Most artists while working with epoxy resin face the question: why is resin so expensive? Can we find any alternatives?
Almost everywhere in different social pages, online stores and blogs you can find epoxy resin products. After watching tutorials, people all over the world try to make the same thing or to create their own one. But when they go to the local store or purchase online the problem appears – why epoxy resin is so expensive?
Why Is Resin So Expensive
The average price for epoxy resin made in the USA is approximately $110-150 for 2 Gallon Kit and $500 for 4 Gallon Kit. So epoxy resin costs approximately $0.9- 1 per ounce. Sometimes Amazon offers coupons applying which you can save an extra 20%. But if you make some big project like epoxy resin flooring or river wood table it is not so easy to spend a thousand of dollars.
The reason why epoxy resin is so expensive isn’t because of popularity and common use nowadays. Epoxy resin is the unique material good for big and small projects with great properties which help your product look stunning: clear and smooth surface, non-yellowing effect, water-resistant and ideal for casting in the shape you would like.
We can highlight several reasons why epoxy resin is worth to be so expensive:
- popularity and wide use
- expensive materials
- the country of origin
- the amount of epoxy resin
Of course, the high demand of the product influence on the price at the market but it is important to know that the materials for epoxy resin are not cheap. The process of making the product demands well-trained specialists and well-equipped workplace.
What Should Be Considered
The only sticking point is what facts should I consider while purchasing resin? Consider the following before you purchase resin.
- The first step is to know what exact epoxy resin you need for your project. There are many types of resin with special characteristics for your product. You can learn about types of epoxy resin and their qualities in our article BEST EPOXY RESIN FOR YOUR PROJECT.
- Don’t allow to be mislead that any epoxy resin is suitable for all projects!
- The second step is to accept that epoxy resin isn’t a cheap product. There can be some inexpensive variants but usually such products are toxic, harmful for your safety, not crystal clear and can yellow after some time.
- Spare no expense on buying high-quality epoxy resin!
- The third step is to be aware of the amount of epoxy resin that you need for project. Of course, when you purchase the kit you can save some money but for “first meeting” with epoxy we advice you to buy a little bit.
TIPS Don’t purchase a large volume of epoxy resin for a start!
Where to Buy Epoxy Resin
Online Stores and Suppliers
There are two ways how to do purchase – in specialist stores or online. As any aspect, these two ways have got advantages and disadvantages. Shopping online became the integral part of everyday life. Undoubtedly this is the most convenient way to purchase resin from anywhere. While choosing what you want you can compare prices, different types and brands including reviews of real customers about your product. You have possibility to view the whole range of products which they sell and decide exactly what you need.
Internet purchasing opens you not only local market but items from all over the world which can be easily delivered straight to your door. This is the best variant for people who don’t like crowds and pressure from the seller. Buying epoxy resin online you find detailed instruction how to mix and pour your product, even there can be step-by-step tutorial about some projects.
" I like purchasing online because while ordering big amount of resin I get some discounts. Besides that there great customer support service which are always ready to help me with my questions." Oleksandr, artist, KorchiStore.
Complaints about buying resin online:
- difficult to log in
- bad customer service: sometimes it is really difficult to reach representative of the product on the website, usually they can send you e-mail explaining some details
- returned product problem
- delivery problem: it occurs that tracking information shows that it was delivered but still you haven’t got it
On Amazon:
If you made decision to purchase online, you can easily find any resin product at the following sites: amazon, ebay, etsy, aliexpress and etc. Without any doubts Amazon is the platform with wide range of epoxy resin of different brands and categories comparatively to other sites. Here you can find the detailed description of resin, video tutorials of how to use the product, ratings by feature and customer reviews. The price is also lower and varies according to the option you choose. The only problem is that the product you want are often currently unavailable.
On Ebay and Etsy:
Ebay and Etsy offer less variants with poor instructions and higher price. But these sites have rich selection of accessories for epoxy resin projects. There are also some smaller family owned online stores which make a speciality of their epoxy resin products. Usually such sites are very interested in new customers that’s why they have good customer service and gifts but the price can be higher and the product not well-known among artist.
Finally, if you decide to purchase online don’t forget about one pothole – delivery charge. The good point is that they show the shipping price separately from the item cost. The shipping fees depend on the type of the product you choose. Most of the time when you buy resin within the country you get free shipping from some sellers. International shipping cost more especially taking into account the size of some resin kits. You should remember that resin is non-returnable product.
Local Store
Purchasing at the local store has its benefits in any case. You feel more confident when you can touch the product, read its labels and instructions, listen to advices of the seller. The problem with delivering is resolved – you don’t have to wait and get your product in place. But what to do if you have no stores locally?
The best way to know about some issues is to hear real feedbacks from real customers. We’ve watched reviews about buying resin at local and online stores and are ready to show you some results. Complaints about buying resin at the local store:
- distance problem: sometimes local stores are far away from your house what is inconvenient;
- poor choice at the store.
Anyway, we cannot tell you exactly what type of purchasing is better – online or at the local store. It depends on where you live, amount of resin you need and your personal wishes. You just need to follow our tips, find suitable for you type of resin and way how to get it!