Calliope Designs offers wholesale pricing on our uniquely designed and individually made polymer clay (or claydough) Christmas ornaments, which all can be personalized. Following is a list of the questions we hear most frequently about our wholesale program.

What is the minimum order to qualify for wholesale pricing?  And, how much do the ornaments cost?

The minimum order for Calliope Designs is $150.00.  The ornaments cost $3.25 each and must be ordered in quantities of 6 or more of each style.

If I place an order how long will it take to send it out?

Orders placed are usually shipped out the following working day.  This gives us time to set up your account and carefully assemble the order to be shipped.

How are orders shipped?

We customarily use United Parcel Service Ground to ship our orders.  If a customer wishes we will send it 3 Day Air, 2 Day Air, or even 1 Day Air.

If you wish your orders can be shipped using Federal Express or the United States Postal Service.

How many days will it take to get to me?

That depends on where you are located.  We are in California about 50 miles north of San Francisco, so the longest shipping time is to the East Coast which takes about 5-6 working days.

What are the terms of sale?

All sales are either C.O.D. Cashier’s Check, VISA, MasterCard, or American Express. Credit or open account terms may be established by submitting a credit application and waiting for approval.  That process takes approximately 4-6 weeks, holding up your shipments.  We have found most of our new accounts prefer to use their credit cards to expedite shipment.

What is the requirement for reorders?

We will fill reorders for any amount of product with the one requirement of 6 pieces of  any one style. 

Does Calliope Designs have enough inventory to fill my orders during the rush season?

We have filled our warehouse with inventory so that we can fill all orders during the months of October, November and December.  We know it’s important to you to have the product you need to meet your sales goals and it has always been our philosophy to have more than enough inventory on hand.

Do you take back unsold inventory after Christmas?

No, we don’t take back unsold merchandise after Christmas.  We suggest you have an after Christmas sale to get your inventory down to the lowest possible level. 

What if some ornaments arrive broken or defective?

We stand behind all of our products and if something is defective we will accept it in return and exchange for perfect merchandise.  We check all ornaments before they are shipped and try to send only the best, but occasionally something might happen.  Also, sometimes an ornament may be broken in shipment.  We don’t expect you to pay for this, but we ask that you contact us within 10 days of receiving it, and report the damage of defectives to us so that we may  together decide upon a course of action. 

Important FAQs about selling Calliope Designs ornaments to the retail customer

What is personalizing?  Why is it so good?

Personalizing means putting a name(s), date (year), or phrase (Christmas Greeting) on an ornament to the buyer’s specification.  This is done while the customer waits and tells you what to write and how to spell the names they want inscribed on the ornament.

Personalizing ornaments create more sales and add value to a customer’s purchase. When asked “How much do these cost?”  we usually reply, “They cost $12.99 and that includes the personalization.” 

Personalizing ornaments makes them look really really cute.  Customers just love them when they are done to order, and feel like they have created a special gift or family treasure.  Personalizing an ornament usually turns a one ornament sale into a multiple ornament sale.   

What kind of pens do you use?

We use black Zebra pens to personalize the claydough ornaments.  Other pens work too, but we like the permanent nature of the Zebra ink, and we like that these pens have two points, one large and one fine.  The different size points give some flexibility in design of the personalization on different styles of ornaments.

Where do I get these pens?

We include two free pens with your first order. 

Do you have any tips on successful personalization?

Yes, we also provide you with a free Personalization Handbook that tells you why, how, and where to personalize.  And it tells you what to do if you make a mistake.  (Hint:  Nail Polish Remover is what we use to clean the claydough ornaments.  Sometimes an eraser works too.)

What is the recommended retail price?

We recommend marking up the wholesale price 3-4 times to retail.  Most retailers sell our ornaments for $9.99 to $12.99 depending on the number of characters there are to personalize, or on the size of the ornament.

Do they come in boxes?

No, we do not provide boxes with the ornaments.  Customers really like to pick these ornaments up and hold them and see how heavy they are.  We recommend you have some small bags and perhaps some colored tissue paper.

How do you recommend displaying the ornaments?

Most of our customers have a grid display of some type, or a slat wall display.  Both can accommodate 6” to 9” hooks, which will hold about 6 ornaments deep.  This looks really nice.  You can arrange the ornaments by style or by concept (baby ornaments, dog ornaments, family ornaments, etc.) and customers can easily see what a great selection you have.  We feel they sell better this way than on a Christmas tree.

And most people take a few of their ornaments and personalize them and put them on display in a prominent place.  Some people don’t really understand what personalization is, so it’s good to give them the idea to get their creativity going.

What about inventory at the end of the holiday season? 

We are unable to accept returns of unsold merchandise after Christmas and suggest you have an after Christmas sale to reduce your inventory to the lowest level. 

If you have more questions, please feel free to call Stephanie Eddy at 800 700 7178, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.  She will be happy to discuss your questions.