Gift baskets

Neve · Nov 21, 2014

I had smaller packages. Twin packs of soap tied with raffia. Set of three minibars. A nice round men's soap with packaging. It was odd - almost everyone was diving into the salt bars and artists bars. The artists bar which was previously ignored almost sold out.

I've since sold three gift packs by advertising on FB and people liked how they looked.

The reason I wanted a table full of gift packs was to try and make a decent amount of money. Selling single bars doesn't add up to much. I was going for higher value sales and that didn't happen. People bought singles. But the three people who came to my house to look at leftovers spent about $45 each and all bought a gift basket.

I'm officially done with markets I keep trying them and I don't do well in them. People spend their money at the jewellery tables.

cmzaha · Nov 21, 2014

Saponista said:
I went to a craft fair last weekend and saw some great holiday themed ideas. One person had combined two candy canes with a wooden soap dish and a bar of soap on top all packaged together with a bow to look like a sleigh. They looked lovely, were a reasonable price and were selling like hot cakes. They also wrapped bars of soap in brown facecloths and stuck on eyes and a nose with pipe cleaner antlers to look like Rudolph. They were selling well too. Perhaps you could try some gift packages that are cheaper and smaller than a basket.

I know where I live in California we cannot and in any food items without have all the permits for selling food. We can give it away, but if added to an item being sold it is a no

Saponista · Nov 21, 2014

I guess I can see the logic behind the permit for selling food. I wonder if that applies in the uk and the lady I saw with the candy canes just didn't realise.

navigator9 · Nov 21, 2014

Neve said:
The reason I wanted a table full of gift packs was to try and make a decent amount of money. Selling single bars doesn't add up to much. I was going for higher value sales and that didn't happen. People bought singles

I'm officially done with markets I keep trying them and I don't do well in them. People spend their money at the jewellery tables.

Have you tried buy so many and get one free deal? I sell 5 and get the 6th free, and I sell a LOT of those.

Spice · Nov 21, 2014

cmzaha said:
I know where I live in California we cannot and in any food items without have all the permits for selling food. We can give it away, but if added to an item being sold it is a no

What part of Cali do you live in, I live over by Sac.?

Neve said:
So, I'm one day into a two day fair. I figured I never made much money selling single bars so I stayed up late last night making gift baskets.

All day sold single bars and guest sized bars and not one basket! I was counting on the basket sales to actually make some decent money.

Any ideas for tomorrow to get these baskets moving?

People were grabbing soaps out of the boxes on the front right corner - oddly enough snapping up all the artists bars and salt bars. No-one ever showed any interest in the artist bars before!

I've made my table fee back, and lunch, tomorrow I need to basically sell all of it. It's the only market I plan on doing.

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Your soaps are beautiful! The baskets need some work. They look like meat trays to me too. Im not an artist and I have a heard time decorating, if I would be doing baskets I would use old baskets with xmas colored shred and fill them with soap. I find that when buying for others, its the , "I dont know if they will like it," is what makes the deal.

Consuela · Nov 21, 2014

The only time I ever did good with baskets, was at a market I attended, 10 days before Christmas. Boyfriends. Husbands. Last Minute Shoppers. "Quick I need something for my girlfriend, You got a $50 basket?" or "I need something for a staff gift exchange under $25".

And by good, I mean that I made 15, and I sold about 10. And it was only ever that ONE market. I have NOT had luck with baskets since.

And tying bows? I think I'd rather slit my wrists. Some people are good at bows - I am not. Usually I would sanction my Mom to make a ton of bows for me to have on hand - then if I got a request, I would make a basket...

If anything - have a couple of baskets. Just a few. If they're hot sellers - and people start asking - start taking orders for them. You can always make them at home and they can pick them up or you can deliver. But hauling lots of baskets to fairs....is severely annoying....and if you make too many baskets - breaking them open again to get your product out...seems like a waste for all the hardwork of wrapping and bowing.

(Even if you were just watching tv while doing it all...)

Neve · Nov 23, 2014

Well they are taking up space so I think I will pull them apart now. It would be nice to keep the pumpkin pie fragrances together but I don't want to spend any money on real baskets. Not unless I can find them for 50c anyway. The don't look quite as bad as the crappy iPhone photo seems. Especially the ones just in cello bags. I did them that way because friends sold big with that kind of packaging last year. And I didn't have time for anything better. Really truly didn't have time. The rest of the table looked good so that helped. Actually maybe too much it took the focus off the baskets!

navigator9 · Nov 23, 2014

I forgot to mention that I do sell some tiny "baskets", actually frosted take out containers, that hold 2 bars of soap. These do OK, not terribly well, but OK. I line them with colored tissue, and they have a pretty bow and tag on them. They make a nice, small gift. As dismal as sales are on anything but single bars, I like to give people a choice, just in case they're looking for a gift item.