Sometimes you can get together with other clayers to place a large order to take advantage of free shipping offers or special discounts. This is especially helpful if you have to order from another country. That sounds great, but be aware that their discount is off of retail prices. Nothing wrong with that, but do be aware and be a wise shopper. I notice a tendency for people to assume that everyone else can easily buy clay where they live. I buy most of my clay online because I get a better selection, I can shop for a better price, and I can also pick up really wonderful supplies with the same order.
Luckily, buying online is quite easy in this modern day of internet and international commerce. I like to order from sites like Joann. They have a large turnover and their clay is always soft and nice. Shipping does tend to take a long time from Joann. I know that a lot of people like to order from Ebay. Please know that Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy are just marketplaces and there are many different sellers who sell through them. You could be buying old stock from someone who has bought out a local craft store.
Do they have a website and Facebook page? Are they an established seller with lots of good reviews? If you do choose to shop on one of these marketplaces, do try to find a seller with an established reputation. But I also have a fondness in my heart for the many small businesses around the world who make it their job to supply polymer clay and supplies to you and me.
Most of them are very small and the owner is the one doing all the work. Many are polymer clay specific in their focus, offering classes, claydays , and gallery space. These retailers are the overworked gems of our community. Here are some really great retailers that you need to get to know. These are not the big corporate faces. These business owners are the tried and true heroes. Get on their mailing lists. Tell others. Leave good reviews. Share them on social media.
They depend on you to keep them going. And we do need to keep them in business. They bring us new products, unusual colors and brands, deal with import fees and middle-men, and give us a one-stop shop where we can buy lots of our favorite polymer clay supplies. Here they are by country.
But these are the ones that I have personal experience with or have had recommendations from satisfied customers. Have you signed up for my emails yet? You will LOVE getting this email, which is packed full of polymer clay goodness. About once a week.
Another vote for Over the Rainbow in Australia — helpful, fast delivery, wide range of Fimo and other brands at good prices. Clay is always fresh. In store though, Joann price matches, so if you find a deal elsewhere, but Joann is close, take in the add or even just pull it up on your phone, and they match it!
Thank you, Ginger for doing a very thorough job of it, as always! They are a pleasure to work with and their clay is always fresh. Sign up for their newsletter and you get announcements of their very frequent sales, which almost always include four 2oz. This is generous as it offsets shipping costs. Also, each time you order, you chalk up bonus points which can be collected and then used toward a future order. I have been dealing with Dani Rapinett of The Whimsical Bead for many years and find her one of the most helpful and obliging people on the internet.
If you are an Australian clayer, I recommend Dani. Thank you so much for mentioning the Clay Factory Ginger! Nice post! Always keep your clay wrapped up tight now days! I always get my translucent Pardo from Penny among other things, and the service I get is great. But the items I ordered came very quickly, so all was fine. Not so much a conflict, as a case of knowing your supplier and going with ones you can trust. Hence the bit about not buying from unknowns on Ebay.
A good supplier has a fast turnover and will ensure that you have a good experience. Sometimes you might get older clay, yes, especially for brands like Pardo that have to be imported in huge lots. But again, having a relationship with your seller is important.
So many good suppliers! Thank you so much! I have a lot of the old Premo! Since I now have much less strength a drawback, and a permanent one , I can toss the worst and use the lovely color mixing charts Polyform is creating to compensate for the need to change my color strategies. Good to know! I grew up with extremely frugal parents and have been frugal all my life.
It kills me to spend more than I need to. And money is never saved if you have to throw out things. Ya know? Ginger and Jan: I always judge by my work. Is the skill, work and time I invest in a piece of art worth the risk of buying a cheaper material just to save a few cents? We all want to be the best we can be out there, and that includes materials. You and your art are both worth it!
Great info as always Ginger. Thanks for the great insight. This might drastically change my clay-buying strategies. I played with clay a lot, but laid off for the past 8 years when my grandchildren were little. I was able to recondition most of the clay from ! My clay buying strategy has been to buy a bunch so I have whatever I need when the mood hits me. Also my favorite clay to work with was 2 year old fimo soft. New clay is too soft! I bought a bunch this month to start aging it.
Now I mght have to use it all this year! I love the way you explain the science in clay. I used to do that, too. So now, even though I have to pay for shipping more often, it works out better because I waste less. Not to mention, I swear less. Thanks for the great and informative post Ginger.
The prices are great and the clay is always fresh and delivered very quickly. So good to hear they give great service in addition to their great prices. She carries the Sculpey clays, Kato, Fimo and Pardo — plus lots of other goodies. Oh good! More sources to check out! Yes, bringing the clay in the luggage gets old. Thanks for sharing. Have to check the dates on my clay. I haver very old opened Fimo lying around I need to check, a lot of it is very crumbly.
I am in the UK and buy my Premo mostly from Craftcellar as they have the best price and great service. Veryan is nice to deal with. Excellent, more suppliers to check out.
Thank you! Saludos cordiales. I confirm that even here in Italy on every clay brand by Poliform Premo! This clay is really hard…I am not brave enough to open and condition them! Unfortunately no code on Fimo or Cernit packs…in particular I noticed that my Cernit packs are re-labelled, and I am not able to remove the first to check if there are more information stamped on the older….
Here in Italy I usually buy online my clay because it is really difficult to find fresh clay, my preferred shops are:. Thanks for the info about the date codes. They do have an odd sort of two-part label on the back of the package. Thanks for the Italian sources. To return an item excluding sample products , the item must be new, unused and in its original packaging.
You may return the item to a Michaels store or by mail. Enable Accessibility. Tax Exempt. Chat with Joy. Product Actions Add to cart options. Add to Cart. Exclusions subject to change. Pin this product on Pinterest. Share this product on Facebook. Share this product on Twitter. Please Select a Color. Please Select a Size. This is the perfect medium for anyone who likes to create. This popular oven-bake clay maintains tooling and detailing beautifully. Once cured, it bakes hard and takes on a matte, bisque-type finish.
Available in multiple colors 2 oz.
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