PAgirl89

I'm one who doesn't post a lot, but I visit the boards almost every day. I'm heading into the busy season and it just got busier. I just received a large order for favors for an early November wedding. So on top of craft shows & festivals every Saturday now through December, I got this big order to make wedding favors complete with personalized packaging. My first wedding favor order, so I'm excited!!

I have product in a couple of consignment stores right now. 2 of the shops are on a 25/75 split, 1 shop is on a 30/70 split and the other shop, I pay a monthly space fee and I collect a check of all my sales.

And this is why I don't sell wax melts at shows anymore. Soap is so much easier to sell to the public. I got tired of being asked "will this work in my Scentsy warmer?" DUH! Of course it will. Wax melts in any warmer, just add heat. It makes me wonder sometimes how dense the public really is. Really? *shakes head*

Personally, I would retail the candle for $10 to 11.00 each. Taking your cost of $3.50 x 3 = $10.50. I also agree about your label. My personal preference but on these types of jars, I use a clear gloss label, 1.33 x 4" rectangle label. I'm assuming your cost estimate includes wax cost, jar, label, and ribbon.

I try to stay as local as I can. 45 minutes to an hour is the farthest I will go for a show.

Yep I have a permanent booth in the Barn. Vendors at the Barn get a free space at any of their events. I have candles inside the Barn, so I was going to take my soaps to their craft show in October.

Oh that's right, I saw your post on Facebook (I follow you) that you had a show this weekend. I won't be back to Renninger's until Oct. 5th. I will also be at Leesport's craft show on Oct 12 & 13 (weather permitting). I'll be set up on the hill at Leesport. I am booked every Sat. through November. I would like to do the show at Red Barn in Blandon. I think Liz said she was going to try to make it on Oct. 19.

LOL! Yeah it's not right that she dictates no competition for her products. She has her own shop in town to make $$ from. You should stop down at the market on Saturday and see me. I'm going to call on Friday to reserve a a pavilion space. It opens at 8am.

Yep that's the one! My dad got talking to her at the market while he was sitting at our display and mentioned to her that I made candles and soaps. He mentioned to her that I was going to be setting up a display at Red Barn in Blandon and she said she would stop out at the Barn and check it out. I sent along one of my brochures and a card with my dad and he gave it to her the next time he had seen her at the market. I called her the following week after I set up my booth at Red Barn. We talked a bit about my candles and soaps and I said I'd be interested in setting up a booth at the market, either in the consignment area or in the main part of the market. She gave me some schpeel about the consignment area was just for vintage merchandise and antiques, and that there wasn't a space available in the market for my kind of product. So when I set up a booth at the corn festival in August and got such a nice response from people who were there, and had inquiries about me setting up a booth on Saturdays, I thought I'd give it a try and see how I do. But I would love to get inside the market with a permanent booth.

I know there are a lot of people who attend the flea market who want something for nothing. They like to barter and negotiate price, which is why I wanted to stay away from doing them. Craft shows bring a different kind of crowd. People who are willing to pay for handmade quality compared to flea market bargain shoppers. My one reason for trying this local flea market was because I had inquiries from customers who bought soap from me at this festival then asked if I was at the market every weekend. I had told them no, it was my first time setting up at the market. I was hoping if I set up maybe 1 Saturday a month, I would build some sort of customer base. Honestly, I would love to get a booth inside the farmer's market on a permanent basis, but am having issue with the lady in charge, who also sells soaps, candles, and prim inside the building. If I want to sell there, I will have to be sneaky and sell outside the farmer's market in the flea market area. I thought I'd have a foot in the door because my father has a permanent display inside the building for the last 30 years, but no such luck. So, I gotta sneak in the back door and sell outside the building. HayCreekCandles, were you the one who also tried to get into this particular farmer's market with no luck because of the lady in charge not wanting the competition with her prim business? I know it was someone at this forum who had issue with this same market.

When I started doing the craft shows, I started with selling candles and tarts. The sales were okay with the tarts, but the candles weren't selling. If it weren't for a local general store that stocks my candles, I wouldn't sell candles. I do pretty good at the store with the smaller size candles, wax brittle, and pillars. After that first season of craft shows with candles, I switched to selling soap and have done so much better. I sometimes alternate between soap and candles, but if I take candles, then customers are looking for soap, and I've noticed more demand for the soap, so this season I've stuck to strictly soap & bath/body. With most of the shows I have done are vendor shows and not so much craft shows, there is way too much competition with the candles. One show I did had 5 different companies selling candles & wax products and none of them were handmade, it was all the direct sale type product. I'm hoping the Fall season will be the turn around.

Thanks Candybee. This is the first season that I have booked almost every weekend with a craft/vendor show and have not seen much in sales. Last year was much better, but last year I was doing more CRAFT shows. This year it seems the CRAFT shows are few and far between. These VENDOR shows have taken over. This season has just wore me out and spending on average of $25 a weekend and sales not being more than $40 per show, it's ridiculous. I think next year, I'm going to try this Saturday flea market idea and see what comes of it. I cannot complain of connecting with people at the shows I've done. I've made many contacts for new accounts and such, but immediate sales really have been lousy.

I've noticed this season the craft/vendor shows haven't been all that fruitful compared to last season. Last weekend I set up at a local festival which included a flea market, and I was mixed in with other vendors who were selling vintage, collectibles, and other merchandise. After the show, I totaled up my sales for 6 hours I was sitting there and realized I sold more items that day than I did at the last 5 craft/vendor shows I've done. And the cost of the space was a lot less ($8 for 10x25 space with 2 tables) than what I would pay for a craft/vendor show. I was also asked by many customers if I am set up weekly at the flea market that is held there on Saturdays. Which got me thinking, I have to go where the $$$ is and if it's not at the vendor shows, then maybe flea market/farmer's market type environments are the ticket. For those who sell at flea market/farmer's market type settings, do you have good sales? I'm really getting tired of spending $20-$30 for a table at a vendor show and not making more than that in profit. I should add that I was selling Goat's Milk MP soaps that day at the flea market and not candles. This show season I went with MP soaps and bath/body items instead of candles. TIA

It's a place card holder. You can find them by searching Google for 'place card holders'.

I know this is an old thread but I finally found some bottles with hook ends for shower gels! They are sold by the case or by the dozen. http://www.oshun.ca/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=OSI&Category_Code=PB There is a $100 minimum order.

Yeah CTW has those type warmers. There is no minimum on your purchase, but they do require a tax ID to purchase from them. I order from them quite frequently. http://ctwhomecollection.com/

Every week I have an opportunity to shop a local flea market for glassware, that I then use to create some beautiful candles. These are the latest finds... The set of four glasses I spent $.25 each. The set of 2 were $.50 each.

Thanks for the links! Time to go shopping!

Thanks! I'll have to check into those sites.

I'm looking for a bulk supplier of dried fruit/herbs for simmering potpourri. I haven't found a supplier that carries all that I need for the recipes I have. Any suggestions on a good bulk wholesaler? TIA

Thanks! No, I didn't make the scrubby. I found someone on Etsy who makes & sells them wholesale. I would love to try my hand at crocheting, not sure I'd have the patience, or the time for it.

Thanks everyone! This is my first Pamper Me type show, they are having free massages, manicures, and facials, plus all kinds of vendors, mostly direct sales. Which I hope proves an advantage to me, considering my products are handmade. Can't buy better than homemade.

the bottles are 2 ounce. I got them at SKS.

These are some of the new bath & body gift sets I am selling at upcoming craft shows. I will be participating as a vendor at a Mother's Day/Pamper Me Shopping Event in a couple weeks. Each set includes 1 crocheted bath scrubby 1 scented body wash 1 scented bubble bath 1 unscented organic body lotion 1 small bag of scented spa salts, made with European bath salt