# type of soap



## Marilyn Norgart (May 28, 2019)

I have my first craft fair in August and am trying to get things organized. 
I am wondering if solid colored, nicely scented soaps sell just as well as designed scented soap? I have a few unscented, uncolored and the rest is scented and designed.  I am wondering if I should concentrate on some solid colored scented soaps now?  what have you guys that sell noticed (I suppose it all depends on the fair) and for the ones who don't sell what would you buy at a fair?


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## shunt2011 (May 28, 2019)

I can honestly say that the fragrance is what sells it first, then the colors.  Mine are all swirled for the most part, I have an unscented, uncolored and an unscented colored. My salt bars are all single colored from individual molds.


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## Marilyn Norgart (May 28, 2019)

shunt2011 said:


> I can honestly say that the fragrance is what sells it first, then the colors.  Mine are all swirled for the most part, I have an unscented, uncolored and an unscented colored. My salt bars are all single colored from individual molds.



thanks!!


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## Lin19687 (May 28, 2019)

All depends on the market


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## Marilyn Norgart (May 28, 2019)

Lin19687 said:


> All depends on the market



I figured as much.  maybe I just need to make a few scented solid colored to cover bases.  thanks


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## KristaY (May 28, 2019)

The look of the bars is the icing for buyers. Scent sells first and foremost. If you have a nice variety of scents ie; floral, fruity, masculine, clean, etc, you should be just fine!


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## amd (May 29, 2019)

Mine sell solely based on scent. My lilac soap is solid purple (although this year I did use uncolored batter with an impression mat to create a lace look on top, but the soap is still solid purple) and that sells out faster than I can restock it.


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## Lin19687 (May 30, 2019)

My Lilac is such a SEIZER that I am lucky to get it in the mold.  Looks ugly to me in the bar (light purple color) but it too sells almost Fast as it seizes!


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## lucycat (May 30, 2019)

I agree that scent is what sells.  However, what will your display look like and how will you present your soap?  Could the look of your bars make your booth display better or not?  I display naked bars on a stand next to wrapped bars and have watched people walk up to a specific soap based on its look.   Last year a nice solid bright turquoise did that and a bright ultramarine swirled white soap always does it.  So, it isn't exactly the swirls but the overall look., especially a striking color or contrast noticeable from a distance.  Once at the booth, fragrance wins.


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## jcandleattic (May 31, 2019)

For me, scent is what pulls them in, but it's my brightly colored swirled soaps that sell. If I have solid colored bars they need some sort of embed or something to jazz it up or people just do not buy. At least not in my market. And that's why I make the really bright, swirled fun soaps I do. It's what the market I sell to likes the best.


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## Lin19687 (May 31, 2019)

jcandleattic said:


> For me, scent is what pulls them in, but it's my brightly colored swirled soaps that sell. If I have solid colored bars they need some sort of embed or something to jazz it up or people just do not buy. At least not in my market. And that's why I make the really bright, swirled fun soaps I do. It's what the market I sell to likes the best.


Show off
LOL


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## jcandleattic (May 31, 2019)

Lin19687 said:


> Show off
> LOL


You know it!! Lol
Seriously though, maybe if I had all solid soaps they would sell better, but they sell only slightly better than my unscented soaps, that I only make 1 batch of each year..


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## Lin19687 (Jun 1, 2019)

Well, I have both some with design/swirl but it is usually the scent that gets them


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## jcandleattic (Jun 1, 2019)

Yep, the scent pulls them in, but they will only pick up a solid bar to sniff after eliminating smelling all the swirled ones.


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## DawninWA (Jun 15, 2019)

At my market, scent sells, but if people are looking online, they like pretty.  I have a batch that I hate because I messed up on it and had some nice colors, kinda swirled, but hot process.  I had it all done, but then noticed I forgot the fragrance, dumped it in the pot, mixed it up, looked like red orange and green vomit, stuffed it back in the mold.  Didn't come out looking any better.  But it's a big seller because people like the smell (apple orchard).


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## Kari Howie (Jun 16, 2019)

DawninWA said:


> At my market, scent sells, but if people are looking online, they like pretty.  I have a batch that I hate because I messed up on it and had some nice colors, kinda swirled, but hot process.  I had it all done, but then noticed I forgot the fragrance, dumped it in the pot, mixed it up, looked like red orange and green vomit, stuffed it back in the mold.  Didn't come out looking any better.  But it's a big seller because people like the smell (apple orchard).


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## Nanette (Jun 16, 2019)

Scent is what people love...they are drawn to the table by the lovely smells wafting their way, then its scent first at my market. The only thing I have found that people dont seem to care for at all are soaps with herbs or flowers mixed in the soap--on top is acceptable.


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## cedarstar (Jun 16, 2019)

It's going to really depend on your customer base. At some markets people prefer fragrance. For me citrus soaps are popular. However, my best selling soap is my unscented goat milk with oatmeal. I make soaps with fo, eo, milks, vegan and animal based just to try and have a variety.


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## cmzaha (Jun 16, 2019)

My customer base is scent based. In fact you would be surprised how many pick up my pine soap decks and smell them, I just try to tell them before they sniff that they are soap decks to help alleviate embarrassment. . I cannot sell decorative soaps and a smidgen of customers buy for color.


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## saponem (Jun 17, 2019)

I think presentation and how the soaps displayed are more important, whether scented or not. Packaging, also, draws eyes.


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## DeeAnna (Jun 17, 2019)

I agree that presentation is important -- the overall display and the soap packaging doesn't need to be elaborate or costly, but it does need to attract the eye from a distance so people are encouraged to come closer. As a customer, I want to get a sense that the seller has put a reasonable amount of time and effort into producing a good product and takes pride in her or his product. 

I once went to a farmer's market and walked by a bare table piled with naked soap bars encrusted with soap crumbs obvious from 10 feet away. There were no price, no name, no ingredients list, and not even a table cloth. The seller looked rumpled and not friendly, like she had just rolled out of the wrong side of the bed. Utterly unappealing.

Once at a seller's booth, it's been my experience that most customers buy mainly on smell and then on appearance of the soap. Sometimes unusual ingredients will attract a customer -- egg, beer, lanolin, pine tar, etc. -- although that interest doesn't necessarily result in a sale, unless the scent is also appealing. I think markets with more of a "crunchy" focus are likely to have a larger percentage of buyers with more interest in unscented or vegetarian soaps. In my area, that would be the farmer's markets in our nearby college town. In the outlying smaller towns, the crowd is much more conventional.

Nowadays, I sell only at one gift shop in a nearby river town that has a strong tourist trade. I package my soap using a farm country and river town theme with the goal of attracting customers looking for an inexpensive memento of their trip. I want my soaps to be nicely packaged, have interesting designs, and be distinctively scented so a bar can make a pretty little gift. There is another soap maker who sells in the same shop. Her soaps are smaller but also less expensive, sold naked with no ingredients label, have soft natural colors, and are lightly scented with EOs. Her products appeal to a different set of customers than my soap does, and we both do okay.


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## MGM (Jun 17, 2019)

DeeAnna said:


> Once at a seller's booth, it's been my experience that most customers buy mainly on smell and then on appearance of the soap.


I was just thinking this today....I just *threw out* some soap yesterday because it is so crumbly, so unappealing, and the fragrance is bleh. I kept the unappealing, crumbly soap with almost no fragrance because it wasn't off-putting and seemed to work fine. One of my favourites is the slightly less unappealing, crumbly soap with a great fragrance. So whereas an eye-catching display and nicely coloured soaps will get me to your table, fragrance is make or break for me, apparently....


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## Kathymzr (Jun 18, 2019)

If customers are leery of a new soap ingredient, that’s a good talking point. Or an oil, say Babassu, that’s a good talking point. If they think it’s crazy idea soap, give little samples. 

Keep a good supply of “bread and butter” soap. Change up the colors sometimes, or fragrance. These are best sellers, that often are the backbone of your sales. You can talk about a new fragrance. If someone suggests one, reassure them you’ll have it next time. Engage the customer for ideas and feedback. Keep a notebook.  Just a thought.

Presentation matters a lot, next to knowing your market. Almost everyone has a birthday coming up. So an “affordable luxury” gift, attractively ready for giving might be something to have available. And change up displays for regular markets. Keep track of which ones seem to work best. Keep your car “display” kits ready to go. Even plain soap can be fun on a tie dye tablecloth!


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## Lin19687 (Jun 18, 2019)

Knowing Your Market is #1
Knowing what YOU want YOUR soaps to look like is #2
Then you can figure out your display.

When you first start you learn these things as they go along and how the Market changes.


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## Kathymzr (Jun 18, 2019)

Branding your soap is definitely what makes your product you. Especially where there is competition. Bramble Berry USA great example: they have a new collection. From picking up replacement soap from Joe’s to shopping Katydid Naturals collections, your brand should fit your market and the image you want to portray.


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## jcandleattic (Jun 18, 2019)

Lin19687 said:


> Knowing Your Market is #1
> Knowing what YOU want YOUR soaps to look like is #2
> Then you can figure out your display.
> When you first start you learn these things as they go along and how the Market changes.


So much this!! 

I do not have a "staple" scent that I always keep in stock - 99% of my scents are blends I make up on the fly.  I rarely ever duplicate the same look to a soap more than once (I think I've actually only done it 2-3 times) - my market craves variety - but that's just it - I KNOW my market. My customer base is drawn in by scent, yes, however, my plain 1-color soaps are always the very last to sell. My multi colored, bright, swirled soaps always sell first. By the end of my selling season I can almost guarantee every year which soaps I'll have leftovers of A - unscented, uncolored soaps I always have the most leftover, B- anything lavender this scent just does not sell for me, which is good because I HATE it, and C- single colored soaps. EVERY year... 
But that's my market. Others markets are different which is why I agree that knowing your market and customer base is the absolute most important thing in this business. Without that, there would be no sales...


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