Picture Glass.

[mhannah]

How much would folk expect to pay for 2mm float glass?
What size sheets do you buy it in?

Can anyone recommend a supplier in or around Glasgow?

Mark.

[Roboframer]

Give these people a ring, they deliver to Glasgow.

http://www.glass-mirror.co.uk/

[norymags]

Mark, Try Pearsons Glass in East Kilbride.

I get 50 sheets at a time and they give me 50 sheets free mdf

all for £250

Regards Norrie

Pearsons glass tel no 01355 230175

[SquareFrames]

Hi,

Its the first time I have seen glass prices cheaper here (Northern Ireland) than on the mainland......I get 50 sheets at a time........£146.87 delivered, thats 48 x 36, if I dont need 50 and just want a top up, I pay £3.50 a sheet delivered and get 25 at a time.....I havent got the space to take a full pallet of glass, where the price would be even cheaper, down to just over 2 quid a sheet.

I have heard recently from some ex students that there are some suppliers in Eire, charging up to and over 14 Euro a sheet for 48 x 36......try Carey Glass in Tipperary.........Anyone know of any dearer

Steven

[Roboframer]

I.m paying less than anyone so far, that's any quantity too. But I'm not gonna spill! So there

[SquareFrames]

Hi Roboframer,

I thought I was lucky to pay just £2.50, but fair play to you. The main problem here is the distinct lack of dedicated 2mm suppliers, so unfortunately we have to take what we can get, and when we can get it. There are some framing wholesalers trying their hand at it, and most do a good enough job, the problem there being the quality....some may be 2mm, some 1.8mm and a little unstable, but handled carefully, its as good as any. There is one wholesaler here who charges £3.75 + Vat per sheet, and and extra 50p per sheet if its more than 10 miles from his depot, but...when push comes to shove (thankfully not very often) this has to do.

Its even harder to get Truvue glass here, one has to pay for it, (paid to an English company) and then travel a round trip of almost 200 miles to go and collect it......and no discount for self collection to boot!!!!! This is done only when required.........

Steven

[Roboframer]

Steven,

£146.87 divided by 50 = almost £2.94. Where does the £2.50 come in?

Wasn't really a case of not spilling, just can't remember exactly. Had a bit of a price war with Glass & Mirror, who I have dealt with for years, and Wessex.

G&M's glass started coming interleaved with absorbent grey paper, instead of the nice white greaseproof stuff. It was leaving etched marks on the glass, you could only see them when wet, but only came off with wire wool. Then they put their prices up, I shopped around, Wessex were cheaper, about £2.85, their glass was interleaved with the white stuff. I thought this strange as they are not a glass specialist. Used them for a few months. G&M bettered their price to win me back, I think I'm paying £2.79, and it's coming with the nice white paper at present.

But even now, the white paper seems to have got wavy between the sheets of glass, and I still see the imprint when I clean the glass, but it comes off easily with a cloth. Wessex's interleaving paper was always nice and flat.

As and if quality and/or price fluctuates, I do not have a problem with voting with my feet!

[SquareFrames]

Hi John,

Sorry I just looked at my original posting, and neglected to mention....£2.50 + VAT = £2.94....Whats very annoying is that differing companies have different quantities for their 'pallet size', to get this price down to just over 2 quid + VAT a sheet..I just have not got the room for anything between 140-400 sheets. I have even toyed with the idea of using my father-in-law's garage to keep the over stocks or even keeping it in the back of my van until required, but thats a huge hassle.

It really depends on which supplier you 'end up' using here and at what time, whether you get tissue between, paper or powder, doewnt really matter to me, as all glass is given a cursory cleaning before it hits the bench.

I spoke to John Palmer, G&M, a few years ago at impromptu meetings in Stratford and Coventry, and asked him to consider opening a depot here or failing that one in Eire, I actually did a detailed study for him over a few weeks and searched for all the 2mm glass suppliers, and sent him the results, but to date no movement. Like you my wife (she does all the buying, I have no time) would vote with her feet, and she would rather pay a little extra for good quality. There was one supplier here during the study whose price was rougly £2.50+, but would not deliver anything less than a pallet, and then would not come off the motorway here to come in to the town, as it didnt suit them...very strange or what?

I have also been a huge pain to Britannia and have given them details of some people who would consider distributing their Truvue glass, but again, nothing has happened, maybe someday someone here will decide that this is a great prospect, again I would only havent got the space.

As for glass prices going up, it hasnt happened to us for some time, we have been paying £2.50 + VAT for well over 2 years, so cant complain, although we had to use another company just before Xmas for a rush supply and paid £2.75 + VAT for 50 sheets, so not at all bad.

Steven

[Roboframer]

Steven,

Ah, my price doesn't include VAT, so your price is great.

I've never looked at powder float, maybe I should, ditto for pallet loads, I could take one, but I don't imagine it would be offloaded on a fork lift, and I would pity the poor driver man-handling that lot at 10 sheets at a time!

[SquareFrames]

Hi John,

We have 2 flights of stairs here, and up until 2 1/2 years ago our workshop was on the 3rd floor, which meant carrying the glass 5 sheets at a time up the first flight which is straight, the problem was the second flight, which started straight for 4 steps and then turned back on itself very sharply......I only had one driver who would carry up the second flight nd only when he wasnt in a rush. He would only carry maximum of three sheets at a time, and that was just to stabilise the glass........he stopped doing this after 3 or 4 deliveries and left them at the bottom and we had to carry them up ourselves.
2 1/2 years ago we closed our second floor gallery and moved our workshop down to the middle floor, but the building, looking modern enough, has old creaky floors, so anything between 50-75 sheets kept at maximum.......
I had one delivery driver damage 3 rather expensive frames while he 'took a swing' at the bottom floor stairs........the company was good enough to waive the bill for the damage caused.....he hasnt been back, the last time they sent someone else
Oh! How I wish for a ground floor workshop.........

Steven

[Dermot]

The different size pallets and weight (thickness….glass was originally sold by weight) of the glass depends on what factory the glass is coming from there are only about 3 factories worldwide that produce + or – 2mm glass………the pallets are designed to suit the end of the glass production line…..that variance from time to time by the glass supplier is because of what glass may be available at the time the supplier orders from a broker for the factories……glass is produced in batches and when your supplier wants it is a bit of pot luck what might be available unless the have huge through put this would be rare for a supplier to the picture framing industry …………..the whole of Ireland accounts for about 10 to 15 containers of glass a year…..that’s about 4 hours production in the factory………..small piddle business for the glass factories…….be wary of how low you try to push the price of glass or you might find yourself without a supplier…..

I had a picture framing glass supply business for a few years I got out of the business because of those who were auguring about 50c Euro on the price of a sheet of glass……it was just not worth it……most of the customers who complained about that 50c ended up paying nearly double from the alternative supplier…..and had to collect the glass……I delivered it and carried it in for them…………they deserve to pay double miserable sods…..how much is 50c as a percentage of the end product you sell


For those of you who would like a solid glass supplier….try…
First Glass Ltd
Contact details
First Glass Ltd
16A Rosemount Business pk Ballycoolin Dublin 11 Dublin
T:(01)8200209

[absolute framing]

hi all,

Down here in Dublin i'm paying £6.09 (Euro 8.80) + VAT per 48 x 36 sheet of 2mm float glass. That said i only buy between 4 and 6 sheets at a time, but i do collect. My supplier informed me last week that Pilkington Glass have a 30 % increase in the pipeline. Any one else in Ireland paying this type of price?

Stephen

[SquareFrames]

Hi Stephen,

I hear quite often from ex students, of the huge price paid in Eire for glass, goodness knows where suppliers get this from? I heard last week from one student in Wicklow who rang to say he was quoted almost
15 Euro + 21% VAT a sheet, and some in Carlow who are paying almost 10 Euro + 21% VAT a sheet....all 48 x 36......I know of one chap who was quoted.....40 Euro + 21% VAT per 2mm float sheet.......shame on Eire suppliers. I tell eveyone to try Carey glass from Tipp...not sure of the delivery amount, but worth a try, I know they deliver country wide........I would be interested to know what their minimum delivery was? Eire seems to be one of the most awkward places to get basic 2mm float glass at the right price!

I hope your not struggling for glass for next Thurdsay????????

See you bright and earl on Thursday...

Steven

[Dermot]

Steven

When I had my glass supply business I got all those stories about how much suppliers were supposed to be charging for glass…….and low and behold when I made an offer of supplying glass at a fair price in a reasonable quantity (my minimum was 20 sheets) I was charging €4.50 to €5.50 per sheet depending on quantity and location …………..they would look at me as if I had lost my mind when I would not supply and deliver one or two sheets for the same price…….

Most of the prices you have quoted are what a glazing shop would charge retail for a walk in customer……and this is fair pricing for the cost involved in running a glazing shop in the South of Ireland.

Perhaps if you took the time to do the costing of running a glass business in the South you might not think that these suppliers a to expensive for what they sell………….you are very fortunate in the North with your glass supplier…….for some reason they have a pricing on glass that is considerable below what would be the going rate for the same product in most other parts of Europe, Australia and the USA……………

The glass supply business is one of the most brutal distribution business in the world and it is next to impossible to make any real money out of it……..for example in the South 3 major players in the glass supply business have gone out of business in the last few years one of these was Irish subsidiary of Saint-Gobain who are one of the biggest glass companies in the world………and despite what a previsions poster (some people dish out all sorts of crap to hike pricing) said Pilkington Glass have not been involved in the manufacture of picture framing glass for many years………….

It’s easy to take pot shots at a business you clearly have little or no knowledge of......I repeat if you want to be disparaging of a business sector it would only be fair if you did it from a knowledge base and not an opinion base…..

On my glass business which had a turnover of €175,000 I never made a profit and what I could managed to pay myself I would have been better on the dole………..and it was a 6 to 7 day a week job……

Were not stupid down in the South and if the picture framing glass business was so easy believe me the picture framer wholesalers would be at the glass part of it to beat the band………the simple fact is the glass business is a dreadful business…and next to impossible to make money out of....

RoboFramer…………..keep well away from the powdered coated glass it is next to impossible to clean…….the powder is a coconut powder which has oil in it and it would add hours if not day to your cleaning of glass…..

Work it out guys what % glass is of your end selling price……and if it is still a concern well there is one of the reasons the picture framing business will not grow……..you are looking at the pennies while the pounds are getting away…..

[SquareFrames]

Hi Dermot,

Not at all being disparaging about any glass company in Eire, and my knowledge base comes direct from students coming through the school here, and everyone has the same tale to tell, and to be honest the glass price in Eire is way and above anyting here and on the UK mainland, why is that? I get the same story week in and week out and am asked the same question...'where can we get chepaer glass?' One lady from Offlay phoned last week to say her supplier quoted 20 Euro a sheet......

There has to be a reason for that....and it cannot be just high rent and rates, etc..and just for your own information the company wanting to charge the 40 Euro price comes from 3 miles just down the road from you. I think that price was bourne out of not wanting to supply another framer in the same town.....

Reason I dont do a study of glass prices and suppliers in Eire...simple...doesnt affect me, what does affect me though is the constant calls from my ex students asking me to point them in the right direction...so maybe its about time I took a bit of time and did one, so I could give the students the correct information. Thats why I steer them towards Carey Glass from Tipp...there prices seem to be the best, as I use their sub office up here. Min delivery is 25 sheets here, what it is in Eire, I have no idea. I have a few students from Eire coming up next week to take GCF exams I will get cursory information from them and make a start.

Why you stopped supplying glass is beyond me, you seemed to have a good routine going there, maybe you should think of going back into that field again!!!!!!! There is obviously a market for good quality 2mm glass at a fair price.

A fair price for 2mm float should be somewhere between 3.65 and 5.00 Euro a sheet in my opinion...anything over and above that should be negotiated betwen supplier and framer.

I have to disagree somewhat with your comment to Roboframer re powdered coated glass. I have had no problems cleaning it in the past, a good glass cleaner like Mr Muscle cleans it up well, although having said that, its not hat often it comes like that now....mostly paper or tissue paper in between

What I dont like at the minute is one delivery the glass is 2mm, the next its 1.8mm, and the supplier's rebuttal.....it all depends where he got it form, either from USA or China direction.......Doesnt make any difference to me where it comes from, as long as its a fair price for the quality...if it was better quality, I'd happlily pay more and sort it out at my pricing end...

Steven