How "perfect" are your products

[eera]

Hey all.

When you take a soap to market, are all of them the same size, look totally professional and perfect, or are they like mine; the bars are not identical in size (slip of the knife), sometimes I get impatient to see how a new technique has worked and the bar hasn't been completely hard when I cut it, other times there's a very slight crackling when it's overheated a little in the mold.

I want to sell at market, and personally I like handmade things to be a little imperfect, and ultimately the prospective buyer is seeing the goods before they buy, but what are your thoughts?

Cheers

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I would want a product that I buy to be within a minimum limit - so not lighter than 100grams, if that is the minimum advertised. Little details would be expected in a handmade soap, in my eyes - but what you actually get in terms of amount of product should be more controlled. Giving them more soap than they paid for is your error, but never give them less than they paid for so in your example about the slip of the knife, it that results in one bar over sized and one under sized, I would not want to recieve the under sized bar if I wasn't paying less for it!

Make sense?

 

[SoapyGoats]

Just watching this!

 

[pamielynn]

Handmade soap shouldn't look "industrial" to me, but I won't sell cracked soap, or soap that partially gelled or has other big imperfections. BUT, depending on your market, you CAN sell soap that looks rustic, or cracked - much more "handmade", if you know what I mean. Depends on what your area is like and how you market it. But that's just my 2 cents.

 

[shunt2011]

My soaps are pretty consistent in size as I use a multi bar wire cutter my husband built for me. However, I also make salt spa bars in a slab mold with dividers to make it easier to unmold so those are a different size than the rest. I package all my soaps the same way and I also bevel al my soaps. I like consistency and I think my customers appreciate that. When I first started out my soaps were very non uniform in size due to me cutting them with a mitre box, I look back now and laugh at myself as they were so different than now. Some people have great luck with their mitre boxes I did not nor could I cut them straight with a knife. You just need to find what appeals to you as far as size, packaging etc. Go to Etsy and look at what's out there for some ideas.

 

[Miz Jenny]

Well... I don't bevel my round bars unless they look funky. I also bevel the bottom edges of my loaf bars and trim off the bottom. My soaps are between 6-7 oz at first cure and I charge $6.00 per bar. If my bars take on a rustic look, I label them as "rustic."

 

[TVivian]

I don't sell, but as someone who buys soap I'd want them to look nice. Not perfect like a bar of ivory or dove, but I like to see sharp edges and minimal bubbles and clean colors and design. I like smoothly swirled or textured tops that give it an unmistakably handmade feel. For soaps that are mostly natural (only organic coloring, no synthetic fragrances, plenty of dried organic matter on and in the soap) I don't mind a more rustic and "bumpy" look with randomly shaped bars.

 

[Seawolfe]

Does anyone sell their soaps by weight? I remember when LUSH used to do that - you'd just tell them what size or weight you wanted and they would hack it off and charge you by the weight, I thought that was a good idea.

I always buy according to what appeals to me - and I'll admit I'm more drawn to the rustic, handmade or intriguing. Theres a soap seller at our local farmers market, and even if they do advertise that their soap is small batch, all the bars are identical in size and shape, they are all solid colors with no botanical bits, and I find them really off-putting. It looks like they've re-packaged commercial soap - even though the ingredients list looks right for CP/HP soap.

 

[shunt2011]

I've purchased many soaps from other soapmakers at events. I prefer a larger bar that looks good and smells good. I will not purchase a bar that has organic materials on top. I did that once and had lavender buds in my tub. I don't mind finely ground bits but not whole anything.

 

[TVivian]

I've purchased many soaps from other soapmakers at events. I prefer a larger bar that looks good and smells good. I will not purchase a bar that has organic materials on top. I did that once and had lavender buds in my tub. I don't mind finely ground bits but not whole anything.

I feel that way about glitter.

 

[eera]

After I posted I though, gee, I hope I don't look like I'm trying to sell crap...

My piping is a little uneven maybe and sometimes I get a bit exuberant with a new technique (man, do I love stripes right now), but there are no flaws such as cracks, bubbles or lye pockets. I'm encouraged that people seem to want to see that their soaps are handmade, otherwise why not just buy from the shops.

Thanks

 

[MzMolly65]

Well .. I'm not selling but as a buyer I actually like hand crafted things to be imperfect. I like air bubbles and cracks .. I like the rustic look of things left looking natural or organic. They look more alive that way.

 

[maya]

I purchase, at a fair or crafts show, based on if I like the smell (I don't do fragrance oils), if I like the person selling and if I am not allergic to the ingredients. If there is a little something, an air bubble, or what have you that is just fine with me.

 

[pamielynn]

I hate glitter!! But the divas, they sure do like it! I made a batch once that was supposed to be blue and pink swirls, but the FO turned them different shades of brown. Didn't look *bad*, but not what i'd planned on. So for the first time, I took out the glitter and dusted that puppy. Sold the whole ugly log in one show. They loved the glitter part

 

[hlee]

I don't sell either and I love pretty swirls and colors and fluffy tops. My friends love them also but they also say they don't mind my crooked cutting and some corners that could be cleaned up a little but are not. They seem to like that they are pretty yet still a little primitive looking.
Maybe in the marketplace it would be a bit different .

 

[Em522]

I don't sell so I can't comment from the view of a merchant just as a buyer. As a buyer of a handcrafted item I wouldn't expect the perfection that can be achieved by machines and I would expect to see small differences between batches of the same soap, minor differences in size or a slightly crooked cut. However, I wouldn't expect to see huge cracks, air bubbles or extreme differences between batches of the same soap. I think big inconsistencies would be a red flag that a seller is inexperienced or doesn't care about their product.

 

[savonierre]

My soap is not perfect, it is made by hand by me. It weighs what the package states. I do sell partially gelled soap, there is nothing wrong with it, most times people think it looks cool. I do explain why it looks like it does, if asked.

 

[cmzaha]

I also sell soaps that are partially gelled, it just does not hurt a thing. My bars are all made in my hdpe molds and cut the same size, although they can vary in size if I have piled my batter higher in the mold. My soaps are also all shrink wrapped and labeled. Having batches that are completely different does not mean one is a beginner soaper. I can make two batches back to back same everything and have one go beautifully and the next one fail and end up in a crock pot. Does that make me a poor or beginner soaper, nope, just the nature of the beast. In the five years I have been selling at open markets most customers buy for the fragrance, although occasionally I have had customers buy for color when they are using them in a movie.

 

[CaraBou]

I have been selling at open markets most customers buy for the fragrance, although occasionally I have had customers buy for color when they are using them in a movie.

Hmmm... In what films can we watch for your soap??

 

[lpstephy85]

Since I am just starting to sell I have yet to have someone not like a bar because of an imperfection. That could change, and to be honest oh well if they want to be a snob about it. Handmade isn't going to be perfect and most human beings understand that. Now, like others have said I agree about not selling the ones with huge cracks or huge air bubbles, but some little air bubbles are ok in my eyes as they cannot always be prevented (and I am not going to pitch a whole batch because so).

I say as long as the ones that might be a little smaller because of the slip of the knife, as long as they are not an ounce less or more in weight, then that is fine. The ones that are, you can always sell them at a lower price or do samples. To me all that matters in the end is fairness and that they are safe bars (no zap/not lye heavy).