know where to get a list of wholesalers?

[lepper boy]

That's the quesiton.. you know where you can get a list of decent computer wholesalers? I have a couple and they are rather high priced for whole saler.....

any help much appreciated.
dave

 

[tcsenter]

Wholesalers of factory computer systems, or computer components? Go to the websites of the manufacturers you want to sell or use, they usually have a reseller page where you can register. If not, send them an email to their marketing or sales dept, they will put you in contact with their authorized channel partners.

And if you're only buying in small quantities, say 1 - 3 pieces, you're not going to get good pricing. Distributor pricing is structured for volume, the more you spend the cheaper each piece is. I found that out real fast. I opened reseller/dealer accounts with about 5 major distributors (Ingram Micro, Tech Data, SED, and others), and I used them perhaps twice. The retail prices were better on the internet than I could get from a wholesaler, because I was purchasing in low quantities (usually 1 or 2 pieces).

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

tech data
ingram micro
d&h
those are the big ones i can remember. i know IM is still around, dont know about the other 2, i havent been into that stuff in a while as im not a reseller. afaik, unless you own a bidness and set up an account, giving them your tax number, etc. you cant buy anything. but i remember that d&h had killer prices, was crazy some of the deals they had going on 6 and 7 years ago.

 

[PsychoAndy]

<< tech data
ingram micro
d&h
those are the big ones i can remember. i know IM is still around, dont know about the other 2, i havent been into that stuff in a while as im not a reseller. afaik, unless you own a bidness and set up an account, giving them your tax number, etc. you cant buy anything. but i remember that d&h had killer prices, was crazy some of the deals they had going on 6 and 7 years ago. >>



that sounds about right, i have accounts at IM, TD, Bell Micro, and all their pricing SUCKS

you NEED a dealers license to buy anything from theese guys, if you're an individual looking for a good deal you're looking in the wrong place.


99.92% of the time you'll get a better deal running a PM with staples and using a coupon code, spoken with experience. from what i've been able to gather, wholesale is generally 5% less than retail. ymmv depending on product. example:

2 months ago

TechData 20gig 7200 RPM maxtor $110
Staples $110 (with $20 off $100, $90)

if they seem kinda high, its because they are. wholesale is not the best deal anymore.

 

[tcsenter]

<< wholesale is generally 5% less than retail. ymmv depending on product. example: >>

I got on the phone with my account rep once, I think it was with SuperCom, told her I had a large networking job coming-up, and wanted to get a quote on some items in quantity. When my experimental 'quote' exceeded $25,000, that's when I began to see some real discounts per unit. I was just 'feeling' out how much I would have to buy to enjoy a good pricing tier. After that, I just let my accounts lapse.

 

[DDad]

In general you'll find "cheaper" prices on the web. The one advantage I found was that the wholesaler had EVERY item I needed. In the particular deals I've used my wholesaler, that's been a big factor- no buying the lan card here, then getting the Hard drive , here, M/B & CPU somewhere else.

As far as wholesalers, you might look at www.nasba.com. They have a listing of wholesalers, and divide them up into those in your region.

 

[dman]

Wholesalers are only worth it when you can purchase in large quantities (as mentioned above). Sometimes you can negotiate lower prices with them, if you've been doing steady business. Otherwise, best bet is to shop the web. Find a good online retailer (customer service/support is as important as price) and use them. You'll be better off, because they're buying in enough volume to pass the discounts on to you.

Oh, forgot to add, if you go to the product manuf. home pages they almost always list who their distributors are, most of them will act as wholesalers also. So, you can get other wholesalers that way.

 

[lepper boy]

Thank you for all the info it has really helped. I do have a dealers license. (just got it.) and am trying to figure out how to start up a buiness. Thanks for all the help! it really is a big help!
dave

 

[tcsenter]

<< and am trying to figure out how to start up a buiness >>

If I can give you a tip from someone who was in your shoes a few years ago: Unless you have some sizable capital to start with, don't try to compete with Best Buy. Start with small inventory purchases, a couple of these and some of that, and promote the SERVICE end first. That was where I made my mistake, and it cost me a lot of money. Promote computer services primarily; repairs, upgrades, maintenance, integration, troubleshooting, etc. You can compete with Best Buy on services, you can probably even offer a better hourly rate than Best Buy. But, you're not going to be able to purchase truckloads of inventory like Best Buy can, not in the beginning at least. Good luck.