Independent Jewellers As Good Consumers vs. Greed /"Fabrication"
I too have been quite aggravated by this issue with suppliers all over the world- From Cookson's, to Rio Grande, Roseco to Karl Fischer- How can a co. sell a mill product if they don't cut it? and why then do we, the consumers have to pay a " fabrication charge " when its first, already fabricated and moreover, to sell it it can either be supplied strictly as fabricated ( which in the case of seamless tubing is generally in 12" lengths ( universally),? I don't know of a single wholesaler to the trade that mills it in longer lengths, and that's in over 35 years of dealings with companies when sterling was at $4.20 per tr oz., and gold around $125.00 if that! Some industrial suppliers make a light walled tubing in silvers ( .999 and .925) - so good for hinges and things other than tube settings,but I usuually have to organise a group buy to meet the minimum- as I don't use much sterling and don't need three years worth of fine silver light tubing at a go!
I think part of the problem is that many vendors aren't wholesalers and even the wholesalers have seen that they can get away with this ridiculous method of selling mill products.After all who needs an inch square of any mental? or wants to buy pre-cut lengths of sheet/plate..I want to order what I can't make or need in a hurry for a class or students to have the same thing to work with ( so the results are consistent in the group)- I certainly do not.
Problem is the many jewellery supply vendors that have sprung up in the past 10-12 years have begun selling to hobbyists without business licenses, so they aren't buying the quantities large firms do that offset the 'fabrication' charges with semi-annual orders, and don't have a retail store selling the usual triple key tree cast same-old-same-old diamond stuff and bridal lines with a guarantee that begins once one's firm has met the 20,000 a year mark on bridal or say, a true-set line of semi-mounts paired with a huge amount of scrap recycling from flooring to upholstery to sticky mats at the door, particle collection systems and other trappings with high yield returns.We aren't talking about these businesses being geared to Independent Jewellers like us ( for the most) that do one off art jewellery and small runs if production commissions are garnered. Industry related organisations won't fight for the elimination of redundancy in charges .We as a group - even worldwide- have not organised to fight them in any of the ways possible- that may or may not do anything to get the costs of their doing business changed ( as a cutting charge is what they have to do to sell their wares- or in the case of solder, reselling other's pre-clipped packets of solder in many cases). The only respite there is is writing off the charges if one pays taxes on your business then you can tally up the totals and use them as expenses deductions for other than supplies costs: much like having to buy a scale that interfaces with UPS Global Shipping to use their services as a shipping concern.
i do check around the world before ordering and find the suppliers that have the lowest prices, if any on fabrication of mill products.I myself sell mill products in custom coloured golds and alloys that aren't standard (for the most part) and only add a charge when the client wants some bizarre packaging option as I have figured in my time and consumables and best method of getting the items to the client into the costs of my mill work.If I get an order for a length of stepped bezel i make that length, not a thousand feet of it ( unless that's the order! ) and in colours no one buys regularly.I don't make channel in sizes almost useless to art jewelers setting stones one would like to see as they set them with ordinary magnification! It's all about US , as a consumer bank, standing up to these companies either as a group or individually in some reasonably organised or timed way to make the point that we see the redundancy and it's their costs of doing business that we don't want to have to pay for - particularly in sizes we find practically useless...Other than that, buying a rolling mill and amassing all the recipes and equipment necessary to produce your own mill products, including drawing,3D printing or extruding tubing is the most cost effective and time conscious way to go about it if you do this as a livelihood .If however, money is no object, then the charges seem mere to wealthy hobbyists and novices and well commissioned Independents...So being good consumers is the first step all of us should consider IMO, and then plan based on our decisions...should there become an "Our"...It is my main complaint with vendors and I would love to do something about it involving trade organisations and schools, and large consumers as well across the board- The producing manufacturers have gotten away with this for too long and it's time someone stand up for the Independents which represent perhaps a 30% market share, though that is growing and when one looks, many that were quite active jewellery makers/metalsmiths a few years ago disappear suddenly in many instances, nonetheless the trend is up as the crafting trend of 'participants' branching out beyond beading expands . I thought the metal clay fad would be over and done 2 years ago ( we did witness the PMC guild's collapse!!!) whilst as its cost is ridiculous compared to the "real" metals , it has taken on a new life including coloured karated gold clays and base metal clays that make it affordable enough for one to get hooked as they improve their skill sets ( in some cases_ and marketing it becomes less and less challenging ( when the work is first class) as designer mainstream names are using alloys as well in their collections- so there is a slow trend towards the appearance of being an Independent..If we could harness that niche and use it, I'm betting the ridiculous charges manufacturers add-on and/or international competition becomes more prevalent and trade organisations would realise they aren't going to loose advertising dollars if they assist we would see redundant and duplicitous charges eliminated at least, to a degree...AuSmith