into: Glass cost $X/#, + $X for shipping, plus $X for profit... But if you don't analyze it, it is coming out of your profit, so whether you intended it to be part of the glass cost or not, it is if you're not charging for it.

I've ordered from vendors stating their mind in this thread, and others that haven't piped up. I've been fortunate to have had only good transactions with every glass vendor I've worked with. It's a huge testimony to all of you, and I do appreciate you.
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  #57  
Old 2008-04-05, 8:03am
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Thanks NLC. I didn't take it as an insult. This is a good thread for vendors to read. I have analyzed what it costs for shipping supplies and decided to let it go for now. If I raise my price of glass people will not buy it and it I add a handling fee to cover expenses maybe fewer people will buy so for now I am just making that much less profit.
I have this formula for life...When aggravation outweighs fun (or profit) then I quit. That's why I closed my teaching studio.
Paula
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Old 2008-04-05, 8:14am
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Good rule!
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Old 2008-04-05, 9:20am
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My aggrivation comes from odd lots prices being raised, as far as I know Double Helix is the only seller who discounts odds? It bothers me that I buy odd lots (experimental, one of a kind, not tested colors) and am charged more for them. They often are not consistent colors, boil and crack. Usually something untested and questionable is less not more.
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Old 2008-04-05, 3:14pm
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Quote:
"Hobbies" are NOT CHEAP.
Knitting/fiber works--some yarns are now $10 or more a skein. (freaked me right out!)
Painting--Good quality paints & canvasses & even those little boxes people paint on--again, not cheap (my mother does the sale thing for her paints for doing those silly floral paint things
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)
Wood & metal for sculpture--have you priced steel or lumber lately? Check out prices @ your local hardware store & ask them what their WEEKLY shipments look like & how often they're having to change tags because of the changes in inflation & what it's costing them to get their shipments & what cost of goods is! Then talk to the guys buying the stuff off the shelves--they're freaking out DAILY & they need the stuff for "real jobs" like construction & auto repair, etc!
(Plumbing supplies are going up too--because of the petroleum products in the plastics...ditto on the lightbulbs & anything *else* in glass--it's not just "our" glass! Little independent hardware stores are having to change their tagging on nearly a weekly basis right now...it's either that or lose money on every item they order--and who can afford that & stay in business?)
Seriously! I picked a DANDY time to get into PMC and back into regular silver work. Sheesh!
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