Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Sample acquisition via the Big Brass Pair method

Ritter - 3-8-2008 at 08:43

I used to attend the annual chemical marketing trade shows like Informex. This affair is widely attended by both buyers & sellers, especially the Indian & Chinese producers. Competition for business has become very intense. These producers want to send you samples. When they start pumping you for information, just smile. Secrecy is big in the chemical business. Just look like you are a professional & know what you're doing. Putting 'Dr.' in front of your name is a big plus to these guys.

While it might cost a bit to register, I would think that making up a company name (if you don't already have one) & getting some business cards printed up, putting on a suit & tie & hitting this & similar 'shows' with your wish list of chemicals might net you a collection of good-sized samples of products that might be otherwise unobtainable.

The next Informex will be held in San Francisco next January:
http://www.informex.com/home

Magpie - 3-8-2008 at 09:56

Ritter, I would say that your scheme would work like a charm.

When I used to attend technical conferences there would always be as many salesmen present as there would be speakers. They were only too eager to assume that you are Dr. (fill in your name).

The_Davster - 3-8-2008 at 10:02

Heh, at a conference I got a company that makes microwave chemistry products, from high end 'microwaves of science' to microwave reaction vessels to send me some free vial and stirbar samples to the university where I worked.

And it would have been a stretch for me to pull of a "Dr." as I did this as an undergrad:D.

Ritter - 3-8-2008 at 11:02

Quote:
Originally posted by Magpie
Ritter, I would say that your scheme would work like a charm.

When I used to attend technical conferences there would always be as many salesmen present as there would be speakers. They were only too eager to assume that you are Dr. (fill in your name).


Trust me, it would work. especially because of the huge increase in the Indian & Chinese producers over the past 10 years. These people are overly eager to send you samples, literature, etc. To make it even more convincing, come with a steno pad & take notes as you ask them questions about pricing, visiting their plant, etc. They will eat that stuff up. Just be cool about it & act like you do this every day of the week.

The fact that this Informex is in San Fran makes it very attractive for people on the Left Coast.

I'd start by checking out the list of companies who will have booths from that Informex web site, then check each company's web site & product list. If you have Microsoft Office, I find that Excel is a convenient way to transfer company & product info into spreadsgheet format.

[Edited on 3-8-2008 by Ritter]

Magpie - 3-8-2008 at 13:01

The only tricky part I can see is where to send the samples. I'm retired so can't send them to my business address. Even if I was still working I don't think I'd risk having them sent to my workplace. A good job and one's reputation are just too valuable to risk. Sending them to my home address would be OK but the salesmen would question this.

You would also have to deal with all the follow-up phone calls to see how the samples are proving out in your laboratory. But you could always say that changes in your business make that chemical no longer needed.

[Edited on 3-8-2008 by Magpie]

Ritter - 3-8-2008 at 13:13

Quote:
Originally posted by Magpie
The only tricky part I can see is where to send the samples. I'm retired so can't send them to my business address. Even if I was still working I don't think I'd risk having them sent to my workplace. A good job and one's reputation are just too valuable to risk. Sending them to my home address would be OK but the salesmen would question this.

You would also have to deal with all the follow-up phone calls to see how the samples are proving out in your laboratory. But you could always say that changes in your business make that chemical no longer needed.

[Edited on 3-8-2008 by Magpie]


Do what I do: rent a mailbox at a local UPS Store. That gives you a physical address so that you can receive UPS shipments. Plus it gives you a more business-like address: Omniscience Research & Development, 789 Smith St A459 as an example. There's no way to tell it's the address of a UPS Store without actually going there.

And as for your phone number, I answer during the day with my last name, so no one can tell they haven't reached your direct office line. Other times they just go into voice mail, so no difference.


[Edited on 3-8-2008 by Ritter]

evil_lurker - 3-8-2008 at 14:02

Honestly I don't think China manufacturers would give a rats ass who they are selling to as long as they think they are going to get to sell some goodies.

It'd be a great way to start up a chem distributorship, one that is against the NACD and all their bullshit rules and regulations.

Ritter - 3-8-2008 at 14:06

Quote:
Originally posted by evil_lurker
Honestly I don't think China manufacturers would give a rats ass who they are selling to as long as they think they are going to get to sell some goodies.

It'd be a great way to start up a chem distributorship, one that is against the NACD and all their bullshit rules and regulations.


Many of these companies have no U.S. representatives, so that might be an additional conversational gambit when you stop by their booths & introduce yourself.

Sauron - 4-8-2008 at 05:48

I have done some business with Chinese chemical companies, mostly specialists in amino acids, peptides, and peptide reagents. Their attitudes and policies vary widely and so do their prices. So do the virtues of their products. Sometimes they are very cheap, but you can count on having to QA everything as you won't be able to trust their own statements of purity or ee. For this purpose I equipped my lab with a polarimeter.

I bought a couple Kg of Boc2O (Boc-anhydride) from ne of these outfits, this is admittedly a low shelf life material, but what I received was very poorly repacked and turned out to be the most expensive tert-butyl alcohol I ever bought. Which is what Boc2O turns into of course.

If you stick to stable compounds, avoid hazardous materials and anything "naughty" that will make it through Customs, then this approach may have some merit.