JoeyG

Heya Scented... thank you kindly for the welcome. And yes, it actually is fun making molds. After spending years trying to find fully 3D silicone molds without any luck, we finally decided to try it ourselves. We now make them both for ourselves, and for sale. We've also created a modular process for making the molds that will allow us to insert what we call 'multipliers' between the end caps of the mold. This increases the number of cavities by the original number. So say you wanted a 4 cavity taper mold. With 1 multiplier it would become an 8 cavity mold... with 2 multipliers a 12 cavity mold... and so on.

You can also add a pic of your product/s on the back. I believe we used Vista Print to have ours done like that. Doesn't cost much more, and most people we have given them to usually flash us a little smile and a "hey, that's kinda neat". Regardless though, it gets a pic of your product out there, and that's never a bad thing.

Sounds like you're already doing great on your costs... and even better yet if you're going to be able to buy by the skid. You must be selling a ton of candles... congrats! Good luck as you move forward, and continued success.

My experience has been that it depends on who the wholesale customer is. Walmart may be happy only bumping the price by 5%, while C-Stores tend to want in the 30%-40% range return on their investment. Have you tested price points for your candles yet? You're thinking they'll sell for roughly $20, but what if they only sell for $8? Have you tried selling them for more? Most of these wholesale accounts are going to want to know, not think, how much they'll retail for. But there are exceptions and it also depends on what your goal is. Are you wanting a bunch of wholesale accounts, or trying to get one or two major accounts and manufacture solely for them? If it's the latter, there are things you can do to improve your chances. Negotiate deals with regional and national distributors to try and piggy-back off their distribution routes to try and get your product introduced into their stores. You can also do private label spec candles. Many companies call on their clients and like to leave little gifts behind for them. Candles make great gifts. We did this with one of the companies who actually supplied product to us. Their product had 10 different flavors, so we made candles with scents that mirrored their flavors. If you give it some thought you may realize that you already know companies that you can tailor make your candles for. My perspective for selling products is always this. What makes mine better... or what problem does it solve for the buyer? If I can't answer either of those questions satisfactorily, then I don't sell that product.

One thing to consider... if their candles take off, you could turn the tables on them and change your candle labels to look like theirs. Just put a nut in the squirrel's hands, or something minor like that. See how they like it.

Trappeur, I believe you are correct in feeling like they should have asked before they made the assumption that you would be okay with everything they did. We are FBA Amazon sellers, and we sometimes private label products. We ALWAYS ask permission from the manufacturer, and have them provide us with their requirements for allowing us to slap our name on the item. Generally there is no issue, because the manufacturer simply wants to sell more of their product. In your case, it seems like the buyer is trying to remove any trace of your existence. And from what Candybee posted, it would appear that they can merely state that they are the *Distributor*, and that's why their name and info is on the candle. If they are going to be regular customers you may want to discuss your concerns with them. And it sounds like they are new, so they may not know the proper way to re-brand. And if that's the case, you would actually be helping them by pointing out the things they are doing that are a little sketchy.

Yeah... gotta admit, I don't miss the traffic at ALL. We were on Beaver Ruin Road... right down the road a piece from Jimmy Carter.

Well... you show me how to burn some soap, and I'll show you how to torch a candle... LOL Pleasure to meet you

Thank you all so much for the kind welcome! And looks like a couple from Georgia. My son and I lived in Norcross for about 5 years... still miss it.

Happy I found this forum. There seem to be lots of forums dedicated to soap makers, but not too many for candle making. What's your name? Joey How old are you? 61 Where do you live? Southern Illinois How long have you been making candles/soap/whatever? Off and on since around 2013 If candle/Soap making isn't your primary job, what do you do? My son and I create Silicone Molds for Candles, Soaps, etc.