Hi,

Would everyone be happy to openly discuss what we pay for our balloons?

I buy from a company who provide fresh, quality Q balloons but i want to make sure that i am buying well and not missing a better company to use.

What do you all think??

Regards

Norm

Balloonman

All my prices are on the website; http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk
The price includes P+P so that the price you see is the price you pay
We also do special offers at conventions + care & share days,

usually 10 bags 260 fashion solid for £30.
3 bags hearts £13
3 bags 360's £15

+ everything else is less P+P

Graham Lee

Hi Norm, i cant really give you a straight answer as i tend to buy from whoever has what i need in stock. And if i pay slightly more then normal i just allow for it.

But anyway, i tend to purchase most of my stock from Playtime (as i've explained before they are very local to me), and usually pay in the realms of £4.50 for a single bag of 260s, although like Graham there are deals for quantities, and at shows etc. I believe they still offer 50 bags for £150 with free P&P etc

Your best bet would be to contact and have a chat with Marj, shes never steered me wrong.

http://www.playtimeballoons.fsworld.co.uk/

Pete

I use Pioneer Europe. I always buy individual colours and pay £3.43 (includes VAT)

I use Graham for most of my 160's and 260's these days but when I get Qualatex I get them from up up & away. (You have to be trade e.g. a company and first spend is set at a minimum of £500)

Sample of Prices as follows.
160's traditional, vibrant, carnival & character assortment £3.41 +vat
160's Standard Single colours £3.41 +vat metallic's £3.47 +vat
260's traditional, vibrant, entertainer, carnival & character assortment £2.92 +vat
260's Neon assortment £3.66 +vat
260's Standard Single colours £2.92 +vat metallic's £3.66 +vat
350's traditional, vibrant, carnival & character assortment £5.73 +vat
350's Standard Single colours £5.73 +vat metallic's £6.62 +vat
6" heart carnival assortment £5.38
6" heart Standard Single colours £4.67 +vat metallic's £5.38 +vat
5" aliens £7.90 +vat
321's (bee body's) with or without diped tip £4.24 +vat

If you want any other prices let me know what you are after the prices for.

Roger

When's the date for the jam? you've been advertising it for months

Graham Lee

just joined Up Up and Away seem to be the cheapest Qualatex I found.

danny

Danny so what price did you find?

Graham Lee

It looks like i pay the same price as up up & away.

I get them from a company in Castleford, called balancebest. Again its trade so you have to be a company, but I didn't have to make an initial large order, i just got what i needed then, only about £75 worth.

Cheers Adie

Thanks guys,

I pay

£3 for 260`s plus vat
£6.20 for 350`s plus vat
£7.15 for 646`s plus vat
£3.50 for 5" plus vat
£3.40 for 160`s plus vat

Buy from Bear & Balloons but most of the prices seem very similar but i paid £20 for a bag of agates....................

Norm

How about round balloons? I find it odd that Playtime charge £3.50 for mixed 5 inch rounds. I would have thought they would be cheaper. Morrisons supermarket sell them at 69p in packets of 25 - that's £2.76 for 100

Graham, is there any reason why you don't you stock rounds?

Henry

Graham, Up Up & Away is the same company Roger quoted lots of prices from and Tis those what I pay.

danny

Danny was just checking as some companies charge different individuals different prices for some reason.

Graham Lee

Hello Norm, I mostly use Sempertex as the balloons quality can affect your overheads as much as what you pay per bag.  If the balloons keep bursting then you will use far more of them & they will also slow your work down.
  I find SEMPERTEX rarely burst even when you are twisting complex designs at quite a pace.
   In September 2006 before I was aware of SEMPERTEX - I was working in a particular night club for the first time & lots of my balloons burst & I sent them back & recieved new ones only to find lots of them burst again.
   The night club were not impressed & I had been having trouble for a while with balloons & almost wanted to leave the industry.
   Then after searching the web I decided to try SEMPERTEX & got a large order from OAKTREE.   I then went back to the nightclub & offered to do a free performance after working there 4 weeks in a row & finding that they were no longer interested & I told the manager about the new balloon brand from Columbia.  She seemed impressed & after a far better night with hardly any bursts - I ended up working there 38 weeks in a row, The entire student term.

  I do not make just simple basic dogs,swords,swans, etc, I like to have lots of suitable balloons & make the person what they want as I mainly do 'walk about' twisting with adults though I entertain all ages.
    I often ask if the person has any hobbies or sports interests & then make them something to do with it.

So I would go for balloon quality if you want to do this professionally.

Daniel M

I posted this on another forum back in Feb when the topic/discussion got around to the price of balloons.
Have been thinking about posting this here for a while, oh well here goes;

You also have to compare like for like?
This is how sad I am,
The sempertex 260 is between 4/6 inches longer and thicker than Q. You get 10% more latex in a bag,
so the cost to produce & freight are also 10% more.
The 360 is again thicker and between 10/12 inches longer, again making it more expensive to manufacture.
To get a stronger balloon that is more reliable you need that extra latex.
Also what is the cheap wholesaler offering you, at a guess just cheap balloons.
Is he helping you & the industry to grow or is he just another Tesco store (walmart in America)
How many small shops, petrol stations & hardware store are dis appearing due to the large store buying big & selling cheap.
Please support the smaller operator, see how you can help each other to make our great art form grow.
It's not just about cheap balloons, please look at the bigger picture.
Perhaps we should'nt but let's take myself & Sempertex UK as an example, we offer 12 "Care & Share" days all over the UK which started out free but we charge this year £15 to attend with a £15 voucher to spend on balloon products on the day. So making it a free? day to attend, there is the cost of putting the day together with venue, hotels, travel, free product to try, the mystery lecturer. I also do two lectures as well on the day.
So all this is provided to help us grow together, and if were being honest because Sempertex want you to use the product. But Sempertex want you to grow at the same time as well, improving your skills with latex. Which will help you command better fees, so it's a win win situation.
The feedback about the days has been fantastic, the amount of positive comments. The fun we have at the days meeting new people, networking going out for a meal after & the cream cakes, loads of cream cakes. I look forward to the days, I'm so sad I have trouble sleeping before as well. So this is what Myself & Sempertex Uk bring to our world of latex, what does the big wholesaler bring, as I said earlier just cheap balloons & sometimes very expensive workshops. Always looking to freshen up the days & improve them, comments are always welcome, but please try & support the sponsor or days like this & others may be no more.
Well I'd better get off my soap box, I do wear my heart on my sleeve as they say in the UK and am very passionate about our great industry. "LETS IMPROVE OUR ART"

Graham Lee