Foundation prices

I have just been putting an order together for some foundation
150 std nat brood
60 14x12
100 nat shallow
all wired, best rates, discount where applicable and free postage.

Total price ranged from 212.57 to 340.26 from 5 suppliers as listed below in coded form.
K B S
Maize
Pains
CWJ
Fawns
I wont say cheapest and dearest but staggered at the difference, or should I name them ?

I have used KBS, Fawns & CWJ foundation previously and found it all to be OK

Any advice or other options before I part with my cash

Pete D

Pete, the quality varies, and Fawns even have 2 grades.
Best value and best quality not the same. W-J for value. Not sure who wins on quality.

Are they all the same quality? as some suppliers sell different quality levels.

Shirely, wax should be wax.

I've always received excellent service from K B S.

Having had an email from Fawns, regarding the new catalogue, I presume that is imminent.
And that would mean a new pricelist as well.

How long are your quotes valid for? (worth checking!)

fiftyjon said:

Shirely, wax should be wax.

Click to expand...

I'm not so sure about that. I used some old brittle foundation sheets to melt down for some candles. What came out wasn't the lovely smell of beeswax, it must have been more paraffin wax than anything else because it stank of petrochems

Chris B said:

Pete, the quality varies, and Fawns even have 2 grades.
Best value and best quality not the same. W-J for value. Not sure who wins on quality.

Click to expand...

Hi Chris, Fawns premier and std prices were used, neither came out as the dearest or cheapest. Prices off website today
so here goes
Maize £212.57 inc 25% disc
CWJ £237.50
Fawns £261.88 std
KBS £270.72 inc 10% disc
Fawns £309.17 premier
Pains £340.26

Pete D

Chris B said:

Pete, the quality varies, and Fawns even have 2 grades.
Best value and best quality not the same. W-J for value. Not sure who wins on quality.

Click to expand...

Th0rnes have three grades if you include the 'organic' they were advertising a while back.

I was under the impression foundation wax from W J was as agency for Th0rnes. I thought I saw some that had their labels, but the source could vary by type and they're free to set their own price, volume discounts and shipping.

theboynelson said:

I'm not so sure about that. I used some old brittle foundation sheets to melt down for some candles. What came out wasn't the lovely smell of beeswax, it must have been more paraffin wax than anything else because it stank of petrochems

Click to expand...

That's a bit worrying. What next, horsemeat?

Moggs said:

That's a bit worrying. What next, horsemeat?

Click to expand...

look carefully at "discounts" price level to work on may exclude VAT and delivery... also watch out for price for free delivery !

Supply and demand I suppose!
Back in the old days selling clean wax to the above companies commanded a premium price ! Now adays you get rock bottom prices and they accept the most evil black grotty muck and pay the same price .
Moral is,save sky high fuel prices and join the mob .Should you have clean wax,offer it to the WI or take to the convention and drop a hint you have some lovely waxy in the boot, whilst near the candle making brigade (it works )
VM


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fiftyjon said:

Shirely, wax should be wax.

Click to expand...

theboynelson said:

I'm not so sure about that. I used some old brittle foundation sheets to melt down for some candles. What came out wasn't the lovely smell of beeswax, it must have been more paraffin wax than anything else because it stank of petrochems

Click to expand...

Perhaps I should have said foundation for bees should be beeswax.

Just recently bought a lot of sheets nat brood wired from KBS, best price, best quality.

Read somewhere recently up to 40% of chinese wax foundation is parafin wax ! be carefull !!

Some beekeepers who have their foundation specially made for them, specify it to contain a certain percentage of paraffin wax.

May even be more healthy than the run of the mill stuff on the market.

The concentration effect of selected acaricides present in beeswax foundation on the survival of Apis mellifera colonies

Survival rate was higher when using beeswax adulterated with paraffin.

http://www.ibra.org.uk/articles/Con...ation-on-the-brood-survival-of-Apis-mellifera

Wow its not getting any cheaper is it

If you up your order to I think over £450 KBS gives a 20% discount

But If you are interested in saving a few pounds then go with the foundation in the BB’s and then go foundationless in the supers just simply wire the frames and a starter strip. Alternatively you can scrap all foundation altogether.

If your looking at KBS get in soon their prices go up very shortly.

They were also recomeded to me by a very large beefarmer that uses them for their wax and i have placed my order with them (KBS not the beefarmer). Very impressed with the price as are all the people that i have offered them to as well.

I spent over £2K with KBS last year (after discount) and cannot fault the service or the product. I hasten to add that it was a group purchase so not "all" the foundation was for myself......