How to buy polymer clay? Well, you go to the store, pick it out, pay for it, and then come home and play with it. Right? Yes, but there are some things to think about, too. Are you getting the best prices? Is the clay good quality and how can you tell? Is it better to buy online or locally? Here are my thoughts on the subject, sort of an insider’s guide for how to buy polymer clay.
Fresh Clay is So Much Nicer
It used to be that polymer clay had an indefinite shelf life. But around 2008, the formulation of many clay brands changed to exclude phthalate plasticizers. And it seems that whatever they’re using nowadays doesn’t give polymer clay quite the shelf life that it used to have. I’ve had some brands and some colors tend to get old and crumbly with time (while others are just fine). I therefore find that it’s important to buy clay that’s reasonably fresh and try to use it within a year or so from the time you buy it.
Polymer clay doesn’t come with an expiration date on it, so many retailers don’t realize that freshness matters. Especially if sales of polymer clay are low in your area, a local store might have clay on its shelves that’s been there for years. How can you know if the clay is too old? The easy way is to give it a squeeze. If the edges of the block don’t mush down with your knuckle, then don’t buy it. It’s too hard and will just drive you nuts to try to soften it.
You can also check the date code
Yes, some brands have a manufacturing date code that gives you a great clue into how old the clay is. Polyform brands of clay (all the Sculpey varieties) have a manufacturing date code on the package. It is stamped in black numbers on the side of the package (Souffle, Premo, Sculpey III) or printed on the back of the box (Sculpey Original and Super Sculpey). It starts with the year, then the month, then date (and likely the hour). So something made today would be 20231230. See how that works?
Older Cernit clay had the manufacturing date stamped right on the back label, in standard European date format (day/month/year). Newer Cernit has a two-digit year followed by (presumably) a batch code on lower left corner of the back of the pack.
There is a code stamped on the front of Kato blocks, but if it’s a date it’s in some sort of code that I can’t figure out. (Let me know if you know the secret code).
If You Buy Crumbly Clay
Sometimes you get home and start working with your clay and it’s unworkable. What can you do? First off, some clays are just more crumbly than others and do take a bit of effort to get conditioned. But you should be able to make the crumbs stick to each other. If you take a marble sized ball of crumbs and can’t make them adhere to each other within a few minutes of working with them, then the clay isn’t worth your time. It’s too old. You should take it back to the retailer and find another, more reliable, source of clay.
On the other hand, sometimes clay is only just a bit too hard and while it sticks together, the seams aren’t smoothing out. The solution is to add a bit of clay softener, liquid clay, or even baby oil soften the mass of clay. It’s a big subject and there are lots of ways to do this, so if you want to learn more then check out my article on softening hard polymer clay.
Getting a Good Price When you Buy Polymer Clay
I would love to have enough money that price never mattered. But it does matter. And since we would love to be able to afford more clay (and have more time to play with it), finding the best prices for polymer clay is a must. Here are some ways to find better prices when you buy polymer clay.
Cheap Clay
I want to say a word here about buying cheap clay. Don’t. There’s no reason that you have to resort to buying store brands of clay. Michaels has Craftsmart and HobbyCraft has ShapeIt! Both are somewhat cheaper, but the quality is just not there. (And some people assume that Sculpey III is cheaper, but it’s not.) This is a false economy. Not only do you waste money on clay that breaks and you won’t use, but you can almost always find better quality brands of clay for those same low prices. The same goes for the cheap deals on multi-pack clay you might find on Ebay or Amazon. You will just be frustrated and your money will be wasted. There is also the issue that generic clay is often manufactured in countries where there aren’t regulations about the toxicity of the materials used. Lead and cadmium are cheap stabilizers and there’s no guarantee they’re not being used in this clay, and phthalates may very well be used as the plasticizer. Name-brand clay is certified to be non-toxic. Don’t run the risk of using clay that has a questionable origin.
Coupons
If you’re shopping locally, the major craft stores often have coupons and sales that really help to bring down the price you’ll pay for your clay. Subscribe to the mailing lists of your local Michaels, HobbyLobby, DeSerres, or HobbyCraft. This way you can get advance warning of the sales and there are often coupons. I never, ever go to these craft stores without printing off a coupon first. I really don’t know if the craft stores outside the US have sales and coupons like we do here, but it’s certainly worth asking or looking on their website. Store loyalty clubs often have great offers as well.
Buy Online
The large chain craft stores sell their polymer clay at full retail price. For instance, a bar of Premo at my local Michaels is $2.97. But when purchased online, I know of many suppliers who sell this same clay at a lower price all the time. I even know of suppliers who sell Premo at $1.49 per block. Yes, sometimes you have to pay shipping. But if you join a supplier’s mailing list, you’ll be sure to know when they’re running free shipping offers.
A word about shipping. Postage is expensive. And international postage from the US is downright outrageous. There is nothing that the online sellers can do about it as these costs are set by the USPS. If anyone is offering free shipping, they are absorbing the cost. So while you do need to consider the cost of postage in your purchase, please don’t be angry with the sellers who are trying desperately to find the cheapest way to get your purchase to you!
Bulk Buying
Sometimes you can get together with other clayers to place a large order to take advantage of free shipping offers or special discounts. This is especially helpful if you have to order from another country. Shipping charges are often much less painful when they’re spread among several friends. One popularly suggested retailer, Munro Crafts, offers a 50% discount (on applicable items) for orders over $200. That sounds great, but be aware that their discount is off of retail prices. Unless you’re hitting that $200 point, the price per bar is still well above other online companies. For instance their price of a bar of Premo is $2.97. You would need to order 67 bars to get the price down to $1.49 and you’d still have to pay for shipping. Nothing wrong with that, but do be aware and be a wise shopper.
Should you Buy Polymer Clay Locally or Online?
I notice a tendency for people to assume that everyone else can easily buy clay where they live. It’s actually not true for most of us. It’s fairly easy to buy Fimo if you live in Europe or Premo if you live in the US. But if you want one of the more unusual brands, you’ll have to order online. I buy most of my clay online because I get a better selection, I can shop for a better price, and I can also pick up really wonderful supplies with the same order. Luckily, buying online is quite easy in this modern day of internet and international commerce.
I like to order from sites like Joann.com and DickBlick.com (online, not the stores) when they have special offers and free (or low cost) shipping. They have a large turnover and their clay is always soft and nice. Shipping does tend to take a long time from Joann.com, however.
Buying Polymer Clay from Marketplaces
I know that a lot of people like to order from Ebay. Please know that Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy are just marketplaces and there are many different sellers who sell through them. There’s nothing wrong with them necessarily, but know that all sellers are not equal! You could be buying old stock from someone who has bought out a local craft store. Or perhaps they’re reselling clay they bought online much cheaper. “Buyer Beware” is the mantra here. If you’re buying from Amazon or especially Ebay, do some research on the individual seller. Do they have a website and Facebook page? Are they an established seller with lots of good reviews? If you do choose to shop on one of these marketplaces, do try to find a seller with an established reputation. Buy from a reputable seller, not just “Ebay”.
Buying Polymer Clay from Small Businesses
But I also have a fondness in my heart for the many small businesses around the world who make it their job to supply polymer clay and supplies to you and me. Most of them are very small and the owner is the one doing all the work. These suppliers are very good to know because they will often be able to help with special requests (if they’re not too busy!) and they have hand-picked a range of supplies that’s very different from what you can find in the bigger shops. Many are polymer clay specific in their focus, offering classes, claydays, and gallery space. These retailers are the overworked gems of our community.
My Favorite Small Polymer Clay Suppliers
Here are some really great retailers that you need to get to know. Either I’ve ordered from them myself or have had personal interaction with them where they’ve shown their dedication and willingness to help. These are not the big corporate faces. These business owners are the tried and true heroes. Get on their mailing lists. Communicate with them, tell them when you’ve had great service. Tell others. Leave good reviews. Share them on social media. They depend on you to keep them going. And we do need to keep them in business. They bring us new products, unusual colors and brands, deal with import fees and middle-men, and give us a one-stop shop where we can buy lots of our favorite polymer clay supplies. Here they are by country. I’ll also give an idea of the brands of clay they carry, too.
US
- Poly Clay Play – Trish Hodgens – Premo and Sculpey, Pardo, Cernit, Viva Decor supplies, Ranger, (everything, really)
- Munro Crafts – Most clay brands, full retail prices unless you buy in bulk, but then it’s super cheap. Lots of supplies, too.
- Clay Factory – Fimo, Cernit, Pearl-Ex, some supplies
- Polymer Clay Superstore
- Sculpey Products
- Blueberry Beads – Sculpey, Cernit, Pardo, Fimo, and Kato
Canada
- Shades of Clay – Wendy Orlowski – Premo, Sculpey, Cernit, CaBezels and lots of supplies
- Polymer Clay Canada – Marie Redmond – Premo, Sculpey, Souffle, Sculpey Tools
UK
- Clayaround – Penny Vingoe – Premo, Cernit Kato, Fimo, Pardo, and a phenomenal selection of supplies
- The Clay Hub – Karen Walker – Cernit products
- Craft Cellar – Natalie Fowler – Fimo and Sculpey products, plus tools
Scandinavia
- Hobbyrian – Karolina Söderberg – Premo, Fimo, Cernit, a full range of tools, finishes, custom cutters, silkscreens and texture, and much more
France
- Poly Studio – Valérie Ronvel-Blaya (Veesuel) – Fimo, Sculpey, Cernit, Pardo, Kato, full range of tools, supplies, and fun stuff
Australia
- 2Wards Polymer Clay – Suzanne Ward – Kato, Kato tools, Pardo, Cernit, Lucy Tools, NeverKnead, supplies
- The Whimsical Bead – Dani Rapinett – Premo, Sculpey, jewelry supplies, tools, magazines
Japan
- I Love Smart – Pardo, Fimo, Kato, Sculpey, supplies, books, tools, more.
I’m sure there are many more wonderful sellers. But these are the ones that I have personal experience with or have had recommendations from satisfied customers. I think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised if you choose to buy from them.
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34 thoughts on “How to Buy Polymer Clay”
This store no longer sells polymer clay.
Another vote for Over the Rainbow in Australia — helpful, fast delivery, wide range of Fimo and other brands at good prices. Clay is always fresh.
gosh, i’ve run businesses before and bought bulk and wholesale and was SOOOOO dissappointed to not find a discount house/outlet for polymer clay for those who make money off of their products! gosh darn!
i like to buy online from Joann.com it is always fresh! In store though, Joann price matches, so if you find a deal elsewhere, but Joann is close, take in the add or even just pull it up on your phone, and they match it!
Thank you, Ginger for doing a very thorough job of it, as always! For those of you who buy Polyform Clays (Premo, Sculpey III, Souffleé, etc.) in smaller quantities, http://www.polymerclaysuperstore.com is a wonderful source. They’sre right here in Pennsylvania (USA) so it makes me happy to support local. They are a pleasure to work with and their clay is always fresh. Sign up for their newsletter and you get announcements of their very frequent sales, which almost always include four 2oz. bars of Premo free with a minimum $35 order. This is generous as it offsets shipping costs. Also, each time you order, you chalk up bonus points which can be collected and then used toward a future order.
I have been dealing with Dani Rapinett of The Whimsical Bead for many years and find her one of the most helpful and obliging people on the internet. If you are an Australian clayer, I recommend Dani.
Thank you so much for mentioning the Clay Factory Ginger!
Nice post!
Always keep your clay wrapped up tight now days!
Ginger,
I have bought from both EJRBeads and Penny Vingoe at ClayAround, both are great at what they do, but EJRBeads doesn’t do Pardo and although Penny does, she can’t carry a wide range. I always get my translucent Pardo from Penny (among other things,) and the service I get is great.
BUT! If I want more colours then I can get them from Laurentz/Morgan in Germany. It did take me a couple of hours to translate the German into English until I was sure of what I was doing, as I had to do it word by word, the page didn’t have it’s own ‘translate’ function. But the items I ordered came very quickly, so all was fine.
🙂 🙂 🙂
A little bit of conflict on the advice here as it’s not easy to ensure you are buying fresh clay when buying online to get the best prices. I know you can always send back something that isn’t up to scratch but there are costs involved there too.
I buy a bit of stuff from Emma Ralph at EJR, she is very helpful and generous with her advice.
Not so much a conflict, as a case of knowing your supplier and going with ones you can trust. Hence the bit about not buying from unknowns on Ebay. A good supplier has a fast turnover and will ensure that you have a good experience. Sometimes you might get older clay, yes, especially for brands (like Pardo) that have to be imported in huge lots. But again, having a relationship with your seller is important. There are some glaring omissions in my list of good suppliers here…one notable supplier has been exceedingly rude to customers who call about stiff clay…and that is why I don’t recommend them. Emma is a gem…I’ve known her for years and years. You’re spoiled for choice over there across the pond. So many good suppliers!
Thank you so much! I have a lot of the old Premo! colors and kept them squirreled away until my elbow healed from breakage and implant. Since I now have much less strength (a drawback, and a permanent one), I can toss the worst and use the lovely color mixing charts Polyform is creating to compensate for the need to change my color strategies. Good to know! It’s easy to get too focused on the obvious thrift — which isn’t really such a moneysaver if the results don’t provide the quality needed to produce strong pieces.
I grew up with extremely frugal parents and have been frugal all my life. It kills me to spend more than I need to. But I’ve learned that sometimes there are other factors besides the lowest prices. And money is never saved if you have to throw out things. It’s like buying meat on sale…it’s a great deal, but not if it gets all freezer burned because you get sick of eating pork chops. Ya know? I think clay’s like that too.
Ginger and Jan: I always judge by my work. Is the skill, work and time I invest in a piece of art worth the risk of buying a cheaper material just to save a few cents? A friend of mine is known to quote: “The high cost of cheap.” I may not be able to afford the very best materials, but I buy the best I can afford at the time. Money comes and goes…hopefully, our art doesn’t go that quickly. We all want to be the best we can be out there, and that includes materials. You and your art are both worth it!
Yes, I’m very familiar with them. They do have great products and I know they’re a favorite of many.
Great info as always Ginger. The number/letter code stamped on the Kato packages is the batch number (kind of like the dye lot numbers on yarn). I don’t know if the date is in the batch number or not, but Tony Aquino from Van Aken International could tell you. .
I need to contact them and pick their brains, it sounds like.
Thanks for the great insight. This might drastically change my clay-buying strategies. I played with clay a lot, but laid off for the past 8 years when my grandchildren were little. I was able to recondition most of the clay from 2008! My clay buying strategy has been to buy a bunch so I have whatever I need when the mood hits me. Also my favorite clay to work with was 2 year old fimo soft. New clay is too soft! I bought a bunch this month to start aging it. Now I mght have to use it all this year! I love the way you explain the science in clay.
I used to do that, too. But I ended up with a whole lot of dried out and crumbly Premo White Trans when I did that. So now, even though I have to pay for shipping more often, it works out better because I waste less. Not to mention, I swear less.
Thanks for the great and informative post Ginger. I’m in the U.S. and have been buying my Premo clay from sculpeyproducts(dot)com. The prices are great and the clay is always fresh and delivered very quickly.
So good to hear they give great service in addition to their great prices. I’m glad to have another supplier to explore. Thanks!
Having been in Germany for over 5 years now, I’ve done lots of research on buying clay, and would like to add that all my experiences with Marwel (Martina Weller) [at http://www.polymerclay.de/ online] have been delightful. She carries the Sculpey clays, Kato, Fimo and Pardo – plus lots of other goodies. Before I discovered her, I had to cart the clays back on the plane from the USA, and it’s hard to stay stocked that way!
Oh good! More sources to check out! Thanks!! Yes, bringing the clay in the luggage gets old. It’s easy to get over the weight limit if you’re not careful, too.
Thanks for sharing. Have to check the dates on my clay. I haver very old opened Fimo lying around I need to check, a lot of it is very crumbly. I am in the UK and buy my Premo mostly from Craftcellar as they have the best price and great service. Veryan is nice to deal with.
Here’s the website:www.craftcellar.co.uk
I also buy from Emma and Penny as they sell different clays and tools.
Excellent, more suppliers to check out. Thank you! I’m partial to Emma and Penny because I know them so well. Maybe I’ll get to know the others as well.
Muchas gracias por la información de la fecha, no lo sabía y es un dato importante a la hora de comprar. En mi blog, tengo tiendas en España con ofertas de polymer clay interesantes. Como siempre sus entradas son “importantes”, gracias por su tiempo y ayuda. Saludos cordiales.
Gracias María. Me alegro de que haya encontrado útil la información.
Thank you Ginger! Useful & interesting as ever!
I confirm that even here in Italy on every clay brand by Poliform (Premo!, Sculpey III and Soufflé) there is manifacturing code stamped on…wow!
I never paid much attention on that…so I discovered I have very old Sculpey III and Premo! new packs (made on 2010 but bought last year! This clay is really hard…I am not brave enough to open and condition them!)
Unfortunately no code on Fimo or Cernit packs…in particular I noticed that my Cernit packs are re-labelled, and I am not able to remove the first to check if there are more information stamped on the older…
Here in Italy I usually buy online my clay because it is really difficult to find fresh clay, my preferred shops are:
1) http://www.bestclay.it/ – the cheapest for Fimo, Sculpey and Cernit (but not all colors are always in stock) and many clay tools. Now there is interesting discount on Fimo Classic pack ($1,75 – 2oz) and the clay is always very fresh!
2) http://www.perlesandco.com/ – Fimo, Sculpey and Cernit, but you can find EVERYTHING you need for EVERY project (from beads to resin, from jewelry findings to fabrics, pigments, tools…even rare, for us, epoxy clay!) very well stocked online shop but not cheap…and yes, here the clay is always fresh!
Thanks for the info about the date codes. I did change that about the Cernit…it seems they’ve removed the date code. They do have an odd sort of two-part label on the back of the package.
Thanks for the Italian sources. I’ll make a note to check them out. I’ve tried to search for local suppliers, but Google knows I’m in the US and they give localized results.
Always helpful information, Ginger. Thank you!
Thanks!
I am in Australia and I have found Heather from Over the Rainbow in Melbourne to be very helpful and her stock is always fresh and competitively priced. She also carries a great selection of other jewellery making needs.
Cheers
Lynn
Thanks, Lynn.
I agree with Lyn! I have dealt with Over The Rainbow, (they are situated at Seaford Victoria) and they have a good range of PC of very reasonable price and also the jewellery findings etc.!
Di H.
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