bugtussle Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Just checked wax prices, both of my waxes have gone over 90.00/case. I don't think us little guys can stay in business. We have enough FOs to go thru this year, but after that??It has been fun!! Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgirl Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I hear ya... I am recalculating my candle cost sheet and between wax and oils.. Holy Sh*t.. The prices are outrageous!!! It will be a wait and see game this fall for me too!!! Good luck to you all!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I haven't bought supplies in forever. A lot of my bookmarks are no longer valid and what I did find... I thought it was an expensive hobby before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminousBoutique Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I'm only doing candles for special events now, and holidays.. i just cant afford it anymore. Someday if I get my retail location up and going, I might reconsider.. but right now I cant afford to have as much sitting around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernadette Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 All 4 of the waxes I use are over $110.00/50 lbs., even if I I buy 500 lbs. at a time. I don't have room for pallets so I'm out of luck for lowering the price. I only sell on the internet, though, and I make to order, so at least it's only raw materials sitting around. I checked a couple of weeks ago, and many of my direct competition for the past 10 years or better have closed their websites. I was shocked. And then most of the search engines started changing their search criteria this year, so I lost placement and have been scrambling to change things to get it back. I've lost numbers of orders, but those who are placing orders are placing much larger orders so overall, revenue has been the same. I have raised my prices, but most seem to understand that everything has gone up. It's a hard plank to balance.:tiptoe: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I raised my candle prices by $1 each last December. Just on a whim. Some new people were in my store, and the "new" price just kinda slipped out, so I stuck with it. I still give my really old, very regular customers the old price, though. Even with raising my price, it's just gotten out of hand. I've really scaled back on buying, as I have a very good stash of FO inventory. As FO suppliers fall by the wayside, I stock up on my must haves. But as for wax, I'm paying almost twice the price compared to 2 or 3 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misty Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I agree, wax is outrageous, and shipping for it is insane! I also have a good stash of FO, but I'm like the rest of you, a couple of more years, and I may retire myself. I love what I do, but I won't run my store if it doesn't profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 I'm glad it's not just me. Upside, I love candles and can make them for myself. After 9 years, maybe it's time to clean house really good and burn candles. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I'm glad it's not just me. Upside, I love candles and can make them for myself. After 9 years, maybe it's time to clean house really good and burn candles. lol No! I'm looking at different stuff to sell. Over the years I've collected everything from Dept. 56 to Just The Right Shoe (all mint, all retired), and several months ago, I took a bunch of my treasures to my store and set up displays, just to have something other than scented stuff. I hate being a one trick pony, lol. I've thought about making purses, I've thought about making pet clothes, just to diversify. I don't want to be screwed because the core of my business has gotten too expensive to turn a good profit.Sales are down, expenses are up. Although this month (June) I did twice in sales what I did in June last year. It's a constant guessing game these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Like Sliver I have raised my candle prices by $1 but now I am using smaller jars. I am using up FOs to help cut costs. I don't buy as much in supplies anymore because it takes so much more money up front to get supplies with the higher prices and outrageous shipping added on. Right now I am down to one case of wax.On top of higher costs my work cut back my hours so I have even less money to spend. I'm still not making enough to quit my day job so I have to keep working but there just aren't any jobs here. Correction-- there are a few jobs with hundreds of people lined up to fill one job. Its rediculous and scary. I am so afraid of losing this job too like I did a couple of years ago.Still, I had my best year sales wise last year. Each year my sales have been getting better but so far this year its nothing like last year. I am just waiting for fall to come and for sales to pick up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asheebeans Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I hear ya! I'd been taking it easy on the candlemaking because of classes, but holy crap I can't believe how high the price of wax has gone!!! Everything is getting so expensive. I keep hoping things will get better but it's not looking so good. Everyone's tight with their money anymore because the economy is so shaky--plus with a dollar store on every corner, people are in the "cheaper is better" mentality. (At least around here they are) It's a shame, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminousBoutique Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 yeah the dollar store/walmart thing really is winning out. I've had people say "ooooh these smell so much better than my dollar store candles but I can get 10 of those for this price....)yeah, and mine will burn longer than 3 of those combined and as you said, smell better... but sure... go ahead and keep supporting china! *steps off soap box* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetsCandles Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 yeah the dollar store/walmart thing really is winning out. I've had people say "ooooh these smell so much better than my dollar store candles but I can get 10 of those for this price....)yeah, and mine will burn longer than 3 of those combined and as you said, smell better... but sure... go ahead and keep supporting china! *steps off soap box*Couldn't agree more. Most of these folks don't realize that we tend to test much stricter and worry about what is in our candles, where most of the places overseas just flat don't. I mean, China is willing to put poison in their own milk for their children to cut costs. I don't think I want anything flammable from them. I've thought about opening my own shop on a store front. I don't have to have it to survive financially, and we just don't have a regular candle store in the entire city. We've got one company that does sand cast though. I'm still just not sure how good of an idea this is. With the economy, I'm worried that candles are just going to become a luxury again that people decide they could do without. I wish I could find a good soap maker or something here to maybe partner up with on a store front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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