Findings can be expensive. Findings can be cheap. A particular size of finding, in the color/tone you want, may escape you. However, there are other ways to get what you need.
When I first really dug into jewelry making, there weren't a zillion choices at the crafts stores. Most still clung largely to the scrap booking segment of the market with large areas dedicated to die-cutting, paper stock, and scrap booking classes. It wasn't until about 10-12 years ago they dug deeper into jewelry. Findings, beads, classes. Initially, it seemed the quality of these items was incredible. The jump rings were sturdy and well-made, the chains, many made by the company Plaid, were flat-out gorgeous. As time has passed, these items have become more and more cheap (not price, quality). Michael's and JoAnn no longer sell anything made by Plaid with regard to jewelry which was a dark day for me. Many of my designs included those items and because I am not a large-scale seller (meaning I make all of my own items, by myself, on top of a full-time non-Etsy job), I relied heavily on local crafts stores to buy inventory as needed.
Know this: The daily items you use in your designs will change, this is not a maybe, they will change. Be prepared for this by stocking up if possible, or, finding another seller with the same/similar item that is not a big-box store (who changes inventory rather quickly by trend). I have found many substitutes on Etsy, Ebay and Amazon. If you use a particular style/size of chain or bead, take a picture on your phone and upload it to Flickr or Google Photo or whatever for easy reference when shopping (do not forget to include the measurements for the item) so that a replacement is as close as possible.
If you have an item that sells with regularity, as most of us makers would hope, buy the supplies to make this item(s) in bulk. It saves you money, which means more profit, you will have to take fewer pictures as the looks of the items won't vary, and the outcome is predictable.
Okay, off on a tangent...back on track!
This post is not about the every day, run-of-the-mill jump rings. This is about other ways of finding and using findings.
One of the best resources for 'different' findings is necklaces and/or neck chain. I can remember once being in a pinch because I needed a specific size/shape of jump ring or connector and couldn't find anything that would work in either the shape or the color metal I was using. One trip to the crafts store and boom! I found exactly what I was looking for in a pre-made neck chain, and it was on clearance!
It pays to look outside the box and it's perfectly okay to cannibalize other necklaces in order to make your own :)
Another resource is second-hand stores. Lots of old jewelry, just waiting for you, and me. Older unique beads can be found in these places along with old crafting supplies from people cleaning out their old unused stock. I have hit many jackpots in these places.
And to finish, unless I think of something else, garage/yard sales. Tons of old crafts stuff just waiting. Grandma liked to make jewelry and now she doesn't have the time or interest in it so she is getting rid of what she had. Score!
I hope this helps at least a little. Try to be creative with what you find and think of other ways to make what you need.
Oh, and as another idea you can always buy wire, any gauge and color. Learn how to use a mandrel to make jump rings. It's much easier than you would think and if you need just a few of a certain size, this is an easy and cheap alternative.
Caio!
