In several states, the sales tax license is free and you can request
one from the internet at the state’s treasury website. The Maryland
treasury website has some great on the very issues being
discussed.
Shelly
Hello, all, It seems to me that this thread has taken a left turn
into resale permits and such. I have no problem with a wholesaler
asking for my resale permit. I am a real business, with a business
license, resale permit, business checking account, business credit
card, and membership in several related associations. I was able to
get into the AGTA show in Tucson with no problem. I could show
plenty of receipts from various suppliers.
The problem is, Stuller wants to see large purchases of gold. I
could be doing all the business in the world with silver, colored
stones, other metals, etc. and they would refuse to do business with
me. I respect their need to be a true wholesaler. If they have
determined that businesses who already buy lots of gold are their
target customers, then I disagree with that, but that is their
business decision. What I really do not appreciate is that their
reps go to trade shows (like the CJA show I went to) and hand out
catalogs and give no indication of the requirements for opening an
account. Their website also gives no indication that you must have
purchased gold to qualify for an account. The phone operator asks a
whole bunch of other questions before getting to this point that
’weeds out’ the small-time jeweler. I wasted a lot of time on them
that would have been better spent in the studio looking at their
catalogs and trying to open an account.
At least I didn’t have paid customers waiting like Amy did. I feel
for you, Amy.
Laurie Cavanaugh
Acanthusleaf Designs
Hello Amy, Your description of your problem is at odds with my own
experience with Stullers. When I first got my account, hmmm…15
yrs ago or so, I told the customer service rep that I was a very
small business. She said “Let’s see if we can help you grow into a
big business!” (I’ve never forgotten that positive introduction.)
My guess is that the account application was
inadvertently left out from the catalog mailed to you.
I mostly buy metals, stones, and findings from Stuller - and not in
huge quantities either, so I’m not a major customer. They have been
supportive in every respect, even to searching for answers to my
technical questions. Delivery is amazingly quick. I wonder if they
have invented a teletransportation device!
Don't give up Amy. I'm confident that if you provide the
documentation and get your account, you’ll be pleased and your
customers will be delighted! Look at Stuller’s caution in approving
accounts as protection for you as well. All the best wishes for your
success, Judy in Kansas
Ok, let me stick up for Stuller. I’ve been doing business with them
for about 15 years, and have had nothing but good luck with them.
I’m an independant designer, not a jewelry store, so I feel they were
great to let me open an account at all. All thier products have come
to me in perfect quality. I’ve never had any problems with porosity
in the gold or with the quality of the finish, like I’ve had with
other major wholesalers. They have a VERY liberal return policy, and
have never complained about me sending something back to them. I
order much of my gold sheet, wire, and solder from them because thier
prices are competative with the refineries that I use. Thier prices
on stones are very competative as well, and you can order a matching
pair of colored stones for earrings in a certain color, and can be
confident that they come in matching and with an excellent cut.
Wendy Newman
www.goldgraphix.com
1 Like
To all of you who have had good experiences with stuller - more power
to ya! My experience has been , shall we say, not stellar.
It didn’t start out that way. In the late 80s when I got my account
everything worked pretty smoothly. I was a very small
silver/goldsmith working out of my home and they didn’t have a
problem with that. all my orders were small. After opening a store in
a mountain resort community, my orders were sporadic. At one point I
had some castings people picked out of the catalog to order and also
needed some gold stock for my own designs. So, in order to save
postage, I ordered it all from stuller.
Big mistake! The castings were fine. (they always are) The mill stock
(their "jeweler’s specialty flat wire) was defective. I ordered 4mm,
6mm, and 8mm in 26 ga. What I got was tapered strips with ragged
edges. The 4mm ranged from 3mm to 4.7mm in 12in.; the 6mm ranged from
5mm to about 6.5mm in 12in.; the 8mm was about the same only 28ga.
When I wanted to return this stuff for what I ordered, I was told
that it was special order material and not returnable. When I asked
to speak to a supervisor they said no, they “don’t bother supervisors
when they have a policy that covers the problem”. The way I
understand it, if I order “wire” say - sizing stock, 14k yellow,
1.5mm x 2.5mm - they can send me 1.5 sq. wire in 18k white and I
can’t return it. But if they send me lobster claw clasps, then I can.
I know this is not the way the policy is supposed to work, but the
idiot I talked to did think so. I even called back the next day and
got basically the same story - no returns. Thank god the order was
only a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand. 
The only way I will use their products now is if I absolutely can’t
get the piece anywhere else. Then I order it through one of my
wholesale accounts. (this happens more and more rarely as time goes
by)I don’t think I’ve used $500 worth of their product in the last 8
yrs…
If someone from stuller would lower themselves to belatedly address
this problem, they can feel free to contact me. I am not holding my
breath.
Mark Thomas Ruby
SunSpirit Designs
Loveland, CO
970 622-9500 studio
970 622-9510 fax
I too have had problems ordering with Stuller. They are nice enough
people and once the order is in it seems to be OK, but the people I
have talked to seem to be real . I used to order a lot of
material from Swest and we go back and forth on descriptions and
product numbers and I still can’t seem to make them understand what
I want. I tried this morning and finally gave up. The girl I was
talking to just didn’t listen and she was ‘reading from a script’.
It was very frustrating. By the way, since Stuller now only carries
the metal and some of the tools that Swest used to carry does anyone
know a good source, other than Rio that might carry some unusual 14K
bead? In particular I am looking for small (6 x 4 mm) 14k hourglass
spacers and cannot find them anywhere. Swest had them and they were
perfect. I miss Swest.
Grace S.
I agree with Tom. I have found Stuller to be a great company to do
business with. They are courteous, prompt, and always very very
helpful. Once, when I called looking fo some special wax items which
they did not carry, they were kind enough to call me back with the
name of another distributor which carried the item.
Alma