If all you had was $300 for some supplies...

[joyofsoycandle]

and you want to try to stock up as much as $300 can allow...lol....what would you get? I know it isnt alot, but im starting out again...small. lol, and Ive just been buying the minimums to get things tested. i was thinking of a case of wax, and a bunch of 4 ounce sized oils in the ones ive tested, and jars, warning labels. What do you all think.

[Tess]

and you want to try to stock up as much as $300 can allow...lol....what would you get? I know it isnt alot, but im starting out again...small. lol, and Ive just been buying the minimums to get things tested. i was thinking of a case of wax, and a bunch of 4 ounce sized oils in the ones ive tested, and jars, warning labels. What do you all think.

Sounds good to me. You should keep an eye out in the classifieds and co-ops to save even more.

[KMommy]

Well, if it were me I would definitely start with a case of wax. One thing to keep in mind to add into your budget is shipping cost. I have discovered that many suppliers have increased the shipping charges recently. If your going to be odering wax from one supplier, different FO's from various suppliers, wicks from someone else... you get the point. The shipping charges alone can take a hunk out of your budget. Now add that shipping back into your budget for possibly a second time if you find a FO in the sample size that you like and want to re-order in a larger size to make more candles.

I would definitely purchase a presto pot. I payed around 20.00 at Walmart for mine. I don't know how I ever lived without it. Cut work time by at least half.

I am sure you will get more suggestions but that's where I would start. Good luck!

[Bev]

I would buy a case of wax, some 4 oz. FO's, and a sample pack of wicks, all from the same supplier, if possible, to save on shipping. I'd try to get my jars locally if I could, and would purchase ink and labels for my printer and print my own warning labels. $300 sure wouldn't get everything I'd want, that's for sure.

[joyofsoycandle]

Well i got them tested and am happy with them, however I just have to finish up testing scents. But yeah $300 isnt alot lol. But I have to start out slow this time. Yes I think I will get a new printer cartridge, mines out of ink. I just love how cute the labels are that are premade ya know. I dont know how to do all that, sure are expensive buying premade though. And yes shipping takes a hunk! Um jars, i am not having luck with which is why I was going to order the jjs from bcn with some rustic and pewter lids. I have done my testing in the 8 oz jjs. Plus the only thing available to me locally is those jars at walmart, which dont have lids. They dont have jjs cause the farmers take em all lol. I guess i could go to the quad cities from time to time and stock up on jars out there. Im sure the walmart there would have them, or a grocery store or something. I can get the wax i use, any additives, and warning labels at BCN. But oils i get are at three different places. And wicks too. I hate that you cant get everything in one place lol. UGH! lol

[Kaybee23]

I would try to order from as few places as possible, to save on shipping. I would order a case of wax, wicks, and probably 4 oz bottles of FO’s of the ones you like; to start with. FO’s are definitely cheaper per ounce, the more you buy. So once you decide which ones you want to carry, I would buy the bigger bottles. Jars you can also find at hardware stores like a Truevalue or Ace Hardware. Try to get as much locally as possible. There are a few suppliers in Illinois that maybe you could get a few of your things from.

[The_Dallas_Texas_Dean]

I have found that wicks vary from supplier to supplier even though they say they are the same size etc. You may want to add dyes if you are going to color your candles. You could get the primary colors and mix.

[andrealh1975]

Case of wax, FO's - 4oz or larger, dye chips, wicks. If you can get your jars from somewhere local like AC Moore or Michaels, I would suggest that to save on shipping.

[joyofsoycandle]

there a little farm store/hardware type store here, maybe they might have some canning jars, might have to check that out. =)

[KMommy]

I don't know if you have a Big Lots near but they usually have a ton of jelly/canning jars sold by the case. Kroger grocery store also had some but they were more expensive. I agree that wicks can vary from one supplier to the next so I would stick with one company for those. You may want to consider purchasing more than one sample pack. When I tested with the sample packs I always ran out of the mid. size - never had enough in one pack to complete my testing. I would have to order more and once again the shipping cost comes in. You would think a pack or two of wicks woudn't cost that much but alot of suppliers won't ship regular mail. It hardly seems worth the cost to pay for a pack of wicks sent UPS:tongue2: You may want to get the stickies for the bottom of the wick.

Take the cost of your ink cartridge into consideration. Mine cost around 70.00 for color/black ink. If your doing alot of labels or graphics that can run out pretty quick. It's funny how the printer doesn't cost much more than cartridge. I could have gotten a really nice printer that I liked for 119.00.

300.00 should get you started!

[joyofsoycandle]

Im not new to this, im just new to soy...and ive got my 8 oz jelly jars, votives and tarts all tested. So I dont need sample packs of wicks. I just need to finish testing the rest of my scents. I do have supplies, just not alot because i gave away over $4,000 worth of supplies when i left alaska. Its a long story! lol. So, now i have to start over. And i took a break for a while. So now im just starting over and have a lot more limited budget than i had the first time. So I was just wanting opinions on what you all would spend the $300 on if you need to start stocking up a little with a limited budget.

Anyway I think i may just order labels. Its so much easier, doesnt take any of my time having to figure out how to design labels. And that type of thing. Plus there is a lady at the hospital gift shop who wants to put my candles in there, so im going to go meet with her tomorrow. And I have the candles ready, just not the look of them perfected, meaning....i want some rustic or pewter type lids for the jars rather than just the lids that come with the jj's. And I want some cute labels. I just dont know where to get everything lol.

But i think i will get a case of the ezsoy, because now that i realize its the same as ky puresoy i will just get it at bcn since its cheaper to ship. I also need packaging for the tarts and votives. Just cellos i think for the votives, to package at least 2 in a bag. And i tie them with jute. And for tarts I want some of those 3x3 or 3x4 ziplocks to put single tarts in. I have some cello bags i got off the classifieds that i can put 6 tarts in or 2 votives. And i like those. I think they are like 2.5 inches wide by 7.5 inches tall, and gusseted.

Ive been getting all my oils from the candle source and indiana candle supply. i want to try other places too though lol. Anyway thanks for the input. If yall have any info as to where to get what please let me know, thanks! Oh yeah, i noticed perky designs has some really cute labels i like, but ive heard bad stuff about them. What do you all think, for those of you that buy from them. Thanks!

[Tess]

Well with all the "extras" you plan to get I doubt 300 bucks is going to cover you. Custom made labels are EXPENSIVE. Rustic or Pewter lids are also very expensive. With only that much to spend If I were you I would start small JMO tho

[joyofsoycandle]

the rustic and pewter lids from bittercreek are very inexpensive, only $2.16 for 12 of them. And im not getting custom made labels. Im thinking of ordering labels that are made with predesigned graphics. Like from kountryexpressions.net. That type of thing. Those are not expensive, just more expensive than making them myself i think. I just thought i may be able to do it cheaper if i just got ink cartridges. But I dont want to do it myself lol. So i was thinking of doing it that way.

[KMommy]

I've used this same company for my labels and I find them to be cheaper than printing them myself. Once you take into account the cost of the blank labels, ink cartridge prices(unless your cartridges are cheap), and your time. When I was trying to do it on my own I wasted alot of blank labels because sometimes the labels didn't feed into the printer just right and would end up wasting full sheets. Both companies you've mentioned have really nice labels and I thought they also had nice customer service.

[Sara]

I'd probably stock up on wax and/or jars. The more wax you order the better deal you get (generally). So it is a good idea to drop a chunk of change on that if you have it.

[Waleed Mubashir]

With a $300 budget, focus on essentials to test your print on demand business. A case of wax, 4-ounce fragrance oils in tested scents, and jars for your candles are key. Don't forget warning labels for professionalism and safety. These basics will help you build a solid foundation before scaling up, allowing you to refine your products while keeping costs low. This approach follows smart print on demand business tips, ensuring you’re investing wisely as you grow.