Sherl

If I buy a product to resell I expect to double my money.. otherwise don't even bother.

Hope uploaded pic comes out.. I use apple crates sectioned into thirds with chicken wire. Can put a ton of melts in there. Ususally put 2 or 3 fragrances into each bin.. people love digging through them.

I started to use a 2C pyrex measuring cup and it has worked a lot better than trying to pour several pounds out of a pour pot.

Man, lots of good things with JS.. Ambra de Nepal, Chestnust and Brown Sugar, Mojito cocktail, cinn chai latte, brown sugar pecan, carmalized banana, pumpkin vanilla, orange clementine spice, cinn buns w/icing and I'm sure others I can't think of right now. I called Becky to order some samples with the special.. figured 3 samples.. 30 fo's to try.. we got to talking about this scent and that scent and I broke down and ordered another 10. Order was here next day. 40 Scents to play with.. better get some more jars in here as I'm going to be real busy the next few months.

If it looks like a big yard sale it may not be a place you want to be. People that come to thoses expect to get things real cheap.. Do check out traffic and do people look like they are there to buy. Are they carrying around bags of stuff they bought or just kinda "shopping". What is the quality of other vendors there? Ask other vendors how long they have been going there and are they happy? Would they do it again? How is the promoter? Are they selling well? What do they think of the crowd? I always "shop" a show before I become a vendor and these are the things I look for. Visiting with other vendors is a good way to learn a lot about a show.

There will always be other candle/soap vendors at shows. I have never been to a show where I was the only one in these areas. Good promoters will limit the number in any category and it sometimes takes a few years and some shows to find these promoters. Here in town at the Courthouse after Thanksgiving last year there were 7 other candle makers besides me out of 25 vendors. But I was the only one selling. Have worked hard to have a nice product and at shows I'm always on my feet visiting with people. The others were sitting around looking board. Keep at it and look for ways to get your product out there. I'm in my third year here in OH and I finally have people coming to shows to buy my product. I do the local Farmers Market and am working on developing a base of customers here in town. Lots of info in the archives about marketing. Good luck and keep at it. HUGS

Man, I wouldn't make candles for $.75 to even $2.00 profit. Just too much work for that little money. What happens when a shop wants to buy wholesale? If your customers are shopping on price alone and will go to your competitor if you raise the price then you are not doing enough to make them loyal to you.

I take an imprinter to shows so I can get a copy of the card and a signature. Want to have proof if someone denies anything. Don't get enough cc orders to warrant anything else right now.

I don't like to do craft shows during the summer as most are outside and I like cover, but have gotten involved with our local Farmers Market and done well. Have met a lot of locals [i'm in a small town] and they have gotten so they just call their orders in and stop by the house or have me bring their orders to market. It is a few hours on Saturday and it keeps some working capital in the bank. Another idea and something I've not done is a candle party. Some do very well at these events. If you are slow it might be a good time to develop a web site so you can refer new customers to it for future orders. Or work on brochures.. I never seem to have enough time to get those done for handing out at shows.

I went through a supposedly professional gun.. now have a $40 Wagner and it is a work horse. Better to by quality as what you save in $$ on a cheapie you pay for in time. They will always fail right before a show when you need it most.

How do you all make up large batches of lotion? I'm using a blender and only getting about 16 ounces. Could up it only a bit more with space left in blender. Are there large comercial blenders?

I like the lx's.. found the other smoked on me.

I get them in person and through email. The ones in person I tell them I use a paraffin and leave it at that. If they push it I suggest they go to Hobby Lobby and do some playing around. All said nice and light hearted, never had one push further. Emails are hard.. they can't 'hear' my tone and get upset when I explain they are over stepping bounds with their question.. they get nasty and say I'm rude. Whatever.. still not going to give out company info, even for them to just make a personal candle or two. I spent hundreds just to make a candle or two for myself.. they can do the same. It's nothing personal.. just business.

I love the Ambra de Nepal. The more I burned it, the more enamoured I became with the scent. Sold out of it at the first show I had it so not the only one that likes that scent. Chestnuts and Brown Sugar, Mojito cocktail, Cin Roll w/frosting, Ban Nut Bread are all good sellers for me. The caramel cin latte is another that sells out at the shows.. awsome scent. I'm gradually making JS my main supplier. Love the free samples.. makes testing easier on the pocketbook. I have yet to get a bad oil.. most throw well, then others run you out of the house. Customer service is awsome and I get my order almost the next day.

This is my webhost and they are zencart and oscommerence [2 very nice free carts] compatible. Hard to beat $8.95/month.. gets cheaper if you buy more months at a time http://www.sashbox.net/alf/idevaffiliate.php?id=1259

I have an old food processor that I use. If large the shredder blade makes it nice then the chopper blade gets it a bit finer.

I've done 3 shows this SPring and have found them all to be good. They are ones I have done the last few years and are with good promoters. This last one, the weekend before mothers day, I thought might be not as good as last year and I did more than double. The gas prices did not seem to deter the shoppers. Maybe with all the gloomy feel in the economy they decided to cheer themselves up and shop a bit.. who knows. Again, the show is established and promoted well so that helps, as well as having true crafters and not a lot of junk. This promoter also limits the number in categories so the variety is nice. I decided early on not to do any shows with less than 3000 attendence and I prefer the ones that charge admission.. you seem to get the shoppers at these rather than people just killing time because it is free.

find a craft show close by and you should find several vendors that make jewelry.

I get moisture on mine in the basement and tabs don't stick. Have to warm the jars first to dry the inside.. then they stick fine.

I do.. no reason to wait untill candles are perfect. Jump into soap too!

I have found that people are reluctant to come into the back of the booth, no matter what you have back there. I have shelves down both sides and they start in the front, leaving space towards the back of the booth. Cash stand is in the back with some melts in crates along both sides of the cash stand. I price the melts cheaply to get people to the back and digging around.. creates an energy in the booth that draws more people in.

I have to have stock for craft shows so when an order is placed online, the candle or whatever is ready to go.

I agree.. zencart

I don't wrap mine.. I put them in glass candy jars. They are about 2oz and I sell them for $2 each. Buy 5 and get the 6th free. My bombs hold together fairly well though...

I dropped carrying various sized jars to make both testing and selling easier. I too found most wanted the smaller jars.. so was more cost effective to buy larger quantities of it lowering my cog. ALso, too many decesions and a customer often will leave with out buying anything. Once they like a scent.. here it is.. sold. None of this hemming and hawing about the jar.