# What size bar sells best?



## layserbrat (Mar 4, 2013)

Curious as to what size (ounce/grams) bar sells best for you.


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## ruby61 (Mar 4, 2013)

I sell mine at 4.5 oz.  They are slab mold type vs loaf mold.  I myself like the loaf but customers in my area prefered the slab type bar.  I also sell guest bars as a sample bar for 1.00 each and they usually go like hotcakes.


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## DWinMadison (Mar 4, 2013)

That's a great question.  I have no idea about selling, but my average bars are 3.5 x 2.5 x 1" thick and weigh in at about 4.5 oz.  I have average-sized male hands, and I find anything larger to be awkward to handle and prone to drop.  Much smaller that that and I think they tend to get soft and dissolve more quickly.  I also find that rectangular bars appear larger than round ones oz for oz...sort of an optical illusion.  I'm interested to know what others think.


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## layserbrat (Mar 4, 2013)

okay, so i am on the right track...I just got a fantastic deal on ebay....someone decided they did not like the BrambleBerry 9-bar birch molds!!!!:shock:  I got TWO for the price of one.:-D  my bars are coming out between 4 and 5 ounces.  that is with two pounds of oils....  each bar is roughly 3 x 2 x 1 1/2.....


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## lsg (Mar 4, 2013)

I sell four ounce bars.


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## paillo (Mar 4, 2013)

Mine are roughly 4.5 oz (ahem, when I don't cut them crooked , and between 5-6 oz. for salt soaps. I too often make a little extra and pour into guest/sample-size molds to sell for a buck. Kids especially love these, and for me they go like hotcakes too.


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## melstan775 (Mar 4, 2013)

Good deal Pam! I want those 9 bar molds too.


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## layserbrat (Mar 4, 2013)

I am absolutely IN LOVE with them!  I do HP (Double Boiler method) and the are great!  Nice size, but still a rustic look to them.  If I wasn't so impatient, i would do a CP batch and get a little creative with swirls and such...


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## TeriDk (Mar 4, 2013)

layserbrat said:


> okay, so i am on the right track...I just got a fantastic deal on ebay....someone decided they did not like the BrambleBerry 9-bar birch molds!!!!:shock:  I got TWO for the price of one.:-D  my bars are coming out between 4 and 5 ounces.  that is with two pounds of oils....  each bar is roughly 3 x 2 x 1 1/2.....



I like round bars but finding they are too different in these parts (natural soap is a foreign thing around here) so the bars I get out of the BB 9 bar mold does better.


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## Trxflyer (Mar 4, 2013)

ruby61 said:


> I sell mine at 4.5 oz.  They are slab mold type vs loaf mold.  I myself like the loaf but customers in my area prefered the slab type bar.  I also sell guest bars as a sample bar for 1.00 each and they usually go like hotcakes.



Hey ruby61 - what size are your guest bars (dimensions & weight)?


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## adoptapitbull (Mar 6, 2013)

Mine are 10oz salt bars. They are HUGE. But I've gotten great feedback saying they like a bigger bar because most don't last long enough. They sell for $7.50 retail or between $5-$6 on my site.


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## Miz Jenny (Mar 6, 2013)

Mine are just shy of 3oz after curing. Last year I sold for $2.00. What do y'all think about raising the price to $3.00? Bars are 2.8 x 1.78 x 1.5 inches. My husband has large hands and he hated the "big" bars. My hands are very small and I find my bars just right. But, what I really like are the small cupcake-sized bars that I make when I have overage.


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## DWinMadison (Mar 6, 2013)

Seems to me that 4-5 oz bars are running $7.50 on average, so no reason a 3oz bar shouldn't sell at $3 or even $3.50. If I'm interested in soap, the difference between $2 and $3 per bar is inconsequential.


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## nebetmiw (Mar 6, 2013)

OK funny note here.  The best size that sells is the one you just sold.


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## marghewitt (Mar 6, 2013)

I have two 4 pound molds that make 18 bars each and by the time I sell them they are just under 4.5 so I mark them all 4.25oz. I sell them for $5.50. I have a couple of slab molds too that make 15 bars and I make a 3.5 pound batch in them and usually make those my swirly soaps. I am getting ready to switch to 6 pound molds and don't know yet how many bars I will get but I have a multi-cutter so they will all be the same size. I want to do 6 pound batches because I will have more soap with the same amount of cleanup and that is all my melting pot will hold anyway.


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## melstan775 (Mar 6, 2013)

melstan775 said:


> Good deal Pam! I want those 9 bar molds too.



I talked to my dad yesterday about the slab molds. He said if I just buy the inserts he will build me any kind of box I want for it. I think I want one with drop sides to help expedite removal. Any feedback?


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## whitetulips (Mar 6, 2013)

What do you do about sales tax?  Anything..or is there a rule that if you don't sell more than ... You don't need to worry about it?


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## DWinMadison (Mar 6, 2013)

marghewitt said:


> I have two 4 pound molds that make 18 bars each and by the time I sell them they are just under 4.5 so I mark them all 4.25oz. I sell them for $5.50. I have a couple of slab molds too that make 15 bars and I make a 3.5 pound batch in them and usually make those my swirly soaps. I am getting ready to switch to 6 pound molds and don't know yet how many bars I will get but I have a multi-cutter so they will all be the same size. I want to do 6 pound batches because I will have more soap with the same amount of cleanup and that is all my melting pot will hold anyway.



A 4lb mold (64oz) divided into 18 bars would be 3.5oz bars if my math is correct. You must have a 5lb mold.


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## new12soap (Mar 6, 2013)

DWinMadison said:


> A 4lb mold (64oz) divided into 18 bars would be 3.5oz bars if my math is correct. You must have a 5lb mold.


 
In batch sizes 4lb generally refers to the oil weight, not the total batch weight. Entirely probable that they would get 18 bars of 4.5 oz each.

whitetulips, if you sell online only to people outside your state, you may not be required to collect sales tax, but if you sell to anyone within your state, online or in person, you will probably have to collect and submit the sales tax. You need to contact your state or a tax/accounting pro in your area.


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## DWinMadison (Mar 7, 2013)

new12soap said:


> In batch sizes 4lb generally refers to the oil weight, not the total batch weight. Entirely probable that they would get 18 bars of 4.5 oz each.
> 
> whitetulips, if you sell online only to people outside your state, you may not be required to collect sales tax, but if you sell to anyone within your state, online or in person, you will probably have to collect and submit the sales tax. You need to contact your state or a tax/accounting pro in your area.



That makes sense.  I've never bought a mold, so I wasn't sure how they are sold.  nice to know.


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## Marilyna (Mar 7, 2013)

MIZ JENNY said:


> Mine are just shy of 3oz after curing. Last year I sold for $2.00. What do y'all think about raising the price to $3.00? Bars are 2.8 x 1.78 x 1.5 inches. My husband has large hands and he hated the "big" bars. My hands are very small and I find my bars just right. But, what I really like are the small cupcake-sized bars that I make when I have overage.


 
Zum sells their 3 oz bars for $5.75 each.  Definitely think you should up your price to $4 or more.


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## Marilyna (Mar 7, 2013)

whitetulips said:


> What do you do about sales tax?  Anything..or is there a rule that if you don't sell more than ... You don't need to worry about it?


 
Definitely you need to check into that with your particular state.  Here in Texas we have to charge it no matter how much our sales are.  I think we're allowed 2 garage sales a year where no taxes are charged.  And if you're at a show, sometimes they will come by and check to see if you're charging tax.

Forgot to add that you don't have to charge it to out-of-state customers as someone before me said.


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## Marilyna (Mar 7, 2013)

This time in business (I've had soap biz 2 other times), I am going to try out all 2 oz bars.  I formerly had both 4.5 oz bars and small 1.2 oz bars.  I sold tons of the little ones - way more than the big one.  So, this time, I'm going to go with all 2 oz'ers.  

I have always noticed that people say their little bars sell like hotcakes at shows, so why not just sell all little bars?  

But, I know there is more labor involved per bar, so there is a downside.


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## Moonshea Botanicals (Mar 7, 2013)

maybe it's the 'trial size' that gets them. If they don't like it they don't feel like they wasted their money on a full size bar.


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## Marilyna (Mar 7, 2013)

I think it's the price point.  They get to try a bunch instead of a couple.  Plus they buy more because its "cheaper".   Just my theory.  We'll see ifit works.


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## CaliChan (Mar 7, 2013)

ruby61 said:


> I sell mine at 4.5 oz.  They are slab mold type vs loaf mold.  I myself like the loaf but customers in my area prefered the slab type bar.  I also sell guest bars as a sample bar for 1.00 each and they usually go like hotcakes.



How much do your sample bars weigh? I've been doing mine at 1oz. Should they be smaller?


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## Maythorn (Mar 8, 2013)

My favorite size is about a 4-5 oz round.  I love round soaps and I just think they fit in your hand so comfortably.  The only thing about coffee filter wrap I wouldn't go for is that you can't see the soap but I prefer it over shrink wrap.


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## RocknRoll (Mar 8, 2013)

CaliChan said:


> How much do your sample bars weigh? I've been doing mine at 1oz. Should they be smaller?


 I do mine at 1 oz and sell them for a buck.


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## Maythorn (Mar 8, 2013)

Rock&Royalty said:


> I do mine at 1 oz and sell them for a buck.


 
That's really a great idea.  I should make smaller cubes out of my miscut rectangle bars.  You could even cut around partial gell and have something to show for a batch that seemed a total loss.  Or I could get a round cookie cutter.:idea:


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