# Mason Jars - tags or labels?



## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Whats funny is I put my honey in quart and pint jars and what I use I switch to a plastic squeeze bottle. Since I give quite a bit of honey away and sometimes the jar is returned, if I ever do put a lable on, I think I will only put it on the lid cause you need to use new lids when bottling anyway. You are way ahead of me on your selling and so I am not really trying to give advise but more thinking out loud.

I wonder if the quarts with less on them give the type of people buying from you a more real and local feeling then a professional looking walmart bottle does. I think in Mo. we no longer really have to lable jars and I know I am putting nothing on them though I wouldn't mind having my phone number attached. 

I am thinking that going all the way with gift packageing and great lableing or keeping it compleetly basic have appeals to differrent buyers and don't know what inbetween those two things do. I am not a good seller though.

Good luck and hope to hear more on what is working and not for you.
Cheers
gww


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

I put labels on all my jars. I use glass qt. & pt. jars & a 1.5 lb squeeze bottle. 
The glass does sell much faster.
Here in Mo. we are required by law to have a label stating pure honey with weight and a contact name and phone or email were we can be reached.


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

Ironically, I avoided mason jars because I wanted to give my customers confidence that they were purchasing a quality product, and not buying from a guy bottling on his front porch. But as it ends up, that's what the customers wanted. Go figure.

Some customers choose the pound or bear, usually for the convenience factor. The no drip lids are easy to squeeze out and you can ship/transport them much easier. But most, by a wide margin, prefer the mason jars.



Hoot Owl Lane Bees said:


> The glass does sell much faster.


Oddly, for me at least, it just isn't the glass jars themselves that sell faster. It's specifically the mason jars. I've tried selling queenline glass jars, 1 lb. round glass jars (http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/1-lb-Round-Comb-Glass-Jars-cs-12), the pint "mason" jars (http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Pint-Mason-w-White-Lid-Cs-12), and the regular mason jars (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ball-12-Count-Regular-Mouth-Pint-Jars-with-Lids-and-Bands/21290186). The customers prefer the regular mason jars, and on occasions where I've switched away from it, they've requested I go back. Not what I expected.

But the Ball jars are cheaper anyway. So if it sells better, I'm all for it.



gww said:


> Since I give quite a bit of honey away and sometimes the jar is returned, if I ever do put a lable on, I think I will only put it on the lid cause you need to use new lids when bottling anyway.


If you get a good vinyl label, it'll clean off well.



Hoot Owl Lane Bees said:


> I put labels on all my jars. I use glass qt. & pt. jars & a 1.5 lb squeeze bottle.


Any reason you went with the label on the qt and pt jars, and not a tag?


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## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

I use the round kraft labels on the lid of mason jars; it gives a more "down home" feel. I include all the required info including a specific notice that the processing was not inspected.

This year I did a half pint with a little burlap and a bow tied twine. I doubled the price and was told they would have paid more.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

As stated check your state laws. I have found it easyier to have my labels printed with the weight all ready printed on it. So I have five or six labels with the same information but for weight. Most canning jars will hold 1-1/2 or 3 lb of honey. I run a Mayo jar and some times it is impossible to get that last oz in so my weight list is 23 or 47 ozs. Just something to think about. 
I would never think of tying info on a jar but for a specialty product. And I haven't found a reason yet. The closest I have come is a special award winning label that I had and charge more for it.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

hoot owl L.... is correct on Mo labeling. It looks like you have to list contents (I assume pure honey covers that) and your name and adress. I did not see that it needed weight though some might say that that fits under content. You no longer have to highlight that it was bottled in a kitchen that is not inspected.

I still have not put anything on mine but also have not sold a hundred bucks worth yet.

Specialk.... Thanks for the tip on the vinyl lables coming off easy. If I thought it would stay on, I would like to get an ink stamp made up where I could just stamp the lids. I ran a resurant and a stamp was how I signed all the checks I recieved and once you have it, it is easy to use.
Good luck
gww


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

gww said:


> If I thought it would stay on, I would like to get an ink stamp made up where I could just stamp the lids.


You can do it that way, but your ink won't be waterproof. The label may not be either. I can't tell you how many times I've found a sticky jar. It's a whole lot easier to wipe it clean with a rag, than remove the label, clean, dry, and relabel.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Specialk...


> You can do it that way, but your ink won't be waterproof. The label may not be either. I can't tell you how many times I've found a sticky jar. It's a whole lot easier to wipe it clean with a rag, than remove the label, clean, dry, and relabel.


Thats what I figured but if there was a good ink that did not come off in water, it sure would be an easy way to put something on a lid.
Cheers
gww


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Gold foil 2x2 folded tag tied on with ribbon. Info printed on the white paper inside. Pint mason jar. Top it with a bee themed mason jar cloth bonnet. (Instructions on the web) Sell it for $20.00
That is my plan. Of course, I own a sewing machine so making the bonnets it easy.


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