How long did you test before selling

[rebeccajo99]

I have been testing a wickless candle for a few weeks now and having a great time. People are starting to ask when they will be available for sale since they love how my house is smelling. How long did you test your wickless jar candles before you put your first one(s) on the market.

[Georgia]

Until I was sure every one was as good as I could make it. My first show I had 8 scents because I had 8 scents that I was confident in. You know if your product is above par each and every time.

It's not enough to make a sale, you need to make sure you can get a repeat sale.

That said, testing never ends. Do they last well on the shelf? Do the ones made in July smell the same as the ones made in December? Do you have a new box of wax or a new bottle of FO?

If you are confident that the few you have tested work well, sell them (provided you have insurance in place). But do not let anyone talk you into making something you haven't tested. (Refer back to the repeat sale comment.) Keep going, keep testing, keep perfecting.

[rebeccajo99]

so would you say it would be a safe bet that once I have determined if the jar that I'm using is safe, I don't have to test each scent as exstensivly since I'm not worrying about wicking (since it is wickless). Just making sure I get a great hot throw from new scents, or am I not thinking correctly?

(I do have insurance inplace again after getting kicked off my other insurance. So, I'm off to selling again, just trying to add a new product to my line.)

[Tales]

I'm also making wickless. I've found that some scents won't last as long as others... so I test each frangrance for 48 hours on the warmer. I want a strong throw for 24 hours, a good throw for 30, and some scent left at 48... and even with an initial strong throw I can't be sure it'll last without further testing.

I then send scents, that pass the first test, to my friends and let them test them, because they have different sized rooms and different warmers than I do so the candle may react differently. I also get to test how my tins handle shipping.

Wickless do not take as much testing as wicked but each scent should be fully tested for quality assurance. For your own sake, for building a business, it's the only smart thing to do.

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks. I do that with my wicked, don't know why wickless would be different. :rolleyes2 I put a message to all my facebook friends to get some volunteers. (who wouldn't want free candles).

Since I am getting ready to to pour the testers for my friends, would this warning lable have everything that I would need? I plan on having all labels on the lid and include a card in the packaging.

CAUTION: Use only with a approved electric candle warmer on a stable heat-resistant surface. Do not cover or warm on stove. Wax and container can get very hot; do not touch or move container or warmer until completely cooled. Contains fragrance oils that can be toxic if ingested. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not pour wax down the drain because it can clog pipes. Never leave melting candle unattended.

[Stella1952]

wickless jar candles

By jars, I assume you mean glass containers. Unless the wickless "candle" is heated from above and not from below, I would not trust ANY glass container (including pyrex and canning glass) on any warmer heated from underneath. IMHO the only safe container for warmers which heat from below are made from metal.

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks Stella

I have been toying with the idea for glass jars on warmers. I have been testing one for almost 3 weeks now with no problems (on a warmer from the bottom), but I keep hearing the same thing you said, which does make me nervious. I do have some tins that I have been testing too (I just call them both jars for some reason, should really clarify for you guys) and are the ones that I'm about ready to send to my friends to test. I'm not as happy with those since it does not look as pretty as the glass ones do whole burning/melting and with my candle nose, I cannot figure out how long the scent last. :smiley2:

It just baffels my mind that all the pictures I see of the warmers have glass jars on them. If we are having problems with glass jars, why do companies keep advertising them with glass jars.

[Stella1952]

Think about it. It's a numbers game. Literally MILLIONS are sold in the US. If some of those containers crack, how many will cause enough damage for the customer to report back to the store or to the CPSC. Just for kicks, I searched the US government recall site and came up with literally hundreds of product recalls, many for shattering of glass (like this one). Although most of these were for wicked candles, the same type of thing can occur with wickless candles. For the big and small companies who get away with it, they make good money. For the ones whose products get reported or get sued, it's devastating, especially to small home candlemakers. None of us ever imagines ourself in the position of being a defendant in a product liability lawsuit, but those things DO happen to REAL people!

Many of us who do home canning can vouch that every so often, a brand new jar will "pop" for no apparent reason. It's simply the nature of glass. As pertains to candle warmers, the ones that warm from underneath may be heating at different temps - some may be too hot for safety. The potential for glass to shatter has to do with how severely and how many times it has been stressed, ie. heated too high and/or cooled too rapidly. None of us can predict what a customer is going to do in their homes with our products. I don't have to have a jar pop during testing to realize the possibilities.

Because many candlemakers are underinsured (or not insured at all) for product liability, it only takes one problem to become your worst nightmare. Some folks are willing to take the risk; others are not.

I do agree that glass containers look prettier than do metal ones. To that end, the warmers which warm the candle from above seem better engineered for safety. Different waxes are better suited for candle warmers than are others. I would not use palm wax at all because of its hardness and tendency to "spew" unless the warmer was one of the "warms from the top" kind.

Lots of folks think that wickless "candles" are easier to market because they are flameless, but safety is a large consideration with them, too. The bottom line is to CYA as a manufacturer so that if something bad does occur with one of your products, you will be protected.

[Tales]

I agree. I use 4 oz shallow tins with 3 oz of wax (the size I talked about testing above) and I use 8 oz tins with 6 oz of wax. Not everyone will be happy with those two sizes but I figure they wouldnt be happy either if a jar exploded and injured them or their family member.

Good luck

[rebeccajo99]

True... I have tureens that I couldn't get wicked, so I decided to start testing them as wickless, but am afraid of them shattering while not in my own home and I don't know how many customers will listen to me if I say they are used for top warmers only. I've been brainstorming other ideas that do not use heat, maybe aroma beads and use them as air fresheners, but I don't know if they make slotted covers for the 11 oz jars. (I have not found them yet, so if somebody knows of a place that does, please pass on the link) I accidently updated the wrong jar size for more quantity, so I have 3 boxes of 12 of them.