WarmGlass.com

There are so many choices of websites and glass, and it can be overwhelming for a newbie! I'm looking for some specific website recommendations to make my first glass purchase. Thanks for any advice you can offer!

Several factors would weigh into your decision as to which site to buy from
Where are you (shipping)?
How much do you need to buy ?
Can you buy full sheets?
What type of glass do you want?

Several of the advertisers above are excellent sources.
I buy a lot of smaller pieces. A 12x12 of a color is fine except for certain colors. My favorites are A&A, and TMS.

Barry

Hi, Shelley. The answer to your question depends on a lot of criteria. Some of those factors are what COE you are using, do you have and want to support a local business, what are you planning to make (jewelry, plates, paintings, etc.), how much do you plan to purchase, regular glasses or dichroics, etc. In my opinion if the only thing that matters to you is availablility and cost, then fusible glass is pretty much a commodity and you should purchase it from whomever has what you need at the best price, including shipping. A piece of number xxx Bullseye from supplier A is going to be the same as a piece of number xxx Bullseye from supplier B and the same for Spectrum and Uroboros. Color mixes within a sheet of glass would be nice to see before purchase as they can vary. You will need to purchase other supplies besides sheets of glass and will need a source for those, too. These things include findings, kiln materials, speciality glues, metals, molds, etc.

As a newbie you are going to have questions and need conversations about how to do things and fix problems. You might like to establish a relationship with someone like Brad rather than just making internet purchases or dealing with people who only record your orders and have no technical knowledge. Avoiding problems by getting good advice will more than offset the amount of money you save with blind internet purchases.

At some point if you continue to fuse glass, you will probably want to open a wholesale account with one of the larger suppliers. As a beginner, you will most likely not qualify for a wholesale account. You will also probably not be purchasing in the quantities required. I have purchased most of my basic supplies wholesale from Ed Hoy for the last 15 years, and I would recommend them to you when you reach that time with your work. I once thought it would be good to have multiple wholesale accounts, but I soon learned it was a nuisance balancing my orders to meet the annual minimums, and I realized what a good supplier I already had after I dealt with some others.

Thanks for the replies. I did purchase Brad's book "contemporary fused glass" and have been reading and highlighting. Love it!

Shelley, where are you based? Someone on the board might live near you and have some good suggestions for buying local. The local vendors, as Lynn suggested, can be an excellent source of support when you're learning, and they are usually faster than mail order (assuming they have what you want in stock).

For COE 90 glass I've used coe90, A & A Products and Delphi Glass. I tend to favor the first two more because Delphi seems to be a bit pricier (especially their shipping and handling costs). For COE96 Glass I use Slumpys. I user their opaque odd cut glass for pot melts and get additional glass from a glass blower on EBay.

I use jringglass. They seem to have good prices.

I recommend getting a wholesale lic.b

I keep with lincoln
D&l glass... Last year I had 2 crates of mystery glass sent to me.... 750 sq feet. Came to shocking good prices.


I do not ship wit Delphi

I thought I had heard that coe90 had stopped supplying Bullseye and was selling uroroboros instead. How far wrong am I?

S.TImmerman wrote:I recommend getting a wholesale lic.b

I keep with lincoln
D&l glass... Last year I had 2 crates of mystery glass sent to me.... 750 sq feet. Came to shocking good prices.

I do not ship wit Delphi

So how do you go about getting a wholesale License?

thebige61 wrote:
So how do you go about getting a wholesale License?

With many companies, if you have a business license you can get a wholesale account. Some may also require an annual minimum purchase.

Dana W.

Here is how to get one at Ed Hoy:

http://www.edhoy.com/account.aspx

If you want to see others, just go to their website and click on "create account" or something similar. Some companies used to require monthly minimums as well.

Morganica wrote:Shelley, where are you based? Someone on the board might live near you and have some good suggestions for buying local. The local vendors, as Lynn suggested, can be an excellent source of support when you're learning, and they are usually faster than mail order (assuming they have what you want in stock).

Great suggestion; buying local supports businesses that need our $$$ to keep their doors open. You will miss them and their knowledgebase if they close. Anyone miss the local pharmacies that are now few and far between for example? Do you travel? Going to glass shops is one of my favorite things to do when traveling. Warmglass has their storefront in Clemmons, NC; you could see their gallery, get your book signed, buy glass (90 COE) and take a class too. The warmth at Warmglass is not just from the kilns either!

Thanks for all the replies! I have an excellent resource locally ( I just recently discovered it) and made my first glass purchase there. I do love shopping locally when I can!