Dana

The NG White Zinfendel is nice. It smells a little rosey. But I don't think I should use it because now that I have it burning, I can see it interfering with the wine tasting and food. So, I think I will try a vanilla or even unscented and then have candles available to purchase in the wine scents . Never pass up an opportunity to sell some candles!

And another one gone.... another one gone, another one bites the dust! We have to STOP THEM!!

I had a little NG White Zinfendel here, so I poured a tester. Funny when I smelled it I thought hmmmm, that smells like something else I have. Guess what? It smells identical to Bert's Snow Fairy!

Are you currently using glass lids on the 12oz Vibe? If you need those I have many, many square glass lids you could purchase.:smiley2:

I too got "laid off" mutual decision, though. I am doing this full time right now (and them some). Candle business was booming back in November on through. But now I am getting nervous. Should I hang tight until next season or get another part time job....I keep plenty busy just not enough $$ coming in....Those of you doing this full time, what do you do during slow season?

hmmmm, unscented? I was going to try to use this event as a bit of advertising. I am thinking that unscented wouldn't be a good advertisement. The owner will not care one bit if they are scented because he doesn't know much about the whole wine tasting thing. He just sells wine. I know, kinda weird but I THINK something not to strong that the tasters wouldn't complain about...something gentle, maybe? Or do you still think unscented even if the owner won't care?

I never used my card through paypal either (except through Berts a couple weeks ago, 1st time) I was just wondering if you have it as your back up, which I think you have to have w paypal.

I am helping out with a wine tasting for the Chamber of Commerse and of course am making the centerpieces. What scent would you make the candles? I was thinking maybe White Zinfendel from NG or Mulberry Wine.....or should it be more of a "cheese" type scent....or Vanilla which always goes great with food. I don't want the scent of the room to jeopardize the wine tasting! Thanks!

I forgot about Paypal! Have any of you had your card(s) in Paypals database? I have done business with about all of the suppliers listed above and it is so hard to try to narrow it down to just one. I have had this card for years with these suppliers. So have any of you have or have not had any of your card numbers in Paypals data base?

I was just on my paypal account and noticed I did have my business card as a back up payment method.....so they have my cc info! The other cc that I had compromised back in July was our "household" card that was also listed as a back up method with paypal. Sooooo I am wondering if all the other people that had cc compromised all had their business cards in paypal's data base?

Thanks for replying Steve. By weight do you mean actual wax weight? I guess I would like to know the fluid oz. you use for each of those sizes because different waxes will produce different volumes. Does that make sense? Like will it hold 6oz. from a measuring cup?

I am thinking about changing my jars to the status jar. Which size sells best for you? I am stuck between ordering the 8oz. or the 12oz. or both. I currently carry a 5oz. and 10oz. similar jar, and sales are about the same for each size. Also, I was wondering when it says "capacity" 6oz. on the 8oz. size is that filling it only up to about 1/2 inch from the top or all the way to the top? Thanks!

Yes, I know $$ -I love the madison jar!

Me neither. Those of us that have been affected are responding through pm's to islandgirl. She is making a chart to try to find the common thread. I called my cc company today. No unauthorized purchases. So that is good- stopped them in their tracks! They were trying to change my email addy so as to have full access to my account. That is when the cc company called me. Thank goodness.

http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96965 There was another thread on this a couple days ago. I made an error in my post though. It was Mastercard that called me on Sunday not Discover. Who knows who it could be though? I make purchases several times a week with that business card. All the suppliers we talk about here and USPS. Could it be them?

I went to the Columbus Gift Show this past fall. It was ok, but it used to be much bigger. They have moved from what I hear, so make sure you find out where the new location is before you go. Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas...those are the really big ones worth going to!

Yup, Discover card here too on Sunday! That card is my business acct. only too. Could it be someone we all are doing business with?? Can you imagine if 3 of us on here all got calls how many others they had to call? Seems really strange! They called to tell me someone logged onto my account and just updated my contact info??? That doesn't make sense to me though. Why wouldn't they just change it to theirs and make a transaction? It seems mysterious that several of us got these calls on Sunday.....Seems to me like maybe Discover was hacked into and this is a way to put the blame on our virus protection. They were telling me that my computer was hacked and malware must have been installed and that I will have to have a new cc number now. I found a virus on my computer from SCIEC. It is a big glassware company from China. I get emails from them and we were emailing back and forth, so I clicked on the link in their email. Either that gave it to me or once I was on there website. They deny it of course. Said they havn't had a problem in 20 years. Well the infected file found had their website right on it, and Saturday was my first time on that website and that is when they logged into my Discover acct. There is no other way but for malware to be put onto my computer because I have never done any business with them. I am not totally positive it was them messing with my Discover but it sure seems like a coincidence. I make purchases every day with that card and now I have to wait 10 days before I get my new card. What a PITA. This happened to me twice with Discover in as many years and I am still working on clearing one up with Visa. That one was ruled a faud by Paypal and they took care of it, but then the damn Visa company put the charge back on and made a mistake and won't admit it now! Now I have to iron out the problem with them....it was all fixed with paypal and the cc company messed it all up! HOURS and HOURS on the phone. I am fed up with credit cards! It is tough to run a business with out them because they are fast and easy. I NEVER pay interest. I always pay it off every month. Those interest charges are death to a business. Anyway.....do any of you that got the call from Discover do business or get on Sciec's website? Maybe we can figure out who is doing this if Discover can't!

Then why did you ask here? lol.

I did all that JoshK suggested, even private labeled for them..took weeks to design the logo for them, but they were VERY stubborn and wanted to dictate the retail price. I just did not like their attitude. Do you think another candle manufacturer, say Yankee would let you sell their candles higher than their set retail price- no way. They would sit on the shelf because other places sell them for less. If your customer is willing to work with you to find a happy medium that would be great! In my situation though, she was not easy to work with so I said, (in a professional manor) "Hasta la vista, baby!"

I have gone through this exact same scenerio. To make a long story short, I no longer sell to them wholesale. I just couldn't swallow them telling me what my prices would be. If they are to embarassed or feel ashamed that they are marking my product up that high, then that is their problem. Idk, I have always enjoyed giving my customers good value and she wanted me to raise my prices to match what she wanted to sell them for. Well, sorry charlie, but I don't want my candles that high. I will LOOSE customers! Yup, it is tough close to home. Now I have a store 75 miles away, and they mark them whatever they want. I don't care, and they don't care what I sell mine for. It works.

I have not raised my prices in 8 years- since I started this business. I have found ways around it. But now, I am not sure there is anything else I can do.

I should add that I usually use flakes or powder and these dye chips from CS seem to be oily. Are they always like that? They are so oily it has stained the bag they came in. This is my first experience with dye chips so I had nothing to compare them to. I suppose if you started out using them you wouldn't notice because it would all be considered into your formula as you were testing so you would notice really that it was the dye chip making you have to wick up unless you added each ingredient at a time with each test burn (like it should be).

Well, it just makes it so you have to wick up at least one size if not two sizes. I know that it is the dye chips because I have made 5 different scents all both ways with and without the mahogany dye chips. All the ones with the mahogany have to be wicked up. To bad the scent that I tested it in did not need to be......so lesson learned. Test all new dye in EACH fragrance!

I am having some candles come back from a wholesale order that all had CS Mahogany dye chips in the wax. Has anyone else had to wick differently when using this dye? I tested the dye prior and they burned fine. I have eliminated everything else to be the cause and sure enough it's the dye. Never had a problem with this before

Does this type of insurance cover candle makers?