How much info would you give ??

[valleygrls98]

Lately I have had several customers ask me where I get my oils from and if they can use the perfume roll-ons to make other products. I usually tell them that It wouldn't be a good Idea because I add other oils to the roll ons to make them a good strength for the skin. I can't imagine why they would expect that I would tell them exactly where to get the supplies to duplicate my products !! I am just wondering if the rest of you have people ask you who your suppliers are etc... I guess it just amazes me that people would ask that question Isn't it kinda rude ??

[Crafty1_AJ]

Be truthful -- tell them you get your supplies from all over the place. LOL "I order my supplies online" or some such vague response will work. Or you can just say, "I don't give that information out" with a smile.

[Michi]

I think it's pretty rude, it's like trade secrets, but then again, we all share. :undecided

Try this one on for size, my good friend tells me the other day, "not to be in competition with you or anything, but I'm thinking of selling PLite candles cuz I can get their insurance!"

Uh gee, we live in the same friggin' neighborhood and she's MY customer already, so yep, I'd say she'd be my competition dontcha think????

I seriously don't know what I'd do in that situation though, you could just maybe say you use many different ones, and that you've had to do a ton of testing to get things just "right" and that they are more than welcome to do some googling to find a supplier that works for them.

???

[Monica]

I have had all kinds..how do you make your candles..what wax do you use..where do you get it..do you use only essential oils(yeah that is blueberry cobbler essential oil)

I just say I am sorry I have spent years researching and perfecting my products. That information is a trade secret that I am unwilling to share.

Some understand..some get pissy..I really dont care..I dont walk into the kitchen of my favorite restaurant and ask for the recipes..I expect the same courtesy.

[Patience]

Just say, "I could tell you...but then I'd have to kill you". Hee hee...sorry!

[valleygrls98]

I think it's pretty rude, it's like trade secrets, but then again, we all share. :undecided

???

I think it's diffrent when you guys ask .... most of you already have the suppliers bookmarked it's not like I'm giving you the keys to the Porsche. I tell my customers where to get the oil why in hells bells would they still be my customers ??

[TerriWV]

I have had people ask me that very question. I in turn just say I get them at alot of places. I'm sorry, I'm not giving up anything. I had a person I work with one time ask me my method, what jars, wax, scent, wick, coloring the whole bit. She told me her granddaughter in another state wanted to get into it to open a shop. I simply said, tell her to start researching, that's what I did. Well, if looks could kill, I'd have been dead many times. She replies, (with a snotty attitude) well, she is in another state, and it wouldn't hurt you to tell her what you do, it isn't like she would be competing with you. I in turn said, "like I said, tell her to do some research".

Another co worker once asked me where I got my scents from. Again, (my famous line) I get them all over the place. A few weeks later, her DIL was selling candles...imagine that.

[Guest EMercier]

I always get this question. I then counter with a question of, Do you have patience? This takes a lot of patience and 99.99% of them leave it there. I also go into how it costs a lot. My BF's sister (who never buys and wanted to) wanted me to show her how to make candles. I didn't I suggested jewelry to her. She's never been that kind to me and I'm not sharing a darn thing. That was short lived. If she really wanted to do it, she's do the research and testing and all that good stuff like I did. She's that type of person that's like a little kid. Kids don't think abotu toys until you start playing with them. She didn't think about candles until I started making them. Wish she would get the hint with me graduating college.

[talie]

I also had one of my very close friends ask me if I could teach her how to make candles and the aroma beads. She said that it looked like fun. And when I hesitated she made a point of telling me that she wouldn't sell to anyone around here ( we live in a small town) and that she would only give some out to her friends and family. So that would mean that I would loose customers. Anyway, I ended up by saying no and needless to say, none of her family are customers now. I guess she was mad and told her family not to buy from me. So either way I was destined to loose customers over this one.

[JJCandlesCrafts]

I don't know if some of you that live in more rural areas would be able to pull this off or not, but I've been known to tell people Michaels or the other semi-chain craft store around here. First, that is how I started when I was just making for myself and my soon to be MIL (who was burning about $40 worth of WalMart candles a week, on a fixed income). Anyone with any common sense (and a Michaels nearby) would eventually figure it out, so I don't really think I am giving much up. Secondly, the quality of stuff from there is crap, so... still works out for me. Who knows, if Michaels gets enough people getting supplies from there, maybe I won't have to drive an hour and/or order as much online ;-) lol

[Tess]

Since I have talked to alot of my suppliers via phone and email, I tell my customers that my "friend" makes them for me

[LauraInNY]

I think it really stinks that people are like that. They must think we are really stupid. Yeah, I'm going to teach you how to do this and you're just going to make them for yourself - BULLSH__!! I certainly wouldn't give away any secrets.

I just had a neighbor invite me to a PLite party that she was having this week. Now come on, do ya really think I'm gonna come? She told me I could just come and have a glass of wine if I wanted and not buy anything. Now I have to add that I haven't really talked to her in several months and she had no idea that I was making candles until about 3 weeks ago. I just thought it was funny that I haven't heard from her and then she all of a sudden invites me to a candle party.

You can bet that I'm gonna send over a complimentary package in a couple of days (about a week before her plite order is due in) so she can use mine first and then compare them to the plite ones. Boy does she have a surprise coming...LOL. Irony - About 10 yrs ago I used to sell plite!!

[sudsnwicks]

JJCandlesCrafts, you are right that those of us living in rural areas can't pull this off. We have no Walmart or Michaels anywhere nearby. So, I use Crafty1's answer of "all over the place". Which is true because I have my regular suppliers and then I have backup suppliers. The purpose of the backups is so that if the prices at my regular suppliers go up by a lot, I turn to the backups. I've also been asked what wax do I use. Similarly, I'm vague about it, saying something like "it's a special blend for containers".

[Tara]

I think it really stinks that people are like that. They must think we are really stupid. Yeah, I'm going to teach you how to do this and you're just going to make them for yourself - BULLSH__!! I certainly wouldn't give away any secrets.

I just had a neighbor invite me to a PLite party that she was having this week. Now come on, do ya really think I'm gonna come? She told me I could just come and have a glass of wine if I wanted and not buy anything. Now I have to add that I haven't really talked to her in several months and she had no idea that I was making candles until about 3 weeks ago. I just thought it was funny that I haven't heard from her and then she all of a sudden invites me to a candle party.

You can bet that I'm gonna send over a complimentary package in a couple of days (about a week before her plite order is due in) so she can use mine first and then compare them to the plite ones. Boy does she have a surprise coming...LOL. Irony - About 10 yrs ago I used to sell plite!!

I have a neighbor across the street from that has PL parties all the time and ALWAYS makes sure she sends one her kids over with an invitation. To me it's like a slap in the face. So the last party I turned my SUV around so that all her guests would be able to see the back of my truck which has a huge window decal on there with business name, website, phone # erc.. on it. Heehehee I got 2 orders from it. Bet she won't send her kid over here again.

But back to the question at hand.. I always just say I get my supplies all over the place too and if they ask well how did you make such & such I just say oh I did about 6 mos of research and testing and about a couple thousand dollars later they will just usually interupt me and say oh never mind. Most people think you can just melt some wax and stick a wick in it and be done. They don't realize what all is involved.

[Crafty1_AJ]

When people want you to tell them how you make them, they're missing a huge factor. Learning to make candles, soaps, or bath & body items is best done by DOING. Sure, you can read, research, ask questions ... but let's face it. Experience is the best teacher. There are just no substitutes or short cuts for good ol' trial and error.

[jipow]

I just tell them the truth, that I have a few online suppliers that I buy from in bulk, tell them your wax comes in 55lb boxes at xx amount perr pound and your oil comes in 16oz bottles at xx per oz. (let them think they have to spend some money and they change there mind)

[Bev]

I was selling at a craft fair last fall and a lady stopped by who said she and her mother were wanting to make candles and sell them and wanted to know where I got all my supplies and how hard was it to make candles. My first thought was to tell her to go blow , but I was courteous and told her that I purchase my supplies in bulk from various suppliers and it took years of research and thousands of dollars to perfect my craft, and for that reason I was not willing to divulge my "secrets" to a stranger. :lipsrseal

[Sara]

I don't give out the exact names and places as to where I get my supplies. Like, say you get a Rose FO from Peak. Someone (who makes candles for a hobby or whatever) might say oh my gosh, I love your rose, where do you get it? And then I'd say, I buy my supplies from all over the place. Go look online at (insert name of other supplier's place). They have all kinds of stuff.

If you are really cruel you would give the person the name of the most expensive supplier that you don't use. If you're feeling generous and unthreatened you might send them to one of the better known ones. I figure if someone is determined enough, they're going to end up in a community like this, or some of the other larger ones and eventually find themselves privy to the wide world of suppliers out there anyway. If they aren't really determined and are just playing around for hobby, then a supplier separate from the one I use will suit them fine.

[Crafty1_AJ]

Sometimes I do give the name of my suppliers. For example, when someone asks where I get my candle jars, I tell them the name of the place. The catch is that you have to buy in bulk from them. Got room for a pallet (300 cases) of jars?

I'm so mean ... But I do buy in bulk to save.

[valleygrls98]

Sometimes I do give the name of my suppliers. For example, when someone asks where I get my candle jars, I tell them the name of the place. The catch is that you have to buy in bulk from them. Got room for a pallet (300 cases) of jars?

I'm so mean ... But I do buy in bulk to save.

LOL I though about telling them I would be more than happy to hook them up with the oil at twice the price I paid. I'm thinking that these people don't know what they are doing because the scents in question are carried by very few suppliers but if you google them they pop up. If you are just looking for the scent it's not hard to find. If you are asking me exactly which supplier I preffer now thats rude

[Lorrie]

I have a neighbor across the street from that has PL parties all the time and ALWAYS makes sure she sends one her kids over with an invitation. To me it's like a slap in the face. So the last party I turned my SUV around so that all her guests would be able to see the back of my truck which has a huge window decal on there with business name, website, phone # erc.. on it. Heehehee I got 2 orders from it. Bet she won't send her kid over here again.

:laugh2: Good one! I love that Idea.. Now I just wish I had neighbors~~~

[Candle Man]

I don't give out info but I tell them I sell supplies and I charge them twice the price I pay for them (If they want to pay the price sure I will sell it). But then there are some exclusives such as FO I blend myself of are my best sellers I will not sell.

[shonda]

i don't give details...i get my supplies from all over. my essential oils come from ohio, etc...

it does really irk me that friends and family can't support my little home business. i usually sell it to them at cost anyway...maybe that is my problem.

[damsels_creations]

Kinda reminds me of last year when a gal I know came over just after I got done pouring Rose Bouqet and asked me where I got my scents from.

Told her I had them shipped to me. She said she was wanting to start making candles. Lol, she hasn't been back since then, but I did send her home with a couple of votives. That I had tested.

Also told her that I wasn't ready to sell yet cause I still have alot of testing to do. She did give me a dumbfounded look:confused: . Like geez don't you just melt the wax, scent it, color it, wick it and sell it. She knew I had been making candles for a couple of monthes.

Tammy

[Crafty1_AJ]

I had a guy come up to my booth once and tell me his friend had made a few candles. He proceeded to tell me that, "Anybody can make a candle! Just melt some wax and put a wick in a jar!" I nearly spewed coffee on his glasses!

My response was that it's true. Anybody can make a candle. But not everybody can make a GOOD candle. Still fewer make EXCELLENT ones. LOL