anabanana's candles Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I have been giving out soaps to friends and family to try. They love them. Especially the salt bars and my husband just said to me last night, "so when are you going to try and sell some of these soaps". There was a community yard sale today and we put stuff out and I set up my overstock of Christmas candles and I thought, what the heck, I will set out some soaps and body butter. They were a hit. I thought people around here would scoff at the $4 price, but they ate them up. One lady bought 3. I am so excited. I can't wait to make more and I just ordered a beveler from KB. I ran over to my neighbor and said " someone bought soap and I didn't have to give it to them." Sorry, I am a freak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Very nice! I don't think you're a freak, everyone gets excited when they make their first sale on something handmade! You're just sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8-GRAN-ONES Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Congratulations...I hope this is the start of many more sales... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heirloomoriginals Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 COngrats! I hope they come back for more.Steph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I didn't have nearly enough guts to sell my soaps after just 2 1/2 months of making them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibiscus Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I didn't sell any of my first soaps. I gave most of them away after testing them for a few months:grin2: They were surprisingly pretty good for newbie soap. I've recently gone back to a couple of my old formulas because to me they were awesome. I figured I must have had soap angels...you must have soap Gods! Wishing you a lots of wisdom and success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I didn't have nearly enough guts to sell my soaps after just 2 1/2 months of making them.C'mon Carrie. She made her first batch 3/27. I'm sure that the soap she is selling has cured for at least six weeks, won't develop DOS, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anabanana's candles Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 Wow, I never realized how condesending some on this board can be. These soaps have cured, they are recipes that I got from this board. Thanks for raining on my parade. Can the mod remove my original post please. I would rather bask in my underachieved glory than read the negativity. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMary Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 C'mon Carrie. She made her first batch 3/27. I'm sure that the soap she is selling has cured for at least six weeks, won't develop DOS, etc.I think Carrie's point was that since it takes 4-6 weeks to cure the first batch, then you have to test those, enough time wouldn't have passed for someone to do another batch and have them cured to sell, therefore meaning that she's selling her first batch, or out of a batch that was made before she could test the first one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPENDA Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Not to worry! Success breeds jealousy.Enjoy your victory and don't let the little people get you down."There are only two kinds of people in the world:people who succeed and people who criticize people who succeed." M. McMillian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 You are dead wrong. I am no more jealous of someone making soap for 2.5 months than I am of someone making candles for 2.5 months. Both are dangerous when they are selling their products without proper testing.I didn't put the OP down nor was I condescending in my post. If she chose to take offense, I'm sure it was only because she realized the foolishness of her actions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anabanana's candles Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 I don't think that my actions were foolish at all, if I were concerned about the safety of my products, I wouldn't have sold them. If I had any doubts at all. Who are you to call what I do foolish? I understand that you are ALOT more seasoned that I am, but does that mean that my products or quality are any less than yours? You can say that they are all day long, but the truth is, you can't know for sure. I am tired of people acting so self righteous. You are a talented soap maker yes, but are you the be all end all, handing down judgement to the little people, no. No one is. We are all learning. Maybe you consider what I did a little premature, but I don't. I hope that when you all were new to this that people where a little less beat around the bush rude to you. You are dead wrong. I am no more jealous of someone making soap for 2.5 months than I am of someone making candles for 2.5 months. Both are dangerous when they are selling their products without proper testing.I didn't put the OP down nor was I condescending in my post. If she chose to take offense, I'm sure it was only because she realized the foolishness of her actions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 You should never subject the general public to your experiments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anabanana's candles Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 Wow, the person who wrote and told me that you were a rude B was right. You have yourself up on a pretty high pedestal. Be careful not to fall. You sure like to knock other people off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Congrats on your first soap sale! Feels good doesn't it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Ana, perhaps your first soaps are simply fabulous. For most of us, they weren't. Believe me, your batches will improve as you get more experienced.You should be giving away all the soap you can, looking for feedback.Suppose someone purchases a handmade soap and does not care for it. In their mind, they associate all handmade soap with the soap they tried and frequently, would not buy it again. This is the reason seasoned soapers want you to hold back. You should want to sell a perfect product and when you are new, you are learning and there is always room for improvement. After five years, I am still learning and improving. When I started, I could not even dream of making some of the soap that I routinely make now. No one wants to quash your dreams, we merely want you to step back and slow down. e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Forgot to add that soap is like wine; it gets better with age. Soap that is six months old is so much better than soap at six weeks that there is no comparison, it lathers better, lasts longer, is milder, etc. e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxGirl Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Congrats, Ana! I'd be thrilled too! Don't let the rudeness bother you. Altough my feelings would have been hurt too. Some people become extremely emotionally involved with their craft and have high opinions of themselves. I guess some people do earn the right, but being a little more kind about it sure wouldn't hurt. I will be making M&P with additives starting this week. If it turns out great I will asbolutely be selling it in the near future - regardless if it takes a few months or a few years. if it passes the tests and is a high quality product, then so be it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire and Ice Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Forgot to add that soap is like wine; it gets better with age. Soap that is six months old is so much better than soap at six weeks that there is no comparison, it lathers better, lasts longer, is milder, etc. e I totally agree with you E! And I agree with Carrie too! I am NEW to making CP soap as well but I've been making it since Feb of this year. I have over 40 batches under my belt and I have experimented with all kinds of recipes and oils and still~ There is NO WAY I would ever sell to the general public yet!:embarasse I researched for nearly a year before ordering all of my oils and beginning the love affair too! Yes, I've given away at least 100+ fully cured bars of soap and people LOVE them but that doesn't mean I can just start selling. There is too much to know when a customer ask some questions to gage your experience If you go to a craft show and set up, some of the first people to hit you with these questions will be other soapers. Can you answer their questions?They are the ones who will ask the hard questions. Knowledge is power and experience is manditory for sucess. At some point, next year, I HOPE to sell soap but only if I have a passing grade by other soapers in several soap swaps! That's the true trest! Fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GretchenWy Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Making a sale doesn't make one successful. It is thrilling to feel that rush of a sale, that someone likes something you made. But, that does't make one successful. It is very, very rare to be an overnight success. For most successful businesses, it takes planning, organizing, testing, failing and learning from that failure, practicing, perfecting and time. I don't think anyone is being rude. Anyone who can remember their first sale will pat you on the back and congratulate you. However, when something is done to potentially harm a shaky market you should expect a small amount of harshness. I'm sure that a knee-jerk reaction is to be defensive of your actions, but maybe if you cut through the defensiveness and listened to the advice wrapped in harshness it will make some sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jurnalynn Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 congrats i was just as excited at my first craft show after all my hardwork and giving away stuff i had people finally paying for my stuff.....lol i want to try soap next but not sure if i'm brave enough......lol otherthen melt and pour Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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