By making one large purchase, you are more likely to achieve a discount than if you make several purchases from multiple locations. Most equipment manufacturers will recommend paper weights. Before making a large purchase, test a ream on your own machines. Put price differences into perspective. By planning ahead and understanding more about the printing process, you can reduce costs associated with buying recycled papers for use in your print projects.
Most converters stock only what customers typically demand, and turn over their inventory quickly.
This doesn't mean you have your full concept or design ready, just your paper ordered. The paper used is less than one-third the cost of a finished printing product, so the difference in cost for a finished product using recycled paper is much smaller than the difference in cost for just buying that paper alone. Take the long view. Paper markets are cyclical and highly dynamic. Experienced paper buyers recognize that prices will continue to vacillate.