VerticallyEnhanced

Kind of the same thing here. I REALLY wanted the Blue Sugar (Backwoods Blue?) to work out, but I am just not getting a good throw in my soy. I made it over three weeks ago. I am testing it in my master bath and it is just barrrrrely creeping into my bedroom. I gave it to two different friends and they said the same, not up to par with my normal scent throw. I have a bunch of others that I bought to test but just have not gotten them in wax yet.

I chuckled at that as well! Not a laughing matter all in alll, though. I am glad it was not worse, but dang...still an expensive loss. That is what my hubby is the most frightened about...the wind. *Knock on wood* we have never been met with a .5 gust-o-wind. I laugh because he has me SO weighted down but I know nothing would stop something like that.

Okay, so you change your name and logo from The Soap Box to I Change My Mind More Than My Underwear Soap Company. Your soaps are still great and your new logo may even be as cute as your current one, but take a little trip with me and imagine this. We are floating about a little tea room, listening in on the conversation of two of your FROMER customers: Mary: Hey, I am really bummed. That GREAT soap company, The Soap Box, went out of business. I cannot find their stuff any more. Remember them? They had the really cute green/black labels? They were awesome. Jane: I know, I loved them! Oh well. But there is this other company that is okay...here is their site. (she proceeds to give Mary a site that is NOT your new one!) You go on to lose many of your customers, a lot of money and before you know it, that need for a "change of pace" is quenched whe you rearrange your bottle caps and change your "Will Work For Food" signs at night in your cardboard house under the expressway. There...does that help?

Well, this is my fifth wholesale store and one of my three wholesale accounts (some of my previous stores closed), buuuuuuuut, this one is already blowing the others out of the water! My established ones only do smallish orders (under $400) only about once every 6-8 weeks, so this is a boost in the ole bank account! Kind of gives me a push to go out and seek more, kwim? In the past, they have always come to me. The only thing that scares me is knowing HOW busy I get around Christmas, so I don't want to totally burry myself. Of course I could quit my "real" job, huh?

Oh and YES Kimberly, I am finally ready to say "Yes my dear friend, you are right. Wholesale IS the way to go." :highfive:

I just have to share because I want to POP I am so excited! I recently got into "the" store. It was THE one store in this particular town which I wanted to carry my candles. I kept meaning to contact them, to take them a wholesale pack and candle, but that whole fear of rejection crept in my mind. It is a verrrrrrry upscale shop and I kept making excuses. Well, finally THEY contacted ME. Turns out several of my customers who frequent the store told them about my candles. They placed a $500 initial order to "see how they would do." I delivered their order ten days ago. Their buyer placed an even bigger order today, saying they are flying off the shelves! I am SO excited! I was very curious to see how they would do considering they carry Votivo, Trapp, and several other very upscale candle lines. I only wish I had contacted them sooner!!! Live and learn, huh? Okay, blatant bragging is over. (maybe)

I use soy (100%) and normally do a CD 14 in my jars, but with this one, I have to use CD 18.

I guess different interpretations for everyone. As I said, it seemed to me this person was deceiving customers and that floored me. When the original poster said "so I decided to tell them, I would do it for 2.00 extra. Ha! But I didn't, because they are already maxed" I took it as, "I charged them for something I never intended to do, ha ha. I took the $2 but did not add the oil because it is already maxed out." Of course it can also be read as "I decided to tell them I would charge them, but didn't actually charge them because they saw what the candle looked like". When I did a search the other day (I was looking for WYW percentages for those who are curious) and found this post, it just struck me as wrong. Of course I totally have to admit I am a little jaded, because the original poster once put something on a different board about using q-tips to swab the inside of her candles with FO to make the customers think they have a really strong cold throw. So again, I guess I was totally biased when I realized who it was and interpreted it as trying to take advantage of a customer. I am willing to admit I am wrong, it has happened several times in my life. Maybe she really did not charge $2 for something she did not do and I totally read it incorrectly.

I don't at all blame the suppliers for the bad wax. The wax I used came from a third party manufacturer; the supplier I used buys it and packs it with their name, which is a common practice with tons of suppliers. I don't even blame the manufacturer for the "bad" wax. I understand the issues with soy wax (after the manufacturer was kind enough to give me an explanation of the process), that the wax can literally change from lot to lot due things that effect the soy crops (growing conditions, rain fall, etc.). I can even understand where there may be an issue with the wax due to some type of change in the production process. However, what I really do have a problem with is being told "I am the only one" when I obviously was not. I also have an issue with the fact that some suppliers state NOTHING on their site about burning properties of soy waxes possibly varying from lot to lot, and that you should test each lot. I was actually told that very thing by my supplier, and that was the first I heard of it. If that is something that is "very important to do" (as I was told), why is it not mentioned anywhere on your site in reference to the wax? There are melting instructions, scenting instructions, wicking suggestions, coloring suggestions, but not one mention of the possibility of wax lots being different. Now I literally test each new lot of wax. Do I like doing it? Heck no...but I have come to the realization that if I want to use this wax (which I love) I have to. I have seen just a tad bit of quirkiness since what we in my home refer to as the "Great Candle Fiasco of 2005". Knock on wood, since the previous issues I had, I have not seen a huge burning issue as what you described or what I previously experienced. But let me tell you, I almost tripped over my feet trying to get out to my shop to check the lot numbers on my boxes after you posted yours. Even though I had tested this lot, there is always that pang of fear in my gut! I guess seeing $2000 fly out of your business account will do that to you, huh?

Gee, I did not know there was a statute of limitations on posts. Guess I should read through the rules, huh? FYI, I was doing a search that brought up something in this post, did not pay attention to the dates and was pretty perplexed by the fact that someone was seemingly bragging about ripping off their customers.

Ugh, this makes my stomach hurt...brings ack WAY too many memories. I was one of the ones who had issues about two years ago...same situation, I had been making the same candles (same wax, wicks, jars, scents, formulas, etc.) and all of a sudden, wham. All in all with replacement candles, pulling candles from my wholesale accounts and giving them back their money, and retesting, I lost around $2000. It was horrible! The most infuriating part was that my supplier said (as previously mentioned) "Oh no, there have been no other complaints." Unfortunately that lead me to think I received bad wicks (I had just gotten a new bag of 1000 wicks at the same time) and so I spent a lot of time/money chasing that area of it. Getting back to the infuriating part, I was told there were no other issues with the wax but low and behold, when I posted somewhere I received MANY emails from many other people saying "Hey guess what, same thing happened to me with the same wax." AND, the best part, they ALSO called the supplier and told them they were having issues. So several of us called and reported it to the same person, but "they had not received any other comments about bad wax." So bottom line, I TOTALLY feel your pain!!!!

Yup, that is exactly how I took it as well.

Oh my....I am drooling over the photos! Top notch and simply so incredibly impressive. I don't know how you do it, or will KEEP doing it. Yup, I think a resignation letter is in your future! I looked at that furniture site for a long time...planning my store in my head...lol. I have a question about the black and especially with the pillars... Do you have trouble with wax scuffs on the shelves? Is that black pretty durable? Holding up to scuffs and dings?

Hey chicka....did you not get my voice mail? I am slowly coming on to Kimberly's band wagon. I got that BIG store in that town!!!! I am just waiting for her first order. I met with her on Wednesday and she was very impressed. Whoooo hooooo! So I may be ditching shows if I get too many stores. Oh drats, huh?

Of course I think we do our own testing, but it is always nice to have outside testers that we use to back up what we find. I don't use a tester on a scent until it has gone through my own testing process. I don't charge because they have like a five page questionnaire they have to fill out and I truly value their help. Plus they usually end up buying a candle one I add it to my line. There are some candles that I thought I would not carry that I have decided to put in my line due to overwhelming responses from testers. They have gone on to be great selling candles. I realize I have a one track nose and while I try to not let my judgment/preferences get the better of me, sometimes it does; I need my testers to help me think outside of the box.

I have only had two so far this year, but they have both been so below what I did previously last year and the years before. I had a show about three weeks ago. Last year and previous years I had a TON in sales. Each year had gotten progressively better since I started this show about four years ago, so I have to say I was going into this show pretty cocky. This year I made about 65% percent of what I did last year. That'll teach me, huh? This past weekend I did a show where I have ALWAYS done well over $2000. I put pen to paper and this show, I made 55% of that. I know that is still decent, but totally NOT what I have been used to from this show that I have been doing for six years now. I was not just me. All the "regulars" at both of these shows were saying how it was the same for them. There were tons of people, but if you started looking around, no one was carrying bags. I have heard similar from those I know who do other shows around the state. I usually do mostly cash, then an equal amount of checks and CCards with the checks sometimes outweighing the CCards. For the show I did three weeks ago, I had something like 65 CCard transactions and 13 checks. My cash was at a lower ratio too. Same thing this past weekend. I guess people are living more off of cards because of gas prices? Not as much discretionary income? Who knows but I hope it changes!

Alrighty, I am going to feign sugar stupidity. I carry Pink Sugar and have smelled the actual perfume. So I got my Backwoods order today and had ordered a pound of Backwoods Blue to play with; I have never smelled the cologne, though. I was expecting a very masculine scent, but when I smelled it oob, all I could think of was "Hmmm, Pink Sugar." I even asked my hubbin to sniff it without telling him what it was and he said, "That is almost like that one you already have...pink sugar." Now I will say I am SO stopped up because my allergies are going nuts, but it was jus so similar to me, to the point where I am not sure if I can carry both. I also ordered Cuc/mint, Pink Pepperberry (I am guessing on the names because I don't have the oils or website in front of me), Amazingly Graceful and then the Blackberry Blue. I was impressed with all of them! Cannot wait to try them!

You know what...it takes a lot to impress me. Consider me impressed! :highfive:

Ditto. I use overnightprints.com and have been so pleased with them. They do not charge an upload fee like many do. They also offer free u/v coating which gives their cards a very glossy and upscale look. My last order was for 3000 cards (double sided) and I only paid $120 and shipping over $75 is free. They also offer rounded corner business cards (which I don't use) for either free or a very nominal charge.

Oh no way Tart....I am leaving ALLLLL the rubbermaid at home!!

Verrrry nice! I did not look at everything, but I found a few typos on your scent page: Bugandy Midsummer NIght Rose Bouguet I think your site captures just what you are trying to convey: simple elegance.

I think you are doing great on your own! No need to hire someone. I am on an odd browser, but your "buttons" are pretty long and I have to scroll back and forth from left to right to see everything. I also love the front picture and the "about me" picture. The look on the customer's face totally says it all. I do have to agree about the warning on some of scents on the incense, or maybe put them in an "adult only" section that someone has to register in order to see. I guess I just try and think, "What would happen if a mom emailed me because her daughter ran across my page with 'real good p&*sy' on the page and no warning about adult content." In my mind, better to be safe than sorry. JMO.

*whhhhhooooosh* That was me running to pack my bag!

Ahhhh...so this is where the jibbitz stuff was coming from you were telling me about. I would LOVE jibbitz! What would you use for the little base part that pops in the hole? Those little buggers are expensive and I just cannot get enough of them...lol!

Ohhhh...makes me want to pull out my soap stuff and try it. Oh wait, that feeling just left. I am loving the soap stamp! Mucho professional! What does the sweet surrender smell like?