Brad Ford

and there is more...and its bad... http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20080521145247.aspx

It is true wax will be in short supply this fall due to a shortage in paraffin production. Citgo and Marathon will be done refining paraffin by the time the christmas season is upon us. The chinese send their wax to Europe to get a better return. Wax will be tight, but I don't (yet) think we will be in a situation where you can't get wax. I thought I was wrong once before....but I was mistaken.

here is a quick reference for the different types of petroleum based waxes... http://www.clarussp.com/waxes.php

Just something to keep in mind... Soy has been beaten up a good bit as of late...paraffin's turn is just around the corner. Within the last month, two major wax refiners have announced they will cease producing wax products - Citgo and Marathon. When their ability to supply is finally stopped there is going to be a significant shortfall for wax supply. Gone Citgo pounds = 178 million per year - Marathon pounds = 230 million pounds gone. Chinese imports are down 20% YTD and will not likely send enough product to make up the difference. Price is likely rise quickly there after - right in time for Christmas! Supply will be impacted as well - keep on good terms with your supplier! Wax might be hard to come by later this year.

Just so it is clear...this is not some stunt to gin up business. That would be counter productive - i could just sit tight and wait for prices to go up. It appears that some will always few a suppliers motives as suspect. I can''t do anything about that...and don't worry about it. I try to give all my customers enough time to decide what is best for them. The reason I posted is the simple fact that i am concerned about the future of the candle industry - the small to medium size producers in particular. I wonder when the consumer will say - "enough is enough". This increase is going change the game for some people...and it won't be the last. Please keep in mind I have to be careful about how much I say...and I may have said to much already. With that...I am exiting this thread.

with oil @ $100+ per barrel..yes i expect paraffin to keep going up as well. I would be looking at regular increases for at least the next 6 months. Even if it goes down some...the lag time will prevent the wax price from going lower anytime soon. Palm is hard to say. It really depends on the demand for the product overseas. Since its not made here...and the value of our dollar is low...the product is worth more in other places - Europe for example. The chinese paraffin really slowed down last year here in the US, because they could sell the same wax for more money in Europe. But i would guess that palm wax will not go up in price as fast or often as soy. Might be a good short term solution.

...+ China is buying 50% of soybean production...the supply and demand dynamics are in play.

to be clear...the "double" reference was to the old to new contract price. I expect prices to increase $0.10 + per pound - minimum.

Soy/Veggie waxes are at all time highs...you haven't seen anything yet. It will very soon be much worse. My advice...stock up now. The biggest one-time increase I have ever seen is heading down the pike. All the old soy contracts are expiring...the new ones are close to double in price. If you want or need to stay "soy" based...plan accordingly. This is all I can/will say right now.

since when did 25% become the "number"? And who says so? The truth is, there is no "number". It comes down to - do what you need to do to sleep at night.

most any wax paraffin wax can be processed in pastille (bead) form. But there is usually a hefty minimum size requirement. Do you need a specific melt point?

paraffin is not bleached... paraffin has been used in spas as the "hand dip wax" for decades. Some companies might add some die or fragrance, but its just plain 'ole scale wax - FDA approved for direct food contact...nothing to worry about. Liquid paraffin - mineral oil (baby oil) has been used as a laxative for even longer. It is completely inert - if you can drink it...can't be all that bad. Tell your "friend" to stay away from chewing gum, vitamins, medications (pills), butcher counters, make up, lotions, creams, etc....paraffin is far more than fuel for candles.

or maybe - less grey hair! (ie, pulling it out)

12% is too much fragrance in my opinion. Fragrance is THE most complicated chemical-with the greatest variability-of anything that goes into a candle...period. Anything that can be done to keep performance high and FO low will improve the overall performance of the candle and help your wallet. Keep this in mind...once you add "anything" to a wax, you are fundamentally changing the chemical structure and physical properties of the wax. The more FO or other "stuff" that is added the farther you are getting from the original base line. This will make it difficult to maintain consistency since all products are manufactured to a range of specifications. More components=wider specs=increased variability= ??? (fill in the blank)

...and your pills (medication) is coated with it..its in your chewing gum...and on and on...

You might try www.craftlobby.com in Memphis...maybe closer to you for shipping etc. They carry paraffin, soy, and soyblends + fragrances etc. Hope that helps. Brad

Both paraffin and soy are going up. $70 crude & tightening supply(paraffin) and Biofuels (veggie waxes).....Veggie wax prices will continue to rise...just like the oil companies - its worth more as fuel than wax - so they make less wax. Classic supply & Demand.

There are many different kinds of micro wax...they range from low melting (145F) and soft to high melt (200+) and very hard/brittle. The softer products with melt points in 160-175F range are generally used in candle blends. Why? Heat stability, color (creates an opaque finish), fragrance retention (it can perform the same function as vybar - oil binding). You may be using a micro that is not well suited for wax blending.

Amenda Candles 19723 Interstate 30 Benton, AR 72015 a little southwest of little rock on I30.

Craft Lobby in Memphis, TN.

for the record, petrolatum is far more expensive than paraffin or veggie wax. It is used simply because nothing works better. I get a real kick out of reading posts on the "dangers" of petroleum based products. There is hardly anything you touch, use, even eat, that isn't treated, processed, or used as an ingredient with oil in some form. For example, the meat (if you eat it) from the butcher or supermarket - all that stainless steel (tables & equipment) is soaked in mineral oil every night after washing. Food grade mineral oil is at least 99.97% free of carcinogens. Do you think soybean oil treated with bleach (to manufacture soy wax) is completely free of harmful chemicals? There is wax in the gum you are chewing, in the ink from your printer, on the box of frozen food and ice cream, on the yarn of your clothing, coating the medication that is keeping someone alive right now, and on and on. Petroleum is not without faults, but it is hardly the demon it is made out to be. There is nothing on this earth that is more flexible in its use than oil. It is really quite a remarkable substance...but I shouldn't be surprised. After all Mother Earth makes it for us!

www.conniescandles.com

Country Candle - did you get me PM? Brad

CountryCandle - please check PM.