# How to buy Acorn Plastic Fundation



## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I've heard a lot of positive comments about Acorn's foundation, so I wrote them a note a while back using the Contact page on their website. This was several weeks ago with no response. I had some basic questions, like what's the minimum order, what's the difference between heavy or extra heavy wax coating, etc. I'm interested in the snap-in plastic foundation and hoping it will fit into Mann Lake frames without issue. 

Is ordering by phone call only? Any issues dealing with the company?


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

Call Nick and talk to him.


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## Branman (Aug 20, 2003)

Ohiobeeboxcompany.com


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## liljake83 (Jul 2, 2013)

Call Nick great guy great product you will not be dissapointed


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## Charlestonbee (Mar 26, 2015)

I'm not sure what the minimum order is. I do know I spoke w nick and was looking to order like 500 sheets and he directed me to his retailers. I believe he only wants to ship pallets. I ended up going w ohiobeebox and it was free shipping. I also wanted to add that I just placed this order and Justin from ohiobeebox explained that nick was away for a week or two w family.


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## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

Yes, they fit in ML frames well. If I remember correctly, the extra heavy was called triple coated. The shipping made a big difference in unit cost at the 400 count level.

i need to get some more ordered. Nick was in Galveston, but I barely got to talk to him because he was surrounded constantly.


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## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

I'm pretty sure he's just been busy. It's the time of year everyone need what he's selling and he has the good stuff. I just spoke to him and placed an order for 100 double waxed deep foundation sheets. He After getting shallow double waxed foundation from him last year I'm sold. 

Keep trying. You'll be glad you did.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

I started using it last year. I won't go back to Ritecell. It is much more readily accepted than Ritecell. I only did this in one box but I mixed it in a box with wax foundation and they started on the Acorn first. That's not much of a test but I was surprised.

Mine is not the heaviest wax coating and I wouldn't pay more for the heavier coating. The wax is thick like it is. I think they have 3 levels of wax coating, but I could be wrong. If there is 3, then I have the middle one. The wax is very visible on the foundation. It's also a smaller cell size the Ritecell. I don't buy into the small cell mite stuff but smaller cells mean more bee brood per frame. 

I buy mine from Foxhound Bee Company in Birmingham, AL. The guy that owns it is a real nice guy and works out of his garage. I'm pretty certain he's a BS member.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

beesohappy said:


> I'm pretty sure he's just been busy. It's the time of year everyone need what he's selling and he has the good stuff. I just spoke to him and placed an order for 100 double waxed deep foundation sheets. He After getting shallow double waxed foundation from him last year I'm sold.
> 
> Keep trying. You'll be glad you did.



Do you recall the price per sheet (excluding shipping) at the 100 sheet level?


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Brad Bee said:


> I started using it last year. I won't go back to Ritecell. It is much more readily accepted than Ritecell. I only did this in one box but I mixed it in a box with wax foundation and they started on the Acorn first. That's not much of a test but I was surprised.
> 
> Mine is not the heaviest wax coating and I wouldn't pay more for the heavier coating. The wax is thick like it is. I think they have 3 levels of wax coating, but I could be wrong. If there is 3, then I have the middle one. The wax is very visible on the foundation. It's also a smaller cell size the Ritecell. I don't buy into the small cell mite stuff but smaller cells mean more bee brood per frame.
> 
> I buy mine from Foxhound Bee Company in Birmingham, AL. The guy that owns it is a real nice guy and works out of his garage. I'm pretty certain he's a BS member.



That's good information. I was curious if the heaviest coating was worth it. From your description it doesn't seem to be needed. My bees seem to really prefer the cell size on the Mann Lake PF frames, but I absolutely hate the all plastic frames, so the Acorn may be a nice addition.


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## johnbeejohn (Jun 30, 2013)

Ive talkked to nick you definetly are not going to buy 100 framrs from him prices are good if you get bulk 
They sell a high quality product at good prices would recomend them to all


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

I just checked the vendor mentioned in post #3, price there is $120 for standard and $130 for heavy wax coating for med foundation. Mann Lake ritecell is something like $89 for a box of 100. That leaves quite a lot on the table for a little wax.
Johno


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

I just checked the vendor mentioned in post #3, price there is $120 for standard and $130 for heavy wax coating for med foundation. Mann Lake ritecell is something like $89 for a box of 100. That leaves quite a lot on the table for a little wax.
Johno


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

johno said:


> That leaves quite a lot on the table for a little wax.
> Johno


I agree, however, time required to manually add wax to ritecell is a problem for me. There are lots of bee-related tasks and sometimes I need to pick and choose which ones I DIY. Also, from what I understand, the cell size is smaller on Acorn foundation. I don't subscribe to the stated varroa advantages attributed to cell size, but my bees definitely seem to prefer the smaller "PF" cell size.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

With the price I got on my foundation, it was either 20 or 25 cents per frame more than Ritecell. After storing a partial box of Ritecell for a year it didn't smell like beeswax and the bees didn't want to use it. To get it used I started adding wax to those frames. They jumped right on them after that. After using the Acorn and seeing how well they draw it out it's worth 25 cents per sheet more to me so I don't have to add wax. If it's not worth it to you, don't buy it. That's why there's more than one product on the market. Pretty simple.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

AstroBee said:


> Do you recall the price per sheet (excluding shipping) at the 100 sheet level?


$1.02 + shipping, mediums are $0.75.
I bought 500 sheets last year. Probably closer to 1000 this year as quite a few people locally want to try it as well. You can't beat it.

AB-F6BW-22G 6" Foundation Waxed Black HEAVY $ 0.750 
AB-F9BW-32GR 9" Foundation Waxed Black HEAVY $ 1.020 

Shipping adds about 15c per sheet for me, $100 shipping for 700 sheets (400 deep 300 med).

Email Nick he'll get you a quote ([email protected]). If you can get it shipped to a business address you should. It saves about $30. They also sold unassembled boxes as of last year, pricing was pretty good. I didn't need any at the time so I didn't pull the trigger. But they can combine the shipment between boxes and foundation and get good rates. If you sell wax and also coat your own frames in wax you can crank out the numbers, but I was paying more for RiteCell + 8#/100 sheets recoating it. Not to mention my TIME. It's actually better cost-wise and time-wise for me to go with the Acorn.


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## SS Auck (May 8, 2015)

i just purchased from nick. I emailed him for a quote then called him to order. This is the prices he sent. He was a super guy to work with. I got them in 4 business days. They are in CA and i'm in MO. oh these are Deep foundations too. 

We sell in boxes of 100

Standard waxed $.80 per sheet
Heavy waxed $1.00 per sheet

UPS freight per box $45.00


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Good intel guys! Very much appreciated.


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## DerTiefster (Oct 27, 2016)

General comments on purchasing: I spoke often with the purchasing agent at the small company at which I held my first job, asking questions I found interesting about Low Bidder and the associated issues. His comment to me, as I summarize it: -- It is not wise always to take the lowest bid. You want to maintain relationships with more than one vendor. If you squeeze his profit margin tightly, the vendor may not be there next year, at which time you are reminded that developing new vendors also costs time and money.

I take this to heart, and try not to sweep the last nickel from the table into my pocket. That's not my preferred operating mode anyway, and also I'm not good at it. It is good for me to support smaller, local vendors, who are able to provide more than just this material, now, at absolute minimum price. Their existence makes available to me experimental purchases, smaller than the producer wishes to support. (Per-transaction overhead can be burdensome.) My two purchases of Acorn 3x waxed foundation were at prices acceptable to me, with net cost only some tens of $ above those mentioned above, if at all. My orders are for hundreds, rather than multiple thousands of pieces. YMMV.

I'm told, and believe, that the consequences for a producer underselling his distribution partners should not be ignored. I think it is for this reason that I do not normally see such a thing. It appears to me that this is what I've been reading about. It's interesting, and I wonder what rearrangements may be blowing in the wind.


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