Question concerning making scents identical to the Big Boys....

[blacktieaffair]

On another thread, the discussion about " Do you pour scents you don't like" was going on, and Old Crab said something that made a question pop in my head.

Do any of you ever get a little tiffed, that customers demand ( for lack of a better word ) that you carry a scent(s) that are as identical to the big companies... ( like YC types that are duplicates, or this or that ) yet you have to sell them for a lot less.

It takes us a lot of time, testing and headaches to find that elusive perfect duplicate, not to mention MONEY ...

I know it's the nature of the game for us to have to do that, but I was just curious if sometimes anyone other than me sits there and thinks.. Ok, I've finally found a perfect dupe, but here YC is selling it at 25 bucks a candle and I have to sell it for 10.

It usually doesn't bug me too bad, but I remember one month, I got requests for four YC types, 3 designer perfumes, and SEVEN from Scentsy. These came from long time buyers, and it was not just one or two people asking for these scents, it was practically all of them. I just sat there thinking, it would take me around 1000 bucks in testing and time to figure all that out IF I EVEN COULD !

I know you can't even begin to please everyone but at the same time we have to give them at least some of what they want.

Sorry, I'm rambling.

[jackbenimble]

OMG!!! I haven't had a ton of people ask for popular big candle co scents but I even get mad when I read on here. People going crazy just to find a dupe for it seems like one person.

This is what I think. If you can't find something in the scents I've come up with then go somewhere else. I don't want to sell Sc***sy or Y***ee. I want to to sell MY scents and I want you to get hooked on MY candles not others. So dont ask me to make them for you cause it's probably not gonna happen.

Now if several people start asking for a scent like lemon, eucalyptus, vanillla, patchouli and I don't already make it I don't mind testing and making those because it's not going to be a dupe of someone else's.

I think this is my biggest pet peev and so far I haven't had many people request dupes yet but when they do I may just say I don't make so and so's scent I make mine. Of course alot nicer and with a smile ;-)

[SherriLynn]

Hmmm.. in my 12 years of candlemaking and umpteen shows a year, I have not had anyone ask for a scent from one of the Big Dogs...

Gosh, maybe they're blown away by my own fragrances as I mix many of my own blends. Butttt.. thank you for the heads up,,, I have the perfect response should the question come along.... Y***me... Sc**t*y? Gosh, never heard of them... Many of my candles are made with my own blends,,I'm sure you'll find one that will be just what your looking for...**wink**

I make too many of my own wonderful blends to try and dupe someone else... and if I use an FO that is close to something.. I rename it with my own name and let them try to figure out where're they might have smelled it before... grinzz...

Are you doing hand crafted shows Blacktie?? or commercial and expo shows?? I'm wondering if the reason I'm not asked is because I do handcrafted shows only. I can see where you'd be bugged by the questions,, cripes,, your an entrepreneur with unique crafts and someone wants ya to "copy" someone else.. sheeesh.

Edited September 28, 2012 by SherriLynn

[TallTayl]

This is what I think. If you can't find something in the scents I've come up with then go somewhere else. I don't want to sell Sc***sy or Y***ee. I want to to sell MY scents and I want you to get hooked on MY candles not others. So dont ask me to make them for you cause it's probably not gonna happen.

Now if several people start asking for a scent like lemon, eucalyptus, vanillla, patchouli and I don't already make it I don't mind testing and making those because it's not going to be a dupe of someone else's.

Word.

If they want Big Box whatever, then buy it from them. You can't go on wild goose chases for every little customer - that practice kills small businesses. I'm nobody's carbon copy.

[Guest OldGlory]

Ya know, people around here drove me crazy for Pink Sugar one year. They would say "it's the sugar one, you've heard of it haven't you?" or "that pink one that smells like cotton candy". It felt like 1 person in 10 wanted that scent, although nobody could actually recall the name, lol. Finally I found it, made an assortment of products, called it "Pink Sugar type", and I couldn't give it away. I have no explanation for it. But it taught me a good lesson.

What I have is what you see or what is on my list of available scents. End of story. If they really wanted it they would buy it from Yankme or Scent'soff.

Honestly, even with my small wholesalers, when they ask for a new scent I tell them to find what they want, buy a sample of it, and I'll put it in wax (which they have to pay for). That usually stops it.

[Noodle]

I want to to sell MY scents and I want you to get hooked on MY candles not others. So dont ask me to make them for you cause it's probably not gonna happen.

AMEN!!!! I have never copied a scent and never will. I am always shocked with the number of "dupe" scents that people do, yet some moan and groan when a photo of theirs or text is lifted from their site. Pot. Kettle. Black.

[redraider]

The only fragrance I made to a point to have a dup of is the Circle E Bird of Paradise. I live in Texas and that is the #1 selling candle here. Bird of Paradise is a common scent with fragrance oil suppliers but none of them smell like the Circle E. It took me months of testing and mixing to get one I liked as well as theirs. Is mine exactly like theirs, no, but it is just as good. The time and money spent was well worth it considering it is either my #1 or #2 seller, depending on the season. Sold over 2000 of those in the last year.

I do have a few others that are dupes that are just ones I ordered from oil suppliers. Some of them I didn't even realize they were dupes.

Whenever someone ask me for a Scentsy one I just tell them I am not Scentsy and I don't have a clue what theirs even smell like since I have never used any of their products.

[JJCandlesCrafts]

"You have really nice paintings. Can you make me this Van Gogh? I really can't afford the one in the museum..."

I tend to buy what *I* like in scents, or what *I* think would be popular. I have gotten "type"s, but because I enjoyed them. I take suggestions for "themes" or "generics" (lemon-y, apple pie, etc), but haven't run into a "Make me THIS!"

[Judy, USMC]

BBW (Slatkin) makes the candles but not melts/tarts. I will get dupes of their oils when customers ask for melts in those Fragrances but I won't make them in candles.

[Sharon in KY]

I make dupes of anything I like or think will sell. Love Spell was a top seller a few years ago. Always sold Home Sweet Home, Harvest, Buttercream, Bird of Paradise. Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie and many more. I bet each of you make a scent called the same as another company or the Big Guys. Just ordered Axe and Paris Amour, can't wait to get them in.

[debscent]

I refuse to go hunting for scents for a customer, long time or not. I will suggest other scents that may be in that family, but I won't go from supplier to supplier to find something for one customer. Not good business. When I started in 2005/2006 I wanted to make everyone happy. I lost money that way. It's all about my profit margin now. I won't buy from several suppliers, etc. either.

What I will do, is if I see a lb. of something in the classies, and I test it, it's a limited time only fragrance. But that's it. I've narrowed my suppliers to 3. One for wax/jars, the other two are for FOs.