I don't usually like to talk about what vendors I use. It inevitably will happen that someone will have a less than flattering comment about my vendor, and tries to convince me why vendor XYZ is so much better. This tends to get under my skin, and I'm sure I'm not alone. The reason is that there are so many practical, impractical, personal, and pragmatic reasons that people choose the vendors they work with.
The reasons won't always make sense to someone else. Sometimes it's not about the absolute lowest price, or the free shipping, or the lack of the need to purchase a minimum quantity. And sometimes it is about just those things. Other times doing business with a particular vendor is an emotional decision. They make you feel good about your craft, they make you feel they care about you and your order, they inspire you with examples of their in-house talent, and they gain your loyalty by providing useful tools and information in addition to their wares.
Sometimes the emotional and fudiciary reasons are not in alignment. Sometimes a vendor will gain your loyalty, but not provide the rock bottom prices on the latest crystals you need to finish a project.
I use several vendors because no single vendor has all the items I need when I need them. I have different vendors for wire, components, and general beads and crystals. I do try to keep my costs down, so I like when vendors offer assortments that I can use. I like those that offer flat shipping fees. I'm not fond of handling fees, but tolerate them when I have to. Free shipping and no minimums is a bonus but won't be the deciding factor in making a purchase.
Ultimately my point here is that I think sharing information about good vendor resources is always welcome and appreciated, but deprecating someone's preferred vendor, or trying to change their mind about which one is best, is usually a futile effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment