# Trying to think ahead.



## sc-bee (May 10, 2005)

That seems to be a Local kind of thing---around here it just the old messy mason jar!!!! Pints and Quarts.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

It's more than just a local thing, it depends on where you market your honey and who your customers are.

I sell through a meat packer/butcher retail store. Their customers like 12 ounce bears.

In season, I sold through a farmer's market. Those customers liked smaller squeeze bottles and varietal honeys.

I sell through a grocery store and they love pints and quarts.

I sell in my driveway and they go nuts for quarts.

Each market will sell to a different set of clients. It may be a trial and error method to see what they like. One of my buddies went to a fall festival and had nothing but quarts. No one complained about the lack of selection and he sold out.

My advice is to buy a few bottles now as later in the summer the rest of us will be clamoring for bottles. If your bottle of choice is back-ordered, you might have delays that will mess up your marketing plan.

You'll also notice, as with all commodities, that the smaller the package the greater the unit price. 

My 12-ounce bears sell for $3.50 retail. The bear costs about 50 cents so I sell my hony for $4.00 per pound. 

My quarts sell for $8.50. The jars cost around 70 cents. The honey in these quarts jars sells for $2.83 per pound.

Simple logic suggests I sell more bears than quarts. But it really depends on what the customer wants and what I'm willing to charge.

Grant
Jackson, MO http://www.25hives.homestead.com


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

I cant seem to understand and people would like honey jarred in an angel. just doesnt make sense to me.


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## yoyo (Jun 13, 2007)

Grant, how do you get setup to sell to grocery stores? 
How do you label your products?(whats on the labels?,pics?)
I have been looking at labels but I am not sure how to go about getting labels, there are blank rolls that I assume you need a special printer for that. Can I buy pre-cut label sheets and print them in my inkjet printer? Similar to mailing labels but with a picture background.
Is there a special seal or something for bottling in glass jars? 

I have been designing a business card. If I include a business name without having a business license, is that breaking the law, or should I just put my name on it? ( on the business cards and honey labels).

Thanks


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

Chef Isaac said:


> I cant seem to understand and people would like honey jarred in an angel. just doesnt make sense to me.


Why NOT??

They make verry nice Christmas gifts!! plus they have greatest message ever heard on the back!!


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

yoyo said:


> Grant, how do you get setup to sell to grocery stores?
> How do you label your products?(whats on the labels?,pics?)
> I have been looking at labels but I am not sure how to go about getting labels, there are blank rolls that I assume you need a special printer for that. Can I buy pre-cut label sheets and print them in my inkjet printer? Similar to mailing labels but with a picture background.
> Is there a special seal or something for bottling in glass jars?
> ...


If you are wanting to sell in a store you will need to have a label that conforms to the rules of the USDA and your states department. I would leave the design up to someone who knows the rules I would suggest amy's bee labels good work reasonable rates. I am unsure about your state but in kansas if you are selling in a store you will need a food handlers liscense and be inspected. once you start selling in stores you will definetly need to be legal with the state


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## carbide (Nov 21, 2004)

I sell a lot of my honey at a local flea market. I normally take about the same amount of the various size bottles with me every weekend. One weekend I'll sell out of the quart jars and the next weekend I'll sell out of the 12 oz. bears and the next weekend I'll sell out of the 2 lb squeeze bottles. 

My quantity of sales each weekend is surprisingly fairly stable from weekend to weekend. The big difference is the particular size of the containers that I happen to sell on any particular weekend. If I only had one or two sizes of bottles would I still sell the same quantity of honey? I don't know. I might, but then I might not.


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## arjay (Jun 8, 2007)

last summer when i was wondering what jars to buy, i posted a poll on my blog, asking what people prefer to buy their honey in. the choices were plastic squeeze bears, glass queenline, pint mason, and plastic squeeze queenline. 

i got votes for all of those, plus about fifteen different containers not under consideration...

so i said the heck with it, and bought 1-lb glass queenlines for extracted, pint masons for chunk, and 1-lb plastic queenlines for private use (the leak-proof lids actually ARE leak-proof, and i don't have to worry about giving my 84yo grandma a glass jar to accidently break...) 

anyway, i sold out easily - and i suspect that would've been the case no matter what i'd bottled the stuff in. if people want honey, and you have a table full for sale, they'll buy it. i used what was most convenient for me, and it worked out fine.


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

what is the message on the back?


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

Chef Isaac said:


> what is the message on the back?



John 3:16


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