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Good news, the client didn't hesitate to drop $$ for the fragrance minimums of 6 large (1 pound) candles and 12 small (1/2 pound candles)! So happy. Thanks again!

Alright, I met with client. They placed a wholesale order for $550. Yeah!! Before I even got a chance to ask for payment, they flipped out a credit card and asked if that was alright! Luckily I had my square!

Hello, I have very little experience with wholesale. Only a couple of accounts. One account was a spa. They told me they only did net 30 days. I delivered product with bill. After 30 days still no payment. Long story short, it took nearly 60 days and multiple phonecalls/unanswered emails. Oh, and this was a well-established and busy spa in town. Second account: Accupuncturist ordering 50 or so candles. I asked for (and received) full payment up front, with her order form. I promised delivery (in writing) within two weeks of receiving payment. (Do-able for me because of large batch runs and she ordered limited fragrances). Third account: Going tomorrow to finalize order for this family-owned garden centre. She has indicated to me that she will be ordering in the range of 400-500. She never asked about account due dates. I am meeting her Wed. Should I specify 100% payment due upon her sending me order? Or is this unreasonable? 50% now upon submitting order and 50% due at delivery? I just was so mad with my first wholesale account, chasing them down etc. $300 is not a lot to a big company but it is certainly a lot to me. Please advise. Thanks!

Good luck! Let us know how sales are!

So funky you have been burned or aggravated trying to accomodate special requests? What was the situation in your circumstances? I have only had limited experience wholesaling. Any insigh any of you all share is valuble to me.

Funkymonkey i never thought of it like that. If they have 6 large candles and six small oned they will push it more. They didnt seem at all phased with frag minimums. I just want to be prepared. Having sold at farmers markets i already know which frags are popular vs not. Obviously i wont stear them toward a frag i dont think is a good seller. It is a risk. But they can just keep extras stored in the boxes. They are a nursery. I am sure they cant pick and choose to buy a few plant samples. My candles will last ages in a box.

Well they are a very successful business in town. Big customer traffic etc. On Wed they want me there to put together the order with them and they are supposedly going to finalize etc. They initially were not at all interested but a couple whiffs later and some pitching on my part they did a 180. It does seem a little spare if a busy business only has three large apple harvest candles. I am tempted to listen to funkymonkey. But i am torn bc of the points others brought up. This could be a really lucrative longterm contract. But who knows.

They want both sizes. So in this case, if I did the four fragrances per case, if they ordered Apple Harvest in both sizes, they'd get: 6 8-oz jars of apple harvest (3 pounds of wax) 3 16-oz jars of apple harvest (3 pounds of wax). Would this be totally weird? Wouldn't it make more sense for them to get 6 8-oz jars and 6 16-oz jars of the same fragrance? Sorry to be annoying. This is just stressing me out because usually people just want one size jar. Not two.

Please advise. I have a four case minimum with wholesale accounts. I am meeting with a garden centre on Wednesday. This is the second meeting and they are getting ready to put in their order. Initially, they only wanted 8 oz jars. But now they want 16 oz jars. My fragrance minimum for 8 oz jars is 6. For example, a case of 8 oz jars contains 12 jars. They can select two fragrances per case. Now the garden centre wants to buy the 16 oz apothecary jars. Each case has 12 apothecary jars. I don't want to create headaches for anyone. Is it reasonable to have them split the case with only two fragrances? For example, when ordering a case (12) of 16 oz container candles, they can select two fragrances. Is this too much inventory for them to have? If they order Apple Harvest they'll have 6 apple harvests in the 16 oz size. Should I lower the fragrance minimum for the larger jars? In one batch run, I have two pitchers that comfortably hold 3 lbs of wax EACH (total of 6 lbs). This is where my fragrance minimums came in. (Pitchers can hold more like 4 lbs of wax each but they are messier when they pour.) Please advise. This is stressing me out.

That is a good point. She is doing the labels though herself. I won't even see them. She said she will put my co name in small type. The other alternative is for me to custom print the warning labels at home myself. But that is costly. I am glad I do not have to deal with designing her labels.

A few months ago I had an accupuncturist/holistic practitioner approach me about creating a selection of aromatheraoy style candles for her business. She wanted to private label them. I gave up on her bc I never heard back - untik a few days ago. She put her order in with full payment for 8 oz candles. I told her for wholesale she needed to commit to 4 cases - 48 candles. She readily agreed. I also have fragrance minimums. She is putting the name of my company in small print on the label. But this is more about her. How do you all feel about private labeling? I know that I will not get offshoot sales from this; but sales are sales. She is also going to a national expo and bringing my product there. So who knows. For those if you who private label, any insight for me?

The church is Lutheran so that explains the beer. It was very wholesome family friendly. Did not see any inebriated individuals. It was the first tike they opened it to outside vendors. $20 fee & 5% fee based on sales. I made 265 in sales. Not bad but not great. After fees it will be about $230. I was the only vendor from outside! The food and drink was indoors. I think if food and drink were outdoors there would have been kore lingering and spending. Still it was 2 miles from my house. 8 oz outsold 16 oz. Two best sellers were tied at apple harvest and cinn spice.

I will be a vendor at a fall church oktoberfest. It is outside on main road. This is the first yesr they are having vendors. I had to send in photos etc since the didnt want scentsy type people. I am hoping it will be a busy day. It is a big church with an attractiven outdoor grounds. They wil have pumpkins food beer music hay rides etc and it is family friendly. Fee was 20 and they want 5% sales proceeds which i think is reasonable. I have never done church fairs. What is your experience? Are they generally lucrative or not?

This is one of my best sellers. Didn't have to wick up but I use paper core eco wicks.

Like how much damage? Melting/soft tops or fluorescent yellow candles? I know that living in fl i cannot do outdoors in july and aug. Our indoor farmers market closed which is why i have no alternative. I am worried about rain messing up labels but at least those are replaceable.

Interesting. I also noticed that with the exception of the traditional apothecary jars, yankme is using plastic lids. I have not seen plastic lids selling.. I use glass for my apothecaries and metal for my smaller jars.

Do you sell under a tent/canopy at an outdoor market?

So my husband and i went to yankme to check out their fall fragrances. I make soy and sell soy candles. This was purely just to check out the big guys. Hubby loved the tapered jar pure radiance candles. It is marketed as a soy candle but sales lady says it is 10% soy. Fragrance is good. Hubby wanted glass containers so badly and when we use it up he wants me to refill with soy. This is only for our own personal use. I do not refill glass containers normally for resale. We coughed up $60 for the two candles. They are burning in our livingroom more as a decorative piece. The glass on the jars is nice and thick. Here is what i noticed. Wax is very receeded from jar. Meltpool took 1 1/2 hrs to form. Single wick is a flat thick type. Mushrooming is very noticeable. Scent throw is decent but not great. Considering I am burning 2 candles I would have expected more. Scent is nice. Btw, wax weight is not listed on candle. I had to ask yankme and they were not sure. I estimate 19/20 oz. Years ago when i burned apothecary yankme jars , i believe the scent throw was much better.

Meant to type "invested." I texted this. Sorry.

Hello everyone; I recently had to switch farmers markets and am now at an outdoors market. I incested in a good canopy with a panel that you hang on one side for additional shade. I sell 444 soy candles with fragrance. They are undyed and have no other additives. I only keep one candle fragrance out at one time. The rest are in boxes covered ip. Since we live in Florida I am concerned that the candles are going to turn fluorescent yellow. Does anyone have experience dealing with soy in sunny outdoor markets? Am I being overly concerned? Turnover on candles is pretty good. Msrket runs from 1000-3 pm and i also use side panel. Any advice? Or do you think they will be ok? I do not kind a little melting and some minor colour change but I am paranoid that they will look like a yellow highlighter.

We'll see. When it comes time to reorder Vanilla, maybe instead of making pure vanilla, I'll blend it with something. Second party is confirmed/booked for first weekend of November. Thanks!

I personally do not do games. Just a raffle.

One more thing. Your priciing looks low. $5 for a nearly 7 oz candle. Once you have perfected this up the price. You have to inckude labour and shipping.

You could also have family members help you test candles. Keep it as simpke as possible. One type of jar, one wax etc. Only after it is really solid can you diversify. Plus simpler is cheaper.

I agree with judy and chrisr. I did 1 mill product liability. Frankly there was not much premium difference between a half and one. Also set it up with legal businessnlicensing , llc or sole proprietor or whatever works best. I didnt have a lot of cash flow but the insurance automatically deducts from my business bank acct so i do not have additional fees. Good luck.