sockmonkey

I wouldn't put a warning label on them. For one thing, you're getting second hand information about the situation, not from the person that it actually happened to. For another, you quite simply don't have all of the details. It may not have had anything to do with the jar at all, but it could have been due to faulty circuitry in the warmer causing it to overheat. You don't know how many hours the device had been left on. You don't know how much wax was in the jar at the time it exploded. There could be numerous reasons why it happened. The only thing likely to happen by adding the warning label is that it will kill the sales of your warmers. Unless you can guarantee that your wickless candles will never explode you could be setting yourself up for a lawsuit by recommending that only wickless candles be used. By using that label you are implying that your jars are safe, and since you don't know if the problem lies with the warmer or the jar, if another "explosion" occurs, you're likely to go down along with the manufacturer of either the warmer or the jar if a lawsuit takes place. As a retailer of the warmer you won't be as culpable as the manufacturer, but when you add the warning label that takes things to a different level--at least according to my insurance agent! I know it's scary to hear news that a candle exploded using a warmer that you sold a customer, but I think this was nothing more than an isolated incident. Over the years I've melted many, many Yankee jars on warmer plates, in crocks, and with lamps, keeping turned on often for 8 or more hours a day and I can tell you that I never had one explode on me or develop a crack. The label on Yankee's jar instructs the owner to "only burn in suitable holder, or on plate or other fire and heat resistant surface. Do not place on or near other heat sources. Discontinue use when 1/2" of wax remains, as glass may shatter." Levine's own website shows a photo of a wicked candle in the warmer and it refers to specific candle jar sizes, so I don't think there's any doubt that they expect people to use wicked candles in them. Maybe I overlooked it, but did you contact Levine about it to see what their thoughts are, or if they have had any other reports of similar situations? That's how recalls can get started. If they are not aware of a problem they will continue to sell them to customers like you, who unknowingly sell them to the public. It's just my opinion, but I really think you're overly worried about it based on the information presented here.

Candle warmers were out long before wickless candles were being promoted anywhere. Since they are marketed as a way to avoid smoke and soot, one can assume people will be using wicked candles on them. If they are not supposed to be used with wicked candles, then it is the manufacturer's responsibility to list that on the operating instructions or somewhere on the packaging, if not the unit itself. It could just be a crazy fluke that the jar broke, or maybe the customer didn't follow directions. Did she leave it on the warmer for 2 days without turning it off, or something goofy like that?

Did you visit the print/copy department of Staples or were you just going by packages of paper they had on the floor? If you didn't, you should check them out, even if you don't plan on using their services--they ought to at least have a swatch book, if not full size paper samples of various paper types for you to see and touch.

I think the weight and texture of the paper you choose for your brochures should be determined by the look of your product. If you're selling a country or prim candle, you might get away with using a text weight matte paper, but if you're offering sophisticated high-end candles, an 80# or 100# gloss text paper would be a better option. For receiving a brochure, the paper doesn't matter nearly as much as the design and the content of the brochure. Using fancy paper but having lame content or artwork is a waste of money, time and resources. Having great design and content but using lower quality paper would not be a deal breaker for me.

Why not encourage more sales by offering a FREE 16 oz candle with X amount purchased. Of course you need to make the increase large enough so that it would at least cover the cost of the candle. If you currently sell in minimums of 12 with no problem, you could bump it up to 16 under a special bonus program by offering a free candle, otherwise they can continue to order 12 and not get a free candle. It's not much, but retailers are always looking for free bonuses.

Those look great. Nice job!

Lovely. Very feminine.

Can you explain how they currently calculate what you are owed for the candles they sell? Maybe I overlooked it, but I didn't see that mentioned. It seems as though you gave them approval to sell for whatever they wanted to. Generally, people who sell on consignment set their own prices and recive 60%-90% of the profit. I think 70% is probably the average. Keep in mind that while you think they aren't out any money, only floor space, that they would see things differently. If they have other products that they sell, your products are competing with theirs--items that they do have money invested in and earn higher profit margins on. They also pay the rent, collect tax, pay fees for credit cards, have staff available to sell your product, and put their reputation on the line with their clients when they sell your product. You're benefitting far more from the arrangement than they do. Usually, it's the shop owner who would present a list of "rules," not the other way around, but considering the way the relationship was established and your concern about the way things are going maybe it's time for something. Since it's an informal relationship, why not ask if you can sit down with your contact there and discuss the pricing structure. It's possible that you can learn something from them and the reason for their pricing. Maybe you'll learn that your products are underpriced for a certain market like spas and you really could be selling them wholesale.

You can drop them in individual boxes. Elements had them for sale. http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/Roll-on-Box-White-pr-889.html

I don't see how you could possibly operate a business unless you used a drop shipper since you can't carry a 5lb box. If you're serious about selling candles (for example), you surely would have to order supplies that are going to weigh well over 5 lbs. Do you have a partner or someone else who could assist you with the physical aspect of things like lifting? If you can't carry 5lbs, it seems that would be necessary whether you attempt to sell via internet, consignment, home parties, or wholesale.

Taking a portfolio along is an excellent idea. It will be much more memorable than the dozens of brochures they get every week. Don't even show them the brochure if you can't leave one with them. Having only one brochure might appear kind of unprofessional, and raise questions as to your ability to actually supply candles. In addition to presenting your portfolio, you should provide them with a price list that they can keep, and don't forget to list your website on it. In my opinion, it's best to make an appointment if you can. Not only will the store owner appreciate it, but it might prevent a wasted trip. In many small towns it's common for some independent shops to be closed on Sundays, Mondays, or Wednesdays, and some even close for the winter. Good luck to you. I hope you'll let us know how your trip turns out.

Here's a link that offers instructions on how to make your own glue dots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIkD6kvfDtM&NR=1

Try googling "problems with moneybookers" and "should I use moneybookers" and you'll find various posts regarding issues people have had with them, most commonly a delay in transferring funds and lack of customer service response. I've never used them, and in fact never heard of them before your post, but it appears to me through researching them, as though a lot of online gamblers use them as do people in other countries, where Paypal isn't as predominant.

Jane, it will be difficult for you to find a consignment shop that will cover the cost of your broken or stolen items. I'm pretty sure that you will find just about any consignment shop you rent from will tell you that you are responsible for insuring your goods against loss or damage. The reason being is that they are not the owner of the goods and their insurance company will not reimburse them for a loss on something they do not own themselves. Unless you are selling a lot of very valuable items or have a huge inventory worth a lot of money at that location, for most consignees, it's not worth purchasing insurance because of the deductible you will have to pay, which may open an whole other can of worms if you're manufacturing candles in your home and your insurer doesn't know about it. You might be able to get a rider on your homeowner's policy to cover the rental space, but in reality, unless the consignor's place is in a real crime ridden area, hopefully, you'll only wind up with no more than a couple of broken candles, or a few that go missing in a year, none of which would cover the amount of your deductible, let alone the premium. Of course, the exception to that would be if the building collapses or burns to the ground and you lose everything, but again, if the amount of inventory you stock there would not equal your deductible plus premiums, it's not worth having.

I suppose by now all of the questions you've had have been resolved, so let us know how things turned out. I wanted to comment on a couple of things. In my experience, it's not normal for a consignee to establish pricing for your goods. If you're new to consignment a helpful consignee might tell you if she thinks you're pricing your product too low (or sometimes too high) if she has sold a similar product before and knows what the market will bear, but she will not dictate how much you must sell your products for. Depending on the facility and the type of merchandise, some consignees have rules that will require you to reduce the price on unsold merchandise periodically (this is especially true for bulky items like furniture). The consignee should not determine the price of your product unless they are buying it from you wholesale, in which case it's no longer a consignee/consignor relationship. The issue of price fixing is not applicable to this situation because as a consignor, you are leasing a space, so it's like having your own mini-store where you select the merchandise you set your own prices. An example of price fixing would be if multiple candle vendors in several shops around town got together and decided that they would all sell their candles for the exact same amount, so that consumers would end up having to pay higher prices for their candles.

I like them. Very nice job!

Have you tried soap nuts? I've used them in laundry before, but never on my hair. I found this bit of information about using them for shampoo: Shampoo made from soapnuts is very gentle and allergen-free, and a little goes along way. To make your own soapnuts shampoo, place 8-10 soapnuts in a cotton bag, and tie the drawstring. Fill a saucepan with 3 cups of water, and boil for 12-15 minutes. Saponin is released into the water, creating an excellent natural soap. Remove the soapnut bag, and place the liquid in an empty bottle. Soapnut shampoo is not as thick as standard shampoos, and does not create as much artificial lather. Rest assured, however, that soapnut shampoo will leave your hair clean, naturally. A tip for first-time users: if your hair feels slightly dry after using soapnut shampoo, you may have used too much. Since soapnut shampoo does not produce a lot of lather, it is easy to use too much. Just remember, a little goes a long way. Also, what about waterless shampoo powders? There are recipes you can find to make your own using ingredients like cornstarch, oatmeal powder, baking soda. You could rub some of that on her scalp and then rinse her hair. You might consult with her pediatrician about the possibility of applying essential such as lavender or tea tree oils diluted in a carrier oil, such as jojoba or camillia oils on her scalp to help relieve symptoms of irritation.

I never tried it, but it sounds like it could be a nice blend. Eucalyptus on its own is sometimes too overpowering or medicinal in scent for many people so I can see why she blended orange with it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Check out the classifeds: Vanilla Orchid, Teakwood & Cardamom FO's + others for sale http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87535

I get the best results with using liquid colorants. I use opaque soap, so bleeding would be pretty obvious, and the only time I ever had any was when I used micas. I get my colorants from the Chemistry Store. In the past I got them at a very good price from Craft Lobby, which is now Big River Wholesale. I haven't order from them as BRW--there's just something about the new set up that is unappealing to me now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carrot Cake FO & others For Sale http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87535

Situations like this can turn into nightmares. Not only do you need to charge for your time, but you need to established how much time will be involved, how materials will be supplied and paid for, the results that can be expected (or not expected), and where liability lies with the creation and sale of the product. Dustpuppy mentioned an issue that is likely to come up--who owns rights to the formula. Professional business ethics would require that if you are keeping the formula that you may not sell it, or any creations derived from it that would compete or cause economic harm to the person you created it for. Of course, there should be a clause that states if she ever fails to pay an obligation with you or renigs on any part of the contract that you reserve the right to sell the formula or any products manufactured using the formula to any willing buyer in order to satisfy her debt. By keeping the formula, that would basically guarantee that she will have to keep coming to you to have the product manufactured unless she decides to switch to someone else and start from scratch, or have it reverse engineered. Which is another thing that you can address--prohibit her from having it reverse engineered, or else required her to pay a particular sum in damages. Did that all of that totally scare you away from doing it? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Buy 2 lbs FO, get 1 lb free is on again in the classifieds! http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87535

Sell your catalog to them, and offer credit for the cost of the catalog on their first order, but be sure to specify what your minimum order is. Some supplier websites require a tax id and a telephone number and don't provide any information but give a message indicating that they will be in touch soon with information about wholesale opportunities.

Very impressive. You should be proud of yourself!

Christmas grab bags? They always did well for me. Every bag is guaranteed to be worth a certain amount, but is priced several dollars lower. Word scramble cards? You take the scents of 10 candles in your shop, scramble the letters and your customer figures out what it's supposed to be. If the customer completes the card correctly, they can turn it in for $5 of a $25 purchase. If people aren't any good at it, it encourages them to look at all of your candles to figure it out. Hopefully, they will be sniffing them as well and will decide to buy them. If you hand them out as they enter the store you can make them redeemable only on that day, or you can make them valid through the holiday season.

You won't have any control over whether your customers keep your soap out the shower between uses, or how much they use to generate a lather every time they bathe, so why fret over it? Don't look at it as a negative, look at it as a positive. Instead of using the same old bar for a month, enjoy the variety of using multiple bars in a month.

Have the charges reversed from your credit card. How does he normally ship the oils--USPS, FedEx, or UPS? I would consider it strange for him to ship those three bottles USPS when he normally uses another carrier. I'm a little confused--is he claiming he sent an additional three bottles to you, via USPS, which would be acknowledging that he shorted you the first time? For you to miss out on the oils two times sounds a bit unbelievable and more like he never had the oil to begin with. I'm wondering which oil he shorted you and if other people might also be missing the same oil.