Turtle Wax

Not sure if it's been suggested since I only skimmed over, but do you have insurance and warning stickers etc?

Those are beautiful! Keep at it and I'm guessing it will get easier. I want to find someone to teach me these things...

Jumbleberry lol

It might be worthwhile to go visit some local gift stores, flower shops etc, and see what they are retailing for. Don't bother with the WalMarts or Yankee Candles; those votives are mass-produced by robots and/or Chinamen... what you have is handcrafted with care- a key selling point in and of itself that justifies a higher price point.

I would also try wholesaling some to local hardware stores! Maybe put that store's label on them even... you'd be surprised at what us old timers throw our money at. At least, do a macho label with cargo lettering, maybe a mosquito in a gun sight target... give it a manly name, too, like "Silent But Deadly" or "Skeeter Skatter" lol

Seems to me you already know the worst case scenario. What have you to lose? If nothing else, you'll be sitting quite comfy in your back yard hammock while the neighbors are busy smacking and scratching. You might consider a neighborhood cook-out, and sell a few that way. I'm sure the macho men at the grill would appreciate it! I know I would... the mosquitoes here are like small birds...

I plan to use IGI 4625 paraffin. I was thinking I would test wicks after the color and fragrance because my understanding is that dyes and fragrance can affect wick performance; thus it would not yield accurate results testing on unscented, uncolored votives. Is this logic sound?

My first runs will be fragrance testing. I'll have a handful of different choices for lemon, lime, orange cream, etc... There will be no color to these at this point; likewise I will only use some generic votive wicks at this stage too. I will have a pound of each fragrance (roughly 10 votives). Friends will provide blind fragrance testing in their homes and offices; i.e. lemon #1, lemon #2, or lemon #3? Then we move on to cherry, root beer, and so on. Once I tally the results for all 8 fragrances, I will have my initial product line scents. Then I begin color testing. This I will do myself. I will then marry the color schemes to the corresponding fragrances, and begin wick testing. When the wicking is dialed in, mass production can begin. Did I mention I'm analytical? Should I call myself the Heisenberg Candle Company?

I'm making a bunch of multi colored scented votives. Until my retail store opens, I'll be selling these wholesale and anticipate having much more than I can sell at first. How long can I keep them stored? I may (or may not) shrink wrap them individually.

Thank you again Kitty, you rock! My initial product line will contain 8 variants of the above, w varying colors and fragrance (i.e. dark red & ivory for cherry cheesecake, ivory & dark brown for root beer float, etc). Wicking is my Achilles heel. When I see it discussed, all I see are numbers. No abstract correlation. It's why I came to this group to start with. If I can find an easy way to learn it, then I'm full steam ahead. My logic: Buy a 60# case of 4625 for $90 + $25 shipping = $115, or $1.92 per lb. Candle Makers Store B grade fragrance is $9 lb = $.57 per lb. (6% load) Liquid dye use will vary, very liberal estimation = $.25 per lb. Labeling, warning stickers, etc. = $.50 (for 10 2-oz candles) Total cost per pound = $3.24 per pound* Selling the votives for $2.99 each will generate $29.90 for each lb. Subtract the above costs and I will net $26.66 for each lb produced. This does not calculate electricity usage for the presto pot, rent, etc. Additionally, my wholesaling price will prolly be $1.50 each candle, and I'll have to factor in display costs on a case by case basis. * This does NOT include wicking costs. Help is needed here.

I'm planning to do a 2 oz scented votive using poly molds and IGI 4625. These votives will have 4 alternating color layers, .5 oz each. Ivory, dark red, ivory, dark red again. 1) About how long should the first ivory layer stand before I pour the dark red layer? 2) If I don't use any additives, what would be a good wick to use? (pics/links would be most helpful since I don't have all the wicks memorized). Also, if 1 lb of the 4625 yields 20 fl oz, should I expect to get around 10 of these votives per pound? Just looking for some realistic expectations here...

Divide by 17? How many oz are you getting per pound? Should be 18-20oz, + whatever additives, dyes, FOs, etc...

This may sound horribly naive, I realize, but why not simply keep the oils in the containers they come in? Maybe use shot glasses to weigh them out and pour into the melter?

Also, does anyone know of a good place for packaging? I want to design a small box w cellophane windows for my votives.

So I'm thinking about placing my first order w Candle Makers Store for some FO and wax. I've read some of the forums and the criticism about the A-grade and B-grade, but I've also read their website and it makes sense to me. Now then, if I choose to NOT get my IGI-4625 from them, who else has the best case price?

Thank you. I'm hoping my "different flavor" is a good thing! Perhaps it's my font? I do intend to pursue a different business model than what I see a lot of folks doing. I'm fortunate to live in an area where there's strong demand for handcrafted art, and all i'm seeing with local candle making (what little there is) are jars and tins; clones of what anyone can find at any shopping mall. We will certainly be different. Pillars and votives, eventually cut & carves... all in a venue that will transport the customer to a much simpler time, with it's cobblestone flooring, visible wood workbenches, medieval wall decor, harpsichord music etc. It will also be more than just a store- I intend for it to become a social hub for the local artisan community. We will offer gourmet coffee nights, book nights, wine & cheese nights, etc. Again, thank you. A different flavor is exactly what we are going for!

Nice! Loves me some Jim Morrison! Just hoping you weren't hopping around like Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now when you were doing it! LOL

I'm very new, too, so please bear that in mind while reading... A few months ago, when I decided to research candle making (both for fun and for profit), I read something that still resonates. The advice was to offer a large range of products in the very beginning, find a few products which sell well within that large variety, and drop the others (for now). Concentrate on your sellers to get some revenue stream, and slowly work your way back outward using companions to your sellers. Maybe chocolate dipped bananas could compliment your current seller? Some here are likely to disagree, but I'm finding that's another joy in candle making; you can be as imaginative in your strategies as you can in your products! Those look beautiful, btw!

Congrats! I like that color and texture! Simple yet attractive. I'd like to think not all candles have to be distractingly complicated.

Thank you everybody! One thing I've found interesting over the last few months (researching vendors, other small business folks etc), and now here in these forums, is there seems to be a lot of Tennessee folks in candles! Funny because I travel between here and there a lot- my Daughter lives there! Again, I appreciate the warm reception!

My name is Steve, and in case you haven't already guessed, I'm new. New to this message board, new to candle making (sort-of, will get to that...), and new to business. I'm 41, and up until a few months ago I never really knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. I've done just about every imaginable job since I was a teenager, from raking dead fish up off the public beach (yes, eew is right!), to climbing radio towers (good money!), to being a freelance paralegal (headaches!). Looking in the mirror one morning, it occurred to me that I should be looking for the job to end all jobs- something that would take me into retirement and possibly beyond- regardless of how much or how little it paid. Something that would fill a void in my life, connect me with my community, and bring me some joy and peace. As a bonus, something to leave behind for my 16-year-old Daughter should she choose to rejoin my life someday... I remembered when she was much younger, we made candles together for gifts when she came to visit me. It was a bonding experience for us, and I reflected upon seeing a candle maker when I was a boy, and how I was awestruck with his creations! Over the years I've been a fairly technical worker, trying to fit in with auto mechanics, construction workers, and the like. I've never really explored my left brain much, until I wished those candle days with my Daughter were back... I certainly don't have the kind of money I once had, having survived family court nightmares and other deep personal tragedies. The good news is during this dark time in my life, a small glimmer of light remains- not a lightbulb idea, but the tiny flame from a candle! It is growing brighter every day! Reading some of your stories the last week or so, I am further inspired. It's good to feel a part of something larger than myself, and I am thankful for the opportunity to join you! To be continued...