How to Buy Wholesale Eyeglass Frames in Quiapo
Updated 29 September 2026
A practical guide for optical shop owners buying frames in bulk: where to go, what to bring, how minimums and pricing work, and which materials sell.
Where the frame wholesalers are
Frame wholesalers cluster on P. Paterno Street in Quiapo, with TKR Optics on Sales Street one block away. Walk from Carriedo LRT station and you will pass most of them in ten minutes. The street guide has the route.
What to bring on your first visit
- Proof you are a trade buyer. A PRC licence, DTI or SEC registration, or a business permit. Wholesale-only distributors will ask.
- Your best-selling sizes. Eye size and bridge width for your top ten frames. Buying by feel is how shops end up with unsellable stock.
- A budget split by price tier. Most Filipino shops sell three tiers: budget metal and plastic, mid-range TR90 and acetate, and a small premium shelf.
Minimums and pricing
Wholesale pricing in Quiapo is per piece, and many suppliers set a minimum quantity per model, so ask before you choose. Distributors with house brands, such as TKR Optics with its Mood, Elar, Elar Blue, Milano and Asti lines, price lower than resellers because there is no middle layer. Ask for a price list rather than negotiating item by item.
Which materials to stock
| Material | Sells to | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metal (stainless, alloy) | Budget and office buyers | Lightest cost, easiest to adjust, most returns for corrosion in humid areas |
| Plastic (injection) | Students, budget | Cheapest tier, wide colour range, keep it thin on the shelf |
| TR90 | Kids, sports, active adults | Flexible and light, the fastest-growing mid-tier in provincial shops |
| Acetate | Fashion buyers | Highest margin per piece, slower turnover, buy fewer colours per model |
Buy frames and lenses from the same supplier
The shops with the best margins in Quiapo buy frames and stock lenses together. A single supplier can edge lenses into the frames before shipping, which means a provincial clinic without a lab can still deliver finished jobs. TKR Optics offers edging and buy-out services alongside its Rising Sun lens range, so a full order can be fulfilled from one counter. See the lens guide for how stock and processed lenses differ.