SliverOfWax

I have a shop in an antique mall that is on the historic register. My shop is my own. I pay rent and all the money I make belongs to me. It is a store with a locking door, not just a booth or space. I come and go as I please. The mall is open every day but Monday, but I only open my store on weekends. All the stores are independently owned.

I've been there around 6 years, I think. I lose track of time, lol. When I first started there, business was booming, big time. I would sometimes literally have people waiting for me to open in the mornings and have had people chase me down if I left early. Then the economy crashed and one of the biggest vendors in the mall retired. Things kinda fell apart and sales suffered.

One of the other store owners says she goes to her store just to get out of the house and have something to do. I used to snicker at her, but it's gotten that way for me, too. I'm retired from the real world, but I can't just sit on my butt and stare at the TV. I've got to be making something and being creative; my store gives me an outlet even though I know I'll never get rich there.

My biggest complaint is that the precious little advertising the mall owners do is strictly for antiques. Over half the vendors have stuff that isn't in the antique  category.  If I want advertising for my products, I have to do it and pay for it myself. I would suggest if you are considering an antique mall, find out how the owners advertise and make sure you get equal attention.

I'll try again. I only tried copying/pasting the actual url from YouTube. I didn't take time to fool with it. The same video worked on  2 other forums, so I thought maybe YouTubing was disabled here.

I'm way past the age of wanting to fool around with the internet. Typically, if it doesn't work once or if something has drastically changed, I'm outta there. I don't do change well at all. Never have, but now less than ever.

Or is it just me?

Regarding wicks, pick a wick supplier and stick with that supplier. All wicks are not created equal, even though they are the same type and size.

This supplier has a huge array of wicks from which to choose and they are in PA:

http://www.candlewic.com/candle-wicks/default.asp?title=Candle%20Wicks

Back in the olden days before I was doing shows every weekend, I would approach stores with scent list, wholesale price list, and samples. I would go in empty handed and ask to see the buyer. If the buyer had time to talk with me, I would work up a bit of interest and go to my car to get my lists and samples to leave. If the buyer did not have time, I would ask for an appointment.

I would let the buyer know I would be following up to get opinions and recommendations. Asking for recommendations makes the buyer feel in charge of the sale and makes you seem less pushy. I would then follow up weekly or so until I got either a firm yes or firm no.

Always leave a couple of samples. Dress professionally and act respectful. Let them know you really want their business and are willing to work with them. Adjust prices if necessary. Don't go in with your lowest price. Give yourself some leeway. Be willing to do private label and be sure they know you won't do wholesale within a certain radius, say 5 miles, or whatever seems appropriate. Make them feel special.

Make some tarts with them and sell them! Since some of them are a couple years old, you may find the supplier doesn't carry the FO anymore.

That was my first thought.

Or...that the supplier has gone out of business.

Most people call the combo parasoy.

I've made thousands of 8 oz tins. I double wicked. Mostly with HTP 41s, but some oils required 52s. On very rare occasions, such as B&L Peppercorn, I triple wicked. I long ago abandoned parasoy in favor of Comfort Blend, but still double wicked.

Thank you guys I love that bracelet the more I look at it the more I love it.

Me, too.

Nag Champa from NG was one of the very (very) few oils I was happy with from them. The first time I made it, the scent stayed in my drapes, carpet, nose hairs....for a long time.

I found CS's to be a little too sweet.

Since I didn't buy anything else from NG, I migrated to Tony's, which has had so many management changes I'm not sure what it is these days:

http://southerngardenscents.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=18&zenid=qikkicpuf5f3iahsgfgbu94jl0

She sounds like the typical Scentsy rep. Rude, crude, in-you-face. I think that's how Scentsy trains them. Scentsy reps were probably perfectly decent people until Scentsy got hold of them.

I can't stop looking, lol. You are exceedingly creative. And I love your doggie, too.

You make me want to turn my entire store into a Christmas shop, year 'round.

Ooh, my, and the little tree in the thunder mug! And the santas climbing the little ladder...

You should figure out how to decorate a bed pan to accompany the thunder mug.....And a men's urinal thingy? How cute would that be.

I know a guy who makes guitars out of bed pans. They're oh, so cute. I can see one done in Christmas décor.

Very creative stuff. I LOVE the tree in the milk can. I would have decorated the cow, though, rather than make him face the wall. lol.

Lots of stuff there I'd like to have.

Surely there are exceptions for "personal" items. Like underwear, medication, etc, etc. I'm not sure if fragrance oil would fall into that category, but I wouldn't like wearing someone's used panties.

I could have added eucalyptus too. Maybe next time.

I once tried Taylored's straight Cedar with Euc. It was hideous. Thankfully, I didn't make many. I sold them rather quickly because those who liked it LOVED it. But it was truly hideous. I think the Euc was Peak's. By itself, wonderful. And Taylored's Cedar was by far the best, truest Cedar ever. But together............ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Yes, you can. It's for sanitation reasons. You can't resell a bottle with a product that's had someone's runny nose on it. Therefore.....No Returns.

You need to implement the standard "Do Not Judge OOB" and "Buy Samples" nomenclature. And of course "No Returns".

Cedarwood and blending it or even cedar. There's always patchouli to use with it, but what else?

I wonder whatever happened to Mr. Missy. Oh, how I loved his Cedar Patch. One of my all time favorites.

Good luck, and stay warm. I, too, hate, HATE cold.

The thing about craft shows is you won't make sales if you aren't there. Be as many places as you can and haul as much product as you can carry. Then hope for the best.

HTP is the recommended wick for Comfort Blend. If you can get eco to not smoke, you're a miracle worker. My experience has been to give up on a particular container before messing around too much with wicks.

Justsasen, CB is nothing like soy. It is nothing like any other paraffin, in fact. What works in soy is irrelevant.

Ditto all of the above. It's been awhile, but I used to order from them and had zero problems. Nice company.

I always get a tickle out of self-proclaimed holistic people typing words on a forum using keyboards produced from non-holistic OIL byproducts. And what's with the obsession with the word "copy"?

Holistic, Schmolistic!

They look very clean. I'm oh, so partial to candles in tins.

I would like to see them filled a little more. It would keep it from looking like you skimped and ran out of wax.

Other than that, nice.

Oh, and I love, love your puppy.

Just more blah, blah, blah.....same ole story, different day! If there is NO PROOF, then the story is null and void... The EPA is a big overgrown government monster that is wanting to control anything that they can. They can go pound sand in my world.....

Amen, Sista!

I believe a customer has a right to full disclosure. I say that as both a customer, and as a producer of items for others' consumption. If someone wants to try to copy me, I appreciate the flattery. But they may also very well just want to know what they're exposing themselves to. All of us as customers expect to know what is in a package of food; the same should go for craft products.

If you make a quality product with your unique artistry of design & composition, you should have no concern about imitation.

lolol.