Clear Black

4 hours ago, Trappeur said:

Oh thankyou Sarah....

I know...isn't that "Baggie" one so different?  A girlfriend was throwing out a bunch of stuff and when I saw that going in the garbage I snatched it up.  I have no idea where she got it or what it was used for or what was even in it.  Oh my gosh, is it paper thin!

 

And that soap next to that baggie JCandle made it...I hung on to that soap for a couple of years displayed in a shelf unit in my dining room till it turned yellow and I finally used it.

It was just so awesome and elegant.

 

Trappeur

Ya Trap, I think you over wicked that "baggie" container. It looks like the glass got so hot it melted!! lol,  

On 2/19/2018 at 5:48 PM, Trappeur said:

 

So your from Maine?  Where?  Well if all things get in order for me here in Georgia I'll be making my move back home to Maine this year....fingers crossed!  I'm going to Sanford where my sisters are.

 

Trappeur

If and when you do make the trip back home to us here in Maine Trap...You, LittleMissSunshine and I will have to meet up for some coffee and have a nice chat about how much we LOVE soy ;D 

2 hours ago, TallTayl said:

My own.

 

The craziness started with a gift candle in a ceramic bowl. Loved it so much I now make my own crockery for candles.

 

here’s a medium sized one still wet on the wheel that I just threw from stoneware. It will be about 7- 8” wide when done. 

 

Ya ok. I took pottery class in high school and only then realized the skill level it takes do this sorta thing. That turned out beautiful and I’m sure the others have as well!

1 hour ago, TallTayl said:

The biggest container at this time is 2# six wicker. This is my favorite to burn at home. 

 

The biggest pillars are 3” wide by 9” tall - 45 oz of beeswax.

 

have made triple wicked “logs” 3” wide x 9” long, but didn’t love them. They sold, but took too long in my tiny shop. 

Is the 2# six wick candle something you make TT? Or is it sold by somebody else

Do any of you folks make a "jumbo" special edition or holiday only candle? I went to a fair last year during winter holiday season and a candle maker there had a series of 64 oz mason jar type candles only offered in 4 scents. All 4 were of course Christmas themed scents. The thing is he sold everyone of them, I think around 20,  his first day.  So its got me thinking rainy day thoughts here and wondering if anyone here does anything similar?

Thoughts?

47 minutes ago, bfroberts said:

I saw the copycat label at a local print shop, not on the actual product. I just know they've ordered a run of labels, and I know what they look like.  The print shop knows I am displeased, but I don't think they care.  They'll run anything for anyone as long as they pay.  If they run this order, and this label actually makes it onto my competitor's product, I will cut ties with the print shop entirely.  I am already making plans to do that.

My situation is a little unique, in that I'm not just a candle shop. We have a lodging business, and we have a store onsite.  My product brand is the same as our business logo, to tie all of our products together.  For example, it would be kind of like the orchard account Trap has to make store brand candles for the orchard.  Meaning, the orchard isn't a candle company, but if you see their branded candles, you know where they came from.  If I showed the label, the world would know what our main business is, and I learned a long time ago not to put that info on the web in forums, because people can do nasty things with that info. 
The copy cat label is using my background image, just changing it to full color, they added a tiny squirrel, and changed the name from "XXX Candle Company" to "YYY Candles".  It is basically a mountain scene, with three component images that are specific to our area.  Those three things have never been put on a label together for any kind of logo or product in this area.  It was a unique idea to combine those three components, and the chance that someone would come up with that idea on their own and have it drawn exactly like mine is impossible.  Its the exact same image + a squirrel and a little more color.

I am a variety/souvenir store with a lot of product, but only a tiny part of that is candles.  The other company is a much larger company.  They will purchase far more labels and sell far more candles than I ever will.  They have enough purchasing power to make my account irrelevant.  You'd think they could come up with their own damn design.  However, this isn't the first time they have poached ideas from me.  This is a cut throat area to do business in.

 

God dang thats a crappy spot to be in. If that print shop has no issues running an order for another company that has blatantly infringed on another products idea, whether trademarked or not, then I would also have no issues cutting ties with them. No issues at all.

On 3/8/2018 at 5:46 PM, Crafty1_AJ said:

Clear Black...I think Amazon Handmade is just trying to compete with Etsy and get their share of the pie.  LOL  I have my issues with Amazon, but am still choosing at this time to sell there because the more places you turn up when someone enters a relevant Google search string, the more likely you are to make a sale.  I just googled "soy candle that smells like bread baking" and I turned up on the first page of hits twice, once for my Etsy shop listing and once for my Amazon listing.  So I'm doubling my chances at a sale.  My website listing also popped up in the first 3-4 pages of returns.  I know from personal experience that I usually find what I want in the first few pages of a search and seldom have to check past page 4 or 5. 

 

To answer your question, handmade and commercially produced are two separate markets.  I appreciate the workmanship and care that goes into (most!) handmade items and like to support people who are working hard with their hands and their creative bents to make an honest dollar, as I am trying to do.  There will always be consumers who are bottom-liners -- those whose main concern is the lowest price.  These people are not our target market.  But there will also always be consumers who look more at quality and craftsmanship, and have a genuine appreciation for handmade.  In this day and age of mass production and impersonal customer service, lots of people are liking the handmade difference.

Ya, Ive been looking through this Amazon Handmade and not exactly what to make of it yet. I guess its another avenue to sell at for sure, but you cannot possibly tell me that Yankee Candle belongs in the "handmade" section https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Candle-Large-Strawberry-Lemon/dp/B019PN2DX4/ref=sr_1_66_sspa?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1520641685&sr=1-66-spons&keywords=Candles&psc=1

Stumped on that one ya

1 minute ago, TallTayl said:

I live in IL where it starts at $650. That was a big reason I went with sole prop first and prayed nobody challenged my business insurance or personal assets.  It is just a cost of doing business.

650!!!???  Daaaaang. Ok, I will take my 350 and swallow that and say no more  

10 hours ago, Crafty1_AJ said:

Several of my best candle customers are men.  One guy in MN buys a 9 pack every few months and sends them also to his daughter.  Another in CA gets big boxes full for himself AND his mom.  And one of my best local female customers buys candles by the case.  Who gets up and lights one every morning?  Her husband.  My own husband is not afraid to show his love for my candles and melts.  LOL  Candles are not feminine...they are neutral.  Genderless.  ( I think I just invented a word. )   

100% correct, I also think candles are gender neutral, but my co-workers sadly do not.  Im not all that worried what they think tbh, once I leave that place and come home that place or those people never enter my thoughts. Its just a good paycheck and thats all.

23 hours ago, GoldieMN said:

@Clear Black Maybe these truckers would start buying from you.  Beer, gasoline, beef jerky fragrances might get them interested.   Here is a post about some "different" scents:  

GoldieMN

Goldie, those fragrances look fun to make a limited run with and maybe once I could get past SoS's rather high fo prices I may give a few a shot. 

On 3/8/2018 at 7:14 PM, TallTayl said:

What do you think happened to those biker dudes when the first toys for tots went down? Burly dudes on motorcycles with teddy bears. I bet they took someribbing before the practice became popular. 

Very true indeed. Good point

On 3/8/2018 at 5:31 PM, Paintguru said:

Depends on the state.  In Michigan, it literally takes 5 minutes to apply for an LLC and is pretty cheap ($25-50).  

Ya you definetly are lucky. I tried looking over Legal Zoom like TT suggested, and for an LLC in Maine its looking like $350 just for starters. Then to file more stuff with the state itself

53 minutes ago, bfroberts said:

I knew a TM wouldn't be worth the time and expense since a subtle change is all it takes.  I'm big on brand recognition and it was my goal to create something that would be instantly recognizable as my brand, and set it apart from all the others.  It just feels like all that hard work was for nothing.  I just had the logo reworked last year, and it's already copied.  
Thank you for telling me what I already knew.  There's nothing I can do.  Thankfully, today feels slightly less bleak.   

Do you have any links to your branding/products? Im curious at this point. Ive spent near 2 years working on my branding and to have someone mimic it would be heart breaking. Im not sure I would take it as lightly as you are  

I guess I was asking because I do not know the difference between the options. I was thinking of going LLC, because of the reasons you state, but am wondering what the process is to get that. Is there a website I need to apply to or a local agency that I need to visit?

4 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

I thought it was ridiculous through my second or third year. I was about to close up shop and move on, but my path crossed with someone who showed me a new door. I almost didn't walk through because I thought that it too was ridiculous.

 

People tried to talk me out of it as being too expensive, too time consuming, and an all around bad business decision. During year 1 for the first half of the summer I would have agreed, but deep down inside i just KNEW the event was for me. We reinvent ourselves every day and THAT has made all the difference. You learn, adapt and keep moving forward. I would not change one thing about my life now.

Dam, I envy you to the moon and back for being able to do that and be successful and most importantly HAPPY.

My biggest issue at the moment is support. People around me seem to think this is just a silly way to waste my time. I am a guy, a guy who drives a GIANT semi truck too. I work with 30 other guys who do the same thing.  I made a huge mistake by opening up to a few of these co-workers and explaining what I do with my free time. HUGE MISTAKE. At 42 yrs old, I get teased daily because I make candles. They have all sorts of choice descriptions on the idea, I will spare you the details. I am a guy who like to make candles. And to them and other family members it seems a bit feminine to them. (Please dont shoot the messenger, I dont pigeon hole genders into workforce roles, EVER)

There are two people who have stood by me and given me the fuel to continue. My daughter and my dad. Both of whom are my best friends.  Its just been my daughter and I since her birth and we have grown to literally be best friends. The father/daughter dynamic is non-existent, same for the dynamic between my dad and I. Dam, starting to tear up a bit  

3 minutes ago, Jcandleattic said:

Nothing is ridiculous if you believe in it!! 

Oh I believe in it! The problem is I BELIEVE it will take a very long time to get there but I am ok with that. Thats the part that seems rediculous lol. Thats k though as I am not in this to get rich quick, I actually have a passion for making candles thats goes back 25 years now. I am amazed I am even at the stage I am at now. Amazed, and slightly proud but I am a humble person generally so I try not to get too proud  

If someone like me needs a tax ID which type should I be filing for? Sole proprietor? LLC? Corporation?

The business is owned by me but I also have my daughter listed as owner as well on our business cards. She helps me when she isnt in college and during the summers. But for all legal purposes I am sole owner of the business.

Thoughts?

1 hour ago, Jcandleattic said:

I was hoping you'd chime in. You are the member I was speaking of. Hope I didn't misspeak. 

I think we all admire how well her business does. Others here not on ETSY but do just as well I admire the heck out of too. I know TT and others as well do this for a living, which is a dream for me that seems rediculous at this stage lol

1 hour ago, Crafty1_AJ said:

I have my own website, plus I sell on Etsy and Amazon Handmade.  In addition, I do local markets and shows 9 months of the year.  My business revenue is about 2/3 online, 1/3 local /direct.  I don't wholesale - retail only.  I don't like putting all my eggs in one basket - you never know what's going to fly until you try it.    This candle gig is my day job. I also sell some wax melts, soap, and lip balms, but the bulk of our sales, by far, is candles.  

 

 

Can you please explain to us how Amazon Handmade works? Like, why would I sell there versus Amazon flagship.  From what I understand AH is a seperate site from Amazon flagaship and does not share the same customer base. Ive always wondered about this site and how people like us would do on Amazon Handmade.

That is if you dont mind and have the time AJ. Cheers

5 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

When you are in business long enough, you know everything is cyclical. Bath bombs were huge several years ago, then almost over night turned to a stagnant product you could not give away. Loads of people were stuck with aging inventory and learned expensive, valuable lessons. 

 

Importing sounds good on the surface until you get burned. When you place your order you hope and pray it arrives exactly as described. You have zero leverage when it does not. Formulas change without notice. Products get held in customs, damaged, or otherwise changed. You’re stuck holding the expensive bag. 

 

The one constant is those who who jump around seem to embody the, “ fake it til you make it” label, and burn out pretty quickly.

 

I will be curious to see if you have what it takes to stick with anything for any length of time, or if you will lose interest and move to the next strike it rich idea. 

This exactly. THis forum is a place to come and learn from others with many many many years of trials and errors. I knew NOTHING before coming here and thanks to people like TT giving us this place to LEARN I would be nowhere. This IS NOT a get rich quick type of message board amd many people here will take offense to that. I even bet you that people on this message board have become friends over the years. This is a place of fun and learning, not how to import cheap crap and flip it for a profit.

“ 

The successful do 1 of the following

-import

-are actually social media companies selling generic products

-automate “

see to me that is passing off your opinions as facts, when in reality many hard working people in this message board are none of those 3 things you claim can only be succesful. I guess I am just looking out for the new folks and not have them potentially get misguided by false information. Im not trying to single you out in any way, but in the first 30 seconds of your video on Youtube you claim that candle making is “easy” “you just stick a wick in a jar, add wax and you are done” This type of mis-information can get someone hurt.  

A lot of your information is great and can help people indeed, but some of your information can really really mislead somebody into making a potentially dangerous candle and this is what I am asking you to be careful about thats all.

I beg to differ with you on this mate. Branding is not more important than your product. IN MY OPINION branding and product development should be paired together 50/50. Of course, I dont have any scientific or hard evidence to support this claim so I wont give it an arbitrary 95% claim of anything to back my argument up with. 

Of course, do what you will with your own products. If branding to you is more important than your product then thats entirely up to you.  But I strongly urge you not to pass off your own opinions as facts to others without solid evidence of said claims. A lot of these new folks joining this board may take that information and run with it and potentially do more harm than good. I suggest if you want to help people, lay it out in a way that it is your opinion on the matter and nothing more. Just my $.02 on this topic. Moving along now  

48 minutes ago, NaughtyNancy said:

 

True, but that's also not the goal of most sellers on Etsy, either. Supplemental income goals are much more common. Someone making X thousands per year of a shop was very successful in my eyes, anyway. 

I have to agree with here on this. I think the majority, like myself soon I hope, are selling on ETSY to supplement an already existing income. Would I like to make enough to support myslef 100% from ETSY like Frostbeard does? Heck ya. Will it ever happen? Not likely in the slightest.  Im just looking to help put my daughter through college (single parent with one income her entire life. She knows all about just scraping by like we have done since she was born)

9 hours ago, TallTayl said:

For retail, those really take a beating. People pry them up and don’t put them back right.

 

candles and supplies has these:

 

betting you could diy something like these very inexpensively with waxed Kraft cardstock, or waxed muslin fabric. 

 

Yes, those are hella cute and would be a good idea if they would work with my container. Sadly they wouldnt. But maybe I can custom create my own like you said, hmmm

@GailC Wow, those are cute as all heck! Good job on those red jars, very classy!