# Candle question



## coastie (Feb 2, 2015)

Question for candlemakers out there. What is your best seller? I would like to make some candles to sell but I am overwhelmed with the number of options for molds. I currently have some taper and votive molds but do the fancy candles better? Thank you.


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## Clairesmom (Jun 6, 2012)

Coastie- what did you ever find out about candles- anything?

My 5yo and I are going to make some beeswax candles to sell at the farmer's market next summer. I have a couple of molds, I think a 2" x 8" pillar and a votive. Need to buy more, but not sure which ones.

Anyone?


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## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

my 8yr old is learning hand dipping, he loves it, plus he is rolling beeswax candles. He collected the feral wax from our barn when I salvage old empty hives from the walls, and he steam melted the combs with my help. my little beek, Love him.
The only moulds we use/have are the small large skep hives.

make sure you experiment with wick diameter and your candle size. this is where you make or break candle sales. wrong size wick then your candles will not burn correct, and no more sales in your future.


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## Dave S (Jan 19, 2013)

If your in a area that has morel mushroom's - (here people will drive hours and hunt for hours for 10-20 and call it a successful day) get Mann Lake's morel mold, we sell 6-8 types and the mushroom out sells all the molded ones, next are the hand dipped and rolled. Do a search and you'll find plans for dipping frames where you dip 8 at a time we use 4 frames, as three are cooling the fourth one is being dipped. In no time you can make 32 hand dipped. (hint when you get the diameter you want, cut the bottom flat, and make one more dip, this will leave a small drop on the bottom, looks really cool. you can also get some small foil stickers (hand dipped) put them on before the last dip. These are Richard Taylors ideas from one of his books on bees wax.
Dave


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Bought an 8" taper mold from Mann Lake and it's not as easy as it would seem.
Discovered that pouring too hot boils off the mold release and then you got a candle stuck in the mold.
They say that it's harder with bees wax but am discovering the opposite.
Am having trouble with paraffin sticking to the mold. It helps to pour the wax at around 130 F.
Red is the paraffin. The rest are bees wax.


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## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

I've never seen red paraffin, you must have burnt it, or someone sold you burnt wax.
My paraffin is clear, get the stuff that is used in canning jellies.


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## Clairesmom (Jun 6, 2012)

DavidZ, the paraffin has had color added to it, not burnt. That is a lovely color.

I just bought almost 500 pounds of wax from a woman whose father was a beekeeper (150 hives) and a candlemaker. He had colored part of the wax, some of it green and some of it red. I prefer the uncolored, natural beeswax, but will probably use the colored wax to make some candles, unless I sell it first.

I have my own wax from my own hives and will be using that for candle-making this winter, but the wax deal included dozens of molds, which is what I was really after. The wax was a bonus.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

I have a little stand that I do honey out of (only my second year). This year I expanded to some pinecone candles (mold from Man Lake) and was putting out 1 oz. blocks of wax for $1. The one oz. blocks are by far the best seller and I pour 4 at a time without messing with wicks. Maybe I need a different mold? I had my honey extracted this year since I was laid up with knee surgery and he kept my wax capping so if I have a hit I will need to buy wax.


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## ChuckReburn (Dec 17, 2013)

coastie said:


> Question for candlemakers out there. What is your best seller? I would like to make some candles to sell but I am overwhelmed with the number of options for molds. I currently have some taper and votive molds but do the fancy candles better? Thank you.


Our best seller has been Tea Candles. The low selling price is attractive to buyers and for the minimal effort to create are hard to beat. Tried a few other styles and nothing moved that well. At the places I'm selling those, I see the big issue as "price point."

Tapers look cool (especially the dipped ones) but have fallen out of favor - I think most people see them as a hassle (carrying them around at a market and having the correct holder when they get home).

Pillars are fairly popular. We will be working at a higher end Christmas market and trying 4 or 5 different sizes. Pillars use quite a bit of beeswax and will be a bit pricy, our biggest will be around $40. 

You gotta know your local market, I'm aiming toward people who know beeswax is more expensive than paraffin and/or don't think much about dropping $20-$40 on a nice "elegant" pillar candle. I don't see them as inclined to go for cute "fancy" figurine candles. I've seen plenty of candle displays with lots of different molds used but I think buyers are overwhelmed and sellers aren't moving much volume.


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## zaxbeeswax (Jul 31, 2014)

You do not want to use mold release if your using rubber or silicone molds.


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## zaxbeeswax (Jul 31, 2014)

Tea Lights. Just remember to keep the price in line with other sellers. If you undercut you will initially get more sales but at the same time loose a potential relationship with other candle makers and eventually ......the business will fail. about $6 a 6 pack , $10-13 a 12 pack are good prices. I sell bulk 30 packs for $25.00 and they do well.


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## Tenpin (Apr 27, 2016)

At the "Products from the Hive" session at the bee club, the experienced presenter said Tea Lights sold the best (easiest to make with the highest profit margin too), followed by votives. Tapered candles don't sell and molded candles barely moved.


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## zaxbeeswax (Jul 31, 2014)

I find that molded candles (pillars) do sell and my tapers as well. However, the tea lights are by far the best seller.



Tenpin said:


> At the "Products from the Hive" session at the bee club, the experienced presenter said Tea Lights sold the best (easiest to make with the highest profit margin too), followed by votives. Tapered candles don't sell and molded candles barely moved.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

zaxbeeswax said:


> You do not want to use mold release if your using rubber or silicone molds.


I have been, could you tell me why?


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## zaxbeeswax (Jul 31, 2014)

minz said:


> I have been, could you tell me why?


The silicone in the release eats away and breaks down the mold. It will make the mold sticky.


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