Craftedinthewoods

Hear, Hear! Bring it all. After your first few shows you will begin to get an idea of what is the ideal number of jars to bring. Good luck at your first event! How fun!

Well, I know now that you can go to the Market Square web site to see the vendors that will attend each show. I didn't recognize any names there, but you might. I don't know that many wholesale businesses. All the vendors were very primitive. The only other candle person had grubby votives & taper candles along with tea lights. But even they seemed to have the same amount of candles in their boxes at the end of the day as when they started. What sold seems to be primitive furniture. The furniture vendors sold out.

I currently pay 20 per month too, with homestead.com. It has worked ok for me, except for the $20. A while ago a new friend offered to help me set up a site with Wordpress.org. This is a free blog site you can set up and use like a web site. My new site is begin hosted with 1 & 1 internet inc. I think it's something like $4 per month. (my new site isn't complete yet.) Now, all that being said, I needed help setting this up. So if you have a computer savy friend or understand thing yourself this may be a good option.

Just wanted to share my experience at the recent Madison Cash & Carry event. In short, I made several contacts that I hope will lead to solid accounts. But as for sales that day... it was a no go. I didn't realize the show features very primitive products and I don't really fit that venue too well. The event coordinator told me after seeing photos of my candles that they would fit. Now I know better to do my own research of what other vendors are in the show and to be more diligent about the style that is featured. But, I think I'll look for another wholesale event to try. I can say I learned a lot and hopefully will be able to apply it to the next time.

In my experience, shops and nicer gift stores do a 100% markup on wholesale prices. I have around 15 stores that order regularly (a couple are more seasonal), but none of them ever asked me to show them their possible proffit margins. Most don't even ask me what suggested reail is. They have all sold candles before and know better than I did what they could get for them from their custoemrs. But, you might need to try using a spread sheet and see if it works for you. How I approach a store owner is with a brochure, business card, wholesale price sheet, and order form along with a travel tin candle. I ask for the owner or person in charge of buying and if they are not there leave the papers and candle for them. I'll call them in a day or 2 to set up an appointment to meet. If they are there (in small shops the owner is usually the one behind the counter anyway) I'll introduce myself and explain that I make candles and if they are interested I'd love to meet with them sometime to show the candles. (this lets them know you appreciate they are busy and don't want to just pop in on them uninvited.) But after seeing my little tin (it's cute) they will usually say "do you have any sample with you?" Well yes, I do happen to have my sample boxes in the car (I always take them along when approaching stores), I go get my candles and poof, we are having a meeting. Also, don't always take no for an answer. Just a month ago I secured an account with a store who has been telling me no for 2 years. The first time she said no it was because she already had several lines of candles in her store. But I would stop in every 4 to 6 months and reintroduce myself, saying I've chatted with you before about my candles, but just wanted to check if anything has changed for you. No, no, No.... well, just 2 months ago I make my treck into her store and gave her my shpeal... well she smiled and said I needed to call her in March. Which of course I did and then she ordered over $200 in candles! Sorry I'm so long winded about this, but I feel like sharing with others who are wanting to approach their local stores & shops too. Do it... It's a fun challenge, and so worth it when you get a "yes"!

I checked my printer settings again, no transparent on mine. I've tried a couple different glossy choices (premium, ultra, plain) and I have bad luck with all. I've decided to go with a paper label because spraying my label sheets just sounds like another step and I'm doing this to cut down on my labeling time for my candles. I've been making candles with my new labels for several days now and it has really streamlined things already! I'm very pleased. I'm posting the page where I found some round hang tag things that I'm using for my candle inserts. Classiccandle, I'm checking out the link you posted too. But so far, the sheets I've started working with are easy and quick to punch out. Quicker than what I've done in the past. I like the look of the insert and having the extra space to print info. I think it will work out well. Here's the link: http://www.labelsbythesheet.com/items/hang-tags/hang-tags-for-two-sided-printing/2-diameter-round-hang-tag-sheet-micro-nikked-white-or-brown-kraft-cardstock-br-usually-ships-same-da-detail.htm (now that's a big link!) Thank you to everyone with the great input about what you do with your labels!

What company is this through? $7.00 a month and those low percentages look really good. I've been looking at propay and using my laptop at a show (and hope internet connections are possible...).

Well, I got my samples from Online Labels and right away printed some out. I used the glossy paper setting and a text setting for the ink (less ink than some of the photo options.). Well, I let the labels sit for a while - 20 minutes - and I got a huge smear on it when I ran my finger over the printing. Even hours later, it still smudged badly. So, I'm sticking with a paper label for now. Maybe my printer just won't work - or the last think I like to think about is operator error! Anyway, I'm not getting a laser printer right now, so paper it is!

That is great advice. I kind of think I'm not seeing the forest for the trees here. I will focus on more spring and summer scents, as I was told by a worker with this company that this will be what buyers will look for now. I do have my sister helping me that day... I'll be able to use the bathroom when needed. :smiley2:

Well, this does bring me a bit back down to earth. :rolleyes2 I know I have always tended to bring way too much to shows. Especially my first ones a few years ago. I will still bring all I can to this one and hope for the best. I know I will be a smaller booth compared to others. I have some plans for drawing folks in... but I also know I'm new here and won't have a clientelle coming to find me specifically. We'll see. My goal is really to get a handfull of new stores selling my candles. I'll be happy with that, and thrilled with anything more.

Well, I think the best I can do will be to take around $5,000 in product. For me, that is about 50 dozen jars and the same in travel tins. Do you think I should order more jars and have more product? I began looking into cc stuff yesterday. I called my bank, looked at Thompson... something, Touch... something, Sorry I can't remember the names... But I think I like the look of Propay best. I read a lot here on the forums too and I think Propay sounds like the most commonly used small businss cc company among us crafters. Another issue / question. I currently ship using priority to web customers. I believe that will still be the best way to ship cases of candles to store buyers in the future. Even if they order 2 or 3 or more cases (dozen) I can ship them in the flat rate or even the new regional boxes. UPS seems much more spendy than that. Anybody ship quantities out to stores and have advice for me?

I just got back from visiting with 2 of my store customers that sell for me close by. Both say that having the ability to take credit cards will be important and I'll probably lose sales without it. So I'll be googling and reading much about the best way to get credit cards going in my business. I'd love to hear how any of you do it. If I'm going to pay for this service, I think I'll make sure it is as portable as possible so I can take it to any show I do. Even outside. What do you think? Oh, and I'll certainly post my experiences as I go... Good and bad.:rolleyes2

I am entering the world of the wholesale trade show. My first big one is in 2 weeks in Madison, WI called Market Square Cash & Carry. I have heard from 2 different people - one vendor that has attended, and one store owner who has gone as a buyer. Both give the impression that this is a HUGE show and a big deal. The vendor who emailed me said they bring $16,000 in wholesale inventory to this show. The buyer I chatted with said she thinks I could sell out everything I have plus take orders for more. I'm beginning to be a little awed by the prospect of such a huge event. My mind is swimming with the 'how' of it all. If anyone has any experience at this event or at something like it I would love any info or suggestions. Especially: How much inventory should I bring? (I don't have $16,000 worth...) Do I HAVE to have the ability to take credit cards (will I lose sales without it?) For a bit of my own background... I have attended one other very small wholesale show in my area. I already have 15 or so stores in this area that sell my candles and reorder at different intervals. I also attend several craft shows and events each year. I'm afraid I feel a little 'small fry' here. Thanks for ANY help you may have to offer!

Late last night I was reading on the online labels website where I saw info on reducing the amount of ink used in the printer and setting the paper to glossy. I did those things (set printer to a simple text setting) and I thought I was on to something. No smudges! But this morning, my daughter was able to rub the ink off of one part completely! I think she has clammy hands... But still, I thought I had done it, but not quite. Though it was much better. I couldn't get a smudge unless I rubbed really hard, and I don't think customers will do that. In the mean time, I'm making a ton of candles getting ready for for my first big wholesale show. I just won't label anything yet. :rolleyes2 Thanks for all your help and input. Really appreciated!

I just finished ordering several samples of different clear inkjet labels from online labels. Great tip! Jonsie & Chuck, how long do you let your labels sit and dry... or do you not have to do that? Until reading your posts this evening I had pretty much decided to go with a khaki colored paper label. I don't want to mess with the time of spraying my label sheets to make them smudgeproof. But I do love the super professional look of the clear labels! I'm anxious to try the online labels and see if they work better. I may have my clear label yet! Now, patience... until they come in the mail.