# My Little Self-Serve Honey House



## mateophipps (Aug 6, 2018)

So, I am a new beekeeping hobbyist. I don't plan to really make any money selling honey, but I thought I would share something that I made to sell my excess honey and have my hobby help pay for itself and for my kids to make some money. My kids have always wanted to sell honey, but I'm not too crazy of the idea of going the farmer's market route. Besides, we already have guys selling honey at ours. I live on a fairly busy road inside the city limits but on the outskirts, and could have just put a sign in my yard and have people stop by and knock on my door, but I don't really want to have to worry about tending to random people throughout the day. Before I had bees, I purchased honey from a guy that does this, and I was reluctant to bother him. It took me two years before I finally decided to knock on his door. About a mile from me there is someone who I haven't meet that sells eggs the same way. I keep meaning to, but have yet to buy from them. 
In my travels, I have seen self-serve stands for flowers, fruit, etc. and I decided that I wanted to try that with my excess honey. If the honey or egg vendor did this, I would have already purchased from them. Also, I read somewhere that 90% of the people are honest 90% of the time, and I was OK with those odds. I think people are more honest than we give them credit for. Besides, it's just honey. If someone is going to steal honey, they may have bigger issues.
So, with my woodworking knowledge and cnc machine, I made a self-serve honey house. 







(The pricing you see is on par with other local honey providers that sell on local social media sites. Besides, I don't have to worry with spending time, gas, or booth fees to sell it.)
The honey house is designed after the little free librarys that became popular a few years ago. I decided to design it with plexiglass windows on the front doors and on the back. 







Now, I know that honey is best stored not in direct sunlight, but I also know that it tends to sell better when someone can see sunlight through it. I decided to go that route. Besides I want to sell the honey and not store it. I posted pictures on various buy, sell, trade groups on social media and it gained a lot of attention. People really like the trust, and some are even skeptical that it will work, but we have sold several jars of honey with no dishonesty issues. I have also found that we are selling more than just honey, but an experience. Customers will come, take pictures, buy honey, and then sit in their car and watch the bees. 







Now the guy that introduced me to beekeeping wants to buy a Honey House to put out by his house.


----------



## TWall (May 19, 2010)

Great idea! It looks really nice.

Tom


----------



## Jadeguppy (Jul 19, 2017)

I've played with the idea, but so many people are afraid to let neighbors know they have bees that I've not built one...yet. How long have you had it up?


----------



## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Neat little self serve station. My wife and I are able to sell all the honey we produce through our respective job locations. This year was a bust so a lot of disappointed customers.


----------



## westtnbeekeeper (Oct 26, 2015)

JWPalmer said:


> Neat little self serve station. My wife and I are able to sell all the honey we produce through our respective job locations. This year was a bust so a lot of disappointed customers.


Wow...

Sounds like my experience this year. I feel like I could move a tanker truck load of honey at work if I could get these bees hooked up and pulling at the right time. I had to tell everyone that the meager supply this year would have to be reserved for folks only.

That looks very nice. 

We are in the selling everything season here... The time of year when the school does fund raisers for everything under the sun. Selling fruit, cookie dough, nuts, candy bars and various other odds and ends. The 90% honest thing is backed up by break room candy sales. Out of 60 candy bars in a box left in the break room for 1 dollar each, there are always 5 to 10 missing from each box. Not terrible for moving a box of candy bars about every two days and like honey, they pretty much sell themselves.


----------



## mateophipps (Aug 6, 2018)

I've had it up for about a month now.


----------



## mateophipps (Aug 6, 2018)

Jadeguppy said:


> I've played with the idea, but so many people are afraid to let neighbors know they have bees that I've not built one...yet. How long have you had it up?





mateophipps said:


> I've had it up for about a month now.



I'm a little new to this forum thing.


----------



## Hayden01 (Jun 22, 2015)

Great idea. When we move out a little farther, i may try something like that. Good to see someone else from the state.


----------



## mateophipps (Aug 6, 2018)

Hayden01 said:


> Great idea. When we move out a little farther, i may try something like that. Good to see someone else from the state.


It looks like we aren't only from the same state, but same city. We're out on Suggs Rd., by the botanical gardens.


----------



## Hayden01 (Jun 22, 2015)

That's pretty awesome. I'm actually in Ashford...work in Dothan though. Good to see you on here.


----------

