[Edited on 15-10-2008 by zed]pantone159 - 15-10-2008 at 15:23
I actually got one just by asking, with no commercial/academic address of any kind. That was 7 or so years ago, things may have changed, or I may
have been lucky.zed - 15-10-2008 at 16:00
Well, when I worked at the Uni, after they got to know me, they used to send them to me at my private PO Box.
But, after an interval of many years, the last time I called them, not from the Uni, they acted like a catalog request was an indictable crime.
This may be a regional difference (I have always lived in the West Coast "Hotzone"). It may also be due to overzealous neophytes manning the Aldrich
phones. Some folks just love the make themselves feel powerful, by making other folks jump through hoops.....And, by denying their reasonable
requests.
At any rate, this guy on E-Bay has a number of New Aldrich Catalogs for sale, at a reasonable price. I assume they were obtained via a recycling
center or some such method, and he is more or less unaffiliated with Aldrich.
For those out there that do not have, and cannot get a current catalog, this is an opportunity.Fleaker - 15-10-2008 at 16:04
I didn't know there was much interest in them? They all have nice covers, bit pretentious mind you, but still, I like Aldrich. I could probably lay my
hands on half a dozen or so ones from the last few years if anyone is interested?solo - 15-10-2008 at 16:07
.............I reside in Mexico and I get a new copy yearly of course if one claims to be a research foundation helps them justify the expense as
well as many of the other pharmaceutical and chemical supply houses, Alfa, J.T. Baker, and so on, so that may be the way to go..........soloMagpie - 15-10-2008 at 16:16
I have a 2001 Fisher catalog that has a section on chemicals. Is there a big advantage in having an Aldrich catalog? Neither one of the bastards
will sell to me.zed - 15-10-2008 at 17:04
The advantage of an Aldrich catalog, is the vast number of reagents therein. A quick check can often tell you if a reagent exists, and if it is
commercially available.
Also, in a large number of cases, of all American suppliers, Aldrich has the most reasonable prices.
Buying directly from Aldrich is a problem for many. I used to obtain my Aldrich reagents via a smaller, local company, that acted as an intermediary.
No problem.
If you really want to develop a relationship with Aldrich the behemoth, I have a suggestion.
They ARE pretentious, and they could care less about giving an account to a potential liability like you.
HOWEVER.....IF YOU SYNTHESIS SOMETHING UNUSUAL AND INTERESTING, AND YOU OFFER TO SELL THEM SOME.....YOU MAY STOP BEING A WALLFLOWER, AND SUDDENLY
BECOME A PROM QUEEN!
Aldrich takes pride in offering a wide variety of reagents for sale, but they don't personally manufacture everything they sell.
If you can figure out how to make something they want, and make some money on the deal.....You might find yourself in a very friendly relationship
with them.Sauron - 16-10-2008 at 02:55
Well, I have an account with the S-A distributor in this country and I find their prices outrageously expensive not only for chemicals but also for
even the simplest equipment.
In consequence I only buy from S-A as a last resort, and even then, if the chemical is hazmat then they try to impose absurd shipping charges that
amount to a few thousand dollars for even a small order of a single chemical worth less that $100.
That kills the deal.
But if I change the order to Fluka there's no hazmat.
Go figure.
I get better prices and better service from half a dozen suppliers than I do from Sigma-Aldrich. Acros, Panreac, Ajax, Carlo Erba, Merck, etc..
So I keep a 10 year old Aldrich catalog for reference and otherwise check online.vulture - 16-10-2008 at 09:00
Quote:
But if I change the order to Fluka there's no hazmat.
That's insane, as Fluka is now an Aldrich subsidiary.
Aldrich is certainly not cheap in Europe, but not overly expensive. They do have the advantage of being able to ship even somewhat exotic reagents
within 48 hours. Aldrich glassware is insanely expensive though, but that might have to do with their proprietary coupling system instead of using
ground glass joints.
Anyway, we always get a load of Aldrich catalogs at the lab, usually more than we need. You might ask a friend in a uni department. Acros once shipped
a catalog to my home address though without any questions.Sauron - 16-10-2008 at 09:15
Yes I know Fluka belongs to S-A. The point is, the hazmat shipping fees are a US thing, and Fluka does not fall under that jurisdiction. But shipments
coming from the US, even to abroad, are assessed the hazmat fees, and as they are based on distance, the fees to Thailand are simply deal-killers.
$2000 shipping for a $50 chemical? NOT an exxageration.
Sometimes Fluka is expensive, sometimes they are cheaper than Merck or Acros. It pays to shop around.zed - 16-10-2008 at 14:13
I sent a non-chemical item from the U.S. to Japan recently. U.S. Mail. !2inx12inx6inch Box. Flat rate Global Priority Mail, Large Box. Up to
20lbs. no zone fees. $50.00 US.
For items that qualify, that doesn't seem bad.
I've never had to pay any Hazmat fees. But, I'm quite sure it would be a deal killer for me too.
[Edited on 16-10-2008 by zed]DrP - 17-10-2008 at 05:25
I've been out of it for a while, but do Lancaster still do a catalogue? Theirs was pretty decent if I remember rightly.matei - 17-10-2008 at 11:13
Lancaster is now a part of Alfa Aesar.prof_genius - 9-6-2013 at 10:46
I have a 2001 Fisher catalog that has a section on chemicals. Is there a big advantage in having an Aldrich catalog? Neither one of the bastards
will sell to me.
Fisher always sends me catalogs, a month ago I ordered tons of catalogs and free samples to my house in the Netherlands and they sent it to me no
questions asked. Dr.Bob - 9-6-2013 at 11:08
Aldrich catalogs used to be like a chemical properties handbook, they always had MP, BP, density, etc for most of their compounds, plus some hazard
information. With the internet, they are not nearly as useful, but are still a very concise list of the top 25,000 or so chemicals used commonly.
Very few other companies have as nice a catalog, although a few are getting there (Alfa-Aeser-Lancaster for example a few years back.) I used to
have a ton of old copies, but still might be able to find one if anyone wants one and is ordering other things. The postage would be a high by
itself.
Some of the companies also had CD versions of their catalogs, which were also nice for a while, but most now are online.
amazingchemistry - 15-6-2013 at 15:00
I had the luck of being involved with the chemistry stockroom at my college, and they would get yearly Aldrich catalogs. My mentor there gave me one
as a gift some years ago, I still keep it as a reference, to look up basic chemical properties info and see if a compound is commercially available. I
had no idea they dumbed down the more recent catalogs. That's a shame. I'm sure if you ask nicely (and you have some connections) educational
institutions would have no trouble giving you a catalog (they usually have more than they know what to do with)adamsium - 15-6-2013 at 19:07
The Aldrich catalogue is available as an iPad app. It includes a number of data tables and basic data for many compounds. Aldrich also has a number of
other apps such as various calculators and, somewhat oddly, a game.ParadoxChem126 - 20-6-2013 at 18:50
Fisher always sends me catalogs, a month ago I ordered tons of catalogs and free samples to my house in the Netherlands and they sent it to me no
questions asked.
How much do they give you in the free samples?prof_genius - 21-6-2013 at 00:02
