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Thanks for reposting that Darbla !
I made a copy for my Scent Blends binder, it comes in very handy when I'm looking for ways to use up my stash of oils.

Welcome !

It's been awhile since I've smelled that one, but I do remember it was yummy !
I would just get the oils and blend your own, instead of waiting for someone to possibly dupe. Especially if it's going to require a minimum purchase of that particular oil.
Maybe 40 %  toasted marshmallow,40 % graham cracker ,20 % of a H*****y type chocolate scent as a starting point, then adjust from there.
 You may even like your own blend better than the original !

22 minutes ago, Trappeur said:

Aztec has blackstrap molasses with great reviews.  I've been wanting to get this scent like forever.  Would it be better to do a blend with this or leave it as it is?   It's more like a prim scent which an account I have I think she would love, but I don't know what to do?   Maybe blend with a cookie?

 

Trappeur

It's a good sweet scent for sure !  Perfect for blends or as is .
 

It's comparable to J223, soft & easy to cut and the scent throw H/C is wonderful ❤️
I use it with zinc wicks and get a very clean even burn with good candle maintenance.
Definitely no weird bakery/ shortening smell as with the Joy
 

I've bought the half gallon jars with glass lids from Wally World before. They're in with the kitchen decor and the price wasn't too steep.
I think you'll find what you're looking for there or perhaps Libbey glassware.
Also  http://www.jarstore.com/jar-group/65-oz-2-5-gallon/
 https://www.fillmorecontainer.com/h88904-case1anchor.html
I've even sold a few, special order of course
HTH

@Trappeur
I read through this entire thread late last night and oh my goodness girl 😦
I just wanted you to know how sorry I am that someone would do something like this to you . I don't know you as well as some of the others do on this board, but I can tell that you are a very hard working, helpful and genuine person with lots of integrity.
It really sucks as a small business owner to have someone get you pumped up with what appears to be a promising venture, only to find out that they really didn't have good intentions from the get go.
I agree with the others about karma, it's going to bite them in the a$$ sooner or later. I'm sure that this isn't their first shady deal and probably not their last, that is, until they get sued.

I had a somewhat similar experience several years ago, with a primitive art designer . I had been filling their specialty crocks for their trade shows. After a few orders, they set up another meeting with me to "discuss" some new ideas...as you can guess, that "meeting" was basically them hoping that I would hand over the keys to my kingdom of candle making information.
They wanted a list of my suppliers, wax, wicks, my process ,the whole shebang ! 
I politely told them that if I discussed the details, I would have to kill them 😄

Then I gave them my usual "I'm not telling you crap" run around spiel , e.g.- I have each of my scents custom made for my company , only I have the codes for those scents (lie) , I order my wax, wicks and dyes from the source, not a candle supplier (lie), you get the drift 😉
There was NO WAY in hell I was going to step off of my hard work for them to skip merrily away with 😡
Their grand plan was for me to send my work over to China to have it mass - produced cheaply under a partnership with their company, and all I had to do was wait for the royalty checks to come in the mail....
Needless to say, I declined the offer and we parted ways... they did find someone else to take them up on their offer, but it failed miserably within a year...quantity vs. quality isn't always a great thing.
Just chalk this one up as a life lesson, not a life sentence .
Blessings to you ❤️

 

On 7/25/2018 at 10:21 AM, TallTayl said:

Lists. Lists that can be checked off solve this for me. Prioritize and just do things one item at a time. 

Oh yes, I buy legal pads in bulk just for this purpose.

On 7/25/2018 at 8:08 AM, Candybee said:

I don't stress out that way. For me I get more anxious about the second day of the show. After working hard all day and getting home late I only have a couple hours to gather up and pack what I need to replace what was sold for the next day of the show. And oddly, every show, the last few minutes of driving to the show I get a slight gut wrench in the stomach thinking of unpacking and setting up. I'm not even nervous about the show but it happens all the time. I think its just the anticipation of the workout that's ahead of me.

Same for me, I'm mentally going through everything in my head on the drive. Once I get to my spot and unload, it all seems to disappear. My daughters always helped me at the festivals,but now that they're grown up and working full time jobs, I don't have their help ...I really miss that   

1 hour ago, Jcandleattic said:

In the long run, it's just not worth it. At all. 

You know the saying, Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff? Yeah, that....

Thanks @Jcandleattic  for the reassurance 😊
Everything just kinda jumped on me the other day, mostly because of the major changes with one of my biggest & long time festivals of 17 years.
I'm going to be in a new location with a totally different set up (more stress)...or so I thought.
 It used to be 3 huge, big - top style tents for the vendors + tables provided. Since they've relocated the entire festival, they're only doing 1 large tent for the vendors, too cramped for my liking.
So, I'll be responsible now for my own tent & tables 😟  It's an outdoor show that usually has sketchy weather in the fall (even more stress).
Today I pulled up the vendors map ,and then looked it up on Google Earth, just to have an idea of what I'm getting into come October.
Much to my relief, I'm going to be in a quaint little wooded area instead of an open field like years past ...feeling so much better now 

I do the same festivals,open houses and wholesale orders every year ,but I get so stressed out thinking about everything that's coming my way.
You name it...ALL OF IT !!!
What inventory to take, setting up & tearing down, what displays I'm taking to each show,praying that I have enough inventory,etc.etc.etc.
Oddly enough, once I make my fall shop deliveries and I'm all set up at the first show, all of that stress just disappears 🤔
It's not like it's my first rodeo, I've been doing this for so long. Anyone else feeling this, or is the menopause to blame ?

You can't go wrong with a good old cinnamon !   I've also used orange clove and they smelled wonderful  
There are a few others I've wanted to try, but I'm afraid that I'd ruin a batch of beeswax  

16 hours ago, Hopie said:

Their sale price is just $10 per pound! I have never smelled it before, so I took a chance and ordered one for the upcoming fall sales. Has anyone tried their Pumpkin Spice? I needed to find a new larger jar, so I went there looking for those when I came across the sale price. 

I haven't but I'll definitely place an order. I can always use it as a mixer if it's not that great.
Have you ordered any other scents from them ?

I make my own blend of 50 % Pumpkin Spice 50% Coffee, that sells like crazy ! 

On 6/25/2018 at 10:48 AM, soshiegirl said:

This scent flies off the shelves in the Fall.  It's super strong and long lasting.  I use the one from JS and AH/RE.  

Now I'm curious to place an order with JS & RE...you can never have enough coffee scents 😁

I love their Tobacco Leaf & Amber, Vanilla Oak and Oatmeal Stout... those were a big hit with my customers last season.
Maple Pecan Streusel,Perfect Pumpkin and Pumpkin Lager are really nice too ! 
I better start working on my list  

I will usually make a list of scents that intrigue me , read the reviews then place my order.  I'm more inclined to purchase by the pound when they're bakery, spice or coffee type scents.

That way,if they're not as fabulous as I had hoped, I can still use them as mixers ...more bang for my buck  
Anything floral, herbal or designer I order smaller sizes.

Thankfully, I have a couple candle making buddies in my area that I can do tradesys with  

I've only ordered the craft beer scents-Pumpkin Lager, Oatmeal Stout , Raspberry Porter and Burnt Sugar, everything was amazing in para-soy candles ! 
I'm going to try making some MP soaps for fall , so I've been filling up my cart with stuff for the past couple weeks...  I just haven't submitted the order yet  

Some of the specials and freebies I've tried and liked were -

Granny's Pumpkin Pie -used as a mixer
Blackberry Cobbler-used as a mixer and on it's own , I use as one of my vineyard scents
Birthday Cake-great mixer
Golden Apple-used as a mixer w/ gingerbread
Iced Cookies-used as a mixer
Pine-used as a mixer
Country Clothesline-use on it's own, great clean laundry scent
 

14 hours ago, Hopie said:

Which clove scent do you use, might I ask? I used to use Peak's "Red Clove" in candles years back, but have not bothered to make any in incense. I'd like to put some clove scented incense in the bins 

I use Bittercreek's and The Candle Source, both are super strong and smell like fresh ground cloves

Not at all... They've been in their respected businesses for many years and a few of them are also makers of handcrafted items, so they totally understand.

On 6/5/2018 at 12:51 PM, Shari said:

I keep coffee in a small container on my table at shows so people can clear their passage ways to smell more.   It usually works when they become nose blind from smelling too many fragrances at once.  

I do the same at my shows, because some folks get really crazy huffing candles !
Especially the ones that stick their entire face in the jars 🤣

On 6/16/2018 at 11:40 AM, lightmyfire said:

do you mind sharing what  your terms are with  your wholesale customers?  I have one wholesale customer and they get a 50% discount; after doing research that seemed like the typical arrangement.  They are a fantastic customer-they order consistently and allowed me to expand the offering with melts.  They also pay me upon delivery.

I require a $150.00 opening order, $100.00 for re-orders. I had to set minimums, because in the past I would get a few customers that wanted to "buy wholesale", then would only place a $25.00 order 😡 So frustrating !
I used to offer 50%, but with the increasing costs of supplies, shipping, etc..I'm doing a 40% discount. I've seen a few companies that only offer 25-30 % discounts.
HTH

16 minutes ago, Sebleo said:

I definitely hit the panic button when 2 coworkers told me they wished my melts lasted longer. After playing 20 questions I figured out both left their warmer on 24/7.

Oh yes, I've had those folks as well.
Not everyone's warmer is the same, some have a hotter bulb that'll burn up the scent even faster. 
All you can really do is give them an estimate based on your own personal use , and explain how different warmers may affect  how long a fragrance will last.

Who claims they cannot smell your candle while burning
although it's
A. been one of your top - sellers for years
B.you have tested every possible issue this scent could pose... eg: Clove, wicking, cure time, etc. etc.
C. you personally burn this in your own home and are quite confident in it's performance

That being said, I pulled one from my inventory (same batch- 8 oz. jar) to burn and guess what ?  I can smell it ALL over my house !
The mailman even smelled it up the walkway and complimented on how our home always smells so fabulous   
 So why do we, as makers of fragrant products, always seem to doubt ourselves when something like this happens ? 
Just wondered if I'm the only (crazy) one that hits the panic button over the little things ?

 I know things to consider are room size, drafts, AC / fans and smoking all play a part in the HT, but some folks look at you like you have 3-heads when you explain this to them...kind of the same way when you try to educate them on proper candle maintenance .

I just recently started using them , got mine from CMS.  So far I like the ease of the sheets, compared to my glue gun.
I've only had a few that didn't want to stick, other than that, no issues

14 hours ago, jasondigitized said:

Awesome answer and exactly the inspiration i was looking for. 

Just wanted to add that no matter what type of market is in your area, be true to who you are and whatever your product / style is.
I've encountered some potential clients over the years that have come right out and asked me to blatantly copy my competitor's packaging, etc... Of course I refused, because I don't do business that way, no matter how much money is at stake.
It's very tacky and doesn't say much for one's integrity... I politely suggested they order from that company instead