jillie-bean Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 My husband and I have been testing candles for the past 6 months or so. Our friends and family don't understand why we aren't selling yet but we're adamant about safety and quality... so we're worth the wait Anywho, there's a lady 60 miles north who has been selling soy for approx. a year. My Mom went to her a few times because she will fill any container you bring in and charges .98 cents per oz. (Yah, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is...) I kid you not, after burning one Ms. Idiot poured for her, there was a tunnel with 3/4" on the sides. It took a few containers with these same results before Mom came to her senses, but she eventually saw the light.After a mere 6 months of testing, even I know it's impossible to throw a wick and some wax into a random jar and end up with a quality safe jar.What hacks me off is that even my neighbor started singing Ms. Idiots praises. "Oh she'll fill any jar you bring and only charges .xx per ounce!" And we live an hour away from her candle shop! What do y'all think? Am I way off base? Maybe I should be glad she's such a terrible chandler... less competition for me:thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky_CO Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I have ran in to this many times I don't worry about them. But truthfully $0.98 and ounce is kind of on the high side. She is making a killing refilling jars and containers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillie-bean Posted January 25, 2007 Author Share Posted January 25, 2007 Really! Wow, I'd never heard of it prior to this lady. But then again, I do live out in the boondocks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geekrunner Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 She's taking people to the cleaners at 98 cents/oz. I've been charging $1 per oz and that has the cost of glassware figured into it. So she's making about another $1.50 per jar in profit. On top of that, I'd even bet she is only using one size of wick no matter the jar size. She probably bought all her supplies on eBay too geek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logcabinmomma Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Here's one for ya- I DO fill containers for people BUT they have to be fairly straight sided (no big flares) and it's just for people I KNOW. I also charge $1 an ounce for their container because I test it first. I let them know I have a 2 week turnaround so I can pour and test (don't worry about testing for throw since it's in wax and with fragrance and wick types I've already tested). People really like it, even though they could get a different candle from me for the same price that includes the container. Since I'm anal about burns, and people really want their containers it works for me. I also instruct them to wash and dry their container on the heated dry cycle of their dishwasher first. That gets hotter than my soy wax and wick would.I also only do this "small time" and would never offer this (due to the time involved) if I had more to do! It works out well that I can test popular containers on their dime AND I can see what containers people would pick if they had more to choose from, which helps me for purchasing my larger lots of containers. It ends up that I don't make much doing it (due to making at least 2 candles for every 1 I sell lol), but I'm not losing money and I'm gaining lots of experience this way. Just a comment from the other side of the fence! :smiley2: -Kristi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnhorsemom Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 I saw an ad the other day for someone doing soy candles that said they use "unique" jars that they find at places like antique shops etc. Wonder how much testing they do/did since from the sound of things no 2 jars are the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillie-bean Posted January 26, 2007 Author Share Posted January 26, 2007 Always good to hear the other side of the story. It's great the way you do it. I'd do the same for someone like my Mom, but never widescale. I had thought about offering to refill my jars. But who knows!I bought my first supplies off ebay:embarasse but that was just stuff like votive molds/wick pins and stickums. I've since found (thanks to CT) reliable suppliers. And MAYBE *fingers crossed* a supplier a couple of hours from here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 We do not refill glass containers for the general public.The problem with refilling glass containers is that unless you can REALLY trust the person for whom you are refilling the container, you cannot be sure that the glass was not subjected to temperature extremes that may cause it to become weaker and prone to cracking. Glass which has been thermal shocked does not look any different to the naked eye than does one right out of the manufacturer's box! When the candle heats up the glass, the invisible stresses within the glass structure cause it to develop cracks - some can even shatter... If one is refilling glass containers for customers, it would be a real good idea to purchase a polarized glass stressometer to check for unstable areas in the glass (use Google to locate online sources available from stained glass or warm/hot glass suppliers). This only works with transparent glass. Without testing the container first to ensure it is not unstable, one is putting themselves in a position of liability should an accident occur...We refill tins for any of our customers for $1 off the price of that candle if purchased new. This is simply subtracting the container cost (including shipping & handling). Refilling is the same as if they were purchasing a new candle, except for the container cost... refilling for $1 would not compensate us for our time and handling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doris Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I can't imagine filling antique glassware with hot wax and making a candle out of it.One of the vendors is our store makes birdfeeders out of teacups; they're really cute and sell quite well. She came up with the idea of putting a wick and some parrafin in a cup and making candles; some of these cups are fairly old. Anyway, once she was informed by me that there's a little more to candlemaking than throwing a wick and some wax into a container, she lost interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celicagtca Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I also charge 95 cent per oz. for soy on refills, but I also only do refills for people I know. The jars have to be washed and suitable for candles. Any thin jars or jars with very small neck openings do not get poured. I also keep notes on every refill ie, wick size, fragrance load, colour etc., as it makes it easier when they come back for a fill on the same jar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Doris, I live in an antique shopping paradise and when I first got into this, like your friend, I bought many little nice antique glass items to fill. They are all still with me because, coincidentally, I had a Glade candlecup (glass made in China) shatter. This was NOT a refill, but a new candle. Remembering what I know about warm glass settled the issue for me. Although I love some of the projects I see (the little teacups and saucers are absolutely charming) there is no way ANY of us can reasonably ensure that those objects will be able to take the heat of a burning candle. I have no idea what has happened to those objects in their long lives... Best I keep them in the china closet or find a different project in which to utilize them - best to stick to teacup birdfeeders and electric light projects.Another consideration some people forget is how many candles are burned in cold areas... the stress on glass, china, etc. is HUGE because we have a super-warm interior and a super-cold exterior - a surefire recipe for trouble! I know many folks will ignore these considerations and warnings... hope your customers are ultra responsible and very lucky 'cause all it takes is one unhappy experience to "burn" one for a lifetime... not to mention one litigation taking everything you've worked for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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