Hi Leslie,
You are about where I was with my wirework (although I had a couple
more years of experience) when I was delighted, bemused, and made a
little nervous by being offered an opportunity to sell. IMHO, whether
or not it's worthwhile to buy things through a supplier depends on
your volume and how much of any one item you use, as well as what
kind of variety and quality your local bead store carries.
Except for small spacers, I have used Bali silver almost exclusively
for commissions and gifts, not for production. However, I do
recommend that you check out Rishashay, if only because they are Fair
Trade certified and will send you pictures of their happy workers
(you never know about the stuff in the bead stores--it might not even
come from Bali). They will also send you a print catalog, with items
shown pretty much true to size, as well as samples of many items,
which means you don't have to commit to a full bag of e.g. bead caps
and then be disappointed. I highly recommend that you try this--most
of their stuff is fabulous, but I have been happier since I started
to get samples. They do require a minimum order, and a lot of items
come bagged, but larger beads are sold singly. You will probably
save money over your local bead store, but you need to do
comparisons, figuring in things like your time, shipping costs,
gasoline, relative quality of goods, whether you will actually use
your minimums, etc.
If you are just stringing, tools aren't an issue but, as you move
beyond that, check the archives for recommendations. It's especially
important to get high quality pliers and cutters. I buy mostly from
Otto Frei and Rio Grande. They can also make trustworthy
recommendations (unless you get the new kid on the phone--ask for
someone knowledgeable). The Rio catalogs are an education in
themselves, so, if you've been bitten by the jewelry bug, you will
feel like a kid in a candy store. I highly recommend getting all of
them, including display and packaging (very inspiring). Both these
suppliers are supporters of Orchid, too--Otto Frei has a link in the
Digest and Rio has been extremely generous in many ways (thanks to
both!).
As for I don't use that many and other people will have
more advice to offer. I almost never buy online and I too find it
more satisfying to buy from a bead store. The satisfaction is often
worth the price, especially if you stay aware of sales. I have bought
from the Rio and Fire Mountain catalogs and have been sometimes happy
and sometimes disappointed with both (happier with cabs/faceted, less
often happy with beads). I went to one commercial gem show and I
found it overwhelming and confusing--too much input for me when I was
starting out. If you can find someone who knows the ropes to go with
you, you are much less likely to buy things that seem like huge
bargains but will still be in a box five years from now. You will
also have someone to recommend reputable suppliers. You might want
to give us your location and ask if one of our more experienced
members lives near you. I doubt that, at this point, you would find
it economical to go to an out-of-town show.
Welcome to Orchid! Good luck!
Lisa Orlando
Aphrodite's Ornaments
Elk, CA
