Paper Shortage

[YourCastle]

No vendor I work with is allowing paper backorders, so I’m talking to my rep just about daily.

this for us as welllll

 

[warlegs]

The current paper shortage has become a real problem. I am wondering how the rest of you are getting along & dealing with this current situation. Are you buying direct from the mills? Any help regarding the ability to procure paper would be greatly appreciated. We are a print shop in the San Francisco Bay Area. We have some paper still, but it is hit & miss.

Thank you.

Andy

Same boat. North East small printer. It was bad back in October but now it's just ridiculous and we have orders that we can't do because there's no paper available. We have enough to get through the month or so but the paper companies inventory is bare (we check constantly) so I am a little worried about the future right now... Tried to buy from other vendors but was told nobody is taking on new customers. Hang in there.

 

[DYP]

I keep wondering if the big printers that have direct contracts with the mills are hoarding paper and that is why the paper distributer can't get paper.

 

[Shawnd]

Rolls take priority.

 

[warlegs]

I keep wondering if the big printers that have direct contracts with the mills are hoarding paper and that is why the paper distributer can't get paper.

Absolutely. I know they def. do with the paper suppliers..

 

[TJPrinter]

I keep wondering if the big printers that have direct contracts with the mills are hoarding paper and that is why the paper distributer can't get paper.

No doubt that they are hoarding paper and the mills know this. What the mills need to figure out is how much hoarding is really going on. If it’s significant then the mills could find themselves in the near future sitting on unsold paper stock for longer than they want. And this is probably why paper stocks are going to stay tight for some time, they don’t want to sit on paper.

 

[tngcas]

If the larger companies hoard enough paper then the smaller companies lose jobs to the large companies that have paper and eventually the smaller companies go out of business because they can't print the jobs because the large companies are getting all the paper.

 

[DYP]

We really didn't see these paper shortages in 2020, so it makes you wonder if the threat of socialism from the stolen election doesn't have more do with it than the Covid conspiracy.

 

[YourCastle]

If the larger companies hoard enough paper then the smaller companies lose jobs to the large companies that have paper and eventually the smaller companies go out of business because they can't print the jobs because the large companies are getting all the paper.

that's a fantastic conspiracy theory!

And probably true. you only need to Control one resource to cause competitors to collapse.

 

[Jbrujster (Mailing Guy)]

The Big Printers are hoarding paper. I am a small direct mail shop and can not get paper. I talked to someone ( a driver) that delivers for a large printer here in SW florida - he said they have a full time person that does nothing but sit in front of a computer and order paper. He was told to always order everything available. They are willing to sell me paper at a 30% markup.

 

[YourCastle]

It's frustrating to place an order with an online vendor only to have them tell you they can't fill the order. Which makes me wonder why their online store says it's in-stock?

 

[Shawnd]

I will answer this, with most vendors the stock is selling so quick the Inventory system can't keep up, or internal reps are selling to key customers and then entering later which skews everything.

Best option is to talk to your rep and see what is left for you to order or put it on back order so your order will be fulfilled when it comes in.

 

[YourCastle]

I will answer this, with most vendors the stock is selling so quick the Inventory system can't keep up, or internal reps are selling to key customers and then entering later which skews everything.

Best option is to talk to your rep and see what is left for you to order or put it on back order so your order will be fulfilled when it comes in.

I'm sure you're right.

I'm exchanging emails with the vendor. They won't backorder as they don't know when it'll be back in stock. And I guess they have no need to backorder or create a wait list since it leaves, I'm guessing, so quickly?

I asked for 12x18 80#, but they only have 13x19 at 33% more cost. I need to get PO approval to change to payment, so I asked if they have 12x18 65# in-stock for the same price as the 80#.

I don't have a guillotine, so getting 13x19 is more work

 

[warlegs]

I'm sure you're right.

I'm exchanging emails with the vendor. They won't backorder as they don't know when it'll be back in stock. And I guess they have no need to backorder or create a wait list since it leaves, I'm guessing, so quickly?

I asked for 12x18 80#, but they only have 13x19 at 33% more cost. I need to get PO approval to change to payment, so I asked if they have 12x18 65# in-stock for the same price as the 80#.

I don't have a guillotine, so getting 13x19 is more work

Yeah, it's a total shit-show. The other day we caught some stuff that supposedly was in inventory and literally checked out, done. Rep called later and said we didn't get it. Like 8 people all went for it at the same time. I bet whoever the bigger company that was in the running got it. Still, it's almost pointless.

 

[DYP]

May be that the current regime is buying up paper like they have been now caught buying up baby formula. Do we need a whistleblower too?

 

[MailGuru]

Have often thought how advantageous it would be for a lot of us to get together and form a paper-buying "co-op". If we could get the volume up, maybe we could even work a deal to buy direct from the mills. Ah, but, I'm an idealist at heart..............

 

[DYP]

One of my biggest worries is distributors failing. With distributors refusing to take on new customers we would really be screwed.