Crafty1_AJ

Not sure how it would do with high lard charcoal soap recipe since I don't use those much. I'd just say work fast!

Another thought on how some people can sell things so cheaply. Perhaps they are not handmade. Lies abound. Some rack up sales by advertising their products as 100% natural. I'm not here to debate the meaning of that term, but I'm sure we could all agree that most synthetic fragrances are not plucked from trees.

In my soap recipe, BC's does stick. Warning: Even when I soap cool, this one does A. Be advised that you are not likely to get a 5 color swirl in CP.

I use small flat-rate priority boxes from USPS or the #4 box for larger orders, usually. One regular customer gets so many that I have to use a #7 box. LOL

Can you post a pic to help us troubleshoot?

If Etsy had started out with the free shipping model, it would have been a lot easier for us established sellers -- easier than switching gears this late in the game. I'm not bashing either, just stating facts: in order for me to change my model to the free shipping gig and maintain a fair and reasonable profit, I'd have to hike my prices more than 45%. That's going to alienate a lot of my regular customers. (I already raised my candle prices a bit when Etsy recently hiked its fees.) Etsy is forcing those of us who are established to basically choose between our current customer base and potential new customers. Again, not bashing - stating facts calmly. Not ranting here. The other difficulty with this situation is consistent pricing among multiple sales platforms. With my local customer base here in the Midwest, I'm not able to command top end prices. In my off season (I don't do local shows and markets January-March), my regulars often order from my Etsy site. Pretty reasonable to assume they'd be shocked at the price difference if suddenly they had to pay 50% more in the winter months. Changing my business cards and labels to direct them to a new platform is do-able, but time consuming and costly. And those old labels and business cards are already in a lot of hands since I've been selling for many years. Thankfully, not all my Etsy site traffic comes from internal Etsy searches. The bulk of my hits come directly and from sources outside Etsy. When I started selling on the net years ago, I got a lot of international orders as well as domestic. Then as shipping rates skyrocketed, I lost international sales. With continued shipping increases, I eventually lost a lot of orders from the west coast and east coast, where the bulk of the U.S. population lives. Now the majority of my online orders are from the Midwest since shipping is much more reasonable to nearby states. Business climates change. I rode the internet wave for a time, and it was a great ride. Time for a new business model. Local sales have increased, so that's where I'll focus my attention.

Spicy Apples & Peaches. Perfect transition from summery peaches to spicy apple / fall!!

I suspected lavender would be a winner. Thanks! And unscented is growing in popularity. One of my best-selling candles on Amazon is unscented.

A lot of folks here rave about Pumpkin Pecan Waffles. If you do a search on that one, I'm sure multiple threads will pop up! I don't know the supplier, but I have a PPW soy candle from Trapp, and the throw is great. Smells so good.

x2. I don't love making them, but I have customers who buy tons of them, so I happily take their money.

For those of you who sell lotions, what types of scents sell consistently well for you? I'm not asking for specific fragrance names and manufacturers - lol - just general / broad categories. For example, do designer dupes do well for you? Mints? Citrus scents? Herbals? Woodsy scents? Vanillas? etc. Thanks so much in advance for cluing me in!

I test in an average size room. After it's been burning for about half an hour (so that I have a decent melt pool started), I leave the house for a few minutes. Walk back in, and note how far away I was from the candle when I first caught a whiff of the HT. 6 feet away, 8 feet away, etc. Then I have my spouse do the same. If I'm not getting much HT, I try a bit more cure time and/or test-burning in a small room (10x10).

Just a heads up for those of you who are frustrated that Etsy takes a cut of the shipping money. If you are considering Amazon Handmade, they do the same thing. They keep a percentage of not only your sales price, but also shipping money.

Yes, what Candy said!

IMO, yes to #2 and #3.

I don't wait until the wax is quite that firm. I pour when I start to see a film forming on the top surface of the soy wax. I also pour in small batches, which helps. (Usually 5 candles at a time.) If I pour larger batches, the wax is too firm by the end of the batch. I like to pour while the wax is still fluid enough to get an even pour, but as set up as possible without sacrificing fluidity. Oh, and the trick of using a heat gun while pouring? I do that too -- but with lip balms, not candles. LOL

Factor in the Amazon mentality, and e-tail customers increasingly expect free shipping and 2-day delivery, even if you're a small business. If I charge $10 for a candle and $5 for shipping, the customer will choose $15 for the same candle with free shipping, even though the bottom line is the same. It's the "free is better" mentality. I've been testing that theory with local soap sales. I can say "25% off on 4" and sell OK. But when I change to "Buy 3, Get One Free" ... guess what? I sell more bars of soap.

I also cost average.

Another vote for climate controlled. I store mine on shelves in a windowless basement room. Dark is a plus.

I'm with you … crocheting is fun! I knit, too. And dabble in quilting and weaving. The fiber arts are da bomb. Nice scarves!

I slow cool so the wax doesn't shrink too fast and cause sinkholes. As a side benefit, I get good adhesion, which usually stays that way unless the candle is exposed to a big temperature drop, which doesn't happen often. I don't do outdoor shows in super cold weather.

Yes. More wet spots in colder weather. My candle storage area has fairly stable temps, but I do take candles to shows and markets, where temps, if too cold, will cause some wax to pull away from the sides of the jars. That being said, my customers do not complain about wet spots. Ever!

Yes, temp changes are key. Wax expands when hot and contracts when cool.

Agreed. I am a born researcher and love to learn new stuff. Then after I do my homework, I dive in headlong and wholeheartedly into practicing. I work my butt off. We must be twins separated at birth. Except for that whole age difference thing.

Fill a beverage cooler with freshly-poured candles. I have several coolers, and they work great. Most hold 15 square mason jars at a time easily. Fill voids with crumpled newspaper. Nice slow cool, and no fooling around with can covers or towels! Fantastic adhesion.