Best wholesale companies

[Brock collins]

I am looking for recommendations on good wholesale companies to do business with.

 

[Justanano]

Not sure many businesses would give away their contacts to help another business

 

[EMeyer]

The half hearted attempts at secrecy in this industry are so bizarre. Its not like the real wholesalers are secret. I guess there are shady secret importers who only operate through facebook or something, but who would want to deal with them anyway?

Valid business models don't rely on secrecy.

Here are the ones I deal with most of the time --

Quality Marine - probably the best selection, but often the highest prices. If there is a particular coral you want, this is probably the wholesaler where you have the best chance of finding it in stock.

Sea Dwelling Creatures - the best prices on fish. Sometimes great specials on a few corals. The selection varies widely from week to week.

Global Reef Supply - a smaller operation with amazing coral prices, but you have to be flexible... one week it may be good prices on acros, with no zoas to be found... the next week may be the opposite.

I'll be curious to hear others experiences. In particular, I havent found a Caribbean wholesaler with good prices.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

Absolutely agree about Quality Marine, their prices tend to be some of the highest I have seen for wholesale.

 

[EMeyer]

Yeah, prices were better pre-covid, the increased freight costs seem to have hit them harder than other wholesalers for some reason. A few categories (torches and zoas) are literally priced higher than I expect to see for retail, its kind of nuts.

Cant wait til air travel picks up again, someday, to drive freight prices back down.

 

[marineman]

Cant wait til air travel picks up again, someday, to drive freight prices back down.

At least we all hope...

 

[Brock collins]

Not sure many businesses would give away their contacts to help another business

Oh wow ok I was unaware the climate was like that lol. I guess I need to pack my sunscreen and head to some islands with pockets of cash lol thankyou

 

[nereefpat]

Live stock or dry goods? Fish or coral? Looking for something specific? Do you own a fish store, or what?

 

[Brock collins]

Live stock or dry goods? Fish or coral? Looking for something specific? Do you own a fish store, or what?

All of the above! I thought there maybe wholesalers that wanted to do business. I was unaware of the secret society aspect. Covid-19 has change some aspects of my current business. Has opened up an opportunity for me to try to see where I would like to go. I have been in the hobby for years. Love going to shows reef a palooza last year. Always dreamed of someday getting into it a little deeper. Just trying to research see if it's feasible. My corals husbandry is like a college pothead if you do it alot you should sell it to support the habit lol. Thank you for reply

At least we all hope...

At least we all hope...

Live stock or dry goods? Fish or coral? Looking for something specific? Do you own a fish store, or what?

 

[Brock collins]

At least we all hope...

Things should fix itself after the election get back to normal. Freight prices are crazy right now. I own a trucking company. But hired a extra driver so I am looking to tinker with my hobby.

 

[Brock collins]

The half hearted attempts at secrecy in this industry are so bizarre. Its not like the real wholesalers are secret. I guess there are shady secret importers who only operate through facebook or something, but who would want to deal with them anyway?

Valid business models don't rely on secrecy.

Here are the ones I deal with most of the time --

Quality Marine - probably the best selection, but often the highest prices. If there is a particular coral you want, this is probably the wholesaler where you have the best chance of finding it in stock.

Sea Dwelling Creatures - the best prices on fish. Sometimes great specials on a few corals. The selection varies widely from week to week.

Global Reef Supply - a smaller operation with amazing coral prices, but you have to be flexible... one week it may be good prices on acros, with no zoas to be found... the next week may be the opposite.

I'll be curious to hear others experiences. In particular, I havent found a Caribbean wholesaler with good prices.

Thankyou

 

[Justanano]

Has nothing to do with secrets.. if you are talking well known wholesale places they are all over the internet and easy to find. But when you find a small place or diver or over seas place why would someone just give up their place after doing maybe years of looking?.

 

[Pntbll687]

I am looking for recommendations on good wholesale companies to do business with.

Where are you located?

I work for a distributor in the northeast but I can point you in the right directions if I can't help you

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I am looking for recommendations on good wholesale companies to do business with.

Let me know are you looking for a certain amount of minimum to buy, are you doing online selling or brick and mortar also you have a brick and mortar building in other words. All this will determine which wholesalers will take you

 

[EMeyer]

Has nothing to do with secrets.. if you are talking well known wholesale places they are all over the internet and easy to find. But when you find a small place or diver or over seas place why would someone just give up their place after doing maybe years of looking?.

Why not? How is this different from any other aspect of the business?

Ask for advice about details of your brick and mortar store, your website, or your business model and you'll get lots of advice freely offered. All of which is hard-earned knowledge being freely given. Because why not?

But ask for advice about livestock suppliers and you'll encounter this notion that secrecy about suppliers is OK, even expected... sometimes people will even consider it inappropriate to ask. Ridiculous.

If a business model is so weak that a persons business can be out competed just because someone finds out which wholesaler they use, they deserve to be out competed.

Information is free, whether people (and business models) realize it yet or not.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

Let me know are you looking for a certain amount of minimum to buy, are you doing online selling or brick and mortar also you have a brick and mortar building in other words. All this will determine which wholesalers will take you

Most I have seen require a brick and mortar store, Quality Marine required pictures to prove it. Bit of a hassle, but after a few calls everything was resolved. Typically if you can prove working with one wholesale, the rest because a lot less aggressive.

 

[Brock collins]

Has nothing to do with secrets.. if you are talking well known wholesale places they are all over the internet and easy to find. But when you find a small place or diver or over seas place why would someone just give up their place after doing maybe years of looking?.

No no I am speaking about broadline large wholesalers in the states. I can see the ones on the internet and have done research the post I hoped would help me narrow one down to do business with and ones to stay away from.

 

[Brock collins]

Most I have seen require a brick and mortar store, Quality Marine required pictures to prove it. Bit of a hassle, but after a few calls everything was resolved. Typically if you can prove working with one wholesale, the rest because a lot less aggressive.

Thank you so much that is information I am glad to get. Of course I am starting small II have a 30x50 heat and cooled garage with 2 - 96" X 48" X 16" fiberglass tanks plumbed to a large stock tank with my live rock. I have thousands of dollars in Coral that I've never put in my display tanks in the house. I just enjoy collecting and enjoying New pieces. I really think I would just like to make initial investment give myself time to grow out and go to shows I really enjoy that experience.

Most I have seen require a brick and mortar store, Quality Marine required pictures to prove it. Bit of a hassle, but after a few calls everything was resolved. Typically if you can prove working with one wholesale, the rest because a lot less aggressive.

 

[Pntbll687]

Why not? How is this different from any other aspect of the business?

Ask for advice about details of your brick and mortar store, your website, or your business model and you'll get lots of advice freely offered. All of which is hard-earned knowledge being freely given. Because why not?

But ask for advice about livestock suppliers and you'll encounter this notion that secrecy about suppliers is OK, even expected... sometimes people will even consider it inappropriate to ask. Ridiculous.

If a business model is so weak that a persons business can be out competed just because someone finds out which wholesaler they use, they deserve to be out competed.

Information is free, whether people (and business models) realize it yet or not.

I don't think it's a matter of keeping a secret, but an inventory question.

If you have a great supplier of high quality fish at reasonable prices, you don't necessarily want to drive business to them. The quality of the fish may go down, as well as availability.

I'm a distribution sales rep (aquatics, farm, equine, lawn and garden) and inventory is an issue with EVERYTHING and everyone right now. There are select lines we carry that are doing well, but as a whole inventory is NOT GOOD right now. Tank manufacturers can't keep up with demand, especially if they had to reduce workforce to comply with COVID19 requirements. Potting soil was worth its weight in gold this year, 3 truckloads (75 pallets) would be delivered in 1 day and they were gone by the end of business 2 days later.

 

[Pntbll687]

Thank you so much that is information I am glad to get. Of course I am starting small II have a 30x50 heat and cooled garage with 2 - 96" X 48" X 16" fiberglass tanks plumbed to a large stock tank with my live rock. I have thousands of dollars in Coral that I've never put in my display tanks in the house. I just enjoy collecting and enjoying New pieces. I really think I would just like to make initial investment give myself time to grow out and go to shows I really enjoy that experience.

Most wholesalers are going to require a resale certificate to buy dry goods. Just a heads up.

If you're looking to do coral shows and things of that nature, talk to your LFS about opening a wholesale account with them. I deal with an LFS that has accounts for service companies that need to buy supplies but don't have resale certificates.