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Buying honey distributors

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max2:
I subscribe to the ABK magazine and a US mag as well.

The ABK is mostly reprints from the US mag and Irish newsletters. Disapointingly few local articles .

Yes, there are honey buyers.

Gather By 0417495862

Berringa  03 84563453

Leabrook 0882627555

Superbee 02 68511155

And of course capilano.

If I would get $ 9/kg for my honey I would happily sell it. Capilano ( told yesterday) pays at the moment $ 4.80 to shareholders and $ 4.50/kg to non-shareholders ( told a while back.

I sell our honey at two markets for $ 12/kg in a glass jar and take the jars back for a $ 1 refund.

The stall fee knocks a few dollars off and I spend maybe two hours preparing and 5 hrs at the market plus travel time/fuell.

The jars cost me around $ 1 if I buy a pallet. The labels cost me 30 cents per jar - $ 9 sounds like heaven!! :cheesy:

omnimirage:
I'm guessing then the lady might have meant she sells it to retailers at $9 minimum.

Thanks a lot for the numbers, max2, I rang them all. Berringa's number was no longer connected, I got to chat with someone from Leabrook , they sound like a lovely company, the man said that they buy at $5 a kilo. I think at that price, I'd rather just sell directly to customers. Maybe I'll be able to find some retailers that I can sell to instead.

How do you rewash the used jars, max2? Seems noneworthwhile to offer refund for $1.

$1 for a jar by the way seems way too expensive. I buy mine for $.6-.7 each. Where do you get yours from?

Dallasbeek:
 Not my place to answer, but the point of giving them a dollar back for the used jar is to have repeat business.  It's like a buck off for their loyalty to you.  Even if you threw the jar away, you've established a customer relationship that's worth a lot. I don't buy the jar back, but I give them a dollar off on the next purchase if they bring the jar back.

max2:
Hi Omni - the jars come from Plastene.I'm told the jars are made in Australia - the last ones standing. I buy by the pallet. The problem is that I'm in a rural area and the transport adds considerably to the cost. I can't handle a pallet here ( I have no forklift) and have to pay a person to help me un-load.

We pre-wash each jar , take the labels off and then strilise the jars in hot water and dry them in the sun.

Dallas is correct - we have very loyal customers. They return the jar and buy more. We can sell about 4000 kg mostly this way.

We also sell nuc's - again, pretty small scale but it keeps me active.

omnimirage:
I also buy my jars from Plastene. Makes sense that it costs more considering your location, I pick up the jars myself.

Why do you go to such lengths with the jars that you buy? I'm under the impression that such is unnecessary, and another beekeeper I spoke to online who also buys from Plastene has said to me that they spoke to a representative of the company that basically implied it's not needed. Rinsing them just in case something winded up can have some benefits, but isn't sterilizing the lids without benefit?

Interesting about the loyal customers. I'm quite unsure, but I figured that it's most difficult to get someone to initially buy a product, and once they do buy it and try it, the quality should keep them coming back anyway? Do you wash and reuse the jars that they return?

I'm sure it keeps you very active! :)

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