Kind of a rant

[Lizzy]

I just read a post where a girl selling candles had a customer complain that the wick keeps falling over. I didn't even bother.
Obviously she has not tested all scenarios. Like a power burn. Because we know some people DO NOT trim wicks.
I honestly don't mind helping those who are serious about this craft. If the passion isn't there, there's no sense in trying to educate. 
Hell, I still need help sometimes. The learning never stops and one has to be willing to learn. 

[bfroberts]

On 9/2/2020 at 4:32 PM, Lizzy said:

I just read a post where a girl selling candles had a customer complain that the wick keeps falling over. I didn't even bother.
Obviously she has not tested all scenarios. Like a power burn. Because we know some people DO NOT trim wicks.
I honestly don't mind helping those who are serious about this craft. If the passion isn't there, there's no sense in trying to educate. 
Hell, I still need help sometimes. The learning never stops and one has to be willing to learn. 

I saw that one too.  
I also just saw MULTIPLE posts in groups this morning where MULTIPLE people stated (w/pics) they power burned a candle overnight while they were sleeping...

[Lizzy]

On 9/5/2020 at 9:43 AM, bfroberts said:

I saw that one too.  
I also just saw MULTIPLE posts in groups this morning where MULTIPLE people stated (w/pics) they power burned a candle overnight while they were sleeping...

Yuuuuup! That's enough FB for the day for me! LOL

[KrisS]

We need to pay forward the time and guidance that the chandlers who came before us gave us. The most kind thing we can do is refer new people to the ASTM standards, The National Candle Association, and suggest that they get insurance and explain why.

 

 

[Laura C]

 LMAO, I tell you, some of you are comedians on here. I'm getting so tickled at some of these posts. This is great reading. Along with the humor there is also some wise words. 🕯️ I don't like Facebook for many reasons and try to avoid it but I especially avoid any candle groups after hearing comments on here, LOL.

[wild4waxmelts]

2 hours ago, Laura C said:

 LMAO, I tell you, some of you are comedians on here. I'm getting so tickled at some of these posts. This is great reading. Along with the humor there is also some wise words. 🕯️ I don't like Facebook for many reasons and try to avoid it but I especially avoid any candle groups after hearing comments on here, LOL.

 

2 hours ago, Laura C said:

 LMAO, I tell you, some of you are comedians on here. I'm getting so tickled at some of these posts. This is great reading. Along with the humor there is also some wise words. 🕯️ I don't like Facebook for many reasons and try to avoid it but I especially avoid any candle groups after hearing comments on here, LOL.

 

2 hours ago, Laura C said:

 LMAO, I tell you, some of you are comedians on here. I'm getting so tickled at some of these posts. This is great reading. Along with the humor there is also some wise words. 🕯️ I don't like Facebook for many reasons and try to avoid it but I especially avoid any candle groups after hearing comments on here, LOL.

I hear you! And I'm guilty for some of the unintentional humor...I'm just new to CraftServers and when I read my posts the morning after I posted them, I sometimes have tears rolling down my cheeks from laughter!!! Laughter is the best medicine though, and having been seriously ill since March...I love the laughter!!! This is my first night back online. OH BOY....tomorrow will be fun, re-reading my un-proofread posts LOL!!!!

 

[wild4waxmelts]

On 8/31/2020 at 5:52 PM, birdcharm said:

It seems that there must be a book out entitled, "Learn How To Make Candles in One Day" ... because I think that's a bit of what we're seeing.  I am one of those people who distrust Facebook, so I've never signed on, but I can imagine that it could become annoying to see too many people posting photos with "look what I just made" type of stuff and in the photo there is a candle with a huge wick, off-center, that's been cut with a pair of pinking shears.  I think this rant is funny, although I know it was born out of frustration, we've got to be able to laugh at this stuff.  Yes, we can try to help those who actually want help and are thankful for it, but I've seen where new crafters appear insulted by the help, so then there's that!

 

[Lizzy]

7 hours ago, KrisS said:

We need to pay forward the time and guidance that the chandlers who came before us gave us. The most kind thing we can do is refer new people to the ASTM standards, The National Candle Association, and suggest that they get insurance and explain why.

 

 

Absolutely! I agree and I frequently do. I also refer them here to this forum.
But when you have people not interested in guidelines, and chew you out when offering help, thinking they know everything better just because they made 1 candle that didn't burn the house down, then all of the time and guidance is wasted. I am by no means saying that all newbies are like that but if you see some of the stuff in FB groups....ay ay ay...no bueno...and you can't tell most of them anything....they get offended bc you point out a "flaw" such as a wick that's a half an inch off center or a FO puddle on top of the wax.. Then there's the folks that put crystals and dried flowers on their candles. Yeah. No. Sure it's pretty but the fire hazard is there. The dried flowers can catch fire and crystals can explode sending sharp bits and pieces flying. At least now you see some of them adding a statement to their sales listing for the customer to remove all dried flowers and/or crystals before lighting the candles. But I highly doubt most have insurance in place. 


 

Edited September 16, 2020 by Lizzy

[NightLight]

Reddit is worse. Also as experiment I purchased a candle with stuff on it. I asked the seller don’t put the dried bits on it and they replied we only make candles with the dried herbs. I said it’s a fire hazard. They replied that it won’t catch fire as the herbs get covered in wax 😂. I replied when the candle catches fire I will let you know. 
Doing r and d work.

 

People are making pandemic businesses at home. So between shortages and newbies, there is even more shortage of supplies.

[Karen Ov]

I have seen tons of youtube videos where the title says.."i started a candle business" and they are all in the last 6 months 

[Shari]

People just don't care if they are putting out a quality product.   I'm on another forum and there's a gal there that just started making soap in June.  She's already selling and vamping her batches up larger than what I even make and I've been selling for over 9 plus years now.  I did call her out but she never responded.  But there are many many others telling her what to buy and where etc.     I just can't.   They represent other soapmakers and cost them and myself business because they have no idea what their soap may do.   

 

I see the same type of scenarios for candles.  One just started and asking about labeling already.   

 

I don't mind helping out newbies, but when they think they are ready to sell after a couple months,  help ends.  

Edited September 16, 2020 by Shari

[KrisS]

On 9/16/2020 at 1:38 AM, Lizzy said:

Absolutely! I agree and I frequently do. I also refer them here to this forum.
But when you have people not interested in guidelines, and chew you out when offering help, thinking they know everything better just because they made 1 candle that didn't burn the house down, then all of the time and guidance is wasted. I am by no means saying that all newbies are like that but if you see some of the stuff in FB groups....ay ay ay...no bueno...and you can't tell most of them anything....they get offended bc you point out a "flaw" such as a wick that's a half an inch off center or a FO puddle on top of the wax.. Then there's the folks that put crystals and dried flowers on their candles. Yeah. No. Sure it's pretty but the fire hazard is there. The dried flowers can catch fire and crystals can explode sending sharp bits and pieces flying. At least now you see some of them adding a statement to their sales listing for the customer to remove all dried flowers and/or crystals before lighting the candles. But I highly doubt most have insurance in place. 


 

 

I assumed as much, but I had to say it.   Being informed and choosing to not act often moves things from "oops, home biz, sorry" to willful negligence in the even something negative does occur. It removes their ability to claim they didn't know. That probably seems harsh, but doing things they've been told is  endangering others makes me angry.

 

[MilosCandles]

I like the people that are.. 

 

I am "Launching" next month do I need insurance?   I am "Launching" next month do I need an LLC.   Should I do an LLC vs a Sole Proprietorship?  Ummmm   Before you decide to "Launch" how about you figure out those questions.

 

Or I am "Launching" next week should I use Shopify vs Etsy?  You haven't even chosen a platform to launch on and your are launching?  

 

OR - Help me name my business..

 

OR my favorite one of all time. ALL TIME.   What is your Social Media Page, lets follow each others.   WHY do I care if someone else making and selling candles like me follows me.  I want people who will actually buy my candles following me on social media.  If I wanted 100k followers I would pay a service to have empty accounts follow me.  Maybe next I will respond and say ONLY IF YOU PLAN TO PURCHASE FOLLOW ME..  LOL

 

Or the poor people that can not figure out what 10% FO is.   1oz to 1LBS right?  

 

What is scary is the number of people that have posted pics of their customers candles engulfed in flames or candles that have just exploded.  But not sure if they need insurance or LLC.

 

OHHH and the people that have lived on Amazon for the last 5 years..   Why is shipping so expensive?  I want free shipping.   IS there any good wax on Amazon?

 

 

[MilosCandles]

Ohh and......  (I got myself all fired up thinking.  LOL)

 

The people that post

 

WHAT IS THE BEST....   Wax..     Fragrance Oil...    Supplier....   Seller    

 

Everyone wants to know the "BEST".   Sometimes I want to respond and just say the "The Most Average One is".  LOL

 

 

 

 

[TallTayl]

9 hours ago, MilosCandles said:

I like the people that are.. 

 

I am "Launching" next month do I need insurance?   I am "Launching" next month do I need an LLC.   Should I do an LLC vs a Sole Proprietorship?  Ummmm   Before you decide to "Launch" how about you figure out those questions.

 

Or I am "Launching" next week should I use Shopify vs Etsy?  You haven't even chosen a platform to launch on and your are launching?  

 

OR - Help me name my business..

 

OR my favorite one of all time. ALL TIME.   What is your Social Media Page, lets follow each others.   WHY do I care if someone else making and selling candles like me follows me.  I want people who will actually buy my candles following me on social media.  If I wanted 100k followers I would pay a service to have empty accounts follow me.  Maybe next I will respond and say ONLY IF YOU PLAN TO PURCHASE FOLLOW ME..  LOL

 

Or the poor people that can not figure out what 10% FO is.   1oz to 1LBS right?  

 

What is scary is the number of people that have posted pics of their customers candles engulfed in flames or candles that have just exploded.  But not sure if they need insurance or LLC.

 

OHHH and the people that have lived on Amazon for the last 5 years..   Why is shipping so expensive?  I want free shipping.   IS there any good wax on Amazon?

 

 

Aaaaaaaaammmmeeeeeeeennnnnnn.

whoever started the “launch” craze needs to be flogged. 
so many are using the exact same vessel, wax, fragrance, labels and wick that they are competing against themselves for a market that barely exists for each individual. Depending on the buying power, the exact same 9oz jar will be retailed from $10 to $40 because of the cost to make one, regardless of the related business overhead. 
 

while I am relieved the pricing models have finally gone beyond  double for wholesale and triple for retail, I would honestly like to hear from people who “launched” over the life of the group that actually are still in business. I would also like to hear from those who built it all, but the crowds waving money never came. It usually takes several years to build a stable, profitable business base. One very big thing missing in all of the excitement is marketing, 

 

some of the discussions show fabulous  talent at label design, photography, etc. with the missing piece of marketing they could “launch” into a new space they create for themselves. Something tells me those people who do carve their own piece of the candle pie don’t post much, and end up doing quite well. 
 

@MilosCandlesyou have shared many parts of your journey with us. You persevered and found your brand in epic fashion. That is worthy of many kudos. Hopefully the lesson from readers is not to copy/paste your model to follow in your footsteps, but instead find their own artistic angle that resonates with the market they choose. 
 

my own journey was about to end after year 3. I was packing up my tent and displays from a fair that everyone told me I just had to be at to succeed. It was someone else’s version of success, not mine. I took one last chance at the fantasy venue and my world changed. It took another 3 years to develop branding and build enough of a following to make it a successful venture. It took consistent adaptation to survive then thrive. Nothing happened overnight.
 

anyone can make a “thing”. It takes a clever person to actually sell that thing and make a living.   People buy a piece of the artist who they connect with. If customers just want a candle that smells like something from yankee they will just buy yankee.

[MilosCandles]

41 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

It usually takes several years to build a stable, profitable business base. 

 

The commitment level is like none other.  Multiple times a week I "DRAG" myself down to the basement.  Usually no one else is here.  Just me doing the things that need to be done.  Cause owning your own business is so "Glamorous" and who wouldn't want their own business.

 

OMG, you make candles.. How Fun!!!!   No, No,  I am a gloried factory worker slaving away in my basement hoping I get this order out on time.  After I get 100 Candles ready, I then need to pour 100 candles, and then clean up 100 candles, and then I need to label 100 candles and then I need to package and ship 100 candles.  All while the next 100 have started that same process.

 

OH, You make candles?  I will come help!!!  Fold and Tape these boxes for the next 3 hours.  Thanks LOL

 

Ohh the misconceptions.  LOL

 

 

 

 

 

@MilosCandlesyou have shared many parts of your journey with us. You persevered and found your brand in epic fashion. That is worthy of many kudos. Hopefully the lesson from readers is not to copy/paste your model to follow in your footsteps, but instead find their own artistic angle that resonates with the market they choose

 

Thanks @TallTayl

Edited October 17, 2020 by MilosCandles

[TallTayl]

@MilosCandles you’re exactly right! It is a J.O.B.

 

 I remember when I was learning the craft -I started with soap and then gradually moved to candles - I looked forward to getting into the ingredients morning noon and night. Every batch was different. I was learning.  I was growing.  it was exciting! But then when it became an occupation to cover all the bills,  things changed. It had to.
 

And some days,  you’re absolutely right, standing there dunking taper candles  for eight hours a day while friends are out playing is physically demanding and only part of the job. The business aspect of book keeping 🤮.  But it’s who we are. It’s in our DNA. It takes a very special person to make it.