If you find an item that you know others may want/need, it pays to research online and find a distributor or manufacturer who will sell to you in bulk at a better price. One example is when I needed a wheat grinder. I did my research and ended up with a distributor in Australia (love the internet!) He said he would cut my price by at least $60.00 for each grinder with an order of 10. I think we actually ended up with even a better cut when we ordered 13 grinders in the first order and then placed a second order for the same price for 4 more grinders. The distributor listed me as a distributor and gave me a huge discount on orders for the rest of the year. I do this for fun, not for profit, so any discount passed on to me was passed on to my friends.
When we did an order for milk powder many years ago, we placed an order through Maple-Island. The price was so good that we had church members from Charlottesville, Virginia, willing to drive to Springfield (2 hours away) with a trailer to pick up their order. I don't know how they found out about us, but I told them if they were willing to be there when the truck pulled in, they were welcome. I had money in hand before I placed the order.
When Y2K was the scare that pulled the world into a frenzy, everyone wanted to be prepared. I wanted 15-gallon water barrels which were running about $25 each including delivery. I found a manufacturer who would ship 100 barrels for $19 each. When we gave an order for over 200 barrels, they dropped the price to $15.00 - a $10 savings per barrel. It was pretty scary when the driver opened the back of the truck. I climbed up and all I could see from top to bottom, front to back, were white drums. What if no one showed up to pick them up??? I was glad to have my phone tree to alert everyone when the truck was due to pull into our parking lot. Within 15 minutes the cars and vans began to pull in and within 40 minutes everything was gone! Fastest delivery we've ever taken care of!
When you make the call to the company, let them know you are a group of individuals (somewhat of a co-op or you can even form your co-op and give yourself a name) and tell them it is important that you know in advance when the truck will deliver. When the driver is on his way, ask that he call you so you have direct contact. Make sure you have a large parking lot where the truck will have room to maneuver. Ask the driver to call you personally when he knows the hour he will be there. You can then notify all of your buyers that they need to come and pick up at that time and that they are needed to help unload (in most cases).
Keep good written information. Make sheets with everyone's name and columns to list how much they owe, how much they have paid (cash or check) and who picked up their goods (in case they don't show up and someone offers to take their items to them). Phone numbers and emails are also good to have on the list so you can call them from the parking lot.
Being in charge of a bulk order can be challenging but it's also a good feeling to know that you have served your friends and neighbors and helped them get a step closer to taking care of themselves and their families in times of hardship.
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