Do you sell your candles?

[pgray1229]

And where? How much do you charge per oz? Do you make several of one scent or different scents? I hope Im not being too nosy, Just trying to get an idea. Thanks!!

[kimmeroo]

Yep...sure do! I have a website and I have a few wholesale accouts and i also do craft shows..soon I will try an ad in the local paper..I have been waiting as I have been doing lots of testing..I should be set by spring!

I sell mine for $1 per ounce! HTH! Oh...I make several scents that's why it's taken me years to test and still testing.

Kimmeroo

[mindy5140]

Do you sell your candles? Yes, I do.

And where? Craft shows, Festivals, Flea Markets, and My House

How much do you charge per oz? I figure out how much it cost me to make the candle x 3. I figure out cost of jar shipping included, wax, wick, FO, dye, label, lid, and my time.

Do you make several of one scent or different scents? I make several scents but then again I have been making and testing candles for over 2 yrs.

I know starting out can be fun and business ideas are running threw your head. But you have come back to reality. Because not only do you have to test each and every single scent that you want to try. Then you have to retest when the season changes to see if you get the same results.

Yes, testing can be time consuming and aggervating. But in the end when you know you have a safe product for your customers it's all worth it.

If you feel the need to sell, get some insurance, and start making Melts (Tarts) they take some testing to but are much safer to make then container candles.

Mindy

[jeniryan]

On the average, how many different scents do you all offer when selling? Do you have set scent lists, customized, add new ones often? - what?

[TxSioux]

I agree w/ Mindy -- you have to know the breakdown of every single item you use to determine your cost ... but that being said, I only use that as a guide to make sure I'm not selling myself short. I'm very fortunate to sell to a high-end clientele & push my price as high as the market will bear. You can always lower your price, but it's a lot of work to barely cover your cost & try to raise your price every time your supplies go higher. Give yourself some wiggle room. As far as scent selection -- start w/ what you can afford & what's popular. It won't be long till you have more fo's on your shelf than you can pour!

Susan.

[mindy5140]

When I first started I offered 8 scents. Mostly bakery because that's what people asked for. Now I offer way to many, and most of them don't sell well. Try not to get the FO buying bug. This yr. I'm cutting my list down to 30 just to make my life a little easier.

So my advice is ask around see what people are buying in your area. Are they into bakery, clean scents, woodsy, relaxing, dupes, or fruity scents. Then start from there.

I will tell you this, my friend makes candles to. We only live 15 min. away from each other. And she sells alot of Passionate kisses, love spell, and Pink sugar. And I on the other hand can't even give those scents away for Free. But my customers in my area perfer bakery and spicy scents.

Good Luck and Have fun,

Mindy

When figuring cost of your candle you also have to see what others are charging in your area. Some areas are cheaper than others. If you see that you can't make a profit with one type of container move on and find a cheaper one that you would be able to sell. I'm lucky for now that my wax is cheap and so are my containers. I also buy in bulk so that helps out alot. I sell my 8 oz containers for $7 and my 12 oz $10. With both of those I'm making a little over 3x my cost.