CSAS

Thank You Here's my first test I did 3% of the Patchouli EO and 5% of the Rose. I increased the percent of the rose FO because I couldn't smell it. When I first smelled the combo at 3% each, it smelled like some sort of liquor. I was gagging. I purchased 7 EO's for this client of mine, and each one I took a whiff of made me want to hurl. EO's are strong and not so pretty. Hopefully I get this on the first try, cuz I don't wanna play no more!!! Thanks again Tracy

In the scent Patchouli Rose, which is the dominant of the 2 scents? I have a customer requesting Patchouli Rose. I have no clue. I am using Patchouli EO and Rose FO (Rose EO cost more than my house payment), and I am not for sure on the % to add of each. I am thinking that the FO is going to be stronger than the EO in the wax, so I was thinking maybe 4% of the Rose FO and 3% of the Patchouli EO. Anyone have any suggestions? thanks Tracy

Thanks Sheila Appreciate the help. I was hoping it would be easy, but apparently not!! Tracy

Okay, so I have a customer that wants EO's in soy and I have told her that I am not familiar with EO's but from what I've read, it's a hit or miss and the scent throw my not be as great as FO's. That being said, she still wants these. I've read lots of EO posts and kinda got out of them, that you do not need as much EO as you would FO. She wants these before Mother's Day so I told her that I would not be able to do alot of testing. So, if I am thinking 3% Lavender per pound of wax, if I am doing a mixture of Lavender & Rose, would I still use 3% of the Lavender or would I make a combination of the Lavender & Rose to equal 3%? Thanks for your help guys, you're the best!!!!! Tracy

Thank You everyone!!

It's funny that you post that today, because today I was "Having a Panick Attack"!!!! I am talking to my Sales Rep, about all the "We Need To's" and the "What if they's" and my heart was just skipping beats and beating way too fast, all at the same time!! I had to package up a sample box for the Candle Buyer and I swear to you, my heart was filled with nervousness, anxiety, hopefullness, everything you can think of. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach, and I was all by myself in the candle room. But, I'm over it now. I am sending her package off tomorrow after FedEx drops it off to her, it's all up to the candles to do their jobs!!:whistle: I still haven't figured anything out, but I think I'm going to wait and see what the Buyer says first, before I end up in the hospital over nothing. Thank You for everyone chiming in here, and if anyone has anything else, please keep posting.

I am thinking of raising the prices on my candles a bit, to incorporate the cost of shipping, so I can offer free shipping to my wholesale customers. This is kinda like a Part 2 to my Shipping question in another thread. Here are my figures, tell me if I can do this without losing or not getting business. My 4 oz is $4.00 Wholesale, Would like to raise it to $4.75. It cost me $1.75 to make. My 24 oz is $10.50 Wholesale, Would like to raise it to $11.50 It cost me $5.50 to make. I have included pictures to show what my candles actually look like. I want to be able to supply a store this is located nationwide with free shipping, if they decide to fill their stores across the US. THANK YOU

THANK YOU Doesn't this all make you wonder, how the heck the big companies did it. Did they magically start out big? I know Yankee was started by one man in his garage. Then, when he sold the company to a China company, the candles started to lose their quality. But, how the heck did he do it. Where is that Mr. Yankee, I have some questions for him!!!! This is crazy!! a 250 store account is a huge deal and what most of us want for our business or more. But, when we really look at it, is it really? So much more responsibility, overhead costs, payroll costs, etc. I could go on forever. We may get our name in every household in the country, as we end up living in a box on the street!! I dunno, my head is spinning. I want this deal, I really really do. But it's one of those things, that you don't really know what numbers you're looking at until they say "Okay, here's what we want and need", then you can start to figure everything out. I have always said, "My candles are going to be bigger than Yankee". That's my dream, now how do I do it cheaply???

That was another thought of mine. Big companies will create a package deal that includes displays and offsets it with shipping. Or something like that, I never understood what they mean by offset. You're paying, whether it's for the display or for the shipping. Anyway, I think that I would like to offer displays, have a manufacturer cut me a deal for 500 or so, and order them as needed. But, I would still have to pass the cost onto the customer. Here are a few companies that do the following Bridgewater has a price on everything. I do not see that they offer displays for free. Their displays include, bin, oval sign, 6 shelves & 3 terrace displays for $400.00 These are the big sturdy looking displays. Just an oval sign is $20.00 They charge $8.00 for a poster. They charge for shipping. They give a freight allowance $300-$499, 3% of merchandise amount. $500-$999, 5% of merchandise amount, $1000-$1699, 7% of merchandise amount and over $1700.00 gets free delivery. Freight allowance does not include the displays. Now Swan Creek Candle Co does the following They offer programs such as this one 96 - 2 oz Shakers (Their candles are in the sugar shakers) 96 - 4.5 oz Shakers 72 - 7.5 oz Shakers 96 - 9.5 oz Shakers 5 Solid Wood Bin Displays (Which you pretty much put together to creat one display) 1 - Swan Creek Candle Co. Sign 1 - Easel Display with brochures to educate customers $1564.00 Also, Program Partners receive Exclusive Territory, Priority Shipping, and Free Displays. (A Program Partner must order $2400.00 a year of the Sugar Shakers) Individual pricing of their candles 2 oz Shaker $2.50/CAse of 12 4.5 oz Shaker $3.50/Cse of 6 7.5 oz Shaker $4.75/Case of 6 9.5 oz Shaker $6.00/Case of 6 If I add up the above program, it comes to $1494.00-THIS DOES NOT include the cost of the display, sign or the easel display (I couldn't find the price of those items). So, they are pretty much $70.00. (Which isn't too bad considering the look of the sign and displays) It just says that Priority Shipping is given to Credit Card Accounts. So, unless you spend $2400.00, shipping is not free. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT ROOT OR YANKEE DO FOR THEIR DISPLAYS AND/OR SHIPPING?

I was thinking that I would have more money to play with for overhead because I would be purchasing in bulk. See, here's the situation. I have a Sales REp that makes 15% of orders that she brings in. Well, she went and was able to get us a "Send us your product and we'll go from there" with a store that has 250 stores nationwide. Can you say "Holy Cr@p!!!" So the shipments would be abundant (At least 250 of them) So, I am thinking, ya know I can do this. I need to purchase in bigger quantities to lower the cost of the product and take that to compensate for the new overhead. Well, then I think, if the big guys offer free shipping for orders such as this, why would they choose my product if I can't offer the same. I already purchase my jars by the pallets (3, this last time) I can get a lower cost on Soy Wax. I can try to achieve the Bulk FO's, but how do I stick with the same one's I have, when I do not know who their supplier is? I am looking into BULK votive boxes. Wicks & Dye should be a total cinch. And then, you have to have all of the info on your candles professionally printed, not to mention the labels. (Currently my labels are pretty professional with my little ol' laser printer, if I do say so myself-but just thinking of doing that many labels just makes my printer want to run and hide) So, you cut down on some costs and acquire new costs, how the heck can I afford to pay for the shipping. Sorry, this is so long. But I'm at a point, that when the Buyer asks me a question, I do not want to look like I'm new at this game and not be able to answer. My 8 oz candles are $4.00/wholesale it costs me now $1.75 to make My 24 oz candles are $10.50/wholesale and costs me $5.50 to make. Can I up my cost to $5.00 & $11.50 to absorb the shipping? If I can do that without everyone saying, "What the HECK", then I say maybe that's my way. I soooo appreciate everyone's help in figuring this out with me. I have tried to attach pictures, not sure if they'll work. OH, AND I FORGOT TO MENTION, THE EXTRA MONEY I WOULD BE PAYING OUT IN SALARIES. WHEN I GET POURING, I CAN POUR, BUT I CAN'T POUR THAT MUCH!!!!!!

Thank You I am going to have to do some investigating, if the need arises. I don't want to jinx myself, but there's a possibility of a large account for me. So, I am trying to find my ducks, so I can put them in a row. Thanks Again, I appreciate any and all help.

http://www.villagecraftandcandle.com/product.asp?pID=210&c=24133 Try here, may be kinda pricey.

This is extremely hypothetical. I delivered a small order to a new retail store of mine and he mentioned that R@@T doesn't charge him for shipping. Mind you, that he has 6 huge display cases of R@@T candles. Which, I wanted to say to him, "Well, if you place an order for $10,000.00 with me, I'll give you free shipping too." But, I didn't. He was a nice little old man that owned a Do It Center Hardware store. Anyway, so I started thinking, what the heck would I do if I had a large chain order, that did order huge order's like that. I know what I have to do to be able to handle that size order, but how would it be delivered without me having to use all of the profit just to get the order to stores all over the U.S.? Cuz, I'm pretty sure that they would expect free delivery. Now, the big guys have their own trucks to do this and absorb some or all of the cost of the delivery. Anybody have any ideas on how a situation like this would be handled? It is hypothetical, but it may be in my very near future, that is why I ask and it is kinda important. THANKS

ALL that hard work finally paid off. You hit the big time kiddo. I am so excited for you. I am almost there, so I'm glad to see that it can and does happen to the small people. YOU GO GIRL!! ROCK ON!!!! :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:

I was going to take the candle back and ask for a refund, but my husband I thought that it may be worth it to keep it as a show sample. More of a "How a poor quality candle will look after proper burning." It is just unbelievable to me, how this candle looks. If I had my camera dock hooked up, I would show a pic of it. I'll tell ya what, Yank** doesn't "hold a candle" to my candles. Get it???? Thanks a bunch.

Okay, so I broke down and purchased my very first Yank** candle. I wanted to compare my burn times with a Yank**. I use soy and two wicks. I wanted to know what I was talking about, when a customers says. "Yours has a stronger scent, but Yank**'s lasts longer. Well, I purchased a 22 oz Vanilla Carmel-YUMMY!!!!!. Here's what has happened so far. (I do burn these in the exact same testing area, that I test my candles.) 1st burn - 3.5 hours - no FMP (hit one side) - no scent either. 2nd burn - 5 hours - no FMP (less than 1st burn) 3rd burn - 5 hours - no FMP (less than 2nd burn, can you see where I'm going with this?) 4th burn (currently happening) - going on 2 hours - no FMP and it is fizzling out. SO, here are my questions. How long should it take to achieve a FMP in a Yank** 22 oz candle? Also, if it burns like this for me (a candlemaker), how does it burn for other people. Oh, and one more questions. Why is it that people "Just love Yank** candles!!!"? Needless to say, that I will be taking this candle back to the store that I bought it from. I am not paying $21.00 for a candle that burns like a dollar store candle. I know that I would have no problem reimbursing my customers for a burning malfunction like this. Anyway, thank you for any answers you can give me, to help me understand this "wonderful" candle. Also, thank you for letting me rant a bit. Thanks Tracy

I don't like them because of that part alone!!!! It literally takes me hours to set up. Now breaking down is alot quicker. Cuz at that point, I don't care what goes where!! I'll figure it out later. Especially when I finish a 3 day show!! I'm JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try here www.victorypackaging.com They have offices all over the U.S., there are a few in Texas. If it's near you, you can pick them up. If not, shipping should be cheaper? You will probably have to call and get prices or a catalog, I don't think they have their prices on the site. I usually call in my order and go pick it up. They also have the bags of styrofoam peanuts for a reasonable price. They have a nice variety of packaging supplies that you might be interested in. I believe there is a minimum of $100.00, though. HTH

Wow! Thanks! They had it, but it was kinda pricey for a lb. And they have a minimum to meet, and I would want to test it first. I may have to do it, if my customer wants it. Thanks Again Tracy

Hi Everyone I have a customer who I do a Specialty Custom Label Line of Candles for and she is looking for an Ombre Rose Scented Candle. Ombre Rose (I am told) is an old Perfume that Saks used to make, then they started making it crappy and then not at all (I think that's what she said). Anyway, she would like me to make her some candles with this scent and I cannot locate a supplier of Ombre Rose FO. Thanks for Any help at all!!! Thanks Tracy

I purchase Nickelodeon items wholesale to place into my soaps. Now why is it any different if I am selling them in a soap or just plain selling them, like the wholesaler is selling them to me for in the first place. My thought is - My wholesaler has a license (or whatever they need to purchase) to produce these products from Nick and to resell to me, the retail owner. I then purchase the items to resell to the public. What freakin' difference does it make if I sell them in the package they come in or in a soap? Nick made the money they were supposed to make from the whole thing, why should they care if I stuck it in a soap or hung it on peghook to sell! Just my opinion.

I think she probably just put those items on the shelf to keep it from looking empty. Maybe she wanted to order sooner but didn't have the money. And she didn't want the shelf to look alone and empty. I think you should just let it go for now. And see how she stocks it now that she has more of your stock to put on there. Now, if in a month or so you go in there and she still has the other items plus your items on there. Then what do you do? Depends on if you want to keep her as a customer or not. If your candles are still on that shelf along with other items, then I would leave it. Maybe they compliment each other in sales. But if it is just the other stuff and not yours, and yours are somewhere else. Then I would talk to her. But I think that right now, it would not be in your best interest to peck at the small stuff. Sometimes we want to speak up, but ya have to pick and choose without being stepped on. This is just my view on the situation. santa cool

I just ran out of 51-32-18 Papers and have an order to fill. (Figures) Anyway, I have always thought that these wicks compared to each other. Does anyone else agree or disagree with me? 51-32-18 Paper = HTP 104 60-44-18 Paper = HTP 105 I am testing 2 HTP 104's in a 24 oz Elevation jar and it seems to be doing really well, but it's still at the start of the candle. I normally use 2 51-32-18 Papers for most of my scents. Just wondering what everyone else thinks. Tracy

Thank You that helps alot!!!

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!!!! Tracy