Group Purchase Czar - Congratulations comrade!
Hi Duff:
I have been running the group orders from Craft Supplies twice a year for the past few years for the Ames Area Woodturners (Iowa). The Craft Supplies folks are excellent people to work with, and have outstanding customer service. Their policy is that orders above $ 500 receive free shipping; orders above $ 1000 receive free shipping and a 13% discount (lathes excepted) if all items are shipped to one location. (Extra heavy orders may incur a slight shipping charge if much above 50 pounds per box...)
The way I do these orders is to compile a list of items to be ordered from each of the various members who want to participate in the order (usually a few weeks after making the announcement of the order deadline), and then submit the order as an Excel spreadsheet attached to an e-mail; they send confirmation of the total amount (discounted), and I put this on plastic. Couldn't be easier. Their shipping is quick to us as well - usually 3-4 days via UPS from Provo to central Iowa. I just did one of these group orders again about 2 months ago.
Be sure you keep accurate records of each member's requested information, and make sure you have them double check the item description (sizes, dimensions, threading, etc.) and especially the catalog number and quantity before submitting it to you. Standardize how you want the order information sent to you so you don't have to waste time re-doing everything yourself. When I get the member's individual orders (mostly via e-mail messages sent to me), all I have to do is cut and paste their ordering information into the spreadsheet. Also create an individual identification tag on each line to know whose item is being ordered (we often get multiple items like pen sets, pen blanks, turning tools, etc. from different members). This all takes relatively little time if you are organized; I use an Excel template I developed which calculates all discounts and tabulates each individual member's total amount owed as part of the order.
I have also put together group orders for bulk hook and loop abrasives with Industrial Abrasives, did a group purchase of angle drills from overstock.com, and when Highland woodworking has free shipping, we have put-in orders for a few woodturner's band saw blades. We try not to let these specials go by without having our members benefit whenever possible.
I think members appreciate getting the discount, and the group orders are also a means of supporting member's individual woodturning development as part of the club activity.
Similar programs to Craft Supplies are not (to my knowledge) offered by other major mail-order woodturning vendors. I think Woodworkers Supply in Albuquerque offers blanket group discounts; I have not worked with them specifically however. I can tell you that I have worked with Bruce Hoover at the Sanding Glove, and he has been excellent about offering discounts on group purchases for some of the items he offers - great guy and he really understands turning!
The Sanding Catalog (Klingspor) in North Carolina offers woodworking clubs and guilds discounts on abrasives and other woodworking items in their catalog. You'll need to check with customer service to set up a discount program for your group with them, and provide them with a list of your group's members.
When we had a local Woodcraft store, they offered members of the two local woodworkers clubs (Ames Woodworkers Club and the Des Moines Woodworkers Association) a 10% discount on all non-power tools and other supplies. We lost that resource, around here, unfortunately. You might investigate this if you have a local Woodcraft store.
I guess I've been doing this kind of stuff for a long time (> 13 years), and don't mind doing the work as long as the group benefits. Try to streamline your information gathering and order processing, and you'll not mind doing the job you were elected to do.
Cheers,
Rob Wallace
PS - I've never had a problem about not getting paid!
