BIG TIP POTENTIAL - HELP ME SAVE SOME MONEY!

Hello,

I need to find the cheapest way to get approximately 1,500 square feet
of 18"x18" (18 inch by 18 inch) Saltillo tiles to my home here in Paso
Robles, California (zip = 93446).  The tiles I need are called
"Saltillo Tiles" and are terracotta tiles that are hand made in a town
(Saltillo) just southwest of Texas - in the hills of mexico.  I have
been calling all around and have found several deals, but I know there
must be a better way to get these.

Don't be afraid to get creative!  I can fly to Texas for free (airline
connections) and am willing to drive a rented truck back if this will
lower the total price considerably.

An acceptable answer will take into account all factors of cost (tile,
tax, shipping, etc.) and provide a TOTAL price for the 1,500 square
feet of tiles, with a detailed list of how to make the deal work.

Just to compare, I can buy these tiles locally for $3.25 each ($1.44
per square foot x 1,500 = $2,160) but I would prefer to spend less
than half of this if possible.

A less desirable option would be to use the standard 12" x 12" tiles,
but this could also be a possibility if the price is right.

Please also note that any kind of terracotta tile will be acceptable,
so if you find an alternate tile that is closer to me (not from
Saltillo) maybe this will work out better.

Thank you in advance and happy answering!

If you can really help me save a lot of money I will be more than
happy to share my savings with you!

Howdy zander213-ga,

If you like adventure, entrepreneurship and creativity, you could speak with
the places you have already contacted and take orders from them for tiles from
a factory in Saltillo.

You would have already contacted a Saltillo factory, such as Pisos Coloniales
de México, and set yourself up as a distributor.
http://www.pisoscoloniales.com.mx/

You then fly to Texas, rent a truck (like you outlined) bring back the orders
along with your own tiles, and who knows, maybe make a buck out of the whole
them, or at least get your tile for free, if you work it right.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

Flying to TX and hauling the tile back yourself won't work. A Uhaul
truck that would handle 6,000 lbs of tile would cost $1050 from
Laredo, TX (I used Laredo because it is a midpoint on the border) It
is 1700+ miles which at aprox 6 mpg and nearly $3 per gallon will be
at least another $800. Add in food, lodging, etc and the
transportation will be nearly what the tile will cost you locally. I
would go to the LA area where there are numerous importers. Try the
Anaheim area.

Hmmm, let's do some more (rough) numbers.

Figure that you could fit 8 pallets of tiles in a Ryder truck.

That gives us around 1900 tiles at around the 6,000 pounds mentioned.
At wholesale, these tiles should be around $1.00 each, as 12" x 12"
Saltillo tiles are $0.83 here in 2 pallet orders, and direct from
Mexico has to be less expensive.
http://www.builddirect.com/Porcelain-Tile/PSP_6933_p1.aspx

Set aside around 700 of the above 1900 tiles for the project, and you
are left with 1200 tiles.  If you could sell the remainder at $2.00
each, that is $2400 gross, less the $2000 or so for the truck, etc.
that jmanly-ga estimates, and you end up with your tile for free,
$400 in your pocket and one great story (priceless!).

Of course, you might have to talk a good yarn with the border guards,
but that is part of the fun.  You do have a large house to tile, yes?
Taking pictures and the floor plan of a really big house down with you
wouldn't hurt.

If it was 20 years ago, I would probably already be on my way!  But,
that was Juarez and a load of picture frames, so a different story
completely.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher