Wholesale Merchants' FAQ
Wholesale Merchants' FAQ
Everything a wholesale merchant asks about Indonesian oud — in one place. We gathered the most frequent questions of merchants and distributors across every topic, answered them honestly, then directed you to the page that explains each topic in depth.
This page is a quick guide for the merchant: a reference gateway that gathers the questions we repeatedly hear from merchants, distributors, and perfume houses before they begin supply. At Oud Treasure we work directly with oud harvesters and producers in the Indonesian archipelago, and we supply the Gulf market with oud we know where it came from and how it was graded. We arranged the questions into nine categories; each answer summarizes the answer briefly then directs you to the page that details it. When the answer depends on the details of your order — such as the price, quantity, or delivery duration — we direct you to a quote rather than a generic figure that may mislead.
How do you use this guide? Each category below has a set of short questions with direct answers, and at the end of each answer a "more" link takes you to the page that explains the topic in depth. Begin with the category closest to your need, or navigate directly between the categories from the following buttons:
Ordering & Quantities
Questions about how to begin the order, the minimum, the available quantity tiers, and how to compose an order that suits your market.
The minimum depends on the origin, grade, and form you request, because the available quantities differ from one item to another; what is abundantly available in a daily grade may be rare in a higher grade or a limited origin. And because we prefer clarity over a generic figure that may mislead, we invite you to specify your need in a quote request, so we answer you with what concerns your order specifically rather than a generalization that does not apply to every item. Request a quote →
The store provides graduated buying tiers that help you evaluate then expand step by step: the sample to evaluate the item before committing, then the single kilogram for small orders, then five kilograms for medium orders. As for full wholesale (ten kilograms and above), it is priced individually according to the size of your order and its specifications, because the cost per kilogram decreases with quantity. Wholesale from the source →
The best start is to acquaint us with your need: the origin, the grade, the form, the approximate quantity, and the market you target. The clearer the picture, the more precise our offer. After that you evaluate a sample before committing to a large quantity, so you receive a clear quote showing the origin, grade, quantity, and price, then we prepare the shipment and ship it to your warehouse with its documentation. A short path that begins with a conversation and ends with a documented shipment. Wholesale buying steps →
Yes, and many merchants prefer to diversify to cover different segments of their customers with a single order: a daily grade for frequent consumption, and a higher grade for occasions and gifting. Specify the items, grades, and quantities you want in the quote request, and we prepare for you an offer that combines them. And to view the range of available origins, begin from the Indonesian oud collection that gathers the archipelago's origins. Wholesale oud →
Yes, and this is a path we encourage: begin with a sample for evaluation, then with a small quantity by which you test the market turnover, then expand your order as your demand grows. Buying from the source allows scalable quantities, and regular supply is built on the rhythm of your order rather than on a huge commitment all at once before you try. The import path →
Buying directly from Indonesia shortens the chain of intermediaries, for every link in the chain adds its margin and distances you a step from the origin of the material. When you buy from the source, part of the value that used to go to intermediation is freed, and this reflects on the price and on the clarity of source and grade, and gives you a direct relationship with those who know the wood before selling it, not layers of reselling that make the oud lose its story. The direct supplier →
Pricing
How the price of oud is determined, why there is no single fixed figure, and how you get an accurate figure for your order.
There is no single fixed price for oud because it is not a uniform commodity; the price is determined by the intersection of five factors: origin, grade, quantity, form, and processing. The general rule is simple in principle: the higher the grade or the rarer the origin, the higher the price per kilogram, and the larger the quantity, the lower the cost per kilogram because it distributes the sorting and preparation expenses over a greater weight. Wholesale prices →
Because a single figure is either high for a cheap item or low for a precious item, and in both cases it misleads you. And whoever gives you a uniform figure before knowing what you want either oversimplifies more than they should or hides something. We prefer to give you an honest price for what you actually want through a quote with your order's specifications, rather than an average that applies to nothing in particular. Request a quote →
The store tiers (the sample, the kilogram, and the five kilograms) are suitable for evaluation and medium orders, and give you a clear reference that helps you form an initial expectation before you request an offer. As for full wholesale (ten kilograms and above), it is priced individually because it depends on the details of your order of origin, grade, and form, which are details not summarized by a figure displayed on a product page. The prices page →
Request a quote and specify in it the origin, grade, form, quantity, destination, and use, for the clearer your specifications, the more precise the figure we provide you with no later surprises. The reference prices displayed in the store help you form an initial expectation, but the custom offer is what gives you the real figure for your order. Request a quote →
Not necessarily. The price reflects the intersection of grade, rarity, and demand in the market, and a rare origin may rise above an aromatically better origin merely for the limitation of its production. This is why we encourage you to evaluate the sample with your senses rather than judging by price alone, and to understand the grade scale so you know what you are actually paying for. The pricing logic →
Samples
Why the sample is an essential step before any large order, and how you request it and evaluate it yourself.
Yes, and we strongly encourage them and place them at the heart of our method, not on its margin. Requesting a sample before wholesale is the sound practice that lets you evaluate the scent, grade, and sorting yourself before committing to a large quantity, and it is the step that turns trust from a written promise into an experience you test with your own hand. The sample program →
Because oud is a material evaluated by the senses before the numbers: the scent when heated, the persistence of the trace, the quality of sorting, and the match of the declared grade to what is in your hands. No written description, however precise, replaces smelling the oud and evaluating it yourself, especially when you try an origin or grade for the first time or build a new supply relationship you want to be reassured about. Why the sample →
Yes, and they suit whoever wants to compare several origins and grades at once before choosing what to supply, placing before you a spectrum you compare side by side rather than evaluating a single item in isolation. Browse the available options in the sample kits collection to choose the kit that suits your evaluation and the segment you target. Sample kits →
Evaluate the sample through successive steps: the visual inspection of the wood color and resin veins, then the weight and density, then burning on charcoal and low heating to evaluate the scent and its persistence, then noting your observations to compare them later. And remember that the piece sinking in water indicates resin density, not superiority of scent necessarily, for the sinker is not always the best in taste. The evaluation method →
Whenever you are a new merchant, or trying an origin or grade for the first time, or building a new supply relationship you want to be reassured about, or entering a new market segment, the sample is the step that protects your deal from guessing. It is a small investment that spares you a big commitment to an item you have not yet tested with your senses. The sample program →
Types & Grades
The difference between natural and enhanced, the five-grade scale, the available forms, and what is becoming available.
Natural oud has not undergone treatment, and enhanced has undergone treatment — and each has its market, price, and purpose. We declare the difference clearly and do not sell one as the other, and natural does not always mean the most suitable for every purpose; the best depends on what you want and on your target market, and what matters is that you know exactly what you are buying. Natural → Enhanced →
We follow a declared scale of five grades, from daily use up to collectors' grade, built on real criteria: resin density, scent persistence, and quality of sorting and cleanliness. We do not use baseless marketing labels like "super" and "double super" as absolute facts, because without an agreed-upon standard they mislead the buyer more than they benefit them. The history of oud grading →
Our collections graduate from the daily grade and the commercial grade to the excellent and the luxury up to collectors' grade. Choose the grade according to the segment you target in your market: the daily and commercial for frequent consumption and an affordable price, and the higher for occasions, gifting, and collectors. The scale explained →
We supply oud in its various forms according to your market's use: the flakes and wood pieces for direct burning, which are the fastest turning and most ready, the ground oud for dukhoon and manufacturing, and the distilled oud oil. Each form serves a different segment of customers, and differs in the cost of preparation and sorting, which is reflected in its price per unit. Chips → Ground →
Frankly, and because we do not sell what we do not have: the ground oud and oud oil lines are becoming available and have not yet entered the inventory. You can register your interest in them now, so we notify you when they become available, while the flakes and wood pieces are available to order immediately in various origins and grades. Oud oil →
No. The price reflects the grade, rarity, and demand in the market, not the absolute "best"; a cheaper item may be more suitable for your purpose than a more expensive one, and the price of a piece may rise for the rarity of its origin rather than its aromatic superiority. What matters is that you know exactly what you are buying and why, and that you judge with your senses, not by price alone. The price-grade paradox →
Source & Quality
Where our oud comes from, how we sort and inspect it before selling it, and what we frankly do not claim.
We deal directly with oud harvesters and producers in the Indonesian archipelago, not through layers of intermediaries, and this direct relationship is what lets us know the wood before it reaches you: from which origin it is, what its grade is, and whether it is natural or enhanced. We use the word "oud harvester" not "hunter" out of respect for a craft resting on knowledge of the tree, the resin, and the sorting. Our oud sources →
We sort the oud and inspect it before selling it through successive steps: the visual inspection of color and veins, the weight and density and sinking, the scent when heated, confirming cleanliness from filling and manipulation, then classifying the grade on our declared scale. Sorting with us excludes what does not match the grade and does not embellish what is below it to raise it above its true level. How we sort and inspect →
Frankly, we do not possess a laboratory or spectral analysis instruments, and we do not claim that nor stick on certificates we do not hold. Our reliance is on sensory inspection, accumulated experience, and transparency about source and grade, and we invite you to inspect our samples yourself rather than believing precise numbers we cannot prove. An honest promise with us is better than a shiny one. What we don't do →
We present the oud's journey from the tree in the forest, to the hand of whoever extracted it, to the sorting and preparation, to the shipping, as part of our commitment to clarity of source — without claiming an official documentation for every piece that we do not have. Transparency with us is a commitment to what we know and declare, not a badge we adorn ourselves with. From forest to customer →
We do not mix a lower grade inside a higher one to raise its appearance; sorting with us separates the grades, it does not blend them. If you want an order that combines several grades, we prepare them for you separated and clearly labeled, so you know exactly what is in each part of your order and for which segment it is suitable. Transparency about the grade is part of our sorting, not an addition to it. The sorting criteria →
Your trust is built on what you can test yourself: a direct relationship with the source, an explicit declaration of origin, grade, and processing, a sample you evaluate with your senses before committing to any quantity, and honest language that admits what we do not have before promising you what we do. We do not ask you to believe shiny promises, but to test what we say. The Indonesian supplier →
Shipping & Documentation
Shipping from the Indonesian archipelago to the Gulf, and the export and import requirements and the CITES convention.
Yes, our primary destination is the Gulf market with Saudi Arabia at the forefront. We ship from the Indonesian archipelago to your warehouse in the Gulf with shipment documentation, and we are aware of the requirements of supplying to the region. We determine the destination details and arrangements according to each order, and each Gulf country has a page explaining its market. Supplying the Gulf states →
We commit to transparency about source, type, and grade in every dealing, and we take the requirements of regulating the oud trade seriously as an authentic part of the deal, not an addition to it. As for the precise export and import procedures, they vary from one country to another and from one shipment to another, so we discuss them within the details of each order rather than generalizing them. Export documents →
Oud is a material subject to the CITES convention which regulates — does not prohibit — its trade across borders, as the oud tree species were listed in its appendices to regulate the international trade in them. We commit to documenting source and type, and we consider that a minimum, not a badge; and to understand the framework from its foundation for importers and merchants, see our dedicated guide. The CITES convention →
From the importer's side, the process begins with specifying the specifications and requesting a quote and a sample for evaluation, then agreeing on the shipping and documentation before execution. We explained the import path in detail from the buyer's angle step by step, from the first conversation until receiving the documented shipment in your warehouse. Importing oud →
Yes, each Gulf country has a page explaining its market, its taste, and the shipping arrangements to it in depth: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain, in addition to a general page about exporting from Indonesia and its logistics. Exporting from Indonesia →
Payment & Partnership
Payment arrangements, regular supply for partners, and distribution and private label — honestly and without canned terms.
We agree on the payment arrangements within each deal according to its size and the nature of the commercial relationship, and we are keen that they be clear and written before shipping to protect both parties. We prefer to discuss the details directly at the quote stage rather than publishing general terms that may not suit every order or every stage of our relationship with you. Discuss it in the quote →
Yes, we deal with merchants, distributors, and perfume houses who need a regular supply of material of known source and grade, and we value long-term relationships built on mutual trust. Regular supply arrangements are built on your need, size, and order rhythm, and the best start for them is a quote request in which we clarify what we can provide. Contact us →
Yes, and we have a dedicated page for distributors who resell oud to regional markets and need a partner who documents their shipments and provides scalable quantities as their business grows. Distribution arrangements of coverage area and size are discussed within each case, and we do not advertise general terms or ready-made exclusivities before we understand your market. For distributors →
We deal with brand owners who want a supply of material of known source and grade for their brands; and the packaging, design, and minimum arrangements are discussed within each case without ready-made promises or services we do not yet provide. We always start from clarity about what we can actually provide. Private label →
Exclusivity and geographic coverage arrangements are a matter built on the relationship, its size, and its rhythm, and we do not release them as a general promise before we understand your market and your ability to cover. We prefer to discuss this directly within a conversation about the partnership rather than announcing ready-made exclusive terms that may not suit both parties. Discuss the partnership →
By Customer Type
Each business model has a page dedicated to it with the details of its market and need — find your page and start from it.
We have a page dedicated to oud and bakhoor shops that explains the best-selling items on their shelves, the graduated stocking strategy, the distribution of items across price segments, and the margins in honest language without guaranteeing a specific profit. It is the starting point if your shop sells oud and bakhoor to the consumer directly. For oud & bakhoor shops →
Yes, and we have a page for perfume shops that sell finished products to the consumer, which differs from the page for blenders who make their compositions themselves. If you sell finished perfumes and oud products, the perfume shops page is more suitable for you, and if you compose yourself, the blenders page addresses your need. For perfume shops → For blenders →
We have a page for bakhoor and ma'moul manufacturers who use oud as a raw material in their products and need consistency in quality and clarity of source for each batch, because a change in the raw material changes their final product. The page addresses the regular supply for manufacturing and its economics. For bakhoor manufacturers →
Yes, and we have a page for online stores that addresses the supply for internet sellers and their particular challenges, without promises of services we do not yet provide such as direct shipping to the end customer or technical integration interfaces. We start from clarity about what we actually provide for the internet seller today. For online stores →
For distributors who resell as-is there is a page, and for private-label owners who supply for their brand there is another page; the two models differ fundamentally between reselling without change and supplying for your own brand with its identity and packaging. Choose the page that describes your model. For distributors → Private label →
Sustainability
Our commitments in responsible sourcing — we declare them as principles honestly, and do not claim badges we do not hold.
We commit to the principles of responsible sourcing: respect for the tree, a fair direct relationship with oud harvesters, commitment to CITES as a minimum, transparency of source and grade, and support for responsible cultivation. But we describe these as commitments we strive for, not a badge we grant ourselves, for oud is a material rare by nature and we deal with its rarity responsibly and honestly. Sustainability & responsible sourcing →
Frankly, we do not possess certificates like FSC or memberships of environmental organizations or an independent audit or carbon-neutral figures or tree-planting campaigns, and we do not claim any of them. We declare our commitments as principles we walk by, not as badges we adorn ourselves with, and we consider an honest promise better than a shiny one with no support. What we don't claim →
Choose whoever declares their source and grade clearly and does not evade the question, always ask about the origin and type, value real quality over the cheapest price, and start with a sample you test yourself before the large quantity. These are the practices of the responsible buyer that we encourage because they serve the interest of the whole market. The buyer's role →
Didn't find your answer?
We gathered here the most frequent questions, but every merchant has their own circumstances and particular order. If your question is outside the above, or you want an answer that concerns your order specifically, we are in direct contact. Tell us what you are looking for — the origin, grade, form, quantity, and destination — and we will answer you with what concerns you, or prepare for you a clear quote, or start with a sample you evaluate yourself.
And for those who want the full picture of direct supply from the source, the Indonesian oud wholesale page remains the comprehensive starting point, and the about us page explains who we are and how we work.
From the forest to your warehouse, with no intermediaries. Tell us what you are looking for and we'll prepare a clear offer — or start with a sample you evaluate yourself before the large order.