If you’re starting a crystal shop, you’re probably searching for great wholesale crystal suppliers. You might have seen wholesale websites, or even crystal wholesalers on Etsy and eBay. But they might not have the high quality, unique pieces that you want to buy.
So where are small crystal businesses finding amazing wholesalers with great prices? Believe it or not, there’s a thriving crystal trade on Instagram! Many small crystal shops use Instagram to find their trusted suppliers – and you can too.
How to find wholesale crystal suppliers on Instagram
A word to the wise: Before purchasing from a new supplier, make sure they’re the real deal. Check for any red flags using the tips in my blog, What to look for in a wholesale crystal supplier.
- At a minimum, the supplier’s account should be at least a year old
- They should have more followers than accounts that they’re following
- Check out the comments on their posts to make sure previous buyers are happy with their purchases
Now that that’s out of the way, here are some quick ways to find suppliers on Instagram!
Create an Instagram account
You can use your personal account, or your store’s account, or even start a new account entirely. Once you have an Instagram, read this blog to learn how to get suppliers to come to you directly.
Search Instagram hashtags
In the search bar at the top of your Instagram app, search for terms like #wholesalecrystals and #crystalsupplier. Head to the most recent posts to see what Instagram wholesale suppliers have in stock right now.
Search on Google
Google phrases like “Instagram crystal wholesale supplier” and check out the top results. You might be surprised by the great suppliers that come up!
Understand wholesale crystal pricing
Before you place your first order, make sure you get how wholesale pricing works for crystal suppliers.
Some items are sold by the piece, some are sold by the kilo (2.2 lbs), and very expensive stones are sold by the gram.
Some items have a minimum order of a quarter kilo, half kilo, or one kilo. The seller will tell you which minimum applies to each stone.
Generally unique pieces, like decorative carvings and spheres, are sold by the piece. Sometimes the price is fixed (like for carvings), and sometimes the price is based on the weight (like for spheres).
Smaller, less unique items like small towers, palm stones, and tumbled stones, are usually sold in bulk and priced by kilo.
The more expensive a stone is, the more likely it is that you will be able to buy one piece at a time.
Shopping with crystal suppliers on Instagram
The main ways to buy from suppliers on Instagram are by direct messaging them, and by purchasing in Instagram Live sales.
A lot of the time you’ll be able to select the exact pieces to buy. Most vendors use a grid system with numbers to help you tell them exactly which piece you want. Each vendor does this a little differently; these graphics show the most common numbering systems that I’ve come across.
In this example, some sellers might call the square with the crystal 3-4 (pronounced “three four”), or they might call it 4-3 (“four three”).
Some suppliers might use a different numbering system, with 1 being the row farthest away from you.
If you’re not sure about anything, ask! The vendors are happy to help and explain anything you don’t understand.
Placing a crystal order over DMs
Most Instagram crystal suppliers conduct much of their business over DMs, or direct messages. To send a DM to a supplier, tap or click the message button on their profile:
To order over DM, first create a list of the crystals you’re shopping for. Your list can include items that you see in their Instagram feed, as well as other wishlist crystals that you want to carry in your crystal shop.
Then DM the vendor and ask them for the price of the items you’re interested in. You can also ask them to recommend popular crystals for you.
Depending on the vendor, they may (or may not) offer to show you items live on a video livestream. If this applies, skip to the next section on how to shop a crystal live sale.
The vendor should give you the prices of anything on your list that is in stock. They should also show you pictures and/or videos of the exact crystals. If you want to purchase something, just let them know and they will put it in your basket!
Placing a wholesale crystal order over Instagram Live
To join a live sale, follow each wholesaler account. Then set your notifications to notify you whenever the account goes live.
When you open Instagram, accounts that are currently livestreaming are highlighted in your story section. Tap the account to enter their live sale.
In a live sale, you communicate with the seller by typing into the chat. Turn on your sound, because the seller will respond to the chat messages by speaking out loud. Usually other buyers will be in the chat too.
Sometimes sellers will show items in an order that they decide. Other times, you can comment with the crystals that you want, and the seller will show all the requests in order. Watch the live sale for a few minutes to understand the flow before jumping in.
The person who asks to see a certain item first, has priority to claim the crystal! Have good live sale etiquette by not rushing to claim something that someone else asked for.
If you want to buy an item, comment “sold” followed by the item number or price. Then the seller will add it to your basket.
Paying for your basket
After you shop with a supplier for the first time, send them a DM with your email, name, and shipping address. Some suppliers require a phone number as well. They’ll send a PayPal invoice to your email, and tell you how long you have to pay.
Some suppliers charge separately for shipping; some include shipping if you spend over a certain amount, like $200 or $300. If you’re not clear on shipping costs, or how long it will take for your crystals to be delivered: ask them first before you claim anything!
You can ask your supplier to leave your box open or closed. If open, that means you can come back later and add more things to your order. Ordering lots of items will get you the best shipping rates. But, be careful –
If it’s your first time shopping with a supplier, you might want to place a small order first to make sure you’re fully satisfied.
Now you’re ready to shop with wholesale crystal suppliers on Instagram
The first time I ordered crystals from Instagram, it was a little nerve-wracking. After all, I was sending money to someone in another country for crystals I hadn’t even seen in person!
But once the crystals arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. The quality and uniqueness of the crystals surpassed other suppliers I had tried. And, the prices were competitive – meaning there was room for me to make a profit with my crystal shop.
How is ordering crystals from Instagram working for you? Do you have any questions? Leave a comment and I’ll respond!
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