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Buying direct from the maker or not?

I tend to go where I can get the best price (while avoiding Amazon). Although you state the Artisan gets more if you buy direct, it's not quite as simply as that as the reseller will be buying their products in bulk which helps cashflow (equally important to an Artisan). The more bulk orders, the more they can increase production which tends to drive costs down for them.

It would seem that some vendors and makers are starting to blur the lines as well, for example Edwin Jagger has its The English Shaving Company site that has a good selection of non-EJ products and and more and more vendors are selling their own brand goods.
 

Ridpath

FIGHTER!
I tend to go where I can get the best price (while avoiding Amazon). Although you state the Artisan gets more if you buy direct, it's not quite as simply as that as the reseller will be buying their products in bulk which helps cashflow (equally important to an Artisan). The more bulk orders, the more they can increase production which tends to drive costs down for them.

It would seem that some vendors and makers are starting to blur the lines as well, for example Edwin Jagger has its The English Shaving Company site that has a good selection of non-EJ products and and more and more vendors are selling their own brand goods.
I did wonder whether there was any connection between EJ and TESC, good to know for sure.

I personally don’t mind overpaying a bit which is usually the case if you buy direct from the artisan, since resellers usually give small discounts/deals. I usually end up buying from resellers though, it’s too convenient having different brands and products under one roof and I can combine shipping.
 
I have started to go direct, as in my mind it means the folks get the money directly (I think Amazon Prime's take is like 30%). That said I do buy books / legos / diapers etc from amazon both for price and convenience. I also bought my first razor (Muhle R41) from amazon because I had not heard of this site and did not know what "direct" meant.
 
I tend to go where I can get the best price (while avoiding Amazon). Although you state the Artisan gets more if you buy direct, it's not quite as simply as that as the reseller will be buying their products in bulk which helps cashflow (equally important to an Artisan). The more bulk orders, the more they can increase production which tends to drive costs down for them.

It would seem that some vendors and makers are starting to blur the lines as well, for example Edwin Jagger has its The English Shaving Company site that has a good selection of non-EJ products and and more and more vendors are selling their own brand goods.


The supply chain can get quite complex. There are some artisans who manufacture products sold under another artisans label. There are some artisans who sell their own products, but also sell products made by other artisans. Some of the larger stockists have exclusive scents made by specific artisans.

You are quite correct about the cash flow situation for artisans. Another issue can be storage space. Some artisans work from their kitchens, basements, garages or workshops and barely have sufficient space to produce and cure their soaps, much less maintain a inventory of products.
 
done both but subjective on the item and vendor. If its something not truly unique or through third party. however, if i really like it and want to make sure to support the vendor, buy direct. sometimes...subject to reseller...might be better to shoot support direct to vendor for their contribution. Plus i have found talking direct is more fun and possibly learn something more with longer relationship
 
done both but subjective on the item and vendor. If its something not truly unique or through third party. however, if i really like it and want to make sure to support the vendor, buy direct. sometimes...subject to reseller...might be better to shoot support direct to vendor for their contribution. Plus i have found talking direct is more fun and possibly learn something more with longer relationship

If you get an opportunity to go to one of the regional meets where vendors participate, take advantage of that opportunity. A year ago, I went to the Maggard Meetup in Adrian, Michigan. I had a great time meeting the folks at Maggard and also meeting the suppliers. I was planning to go back this upcoming weekend. Alas, the event was cancelled due to the pandemic travel restrictions. Hopefully, these events will come back next year.
 
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