David Fields

Wash them? Not anymore. We got busted by INS for all of the illegals we had working for us who were doing that meaningless task. Seriously, we pour thousands and thousands of jars a year. The jars are out of the cases for only a couple of minutes before they are filled. We have never washed the jars for over ten years of candle making and have never had anyone say anything. Truthfully, it never occurred to us to wash them until about three or four years ago. The drying process would take forever also. Our advice would be not to make mountains out of molehills. We do, however, visually check the jars for visible stuff; then we blow it out.

We've been doing this for over ten years and changed how we donate fifty times over the years. We have had a store in two different cities for six years. We ONLY give to a very, very few organizations we have supported over the years; plus, we give to organizations that our best customers ask us to donate to. We quit giving according to our return on the gift. We still occasionally give to some group if our heart tells us to, but we had to draw a line. We are in a major college town. We get from two to twenty requests a week. There are times when it's per day! Many organizations tell others who gives. It was making us ill. Some of the solicitors even told us that giving would increase our sales by virtue of the advertising and would decrease our sales if we did not give. Of course we did not give to them. We do not believe that donations contribute anything to sales in the form of advertising. Word of mouth about your excellent products, reasonable prices and staying in business a long time are the major sales influences. Give only if your heart says to.

welcome. I am also male. My wife and I have the labor distribution laid out well. I do what she tells me to do, and she is happly. NO NO NO. That was for her when she reads this post. Actually, she is the creative half of our business (I don't do cute. I did mention that I was Male?). I take care of the production half. She does a better job with colors, FO selection and sales. I do a better job with pouring (too much math involved for her ). Anyway, welcome, it's a great hobby.

for coconut: we stir our pots using wooden spoons. They clean off well and after years of use are thoroughly soaked with wax. We clean up with paper towels and go through a roll or two a day. If there is wax that cooled on the inside of the pot, we have a large pot of water heating at all times and simply put the pot in the hot water until the wax melts, then clean it out using the paper towels. HTH

Being in Retail can REALLY play with your emotions....We have been making and selling Candles for about 10.5 years now...have had our Retail Store for about 2 years 8 months....EVERY single year...with or without the Retail Store has always been somewhat of a let-down...From Mid October to End of December ....Seems EVERYONE just HAS to have a Candle....then it dies down...so Please, Do NOT get discouraged. Just remember, you are doing WHAT you love, and that means alot...IT will pick back up!! Candles have been around for 100's of years...and so I don't think they are going anywhere...and You obviously have been doing something RIGHT to have been making them so long. Fly-By-Nighters are usually GONE the first year or two. So PICK you UP and SMILE!!!! :yay: Joyce (David's Wife)

We use two 65 pound direct heat melters and have for going on ten years. They are awesome. We use them simply to melt the wax. We use pour pots and pour in four to six pound batches. FO, additives and color go in after the wax. And then we have to clean out the pot for the next batch. But it is no problem.

We are Heaven Scents Candles.....My Mom pretty much helped us name the Business...she loved Heaven Sent Perfume...and she said our Candles Smelled Heavenly....so Hence the name...and it's proven TRUE....It was Heaven Scent....God has so blessed our business...and we thank Him daily for His wisdom and Guidance in directing our Business.... Joyce & David Heaven Scents Candles (1988) d/b/a The Candle Box (My son-In-Law helped us come up with this name ...as our store is very small...kind of like a Box) loaded with Candles!! College Station, Tx. :yay: :yay: :yay:

I like the "blue-Moon"....I think of exclusive....Like Once in a Blue Moon.... Good luck...and I pray that God blesses the business!!!! Joyce & David The Candle Box Post Oak Mall College Station, Tx.

I am a survivor...so every year...I do a Breast Cancer Candle....it's a 10 Oz. Small Cube...with a Label I had made with the Pink Ribbon on the front. It retails for $11.95. I donate $3.00 of every sale to the Susan G. Koeman...HTH.. Joyce

You gotta learn to read replies and posts with your tongue in your cheek. There are lots of "experts" on board who like to show off what they don't know.

We are in Texas and are also required to ask for address and zipcode when we do not swipe a card (knuckle-buster and telephone order). We input the first four digits of the billing address and the zip. We also record the v-code on the back of the card; this is ESSENTIAL if you are given the wrong address or zip. If the transaction fails with the address/zip, you can try again with the v-code and zip. We also ask for a telephone number in case something goes wrong. Asking your customer for the info is NOT illegal or wrong. It simply protects the cutomer against fraud. We explain all of this to our customers and have never had one balk. Most say they are grateful. You can change the input requirements with your cc processor ... to a point, but this is what is required for the best rates. HTH

We are up 40% 2007 over 2006. We are blessed.

We have had a store front in a mall for three years. We also had a strip center store for five years but closed it a year and a half ago so we could get a life. We do a lot of wholesale and still do a dozen craft shows (the ones we started with ten years ago). Customers calll and email us so much we hate to drop them. Used to have a web site but way too many problems with maintenance and other issues, so we dropped it.

I say SHIP IT...SHIP IT....SHIP IT. We used to allow people to pick - up...well..it got to where ...people would need a Birthday gift..and just want to drop in at all hours to pick up....then when they came...they would spend 30 minutes looking and picking out...and would want to know if we "gift-wrapped"?? GO FIGURE. A Business is a Business...Keep it that way..Professional... JMO Joyce (David's wife)

10 years....we have a Retail Store in College Station, Texas...do it full time David

Your cc processor will supply the imprinter plate when you tell them you have a manual imprinter. The plate contains your merchant ID, business name and address, as I recall. It's kind of standard. We used to use one for years and went through several cc processors. Each processor supplied the plate. HTH

Your cc processor will supply the imprinter plate when you tell them you have a manual imprinter. The plate contains your merchant ID, business name and address, as I recall.

I assume you are talking about Reikes in Dallas. Reikes has different tiers of pricing. Talk with Tom Moore there. He will get you the best pricing that he can. Tell him I sent you. David Fields

We used to do "Home Parties"...and we would give our Hostess 20% of our Sales (minus the Tax)...in Candles of course!! They would earn alot...the more she sold...the MORE she got!! Joyce:laugh2: (David's Wife)

Glad we are not where all of you are. We love the cardboard air fresheners from Bell. We average 10-12 a day at $2.50 each. We sell 2-4 ornies a day, but everyone loves the cardboard ones. Ours also last about two weeks, but our customers don't seem to mind.

I assume you put them in water to either heat the wax or to heat the wax for repours or to clean them? If so, then I will also assume than either the pots or the pot with water in it is aluminum and the other is steel or copper? If so, then you are experiencing a chemical reaction between the two different metals; the softer metal (aluminum) develops pin holes that will eventually leak. Only solution is to use the same materials. HTH

call insurance network of texas in Giddings TX. When we did we got a rate that was half what we were paying plus twice the coverage. They were easy to deal with.

We have an in-line store in a mall and have had for three years. Every year all available spaces fill up with carts/kiosks from Oct througjh Dec. There is always one or two candle/soap setups. Lots of the people pull out before the end of the first month. We see very few of the same people come back each year. The rent is tough. $1800 for Oct, $3000 for Nov and $5000 for Dec plus 10% of gross receipts. Seeing different people try it each year should tell you something. It's tough to sell enough products through a small space and put anything in your pocket after rent and cost of goods. And thats 11 - 14 hours a day (no labor costs). We see some make it who have unique products that no one else has.

We have been selling candles for going on eleven years. Here's what we have found. Have minimums and stick to them. Anyone who is interested in buying your products and reselling them should not even blink at your wholesale minimum. They should have already researched your products ahead of time. Anyone who quibbles over your min will not be a good customer. Over the years we have had hundreds of people who made ONE wholesale purchase and went out of business. A minimum lets retailers mass the products which sells them better. A few candles does not make an impression on customers. Plus, if the retailer is heavily invested in your products, he will push them and display them prominently. Having low or no minimums is like hving very cheap prices on your stuff. If you are not proud of them, why should anyone else be?

Ok...we are searching for a Yan_ _ _ dupe type of the Midsummers' Night...anyone ever found this one?? Thanks Joyce