I gave my friend a bunch of my soaps to sell for a fundraiser this weekend . I was hoping to help the organization out. I have never sold my soaps before. None of them sold!! I am a little crushed. I can't believe none of them sold.
Having a pity party!
- Thread starter angiem915
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I'm sorry
I haven't had much luck selling locally either. I think many people in my area were turned off by the overly bright colors and designs I used to make. Simple designs and lighter colors seem to appeal better. It could just be a matter of figuring out what has local appeal.
Maybe you can run a add in craigslist or post fliers at some local store advertising them as fundraising for whatever charity you are helping.
Price can make a big difference too. What were you asking and how big are the bars?
Don't feel too discouraged, its also a bad time of year. With Christmas coming and winter heat bills, I don't buy anything I don't need even if its for a good cause.
I haven't had much luck selling locally either. I think many people in my area were turned off by the overly bright colors and designs I used to make. Simple designs and lighter colors seem to appeal better. It could just be a matter of figuring out what has local appeal. Maybe you can run a add in craigslist or post fliers at some local store advertising them as fundraising for whatever charity you are helping.
Price can make a big difference too. What were you asking and how big are the bars?
Don't feel too discouraged, its also a bad time of year. With Christmas coming and winter heat bills, I don't buy anything I don't need even if its for a good cause.
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Dont feel bad I did a fundraiser for work and all that sold were candles and lots of them..............Soap just sat.
navigator9
Well-Known Member
Please don't be discouraged! It may have had nothing to do with your soaps. Do you know how they were presented? Presentation has a lot to do with how people perceive a product. People definitely react to the appearance of someone's display at a craft fair. You don't mention how the fundraiser was set up. Was it something like a blind auction? Did people have the opportunity to read your labels and sniff your soaps? Many things could have been a factor.
I just finished doing a craft fair. I did very well. Across from me was a talented young girl who was painting Christmas ornaments. They were lovely. But......she had no table covering. She had no way of displaying her finished product. She actually took the scarf off of her neck, laid it on the table and put some of her ornaments on it. She had all of her paints, brushes, glue, etc., out on her table as she painted the ornaments. Although the finished product was lovely, her table was a hot mess! She mentioned to me later that she didn't do very well because of where her table was. I didn't have the heart to point out that I was right across from her, and had done very well. Now, I think I should have said something.
So please don't assume that it wasn't your soaps that didn't sell, it may have been the way they were presented.
I just finished doing a craft fair. I did very well. Across from me was a talented young girl who was painting Christmas ornaments. They were lovely. But......she had no table covering. She had no way of displaying her finished product. She actually took the scarf off of her neck, laid it on the table and put some of her ornaments on it. She had all of her paints, brushes, glue, etc., out on her table as she painted the ornaments. Although the finished product was lovely, her table was a hot mess! She mentioned to me later that she didn't do very well because of where her table was. I didn't have the heart to point out that I was right across from her, and had done very well. Now, I think I should have said something.
So please don't assume that it wasn't your soaps that didn't sell, it may have been the way they were presented.
I totally agree with the others suggestions. Presentation and the holiday being so close can play a big part in sales. I had a two day show this weekend. It wasn't as good as I had hoped but at least I made some money after the fee for the show itself. You just never know from one day to the next how it will go. I did a 1 day show a couple weeks ago and made 3 x what I made in 2 days this weekend.
Area also plays a big part. Don't give up. Perhaps you need to attend a show on your own with your display etc and see how you do. It doesn't have to be a big one.
Area also plays a big part. Don't give up. Perhaps you need to attend a show on your own with your display etc and see how you do. It doesn't have to be a big one.
Thanks everyone! I have never sold my soaps before. I am not sure about presentation since I wasn't at the show. It was a fundraiser for MOPS. Soaping is so personal for me. So when I ask people what they thought and they say, "it's soap" it can bristle a bit.
You have to realize that other people don't always get as excited about our soap as we do. And it IS soap
I was thinking about you this morning and one thing I wanted to mention is that sometimes family and friends don't always give us what we "need" for feedback. If I went on my in-laws' reactions to my soaps, I'd have never gotten to the point of selling them. I have complete strangers coming back to me, for years now, over and over for my soap - yet, I have a couple of friends and my husband's family who won't even TRY them.
My MIL still has soap in her bathroom closet that she's never used, but "they smell so good". Whatever. My SIL begged me for one of my popular soaps, because she "just HAD to try it" - reaction? Nothing. I have a friend who complains to me that her kid has eczema but won't listen to me about not using detergent body wash on the boy. Oh well.
So, my attitude now is that I have a strong customer base who loves my stuff and I forget about the rest of them. Can't please everyone! Just do what you do - make a quality product and go from there.
I was thinking about you this morning and one thing I wanted to mention is that sometimes family and friends don't always give us what we "need" for feedback. If I went on my in-laws' reactions to my soaps, I'd have never gotten to the point of selling them. I have complete strangers coming back to me, for years now, over and over for my soap - yet, I have a couple of friends and my husband's family who won't even TRY them.
My MIL still has soap in her bathroom closet that she's never used, but "they smell so good". Whatever. My SIL begged me for one of my popular soaps, because she "just HAD to try it" - reaction? Nothing. I have a friend who complains to me that her kid has eczema but won't listen to me about not using detergent body wash on the boy. Oh well.
So, my attitude now is that I have a strong customer base who loves my stuff and I forget about the rest of them. Can't please everyone! Just do what you do - make a quality product and go from there.
grumpy_owl
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Honey, don't be discouraged. You just never know what people will want. It could be simple designs and light colors, as Obsidian said, or the total opposite. My etsy customers can't get enough of a pear-champagne soap; in stores, I can't give them away. My biggest seller at a local vampire boutique is Salty Mariner, which is a weird scent. The pumpkin, apple, peppermint, normal scents don't move. People are unpredictable. It may have been presentation, but it may have been the way the stars aligned. Don't give up!
Shut your mouth, JStar!!! That can't be right! :shock:
JustBeachy
Well-Known Member
Yup, could be the season..roughly 17 days before Christmas..
Don't get discouraged..it happens
Damn that means I only have like 14 days to start my Christmas shopping. Yeah, I'm one of those guys.
Jstar said:Heh, Im one of those you will see running frantically around at the last minute..2 days before the day
I just can't relate at all. Nope- not at all.
IrishLass
