Fire and Ice

You posted this same question in General Candle Making too so go back there and read my answer.

Fire

I go to a professional Kitchen/ Rest. supplier store and buy the huge, hard plastic measuring cups that Rest. use in their kitchens. I buy four or so at a time! Hard plastic with measuring incriments on the side.

I can use a heat gun to clean them and they hold four pounds of melted wax!

When they start leaking, after about three months, just pitch it and grab another!

More times than not, you have to have a tax ID to get into some of these stores but they are great for candle makers!

Fire

Call your local Chamber of Commerce and tell the you want a list of local craft shows. festivals with crafts, and contact info on those shows.

*** Go to a local craft show and talk to the crafters about the shows they enter.

***Be willing to be a newbie again when you do this and expect sales to be slow for the first several shows.

*** You may have been making and selling candles for a year but if the locals don't know, you're a newbie all over again!:lipsrseal

Fire

I try to keep as much stock on hand as I can! Not only because of the wholesale orders and shows but because shipped orders turn around time is much quicker and looks much better to a customer in another state! Customer service is key!:highfive:

It also help when I have to pour for a show! Less work less often!

The only time I allow stock to drop is after the holidays and before doing end of the year taxes.

Fire

I would use a coin as opposed to a bill.

I like the idea of coins too but what's the biggest denomination besides a silver dollar( that sounds stupid but is there a bigger denomination than the siver dollar?)

I want larger amounts than that in a candle. That would certainly work for the $1.00 though, I agree! But because I want them to sell well during the holidays, I want some to have $10.00 and $20.00 bills in them too. I don't live ina big city. I live in a rual community that has a good tourist attaction to it. with Amish Communities close by.

But again, I'm still in the research stages of this idea.

Do those who make them offer a variety of scents? I'd think you have to woudn't you?

Fire

I have a show next weekend too! a three day festival. I'm praying for great weather!

Fire

Just a thought...could you just roll up the bill and put it in a heat sealed pouch? I think this would work especially for soaps...

maybe not for candles though... may wrap in tin foil for candles?

Tin foil sound and looks cheap though. I would think there must be another way other than tin foild, A small metal container I can just sink into the wax would look more professional to me. JMO

Fire:confused:

I found a site that sells money candles in jars, so at least we know that it's done...

http://www.bitsandpieces.com/^Banks+%26+Money^Money+holders/08-W9381.html?rel=C&relid=2952

Thanks very much for the find!

Fire

Well I was thinking that they would only be sold during the holidays and not year round. That way, the customers look forward to them! I've noticed many of the sites really charge a good amount for them too!

So If I sell my regualr candles for $12.00~ how much would you sell a money candle for? I think $15.00 or so is about right.

Fire

Just getting ready for my three day festival next weekend!

Still pouring candles and clamshells. Half a dozen scents to go and I should be done.

Then I have a nother 3 day festival the weekend after next:shocked2:

I have to wash down my EZ up tent and get it ready to go. Put air in the dolly tires.

Setup is Thursday night. I'll set up the tent and tables and bring the candles in the morning! The food should be great for many however I don't eat Italian food so I will have to bring my meals from home! But the lunch crowd should be excellent on Friday!

Hope to do very well!

Fire

I thrive on competition!!! And before you know it, the "competition" just isnt competition any longer! They will just be some dust in the wind.......

In the biggest show I do every year, there are 6 chandlers under ONE TENT. many 30 chandlers in the whole show!Sometimes we're accross the way from each other or catty corner or whatever but there are 6 of us and several vendor who sell candles along with their main product!

AND THIS IS A GOOD THING! The show IS HUGE and if someone is going to try and make it as a candle maker, this is a reality check for them!

The show IS juried but compitition for a newbie IS good too! It even better when established chandlers are under the same tent! Done the show going on six years!

I really do my very best to get along with all the other chandlers in my tent. Actually we can have a blast and have fun and help each other out! I've sent many customers to other chandler when I don't have what they want but others DO! They do the same for me! We band together and we all win, unless a newbie decides to be snooty. That can be a bummer but it's their choice! We have some great candle makers where I live and we've learn to respect each other and to try to have fun!

Fire

I remember several weeks ago some posted about money candles. I was curious so I was thinking and think and got started research it a little. But all of the Money candles I've seen are pillars or something similar. Thus far, and my research IS limited, I've never seen a money candle poured in a jar. Why is that? I even went the site where they make candles with wood wicks Viginia Candle Company and their money candle is not in a jar either. also I found out the make Money SOAP too! And I wondered how they sell?

Does anybody make money candles in jars? I also wondered where to get a small container to put the money in before placing it in the candle.

Not that I plan on making and selling them. If I do, it won't happen till mid next year but I'd like to have the protecter for testing!

Thanks for advice and information,

Fire

Well I live very near the area. I live in Tuscawaras County where Sugar Creek is located. The rest are in Belin or Holmes county It really is kinda sad because so many of the shops out there won't deal with quality candle makers like myself. Unless I setup outside at the flea market out there, I haven't got a chance in heck and I make good quality soy candles that burn properly and are very well scented.

I watched some Amish women go shopping for candle supplies once and it was a hoot!

Not only do the candles generally not burn well nor scent a room, but they cost a fortune!!!:lipsrseal

I'd love to get my candles out in Amish country but it VERY hard to get your foot in the stores out there. They're very nice people and they'll take your free candle and info or free clamshells and info but you don't hear back from them! If you stop back, "We're very sorry but we don't know what happened to the candle/ clamshell you left. Could you leave another one????:rolleyes2

Fire

Hi Amish Ragdoll! Good to hear from you!

Still pouring for the festival in two weeks and the 3 day show the weekend after!

I'm certainly staying busy in the wax!

After these two shows, a small show in September and then the huge push for the biggest show I do all year! Can you believe it's almost Fall times? I'm ordering all of my fall, Holiday scents in bulk already. Still have several to test too!

Fire

I use color and lots of it but if I had to do it again, I think I'd go natual. It would certainly make cleaning my pour pots and melt pots much easier!~:lipsrseal

Fire

The price of C-3 went up at my suppliers as well to $45.00 per case due to huge gas prices and freight fees.

Maybe they haven't updated their website yet.:rolleyes2

Fire:embarasse

You can get Issey Miyake at Save on Scents or Rustic Essentials, there may be other suppliers for it too, I just don't know who they are. Both suppliers have exact dupes. Issey Miyake is to die for...it's so fresh and clean...it could also be a unisex fragrance. It's one of my all time favorite men's scents...but I sure do love that Burberry Touch for men (Save on Scents)too...and Very Sexy for Men (Nature's Garden) is another great one.

Fern, I remember your Issey tarts from a swap and they were to DIE FOR!!!!:highfive:

When I get some extra funds, I want to order it from SOS in Super strength!

Just a note: Mambo for Men by GL is to die for too. Not overly heavy but a great clean,sexy scent to dance with! Huge seller for me!

Fire

What a great looking site. The soaps are wonderful looking.

I have Family who live in Chagrin Falls and I use to live about 20 minutes away from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, as a young girl~ high school, I took horseback riding and show jumping lessons. I've shown several times in their horse shows over the years!~

Very swanky are of Ohio! Lots of wealth in Chrin Falls!

Fire

And what about all of the people who are very happy with their Turk & Surf fryers as melters. I read here that you can melt up to 30lbs of wax in those and that just over or under $100.00

That's the route I want to go!

Fire

I'm pouring for another good size festival next months and testing some new scents!

Ice

Grapefruit/Watermelon

New Blueberry

New Eucalyptus

New Cinnamon Bun

New Balsam Fir

Curve for Men

I have to also pour

Montego Bay

Coconut

Vermont

Amish Harvest

Cucumber Cantaloupe

Honeysuckle

Strawberry/Kiwi

Carnival

Key West

Thunder River

Casino

And I have to pour all corresponding clamshells as well!:lipsrseal

This should keep me out of trouble for the rest of the month! :tiptoe: :tiptoe:

Fire

Fire and Ice,

Sorry I cannot help with a supplier close by. However, If you do not find one, you may want to check out, The Natural Artisan. I just recieved my first order from them today for wicks and fragrance and I cannot say enough nice things about them. The shipping is VERY reasonable. I just did a check on the website. They have V1 and the shipping came up to be $13.65 for a case. If this is correct it is actually cheaper for me to buy my C3 from them than my other supplier who sells it for cheaper by the case but the shipping is to high.

HTH

Dawn

Hi Dawn! Thanks for the info! I JUST got my first order from them Yesterday too! I'll check out their shipping to me! I add it to C-3 to make my clamshells! Right now I've still got about 35lbs of it left but I know I'll need to order more next month to get me through the huge show season that has just started for me!

I haven't tested anything from them yet though I got the following scents.

Balsam Fir

Cinnamon Bun

Blueberry

Eucalyptus.

Thanks again,

Fire

My local supplier of V-1 wax has discontinued selling it so I'm on the hunt of another supplier as close to me as possible. I use V-1 in making my clamshells!

Thanks again,

Fire

I get mine from the Flower Factory I'll look up the website but the are very nice and long lasting!

Fire

http://www.flowerfactory.com/m_products.asp?view=thumb&range=AF

What brand do you use? I have some from Bittercreek, too. I may end up tossing the millcreek brand if they are going to all turn eventually. Sucks! :undecided

Two weeks ago, I poured clamshells of French Vanilla and sent them out to testers and they RAVED about GREAT they smelled! They totally sold out at the show I was at last week too! Someone even returned to buy out all of the French Vanilla but I didn't have anymore!

I have clamshells with Vanilla based F/O from two years ago and none of them turned either! Amish Harvest has a vanilla base!

I get my clamshells from Millcreek too and have going on three years. Heck, I just placed and order for 1200 of them.

Fire

Well last weekend was a show weekend so this weekend is cleaning my candle basement and restocking.

I got ten huge garbage of crap to pitch as well as stripping and recoving my 6x8 pour table!

Spent most of today on the internet reordering everything from 2000 clamshells toplacing good size orders with all my regular suppliers of F/O, as well as trying two new supplier for F/O!

I picked up 100 cases of jars as well as 1/2 pallet of wax! I have a three day festival next month as well as a three day show the following weekend! Then it's the HUGE push for my best show of the year!:lipsrseal I cant believe it's almost that time of year!!!

I have several new scents to test before making the choice of where and what is going to the big show!:embarasse

The UPS man is going to be visiting a lot in the next week or so!

Fire