It’s complicated.
We recently asked Brain Squad members what time of year they’ve found to be best for getting the absolute lowest manufacturer prices.
And we’d love to be able to tell you that a clear-cut answer emerged. Then you’d know exactly when to seek out discounts.
But no such luck.
We received 127 responses, and they were all over the map.
A bit of consensus did form around summer, and July specifically, with 21 respondents giving one of those two answers. And 10 people said January.
But it’s a question that many jewelers seemed unsure about.
“Is there a time? If so … let me know!” wrote Kriss Roethlisberger of Ace of Diamonds in Mount Pleasant, MI.
“No idea,” wrote Craig C. Curtis of Belfast Jewelry in Belfast, ME.
Some Brain Squad members said angling for lower prices from manufacturers isn’t something they often do.
“Didn’t know I could do that. Tell me more … I’m all ears …,” Alan Perry of Perry’s Emporium in Wilmington, NC, wrote.
“I thought pricing was suppose to be the same price across the board, making adjustments to the gold/silver markets,” wrote Laurie Cusher of Hyde Park Jeweler in Hyde Park, NY.
A few said it’s always a good time to negotiate a deal. As Stew Brandt of H. Brandt Jewelers in Natick, MA, said, “Any time of year. Just ask.”
And some respondents offered their own spin on the topic.
“I get the lowest prices all year long because I like to pay my vendors right away,” Howard Jacobs of Toodies Fine Jewelry in Quincy, MA, wrote. “If they bring items in to show me, I pay them on the spot and they will always cut me in for the better price. I also make deals with other vendors that if I pay them within the week, they will discount it anywhere from 5 percent and up.”
Mark Clodius of Clodius & Co. Jewelers in Rockford, IL, too, seems to have a unique system: “It varies. One vendor I know, they need cash when their line of credit comes due in February. Some others will discount to push EOY sales numbers. Summer can often be a good time to push for cash discounts.”
Among the other answers:
- “Last day of JCK” — Gordon Lawrie, Eidos, Santa Fe, NM.
- “Tuscon show” — Ira Kramer, The Diamond Exchange of Maryland, Rockville, MD.
- “After Valentine’s Day” — Nathan George, Joshua’s Fine Jewelry, Russellville, AR.
- “13th month??” — Saro Abrahamian, Town Jewelers, Chevy Chase, MD.