Guide to Craft Distributors and Wholesalers Basics

Use craft distributors and wholesalers to build your crafts business

By Sherril Steele-Carlin, Freelance Writer

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find supplies for your craft wholesale

If you're used to buying your crafting supplies retail, even on sale, you may be surprised at the amount you can save buying wholesale. Many manufacturers will sell their products to you wholesale, often you just have to place a minimum dollar order to begin ordering wholesale. If you have a favorite craft manufacturer, check their website for wholesaling information.

I recommend: If you're looking for wholesale craft supply in several different crafts, check out Dick Blick Art Materials. They are a huge online dealer in wholesale art supplies, wholesale art prints and craft supplies. Halcraft USA offers jewelry findings and beads, but also paper and paper crafts kits. Lion Brand Yarn offers retail yarns all over the world, but you can open a wholesale account with them, too.

Buy ready-made arts and crafts wholesale

If you're not that crafty, but would still like to add arts and crafts to your business, you can buy ready-made arts and crafts and sell them retail. You can also buy wholesale silk flowers, wholesale framed art, and other items and make a tidy profit when you sell them to your customers.

I recommend: CWI Gifts and Crafts only sells to members and they offer a wide variety of craft supplies like silk garlands and wreaths, ready-made crafts, and crafting ideas. You can register for free as well as sign up for a free newsletter to learn about specials and sales before the public learns about them. Register at Classy Art Wholesale for good prices on art prints in a variety of sizes, styles and price ranges for resale.

Become a craft distributor

There's another avenue to explore if you're interested in craft distributors and wholesalers basics. You can become a craft distributor in your area or online. You can market handmade local crafts from other craftspeople, along with your own crafts, or you can simply sell a variety of handcrafted items you find at other craft wholesale sites.

I recommend: Check out Quilt Craft Distributors, a company offering quilts and patterns from a variety of vendors, for an idea of how a craft distributor works. Open your own craft store online at Etsy, where you can sell handmade crafts, along with supplies and vintage items.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you want to order from most craft wholesalers, you're going to need a tax ID number or vendor license to order wholesale craft supplies. You can get a tax ID number from the IRS, or a vendor license from your local city or county government.

Guide to Craft Distributors and Wholesalers

Save time and money by purchasing your business' art needs from craft distributors

By M. Krasniak, Freelance Writer/Editor

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Stock up on wholesale craft supplies for the little ones

Whether you are throwing a company picnic or supplying an on-site day care facility, the children need some fun projects to keep them occupied. Buying items from an arts and crafts wholesale company is a great way to save money, while keeping the kids entertained.

I recommend: The Craft Hobby Wholesale website has a low minimum order amount so you don’t have to get more than you need at one time. CreateForLess has hundreds of craft items in all price ranges. Factory Direct Craft Supply has many craft books for activity ideas for all ages. Finally, S&S Worldwide carries different craft kits sure to please all of the kids.

Bring the outside in with beautiful wholesale silk flowers

Flowers brighten up every kind of office décor. Buying them through a flower craft wholesale company will ensure the best price, selection and quality.

I recommend: King Craft Company sells silk flowers as well as foliage and containers. Silkflowers.com specializes in silk flower arrangements and displays for businesses. Kinkade Studios not only offers silk flowers, but also sells silk bushes, branches, berries and wreathes as well. Flowers-by-design.com has no minimum purchases amount and runs specials throughout the year.

Spruce up the walls with wholesale framed art

Having beautiful framed art on the walls will liven up any room. Placing wholesale art prints in waiting rooms and lobbies will make your customers feel more at home while they are waiting for service.

I recommend: Artlot gives good discounts off their standard art prices to wholesale customers. Low Cost Prints LLC features many designs to select from, including portraits, abstract and landscape. Overstock Art offers custom framing as well as a free décor consultation to help you select the right pieces. Finally, Midwest Art & Frame Inc. sells large and odd-sized prints to meet all of your office decorating needs.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure to know the wholesale pricing policies of the craft distributors and wholesalers you will be buying from. Many times there are minimum order amounts and sometimes there are minimum quantities you have to buy of each item in order to get the discount prices.

Guide to Craft Distributors and Wholesalers Key Terms

Learn the key terms when dealing with wholesale craft supplies

By Sherril Steele-Carlin, Freelance Writer

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Craft distributors and wholesalers key terms: retail trade show

A retail trade show is a show that brings many different wholesalers and manufacturers together under one roof to sell their wares to retailers like you. You can find trade shows that offer everything from beads to needlework and way beyond. Usually these trade shows are extremely large, feature hundreds if not thousands of vendors, and are held once a year in large, metropolitan convention centers or exhibit halls.

I recommend: Two of the biggest retail trade shows for the craft distributor are the Craft and Hobby Association's (CHA) trade show, and the American Craft Council Wholesale Show. You'll need to have an established business and provide your business qualifications to show you are an arts and crafts retailer to attend these shows.

Learn about payment terms for wholesale crafts

When you visit a wholesale site online, they'll offer a page with their terms and conditions. It pays to know what these mean, or you may not get the best prices and deals from your wholesaler. For example, cash-and-carry means you must pay cash for anything you purchase before they will ship it. Net 30 means you have 30 days to pay for your items once they invoice you, if they offer credit. Most online wholesalers will accept credit cards for payment, if they require payment up front.

I recommend: Scribd offers a short list of wholesale terminology that can help you understand the ins and outs of purchasing and payment terms for arts and crafts wholesale. McGraw-Hill Higher Education offers a list of key terms in wholesaling in their textbook Basic Marketing.

Learn wholesale terms before you buy from craft wholesalers

If you want to make sure you understand the different terminology for wholesale art and wholesale crafts, especially if you want to use the same products again and again. Wholesalers who offer 'closeouts' and 'overstocks' are selling the last items from a manufacturer, and you may not be able to get these items again when you need them. Always ask your wholesaler about their ability to get items again if you want to keep reordering from them.

I recommend: For an example of closeouts and specials, see DBC Wholesale's closeout section to see the limited amounts of some items. Instead, look for a major craft distributor, like Craft Hobby Wholesale, that handles mass amounts of merchandise to ensure you'll find the wholesale art supplies and other supplies you need whenever you need them.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Learn more craft distributors and wholesalers key terms by asking a local wholesaler for a little help, if you need it. If your wholesaler won't take the time to help you with terms, conditions and other aspects of the wholesale business, look for a wholesaler that's more customer service oriented.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get prices from craft distributors and wholesalers of bulk craft supplies

Miscellaneous craft supplies can result in a significant expense for artisans who make a living from selling their finished crafts, crafting clubs and classes. Items can be purchased in bulk to save money on items and shipping.

I recommend: Factory Direct Craft Supply offers many miscellaneous craft supplies, like paint, glue, styrofoam and wood pieces for less than $5. The company requires a $250 purchase to qualify for a bulk discount. Craft Hobby Wholesale features beads, paint and other supplies that can be purchased in bulk for less than a dollar per piece.

Get prices for wholesale silk flowers and fresh flowers

Purchasing fresh or silk floral pieces at retail prices can be very expensive for craft artists who create floral arrangements, wreaths and other floral-related items. Wholesale providers offer bulk pricing on bushes, arrangements and individual stems.

I recommend: Pioneer Wholesale offers a variety of silk flower bushes and stems from $1-$3 each. They also sell containers, baskets and other craft items. Potomac Floral Wholesale provides fresh flowers by the stem or bunch. Prices vary widely by type of flower, but most bunches are less than $50 and many are less than $20.

Investigate prices of craft distributors and wholesalers for children's kits

Wholesale craft kits for children can be resold at craft or toy stores. Purchasing at bulk or wholesale prices also helps day care centers, youth groups, community centers and classrooms save money on craft supplies.

I recommend: Dick Blick carries a large selection of kids' craft kits in the $15-$100 price range. Oriental Trading offers a range of bulk kids' crafts for less than $10.

Find pricing for wholesale framed art and prints

Wholesale art can offer significant savings if you need art to furnish many rooms in a commercial, retail or hospitality location. Art prints are also a good opportunity for gift, furniture and variety retail stores.

I recommend: Find wholesale framed art prints at Crown Arts. A minimum purchase of $200 is required and prices range from $10 for small prints to $30 for large ones. They offer a variety of frame finishes. Lieberman's ships prints in one tube for one shipping price and offers 50% off retail prices to wholesale accounts. Prices for wholesale prints range from less than $5 to $30.