Suppliers

[njcurley]

Is anyone else having problems with any of their suppliers?  Since coming back to candles at the beginning of the year after a break of a few years, I am having a hard time with suppliers.  I have tried to keep my suppliers as local as possible to both keep shipping times and expenses down and to try and keep my business local, or at least in my state.

 

In the last few months my number one supplier almost doubled the price of the lid I was using and I had to find another source and they have now stopped carrying one of the jars I use, both times with absolutely no warning.  Not to mention that they shipped lids to me that I didn't order ($16.20), I quickly let them know and they were very nice about it and sent me a return label, but now I have to go the hassle of boxing this glass lids up securely and make a special trip to the post office to send them back.  Another I use the customer service is somewhat lacking the few times I have contacted them.  And both of these companies, I wasn't crazy about their packing abilities.

 

Can anyone recommend a good all around, dependable, tried and true supplier?  I hate having to spread my supply purchases over more than 3-5 suppliers, but that is the way it has been going.

Edited September 5, 2017 by njcurley

[Jcandleattic]

It would be nice to have a 1-stop shop for supplies but unfortunately that's just not feasible. 

 

As far as recommending suppliers, it really just depends on what exactly you are looking for. You said jars and lids, what exactly kind of jars and lids? Are there other supplies in particular you are looking for? 

[njcurley]

Thanks Jcandleattic, I think I am just being cranky today because I went to order my Interlude jars and my supplier isn't carrying them anymore.

 

I really believe in buying and helping support local suppliers and I have tried with this supplier but this is the third time they have burned me, actually the fourth (I ordered a jar one time and they were not only out of stock, they weren't carrying them any more).  I have tried to keep the majority of my 'basic' purchases from them and maybe 1/3 of my FO is from them.  I don't mind having 3 maybe 4 suppliers, but lately it seems I am using more and more and more.  I hate all those shipping charges.

 

I need to really sit down and give someone else a try for the bulk of my supplies.  There will be certain things I will always get from someone in particular, but I can buy those few things in bulk when I need them.

 

None of this applies to FO of course, I hoard FO wherever I find something that grabs me is where I get it from!

 

So I guess my question is can anyone recommend a good company to order from for day to day supplies?

[Jcandleattic]

I don't mind having as many suppliers as it takes to get me what I need when I need it at the most reasonable price. I think I have it whittled down to 8 or 9 suppliers for the majority of my needs, but there is always an odd supplier here or there that I will try off a recommendation. 

 

[Trappeur]

There are many great suppliers out there that we all use.  Each and every supplier does have negatives as well as much positives.  You just have to try and weigh them out.  Many have been around for years and we hope they are here for many more but in this day and age so much is happening and a lot of great suppliers are going out of business.  For example Peaks candle has just gone out of business and they were very well known and prized for their quality oils and customer service and supplies.  So many chandlers here are in a state of exhaustion and trying to duplicate oils that became their mainstay of their business as so many depended on that company for all these years.  Tennessee Candle was another great company.  There are many more you could add to this list.   It has come to show that we shouldn't put all our eggs in 1 basket and should have as many resources as we can to supply our needs should another company just get up and disappear and overnight too, mind you.  Shipping is an ongoing battle that we all will always have to shop price comparison without a doubt.  Go to the fragrance collection and read up on the different oils and suppliers where we all buy from.  There is also a list of suppliers recommended in this forum.  Hope this helps a bit.

 

Trappeur