The BEST & the worst: Glass Suppliers - Page 3

Yvon · #61 2006-11-14, 4:07pm

Frantz - I figure I have to pay shipping regardless, and to Florida it is fast service. With the quantity discounts, good & friendly service, plus lots of products - that's usually my destination for most glass. But I've had good experiences with others, too.

merigypsy · #62 2006-11-14, 5:16pm

I have only ordered from Jodel, which is pretty close to me & I have great experiences with them. I love their selections and minimum orders.

ChristyPhelps · #63 2006-11-14, 7:16pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by angelinabeadalina

Hey, ya gotta add MountainGlassArts to your list, because they are awesome! When I was looking to get started last fall, Chris practically held my hand over the phone for almost 3 months before I ordered everything at Christmas time! He suggested the best book to get me started, then answered questions off and on for a couple of months while I was saving the money to buy torch, kiln, glass, etc. When I finally got everything set up in February, then he had to start answering glass questions

They are super nice! I can ask them about what color the orange actually is this time, and they'll go look and describe it. Just can't say enough about how helpful and pleasant they are!

Angelina - you only started last fall?! i'm going to put my torch away now.

kandice · #64 2006-11-14, 10:17pm

Here are my top faves:

Moretti & More
LB Supplys
Galaxy Glass
Frantz (in spite of their website)

I am only including vendors I have done repeat business with and absolutely love. I have had a lot of good experiences with some of the smaller vendors I have bought from only once or twice, though (Glassdaddy, a few of the frit vendors, Bridgetown Glass, ABR Imagery, etc.). I have only had a few vendors that I have had bad experiences with, and there are only two I will absolutely not do business with.

jonesartglass · #65 2006-11-14, 10:53pm

Hmm.. I'm not voting until I see Ross and the fine folks at ABR Imagery on the list.

Just Nancy · #66 2006-11-15, 7:13am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beckah

....... if the Lauscha rumor proves true, they'll probably get most of my future orders.

Lauscha rumor? Did I miss something?

IF-Designs · #67 2006-11-15, 7:18am

Lampworkingsupplies.com is my local supplier so I go there alot and they also are not on the poll....

Kara · #68 2006-11-15, 8:31am

Frantz - Great customer service! I really don't like the way the website navigation is set up. They have just about everything in once place, so I can put in one order for supplies instead of having to make 3 three different orders at 3 different places to get everything I want. They have a large selection of glass including a good selection of odd lot colors.

Moretti and More/Islandglass!!! - Bill is awesome. Gives you discounts on large glass orders. Wonderful, wonderful cutomer service. Lightning fast shipping too! It kinda makes me crazy how he has an ebay store, a website, AND sells on the Annealer and each place has different stock.

ArrowSprings - for us this is the place that started it all. Our first glass order was from AS and call me silly and sentimental, but it is kinda special because of that. One thing that I don't like about AS is that you can't tell if they have stuff in stock until you get your order in the mail. I'd like to know if they don't have my dark ivory or intense black so I can order it from somewhere else, because I NEED it. Oh and their website navigation just sucks.

JanMD · #69 2006-11-17, 7:09am

Wale Apparatus: http://waleapparatus.com/

JanMD

Dilly · #70 2006-11-17, 7:58am

I was very very happy with Moretti & More for years, but when JameyLynn, Howaco, started up it was just wonderful to have a local supplier. She would package up my stuff and bring it to our West Michigan get-together. Her service is above and beyond.

Now, I can't belive any of you have mentioned she is moving the business out of her home and into a storefront. I can't wait to burn up my credit card there. Who know's what she will carry once she is set up. The move starts happening asap

Dilly

ShepherdCreations · #71 2006-11-17, 11:56am

Where's the love for Glasscraft, Inc.????? Those folks are absolute sweethearts and they pack everything so neatly! Plus I joined the discount club and get %30 off all color(soft AND hard!) and %10 off all Pyrex for a year... Good deal. Got my ventilation system from them, Great help and advice, and it was founded by one of the fathers of artistic glassblowing from scientific, Homer Hoyt! I really like them, and they've been around for like 30 years.

dragonfly designs 56 · #72 2006-11-17, 2:55pm

I love Howaco glass and LB supply, that is where I order almost EVERYTHINBG. Not to say that I dont order occasionally from the others, but those two are fab and usually dont need to! I cant say for sure, but isnt arrow springs the one that takes 4-6 weeks for your merchandise to arrive? I swear I have ordered from them on two occasions and both times it took a month or more to get my stuff.

glasskarma · #73 2006-11-17, 10:44pm

I like to shop locally for glass. HotBeadBox is good, Got some german glass and frit from Marie-Claude which was good to. Great service and good prices from both.
I go to ebay and buy from there when I want colours that I can't get here. Mainly odd lots from Islandglass and those dichro splinters that JoDel has. Both have great service and no broken glass when shipped to Australia

. I bought dichro locally a few months back from a different Aussie vendor (not mentioning their name because they have other nice things that are reasonably priced) and didn't realise till after that I kinda got ripped. 30 grams (28 grams = 1 oz) sampler for $30.OUCH. Stoopid me bought 2 lots. Thus 2 oz for $60

Won't make that mistake again. I'll get dichro from the USA from now on.

zoomerpop · #74 2006-11-18, 9:39am

My vote is also for JamieLynn at Howaco. I have had great service and luck with her and her prices are great!!!
Roy

DesignsbyRebecca · #75 2006-11-18, 6:47pm

Jodel Glass is favorite online supplier.. The pictures on her website are very helpful.. Always available to answer questions. I have placed several large orders with her. I have priced around. Her prices are very competitive She offers several brands of glass. Try her out, I am sure you will feel the same

AlivELampworK · #76 2006-11-19, 5:26pm

i go to wale to buy glass.. and they are great. but i order from islandglass!!! off his website and i had thought i placed an order and two weeks went by and i called bill, the owner, and it turns out, i had never placed the order, silly me, but that wednesday i paid for the glass, and that friday..TWO DAYS LATER, the glass was on my front step. i live in NJ, he lives in WA. two days. thats amazing service.

Hayley · #77 2006-11-19, 9:18pm

I had the worst experience with Arrow Springs - ordered 20 lbs. of glass and only 10 lbs arrived. I had to chase down the customer service person and finally had the other glass almost a whole week later (they are 2.5 hours away and UPS Ground take ONE day). By the time my missing glass arrived, two of the colors were out of stock and the one reason I found out was that, again, I had to call them. No note, no credit, they charged me but didn't ship and that was that.

To make matter worse, the parallel masher I got (with the first shipment) was defective, so I talked to them and wanted an exchange. I got a credit instead. So I called again and talked to the customer service rep, and I have yet to receive the product and it has been over a month and I have given up.

All in all, for a single order, I called them around 7 times because of their mistaked.

I switched to Frantz, and the service has been perfect.

Hayley

Jonesy · #78 2006-11-21, 7:36am

I ordered from Frantz once - I ended up e-mailing my order because I wanted 1/2 a pound of some colors and couldnt figure out how to order anything but whole pounds. I still havent figured it out, but it might be me.

I just placed an order with Heritage Glass, but I am unhappy because they took it upon themselves to ship to an address other than the one I specified. Because of that, it will take me a few extra days to get my package.

I place the majority of my orders with Flametree. Everything there is great.

LyndaJ · #79 2006-11-21, 7:55am

Does Howaco sell reduction frits? I couldn't find it on their site, and I haven't heard back on the email that I sent them.

Since they had such glowing remarks, I was planning on placing an order from them.

Lynda

Bryon · #80 2006-11-21, 2:21pm

I have nothing but problems with sundance, wrong stuff, Glass rod orders light and wrong size, Exc. The last time I called and complained, the man seamed like he could careless. I use Mountian glass arts now, and thay have always done good by me. Bryon

amazon · #81 2006-12-02, 5:07am

I have to cast my vote for LB Supply. I placed my order on Thanksgiving evening and it arrived on Monday-I couldn't believe it!

When I got home from work the box was sitting on my dining room table with one end all smashed (courtesy of USPS) so I figured I would be doing some "welding". I opened the box and not a single rod was even cracked. Talk about fabulous packaging!

The monthly specials are pretty sweet, too-who doesn't like free glass?

This is the order that made me a loyal customer. The only time I will go somewhere else is if Jon and Renata don't have and can't get what I want.

glass-diary · #82 2006-12-02, 10:22am

Hallo Candy,

thank you for this wonderful question! But what about KUGLER? They are a producer, too!
See you
glass-diary

boro maniac · #83 2006-12-02, 1:33pm

I have to vote for flame tree glass. The shipping is always fast and lance is always available for any questions. If they dont have what I want iI go to ABR but it takes longer to ship.

Jody Lee · #84 2006-12-02, 5:56pm

Nortel in Scarborough is great, and Artistry in Glass in London is awesome too - they have a great website with lots of variety. I've gotten great service from LBSupplys too

ellyloo · #85 2006-12-04, 2:42pm

I have to 2nd you on NOrtel.
I went to buy my kiln and hot head, and I grabbed a sample pack of moretti... and came away with a treat bag! Jean just was so excited to show me different tools and books and stringers and stuff...She mentioned that they have a better shipping rate now too.

Sylvie D. · #86 2006-12-05, 3:33am

I’m an international customer and I’ve placed orders in the following companies in the US :
Frantz art glass and supply
Sundance art glass
Arrow springs
Jodelglass
Glassdaddy
Check Glass
Val Cox

In my eyes, product range is definetely a criteria to choose a supplier, but even more important is service. I had good experiences with most of those suppliers, but my very favourite is, no doubt, Frantz : always friendly and speedy answers. Prompt delivery. Always there with a solution to fix any kind of problems. Simply wonderful service. Huge selection. And the cherry on the cake : when I asked Mike Frantz, who didn’t know me at all, to donate glasss and tools for a challenge on the french glassbeadmaker forum, he agreed and made me a customer for life.

My worst experience was unfortunately with Jodelglass. Unfortunately because they have sometimes stuff that you cannot get anywhere else and they have every major brands of soft glass. But I won’t order from them again: a package was lost in the mail and they couldn’t care less about it, even though I wasn’t a first time customer.

Wonker · #87 2006-12-28, 2:28am

I buy from flametree as well. Great folks, great service, and they stand behind what they sell.

amberbryant1 · #88 2006-12-28, 8:41am

one more vote for abrimagery!

zen-mom · #89 2006-12-29, 10:12am

Quote:

Originally Posted by beadgoodies

Almost 100% of the smaller glass suppliers are FANTASTIC. I only wish they were more competitively priced!

I have the same glass prices as Frantz and give the same 5/10/20# discounts on glass rod. I hope someday you'll do this poll again and I might be well known enough to be included

beadgoodies · #90 2006-12-29, 11:43am

Quote:

Originally Posted by zen-mom

I have the same glass prices as Frantz and give the same 5/10/20# discounts on glass rod. I hope someday you'll do this poll again and I might be well known enough to be included

I have seen your site. I didn’t realize you had the quantity discounts. That’s always a bonus! I quickly moved on from your site, however, because I only saw the prices for individual rods. I buy it by the pound and I have no idea off-hand how many rods are in a pound. I tried clicking on “options” to find out more, but the page took so long to load that I quickly gave up (I have a dial-up connection…). Sorry! I’m sure you’re a great vendor. I’ve never read or heard any bad reviews on your store.

Candy