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Does anyone keep an inventory of your FO's; I just made one. Oh my!


GailC

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Well, I was digging through my cabinet, searching for a bottle of Lavender FO I was sure I had ordered.  Started pulling bottle out and one thing led to another and now I have a list of all my fragrance oils listed by supplier; not counting 1 oz sample bottles.

 

I have 82 bottles of FO. Most are 16 oz, with some 8 oz and a few 4 and 2.  Is it normal to have 82 different kinds of FO?  (only 1 bottle of duplicate fragrance which actually makes 83 bottles. :) )

 

My #1 Supplier was Bert's Heaven Scent.  I have 15....hope FO's don't get old.

#2 was a tie, Candlescience and Indiana Candle Supply.

 

#3 Mill Creek - 9

#4 bluegrass Candle Supply - 6

 

Can you tell I'm from Indiana?  4 of my top 5 were in Indiana. Alas two have gone out of business.

 

Other suppliers are Aztec, Peak, Rustic Essentials.

 

Then a few other suppliers I just bought one or two from when ordering other candle or soap supplies.  Also I bought a few bottles from the classifieds here and from an individual who lives close to me.

 

So does anyone else dare to count your FO's??  :)

 

 

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OK, Vicki, I feel better now....I have another 118 bottles to go before I get worried.

 

 I forgot to say I have 11 bottles each from Candlescience and Indiana Candle Supply.

 

I guess if I could only order from one supplier for the rest of my days it would be Candlescience.  Thank goodness that scenario will never happpen.  :)

Edited by GailC
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Ummmm, we carry over 300 fragrances... An inventory is an absolute must! Luckily, organization is one of my strong suits. I created an Excel spreadsheet. They're sorted by supplier. They contain the oils (alphabetically, of course) -- both my name and the original name given by the supplier, whether they're skin safe, any soaping notes, and how many extra bottles I have on hand. My extra bottles are separated by supplier and alphabetized. May seem extreme to some, but I can't afford not to be this organized.

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Well, I have never really counted them all but I do have a lot.  Mainly because I have FOs for candles, then there are some that are only for air fresheners and then I have the incense.  There are a few that are carried over into the incense and air fresheners but only about three or four.  

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I have mine organized by supplier but have not dared to count them for an exact number...I have way too many!

But I need to because too many times I go to make batches I am low on or newer ones I tested recently to find I have only a couple drops left and have to order it

It never fails though that even with having stocked more candle fragrances than I ever had before- meaning I made tons over the winter and have about 30 scents out on display, people will smell them all and ask if have "this" scent and then do not buy!

My samples are out of control and I can't find time lately to test them or use them in something

I have about 2 huge boxes that went bad and I still have to go take them to a special dump site pretty far away to dispose of them- I need to clean out before I do and just say goodbye to some I know I will never use

I have probably close to 95 listed on my website and about 10 new ones to add but I need to clean those out also and use them up and discontinue them- they don't move often enough

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I have found also that no matter how many fragrances I have on hand, someone always requests one I don't have.  I ordered some Gardenia recently because someone wanted gardenia candles for her friend who was undergoing chemotherapy treatments and needed that fragrance to smell, I guess while recovering from the chemo.  

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I shudder to think of what my total would be if I counted what I had on. I keep thinking I need to cut back but then someone asks for something I don't have and next thing you know that's another scent. I am also very excel challenged so if someone is willing to share a spreadsheet to help with organizing scents I know I would be thankful.

Karen in MA

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I try to carry no more than 4 or 5 scents in each category (fruit, floral, fresh, flirty, foody) and then about 6-7 for fall, Christmas (evergreen, cranberry, pumpkin, etc.).   I had found that when I had more than that, it was too much for customers and, I believe, a deterrent to sales.  If someone can't find a scent that they like in the midst of 20-25 scents, I don't think that they really want to purchase.  Although rare, there is the occasional person who really just enjoys hemming and hawing, complaining and so on.  Adding 4 or 5 more scents will never satisfy this type of person but it may overwhelm a genuine customer so I don't think it's worth the risk to the business.

 

Eve

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I wouldn't offer 300+ fragrances if they didn't sell...but they do! I will occasionally have a few that have to be discontinued due to slow sales, but not often. We carry a full line of tarts and b&b items. We have a large customer base and they love the large scent list. Everyone has to do what works for them.

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I also keep an excel spreadsheet of all my fragrances and it shows which products I've tested them in and which ones I need to design labels for and which ones need to be added to my shop online.  I carry about 100 fragrances.   With more in a shopping cart waiting for some funds to come in. :)     My fragrances are shelved alphabetically. 

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I also keep an excel spreadsheet of all my fragrances and it shows which products I've tested them in and which ones I need to design labels for and which ones need to be added to my shop online.  I carry about 100 fragrances.   With more in a shopping cart waiting for some funds to come in. :)     My fragrances are shelved alphabetically. 

 

Now that's what I call organized. :) You even have your fragrances alphabetically arranged!  I am impressed.... and envious.  

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I am with Suzy!

Even when I just made for myself, I had a spreadhseet. If I did not, I would have spent/wasted money on oils that I had already bought and tried. Over and over! I add detail on whether I liked it or not and a simple Y or N on whether I would buy it again.

 

I know I had said this many times before but what i would offer wholesale customers is very different than what I offer to online customers. I have been kindly mentioned on a couple of blogs and the one criticism they offered is that I have a very small line. I now offer 65 scents. In the online world, it is not uncommon to have hundreds of scents, many deriative of each other.

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I have a spreadsheet I keep with a list of every scent and where I get it from just in case I throw away the bottle and forget.  I haven't opened the list in a couple years since by now I remember them but it really helped when we were first getting started.  We bought and existing business from someone so I wanted to make sure we kept using the same oils she did.

Now I have a shelf that goes around my entire u shaped area and the oils are placed up there in alphabetical order(usually).  That makes it so much easier for me to just walk in and at a glance and see how much of a certain oil I have on hand.  When we get a order in I can in 5 minutes come up with how much of each oil I need, see how much I have in stock and boom place an order with what I need to make up the difference and restock.

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I have a table (too IT challenged to spreadsheet) for FOs and am horrified to add to it b/c there are so many, probably around 500 or so.  Worse b/c I am a hobbyist, not a seller, but am addicted to FOs, I really need an intervention.  W/o the table I cannot (a) remember which ones I have already tried or (B) even remember what I thought most of them after testing, it is tough to turn 50 and have your memory start to go:)

 

I organize them in the list and for storage by category (fresh/green, warm, girly, mens/unisex, fruit, floral, etc, etc.) - b/c I often forget the names - and then alphabetically or would never be able to find the one I am looking for on a given day.

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I have a table (too IT challenged to spreadsheet) for FOs and am horrified to add to it b/c there are so many, probably around 500 or so.  Worse b/c I am a hobbyist, not a seller, but am addicted to FOs, I really need an intervention.  W/o the table I cannot (a) remember which ones I have already tried or ( B) even remember what I thought most of them after testing, it is tough to turn 50 and have your memory start to go:)

 

I organize them in the list and for storage by category (fresh/green, warm, girly, mens/unisex, fruit, floral, etc, etc.) - b/c I often forget the names - and then alphabetically or would never be able to find the one I am looking for on a given day.

 

OK you win the prize...FIVE HUNDRED! Hey, I may just buy a bigger cabinet and increase my inventory.  At 80 or so bottles, I am lagging!  :)  And you don't need an intervention....at least none of us here can help you.  Besides, don't most people kind of go overboard when they get into a craft/hobby/interest?  

 

I would hate to take an inventory of all the skeins of yarn/embroiderry floss/crochet thread I have.  :)

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No, I do, need an intervention that is.  It is really sick, I keep thinking that next FO is the one that is absolutely, totally perfect.  I'm not sure what would even happen if I found it, carry around bars of soap wherever I go so that I can sniff them when I start to go into withdrawal?  Sick, I tell you.  Also there is no reason for this crazy FO purchasing since I do not sell.  I started making MP on a whim b/c I am setting up an ayurvedic hair care product line, came across it while researching, and now here I am, hopelessly addicted with my friends and family actually starting to preface conversations with "thanks for that last soap, but we really don't need anymore right now."  Pretty tough when you can't even give your stuff away :)

 

Plus I have hundreds of little tester soaps in boxes in the unlikely event I need.want to go back and see what the FO smells like at regular intervals.  I keep thinking I should take them by one of the local homeless shelters, has anyone ever done that?  Not sure if they will take them b/c of liability issues.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm sure I have over 250 fragrances too, and I'm looking for a good way to organize the bottles and store them.  Right now I have them in those plastic drawer storage units and have them organized by company, but I'm looking for a better way to organize them.

 

Suggestions on containers? shelves? 

 

And I need something that is easily accessible and easily added to if need be, cause I know with this addiction to FO, I will need more room to store more FO!

 

Thanks!

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Not counting sample sizes (anything in a 1oz sized bottle or less) at last count I had 168 FO's - and have added at least 25 since that count a couple months ago. 

I do keep a spreadsheet that lists name of scent, (or scent blend) weight, price paid, supplier, skin safe (or not), what I would categorize the scent as (holiday, spa, perfume, food, etc.,) and any notes about the scent such as how it performed in wax, soap, etc. The notes are just general, like acceleration or discoloration and not a whole mark-up review but it gives me a good idea of what happens with it if I've used it before and forgot. I also add a not as to whether I would repurchase or not. 

I have my list in My Google drive. That way it's accessible anywhere I have internet and can update at any time as well.. Also, I can sort however I want using this version of excel. I can sort by supplier, by type of scent, by weight, - literally however I want...

It takes time like anything else, and if I get behind then I have to remember what I've used, and or bought since last update, but it's not too bad... 

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I have also keep tabs of my inventory on an Excel worksheet. WIth 11+ large shoe boxes filled with over 150 FOs (i know, I have an addiction), I found I needed it in order to stop from buying duplicates. I tend to organize them by groups such as "spa-type", floral, fruity, kids, mens/unisex, teen favorites, etc. I also include supplier, date purchased, price, candle only or bath and body safe, thumbs up or thumbs down. It really comes in handy to keep track of which FOs I like and probably more importantly, which ones I don't like. For example, I will buy anything with "lavender" in its name or description and some I love, and others not. Sometimes its the fragrance, sometimes its the brand/supplier. I also include blends that I create. I pretty much keep everything on a spreadsheet including EOs, butters, carrier oils, additives, containers and so on. Sometimes I think I'm just addicted to keeping my spreadsheet up-to-date and organized!   

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