Advertised candle weight?

[classiccandle]

I hope this is the right sub-forum for this question, if not would you direct me to the correct one?

I'd like to know how you market the weight of your candles? For example, an 8 oz Libbey Status jar with a glass flat lid will only hold about 6 oz's of wax so do you sell it as an 8 oz candle or 6 oz candle? Do you sell by the weight of the wax or the size of the container?

Thanks!

[chuck_35550]

My 12 oz salsa jar states 8 fl oz on the label and my 16 oz jar states 10 fl oz. HTH

Steve

[Wessex]

Net weight is the way to go. My 8 oz JJ hold 6.2, so I put Net Weight 6.2 ozs. Good example is the 12 oz Beanpot and 12 oz Status. Both are 12 oz, but one holds 9.0 oz and one holds 9.4 ozs. So thats how I label.

HTH

Steve

[Darbla]

Hmmmmm, I'm guessing my status jars must be 12 oz because they will hold 8 oz of wax with room left for the wick.

A few weeks ago I was at a country craft fair and saw a table of candles & soap for sell. The woman had these tiny jars that were labeled as 10 oz candles, and I knew that was a bald faced lie. My status jars are much larger and like I said, I can get 8 oz in them.

[Judy, USMC]

There is a Federal reg about labeling. So many, many canndlemakers don't know about ... let alone follow ... these labeling requirements.

Net Weight should be indicated in ounces ~ since it is in a solid form when you sell it. It's covered in Section 500.8 subparagraph (a).

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fpla/part500.htm#7

The whole 500 series (500 - 504) is a worthwhile and eye-opening read, IMO.

If anyone does tapers or odd shaped candles should be aware of 501.7 http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fpla/part501.htm

Want to get into the labeling requirements deeper? Part 503 is for you - http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fpla/part503.htm

Yeah - I know - TMI !

Edited December 15, 2010 by Judy, USMC
Adding links

[Wessex]

Oops, I haven't been putting the metric weight on my labels! Let them come and get me, LOL.

Cheers,

Steve

[Judy, USMC]

Oops, I haven't been putting the metric weight on my labels! Let them come and get me, LOL.

Cheers,

Steve

Yeah, like I'm sure there's a Dept of Candle Police (complete with scales ) that are going to come and get you! But at least you are putting the weight on your labels ... most of the ones I see at the craft fairs don't!

[psfponies]

I put the weight of my wax not the container size. My 10 oz tins hold 7 oz of wax. I know a lady who sells her candles by the size of the jar not what they hold so you think your getting more for your money.

[psfponies]

There is a Federal reg about labeling. So many, many canndlemakers don't know about ... let alone follow ... these labeling requirements.

Net Weight should be indicated in ounces ~ since it is in a solid form when you sell it. It's covered in Section 500.8 subparagraph (a).

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fpla/part500.htm#7

The whole 500 series (500 - 504) is a worthwhile and eye-opening read, IMO.

If anyone does tapers or odd shaped candles should be aware of 501.7 http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fpla/part501.htm

Want to get into the labeling requirements deeper? Part 503 is for you - http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fpla/part503.htm

Yeah - I know - TMI !

Guess I will have to change my soap labels I have them in grams.

[Candybee]

Isn't grams a metric weight? I used to put net wt in oz followed by the grams on my labels. Now I put the jar size followed by the net wt in fluid oz:

9 OZ Jar (Net Wt. 8 FL OZ/227g)

[LuminousBoutique]

soap has different rules than candles..

yeah I only put the wax weight, not the container size. But for shipping purposes I give total weight also in some cases, because some of those jars are so darn heavy

[EccoLights]

Good info Judy =) Going to have to read up a bit more before we redo our labels this coming year =)

[Wessex]

Isn't grams a metric weight? I used to put net wt in oz followed by the grams on my labels. Now I put the jar size followed by the net wt in fluid oz:

9 OZ Jar (Net Wt. 8 FL OZ/227g)

Since wax is a solid, the label must be in a mass net weight, not fluid weight.

Steve

Edited December 15, 2010 by Wessex

[classiccandle]

Thanks everyone for your input. Special thanks to Judy for the "official" declaration info! Who knew putting a label on a candle could be so complicated? Only the federal government would make it so.

[EricofAZ]

I'm sure that everyone knows that container manufacturers size their products by water weight. A 12 oz container should hold 12 oz water to the fill line or the lip of the container if no fill line is indicated.

Because wax by volume is lighter, the same volume of wax will weigh less. Plus, we don't always pour our wax to the lip of the container.

No candle police, but there is a U.S. Department of Weights and Measures.

Thanks, Judy, for the links.

[GraceM-CC]

I'm sure that everyone knows that container manufacturers size their products by water weight. A 12 oz container should hold 12 oz water to the fill line or the lip of the container if no fill line is indicated.

Because wax by volume is lighter, the same volume of wax will weigh less. Plus, we don't always pour our wax to the lip of the container.

No candle police, but there is a U.S. Department of Weights and Measures.

Thanks, Judy, for the links.

The weight of water in ounces does not equal the number of fluid ounces. Water weighs about 8.3 lbs per gallon depending on the exact temperature, elevation, and other factors. A pound is 16 ounces, so a gallon of water weighs (has a mass of) about 133 ounces. A gallon has 128 fluid ounces, so a fl oz of water weighs about 1.04 ounces. 12 fl oz of water therefore weighs about 12.5 ounces. A fl oz of wax is lighter than a fl oz of water, because wax is less dense than water (wax floats in water).

Edited April 29, 2013 by GraceM-CC