Bernadette

Forgot to add this is the summertime schedule. The rest of the year I ship Mon-Sat.

In the 11 years I've been shipping, in the summer I only ship Mon-Wed(depending on how far away the location is from me), and only ship priority mail for "normal sized" orders. I live in the desert southwest, and since it gets well over 100 degrees, I can't use pick up either because our mailman comes in the morning and is out all day, including locking up the truck midday for lunch. Yes, I've had some things melt...because the customer didn't have anyone pick up the package and it sat all day in the hot sun. (I always send an email to the customer reminding them that these are wax and should not be left in hot, sunny locations all day due to possible melting). Those customers that are on the lookout for their packages and have some common sense, I've never had a problem with their orders. :tiptoe:

I don't think this is going to be my day.... I'm pouring floaters for a wedding. Have the molds lined up. Poured one, set the pot down for a second to do something else, swung back and somehow put my ring finger right in the poured mold! Ouch! Luckily, I was right next to the sink, so I VERY quickly washed all the wax off. Less than 3 seconds for the whole incident. Doesn't burn, skin isn't red or anything. Considering myself very lucky, but almost afraid to continue after that. In almost 14 years have never done anything so stupid!:tiptoe:

They look great! How tall are they?

All of my customers that have Scentsy warmers use 40 watts with my wax and love it no problems.

alycia22, so how long do they have them turned on? My potential customers leave theirs on continually, but they do not get hot with the 25 watt bulb. Does the bowl get hot using the 40 watt bulb? I know the warmers I have from years gone by are smaller and the 25 watt bulb in those makes the warmer extremely hot after a few hours. They came with warnings not to leave them unattended, and not to leave them on for more than a few hours.:tiptoe:

You need to put a 40 watt in a Scentsy warmer and a few with OBI they come 25 watts you need a higher watt for larger ceramic warmers.

But you see, that's the problem. The people I know that want to use tarts other than Scentsy, want to be able to leave the burner turned on continually. With a 40 watt bulb, the burner gets hot afer awhile. It doesn't with the 25 watt. They do admit that the Scentsy melts only last for a few hours though.

It seems to me that that's what made Scentsy grow as fast as they did. Their burners are cute and beautiful for a nightlight, that's safe to leave on for a loooonnnnnggg time, AND you have to buy LOTS of tarts to be able to get continual fragrance. The temp is so low, that even after being lit for hour after hour, you can still pick up the bowl while it's on, empty and insert more tarts. They came up with an idea that's hard to duplicate.:tiptoe:

I do alot of weddings out of town/out of country, only via the internet. Problems:

1. I take close up pics so potential customers can see product detail. Even with a quater, ruler, whatever in the pic for prospective, they still think it's bigger than it is because the item is enlarged.

2. Every item has the dimensions of the item at the beginning of the description. Do they read it? Guess not because alot write and ask. When I write them back and give them the detail and tell them it's in the description, they always apologize and say they somehow missed that.

Your best customers will be the ones that call and talk to you personally before they place an order, or have been at a function where your items were used and have personal experience with them before they purchase their own. It's a slippery slope...:tiptoe:

I know these things are really popular, so thought I'd let you know if you don't already.:tiptoe:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/video/sony-playstation-hackers-network-games-ps3-13466450

...Think again! There was a horrific home fire here today. $275,000.00 in damage. Cause: A lit scented candle in an upstairs closet, unattended!!! A great reminder to make sure and have safety labels on products. Unfortunately, there are still consumers with no common sense.:tiptoe: Thank God no one was hurt.

For your info, 6 years ago I bought some of the Yaley wax and the zinc core wicks in small, medium and large, to test. As an "aside", if you bought the slab of paraffin at the craft store I hope you were making a pillar candle and not a container because that wax is not for containers and if you use it for such, it will come loose from the side of the glass with minimal handling. Anyway, if you power burn while testing, you will notice that those wicks will mushroom bad. Most customers will not trim their wicks, and the wicks can really get ugly if they don't. I also tried some self trimming wicks with this wax and they really turned out nice. Just for info...

I didn't think you were lying about the store...just wanted to caution you about having a tried and true product first, as well as license and insurance.:tiptoe:

Someone is interested in selling my candles in her store but I have been coming across some problems with the candles. First I found out that I need thicker wick or put two in a container. So I fixed that...Now the lady told me that my candles don't give out any scents although I put more then enough scent in it. Can someone help me because I'm absolutely lost here! Are there certain online stores that you prefer or like where the scents work?? Please I really need some feedback!!

Good Morning. I posted in your first thread, but I don't think you saw it... On 4/15/11 you stated that you just recently started candlemaking and had already sold 3. Now a lady wants to sell your candles in her store? As I mentioned in your other thread, I'm not trying to be mean, but it takes a long time and lots of testing of different materials - burning candles all the way to the bottom - before you have a safe, quality product. Then if you want to sell, you definitely need insurance, a business license, etc. or you could find yourself in real economic trouble. If it were as easy as going to the craft store and purchasing all your supplies there and melting, pouring, and selling right away, there'd be a trillion candlemakers out there. Many people think candlemaking is a get rich quick business, but it isn't. It takes alot of patience, research, testing, time, and a good deal of cash. It's very hard to be patient and slow down when you first start out and are so enthusiastic, believe me I know. I hope you will take this as constructive advice.

I should add...this birch bark pattern is amazing. When you look at the candles or dishware, you can't believe they aren't the real thing. Although Dept 56 is in Eden Prairie, MN, all the birch bark pattern pieces, including the candles, were made in Japan. They did an excellent job. Certain pieces in the dishware now sell for over $500.00, so I'm not surprised that these candles have reached a new height....maybe!

WOW. I just bought a faux bois candle mold, and im planning on making more because the faux bois thing is very on trend.. i cant believe they are selling for that much on ebay. Those are really beautiful though, hand painted?

Yes, they are handpainted.

Yes, I think so too. What I can't believe is that I paid $7.00 for them, and in this auction they're already at $112.50 - with over 6 days left to go!!!

Right before Christmas, I bought a pair of retired Dept 56 birch bark tapers for our dining room table at our cottage in the mountains. Just for show. I also collect the Dept 56 birch bark dishes, so they go well... Anyway, I bought the tapers new in original box for $7.00.

Then today, I saw these on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200601331425&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Nobody better ever light mine! I'll kill them at these prices!!!:tiptoe:

I have recently had a request from a customer to make her unity candle and two palm wax tapers for her wedding in October. I have worked with palm wax for several years and make pillars and tarts, but I have never made a palm wax taper. To ensure that the crystalline formation forms properly, I am planning to use a taper mold rather then dipping the candles.

Has anyone ever made a taper with palm wax, and if so - do you have any advice? And also any suggestions of what type of wick for a palm wax taper would be best? I am looking at making 1 x 12" tapers - if palm wax can be made into tapers.

I don't make palm candles, so I just have to ask...since wedding candles are usually white, will the pattern show?

My soy melts have never foamed up. I wonder what he has mixed in to do that?

I don't know about soy but when I first started testing gelmelts, if you "overloaded" them with fragrance(this was on a tealight melter) they would fizz and pop, kinda like the sound of bacon in a fry pan. :laugh2:If you kept up melting them, eventually the fragrance would burn off. And before anyone says anything, those were first attempts, and I was testing to see if the actual fragrance load was what I was told it was. I was as skeptical 13 years ago as I am today.

All I can think is that they're using too much fragrance.:tiptoe:

That is an OLD gel making story, or the reposting of it. When there were gel candle boards back 6-7 years ago, this story was a big deal, and the two people you see them thanking in the () at the end were members of one board I belonged to that couldn't stand it and actually contacted them to tell them how unsafe those candles were. Unfortunately, I still see candles like these for sale on the internet, and even in one grocery store here in town.

Hi everyone,

This is my first time in my life that I join a candle forum:cheesy2: I recently took up candle making as I was without a job for a while. I brought three of my candles to a store where a friend of mine works and they were sold in 15 minutes time. It was then that I decided to join a forum so I can learn more about the candle making.

With that said, I would like to know how you measure how much candle wax you need to make a certain candle!

Welcome to the Board! Please don't take this wrong, but you recently took up candle making and have already sold 3? Have you tested them from beginning to end? Do you have insurance? I'm surprised no one else commented on this. I hope you are not selling without a tried and true process and insurance. It's hard to wait to sell in these economic times, but you could be opening the door to economic disaster if you're not careful. That said, I wish you much success. I know you will learn alot here.:smiley2:

Just heard on ABC News of a candle recall. 7,000,000 tealights by Chesapeake Bay and Modern Lights, sold at Walmart and somewhere else I couldn't catch, because the clear plastic container they're in can catch on fire!:tiptoe:

I never should have started the original post with what else was on the page. Not at all interested in starting that debate again.:tiptoe:

Here are the questions:

1. The "about soy" page stated that soy is more expensive than paraffin? Really? I don't make soy so I don't know, but the last time I looked it was alot less expensive than paraffin.

2. White spots on the sides and top of soy candles guarantee you're purchasing an all soy candle? Really? Or is this like the thread awhile back where candle sites were saying that a "mushrooming wick assures that the maximum fragrance load was used" (implying that a mushroom should be there because they couldn't get it to stop mushrooming).

Hey guys, as I stated in my original post, their about soy page started out with all the #$%^ we've heard about the paraffin vs. soy debate for years. I heard it too...before I decided I was going into the paraffin candles ~ and that was over 11 years ago now. I agree. Sooting is a factor of wicking, fragrance, etc., NOT the wax. I wasn't trying to start that debate again.:tiptoe:

What I was looking for was if soy wax costs more than paraffin, and if white spots on the sides and top of a candle definitely proves it's a 100% soy candle. This is now one of two sites I've read this on. Just asking because I have no interest in soy and since I don't buy that wax or make those types of candles have no idea if those two points are true.

I don't make soy candles, so I just had to come here and ask. I just visited a new website for soy candles which stated all the stuff we've all heard over and over - how paraffin has very harmful carcinogens, leaves your wall gray/black with soot, etc. But there were a couple of things on their "about soy" page that put a question mark in my head.

First they said that soy was more expensive than paraffin, but burned longer, so it was a great value. Second, they said that all soy candles have white spots on the jar sides and wax tops, which is "normal", AND assures you that you are buying a true soy candle. Are these two statements true? I didn't think so...:tiptoe:

Dana, you said you live in a small town... I'm presuming then that you must know a great many of the people that have purchased your candles. Perhaps via a mailing, or maybe by phone, you need to let them know that you are not selling candles at the florist any longer and that any candle they buy there will not be yours. Tell them to call you(or whatever other method you would prefer, such as a website) and they can still purchase your great candles at your great price. Oh, and BTW, please spread the word! This may be a blessing in disguise.

I only sell on the internet. Way back when, I only sold on eBay. When I decided to leave eBay, I set up a website, and then sent an email to every customer I had ever had on eBay(approx. 1000) letting them know about my website. I was afraid my business was going to suffer badly without the eBay exposure, but they followed me to the website, and thru word of mouth, I got tons of other customers. Being on the web, they could recommend me to their relatives and friends in other cities/states. My business actually grew. This could be another, better door opening for you...:tiptoe:

Your figures is not quite right unless you are getting 6 clamshells for .20 if you are getting them for that I want to know where. LOL Is that .01 per label cost if so you need to have that at .06 for labels same with the dye if that is the case. I figured it under the numbers you gave but corrected for the clamshell.

.51 wax and FO .20 clamshell .01 label .01 dye, Clamshell cost for you would be .73

My cost is .91 but I do not get 6 out of a pound I get 6 out of 18 oz. wax FO combo. My clams hold right at 3 oz. I also add .05 for overhead such as electricity and use of equipment.

In looking at this thread and other costing threads, I've noticed no one ever puts in their labor...is this part of the 2 - 2.5 x(wholesale cost)? If so, do you ever make a profit? Just wondering...