blacktieaffair

On Kentucky Bourbon, it's one I've used in melts ( paraffin) It's not DEAD DEAD on , but it's close enough you can tell it's got a strong bourbon note in it. I did like it, but there was something just a tad off from what I was looking for. It might work for you though. I dunno.

On another thread, the discussion about " Do you pour scents you don't like" was going on, and Old Crab said something that made a question pop in my head. Do any of you ever get a little tiffed, that customers demand ( for lack of a better word ) that you carry a scent(s) that are as identical to the big companies... ( like YC types that are duplicates, or this or that ) yet you have to sell them for a lot less. It takes us a lot of time, testing and headaches to find that elusive perfect duplicate, not to mention MONEY ... I know it's the nature of the game for us to have to do that, but I was just curious if sometimes anyone other than me sits there and thinks.. Ok, I've finally found a perfect dupe, but here YC is selling it at 25 bucks a candle and I have to sell it for 10. It usually doesn't bug me too bad, but I remember one month, I got requests for four YC types, 3 designer perfumes, and SEVEN from Scentsy. These came from long time buyers, and it was not just one or two people asking for these scents, it was practically all of them. I just sat there thinking, it would take me around 1000 bucks in testing and time to figure all that out IF I EVEN COULD ! I know you can't even begin to please everyone but at the same time we have to give them at least some of what they want. Sorry, I'm rambling.

Old Crab... you just put a good question in my head. Gonna start another thread with it since I don't want to hijack this one!

( This is said, half way joking and is NOT meant to offend any supplier at all.. it's just me being in a smartazz mood lol ) Sometimes I wonder if the Big Boys have somehow paid off the powers that be in the FO industry, to change the regulations, to where suppliers have had to change their formulations, because some of yall were getting SO good and SO big, you were competition to them ( Yankmess and others ) LOL Again, to the suppliers who read this, it's not directed at you !

Sorry I haven't used that particular wax, but I've been a dedicated die hard 4794 fan since the first pound I ever poured. It just works for me and how I'm needing it to perform.

I transfer my wax into a 4 cup glass measuring cup, then getting down as close as I can, I pour SLOWLY from the middle divider all the way to the top, so it has a complete solid top once set. My wax is , by definition, a two pour ( 4794 votive paraffin ) but if you pour very slowly, IF you get any dips once it's set, they are extremely minimal.

My first suggestion would be : Do a search for suppliers in a three state area of you. While you are learning, it's expensive, and it's easier on your pocket book with shipping, if you can find supplies closest to you. Come back to the boards here, and I'm pretty sure , no matter how obscure the supplier is, SOMEONE on here has used them and can give you some feedback on their products and service. As you grow... then SLOWLY expand your supplier area and start getting some things from different suppliers. It's really easy to jump off in this blindly, and I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say, that while quality of supplies is a main concern, one of the biggest pain in the butt is shipping prices. If you're just starting out, stick with a supplier close to you, work with it, see how you like this business ( it's a hell of a lot more detailed and expensive than most people think) and then slowly expand your suppliers.

" Do you make scents you're not fond of " <sigh> alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the time. I found out that what I like, and what the customers like, is usually at opposite ends of the spectrum and since they are buying them and making me money, I have to give them what THEY want.. not what I want LOL

Too beautiful to burn ! Great Job !

I hate to jump on the thread but I have a question about Peach fo's. Years ago, I was at a huge vendor show, and a local candle maker had a peach candle and I fell in love with it. Not only was it like a true fresh peach, but I swear you could "smell" the fuzz of a peach also. ( yall know what I mean.. I hope.. it's like the difference in some Mac Apples that are really good, then there are some that are so realistic it's shocking.. ) this peach was shocking. Any ideas where to start looking for that type of peach? I couldn't very well ask the guy although I was dying to!

I have no idea, but I'm a nervous person. I'd be afraid to give anyone a straight FO for fear they'd somehow ignite it with their warmer or whatever.

Is this a new brand of MP you are using? Where from and when did you purchase the base and what type exactly is it ? First time using this or any MP? What did you add to it? Have you made any other MP soap out of this same batch that behaved properly? This is all news to me. Never heard of it leaving a white film. Hope you find out what is causing it!

Absolutely stunning ! You do fantastic work!

I've read all of this... and I have to commend you all for trying so hard with this guy. Gotta admit, after reading all the comments, I've laughed til I had tears in my eyes, and been horrified at the same time. Ya'll tried. Over and over... that's all you can do. Well, pray too. I am so fearful for his customers.

I love CS's Love Spell. It's strong and you can safely back down on it a little in 4794. I make it in tarts, lotion, mp, spray, bears and tps. It lasts FOREVER ! Can barely keep it in stock.

Everyone of the above suggestions are really good.. but I took a different approach to it. I was all excited and said " come on ! let me show you... " Then I took them in, and I went into HIGH detail about EVERYTHING ( chemical reactions, wax variances, temp variances, scents and how they act, how dangerous some of it could be to me or the customer, how EXPENSIVE each and every item in there was, and how much insurance is so I make sure I don't get sued because someone used a faulty warmer that caught on fire and tried to blame me even though I had nothing to do with it. ) I got serious with it... all the things we tell the newbies who ask about testing and all the other questions... and I laid it out how hard, detailed, and expensive each and ever item was to make, how many hours upon hours I spent reading boards and searching websites for the perfect price, perfect item, reasonable shipping... When you truly lay it ALL out there.. any ideas they had of starting it up themselves, 9.9 times out of 10 , goes out the door with them !

Can you smell the "tea" in it? or just the cookie? Reason I asked is, I renamed one " Old Fashioned Tea Cakes " and it sold like crazy here in the south. Seems a lot of people still make, love, and remember the kind of plain southern cookie our grandmothers made.

Ditto!

That... is INSANE ! OMGosh I could never use those LOL they are just TOO CUTE !

During these cooler months, a lot of people do like T said... the whipped body butters, and body/salt scrubs get more popular since they "hold up" better in the cooler months than in the heat of summer. You can do variations on the butters and do heavy creams or sugar or salt scrubs for dry skin, flaking, etc.

I guess it just all depends on how bad YOU need the sales and exposure. We can all offer suggestions but in the end, it's what works for you. I'd hate to lower my price for any reason, but if it was the difference in getting a sell for quite a bit of product, and it being a one time thing, and me needing the money bad enough it would hurt if I didn't get the order.. I'd lower it, but that's just me. I guess sometimes I need the money more than the principle. I wish it wasn't like that, but sometimes it is what it is.

LOL uh... Welcome Back Georgia LOL

The " buy X get Y free" ( or at a discount ) is a great idea... and depending on the situation, doing a one time, IN WRITING wholesale price for X amount as long as you are making a little money is a good idea too. Once I was put in a position to sell at a lower price ( slightly ) than I normally went, but it ended up being a good thing in the end. I had it arranged that my contact info, website and phone number was on each item... ( it was wedding favors ) . I ended up getting about 30 sales from that one wedding and I ended up having a REALLY good three months that followed. I made some great friends while chit chatting taking orders, I got four contacts out of it that are waiting for me to get back up and running, and I still get a decent percentage of re-orders from that. ( a lot of them know what happened to the business and call and ask all the time if I'm up and running again yet) so , even though it was a gamble, I made the bride happy, and got some substantial sales out of it !

Justa, I think I can speak for quite a few when I say that we welcome many questions from newbies. We gladly answer them to the best of our ability, but we can usually tell when someone IS truly putting in the effort to research and have some sort of a clue what they are getting into. Heck, even as "not so newbies" we someone ask each other questions that to others, makes them go " well DUH you should have known that LOL ", but to sit there and hear someone say they "don't have time to do the research or testing" ...and then, as you said above, have an "entitled" or combative tone, repeatedly over and over... it just doesn't sit well. When I first read his posts, I was all for helping the guy, even though I don't do candles like he's wanting, I knew that I could offer some advice in other areas that he was touching on, or needed information on.. but his attitude made me just sit back and watch. I started out differently from most, yes yes yes I adore candles and spent a small fortune on them yearly, but for me, this was a business. Not candles, because of all the massive testing involved, the need for relatively quick money ( within the first year or so ) and I couldn't support the money that testing candles/jars/wicks/fos/colors would incur, so I went into doing many different things in this business first, that I could learn, test, perfect, and sale faster. I figured I could give him a little different perspective that yes you CAN start this strictly as a business and make it work, but the need for testing and money and safety involved, could not be skipped no matter how much help you got from the boards. I just don't honestly see any "helping" this , not now.

I've sat here for a week and watched this guy, and I just had this long drawn out comment..... and I deleted it for the simple fact that while I do understand asking many newbie questions, this guy has NO intention of doing a damn thing for himself........ I just pray he doesn't blow himself or someone else up in the process. God be with you Adam, because you definitely need His protection because you are a damn danger to yourself and others.