In this section, we’d like to share some ‘tips & tricks’ for your own business. Our CEO has years of experience in sourcing items. The key is to search effectively, have patience, and, most importantly, know where to look. Read on for more!
Before we dive in, shopping at wholesalers often raises questions. Are we overpaying? What’s the real value? Can our customers afford it? Despite these doubts, one common feeling persists: we’re paying too much!
Many unseen purchasing costs go unnoticed: flight tickets, accommodation, transportation—all doubled in today’s travel landscape. Overlooked expenses include replacing staff during buying trips, not to mention potential production mistakes or shipping mishaps. Also, wholesalers incur warehouse costs and require margins. Savvy buyers seek alternatives for better deals, as there are always options!
Auctions
Niels, Raw Materials’ CEO: ‘My personal favorite is to search for items in local auctions. A lot of times I can see real old items from India up for sale. At a price and quality, which is no longer existing, hard to find, or simply very expensive.’
He explains further: ‘In the ’60s and ’70s hippies drifted all over the world, some of them followed the ‘hippie trail’ and ended up in India and Nepal. They often stayed there for months or even years. They became part of the local culture and collected nice items. When going back home, they send containers full of goods back to their homes in Europe. The hippies of those days are now approx. 70-80 years old. When they pass away their families sometimes sell their collected items locally at auctions. So do check them out!’
Museums
Museums all over the world are overstocked, often due to the colonial past. Nowadays, governments have less budget for anything to do with culture and art. All these institutions and museums have to become self-reliant, while they solely depend on visitors for income.
So, survival for museums is a real challenge. Therefore museums have started to sell their double stock, overstock items, or items that do not fit their collections anymore.
We have to keep visiting the museums, musicals, and theatres with our children. To educate them about the importance of culture.
For you as a buyer: Google a bit and you might find interesting offers.
Bankruptcy
Unfortunately, companies are increasingly going bankrupt. For your buying, it might be a chance to find good items for a bargain price.
Explore websites featuring bankrupt businesses. There’s a good chance of finding valuable purchases.
However, be mindful of commissions and shipping fees.
For example, visit this website: https://www.troostwijkauctions.com/
Market places
Everyone who does have anything to sell privately they go to their national marketplaces (www.marktplaats.nl). Anything from cheap bicycles to used baby articles can be found here. Yet also nice furniture and decorations so if you spend some time here, you can get a good deal. No tax is involved, which leaves some upside.
Niels (CEO): ‘There are many more ways to make a good deal. Be careful with items on sale, there is a reason why they are on sale. If you have the chance, do not make a deal before seeing, touching, smelling, or checking the items. I bought many items by photo but rarely it turned out good for me. Size is deceiving, patina, quality, new or old, all is best to be checked by yourself before shaking hands.
I love to receive orders online via our website, but I truly love our customers coming to our warehouse in Amsterdam. Each item is unique and has a past, so the stories of our items are mostly something special. If you have the opportunity, come by our Amsterdam warehouse and we will share the stories of our products with you!’
Nice story Niels, also i think that the most important is the experience you have collected in the last thirty years as ceo/ buyer and the fingerspits feeling wich you definitely have.
You can see wich items are original and worth to buy for a honest price.
Keep going on for a long time.
Many Regards a old customer from Gouda
Hi Niels
You are standing in front of a painted ceiling? What is it exactly? Indonesian I guess?
Could you show us more of your collection?
Warm regards to Erik and Margot 🙂
Hi Patrick,
Thank you for your message! Niels is standing in front of two big wall panels from India. If you like to see more of our collection, we can easily create a new B2B login for you! Just fill in this form: https://rawmaterials.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=38fe3430c047016191df76c3b&id=d3b69b6e59. Or send us a request by email to sales@rawmaterials.eu. My colleagues are happy to help you. Warm regards from Erik as well 🙂