I got 117 USD for one soap!!!

[Tienne]

I sold my first soap yesterday!! Well, not exactly.... I sort of bartered it and OMG I definitely got the better end of the bargain!!

Here's the story. I hired a gardener to help get my front yard looking nice and he has really bad eczema on his forearms. Last time he was here, I gave him a scrubby coffee soap (coz he's a gardener) and a mild avocado soap. (I dump soaps on anyone who passes by. LOL) When he got here yesterday to work, the first thing he told me was that when he had gotten home last time, he had washed his arms with the avocado soap and the itching had stopped right away. He said he usually can't get a good night's sleep because he wakes up due to the itching but after using the soap, he can now sleep all night. He loved the soap and was all exalted and happy about it, (which made me feel really good, albeit a bit surprised, coz it was just an avocado soap. LOL ) So anyway, this guy isn't cheap to hire. He costs 388,- SEK an hour. That would be just under 60 USD an hour. (I know... ugh.) Anyway, I think it's worth it coz he gets my garden looking good in no time and it saves me a lot of time and work and sore muscles PLUS I get to watch a hunky, sweaty, muscular, sun-tanned guy roaming about my yard looking ever so manly and... *sigh*... well, enough about that, but it does have it perks having him around. LOL Well, to make a long story short, he was here for three hours yesterday and when time came to bill me, he said he would only bill me for one hour, because he said the soap had helped him so much and he was so grateful. That means I got two hours gardening for free!! That's 2 x 388 SEK = 776 SEK!!!! That's 117 USD!!!! For one little round of avocado soap!! That is just insane! LOL

I have a whole Pringles can worth of cured avocado soaps I'm going to give him the next time he's here, free of charge. The mere fact that he gave me such a mega discount and that it helps his eczema is enough for me. (Plus the hunky, sweaty, muscular thing is absolutely priceless. LOL) He waaaaay overpaid for that one little soap so it's the least I can do. My front yard looks fab right now, but I can hardly wait to have some weeds in my garden again.

It was a good day.

 

[Aline]

LOL - that's a great story

 

[Saponista]

I love that story, so nice that your little avocado soap gave someone so much relief.

 

[AcornSky]

That's wonderful. Good on you for being generous and knowing what to give him. And good on him for being so appreciative (as well as ornamental and useful!)

(Hey - ornamental and useful! He's just like soap!)

 

[grayceworks]

That's awesome!

 

[btz]

That's one awesome soap, LOL.

 

[Tienne]

Oh, he is indeed ornamental, AcornSky! He did made me feel kind of bubbly too, (in a very innocent sort of way of course, *ahem*) so he has that in common with soap too! LOL

Here's a pic of the inconspicuous and somewhat boring, (but to him apparently miraculous) little golden goose soap;

 

[AcornSky]

Oooh - how do you get that pattern around the edge? Is it part of a mould?

There seem to be very few moulds around in the UK. :sad:

 

[neeners]

that's awesome!!! I love bartering. Everyone is a winner when you barter.

you know, I suffer from eczema too, and sometimes wake up in the middle of the night scratching (it's terrible, and there were a few years where I would wake up every night), so I can commiserate with your hunky gardener. to him, two hours of free work is a small price to pay for relief and a good night's rest!

 

[Ankh]

awww.... thats such a cute story.......

and i must say, 117 USD is nothing in front of the relief he must have had got...

 

[Tienne]

Oooh - how do you get that pattern around the edge? Is it part of a mould?

There seem to be very few moulds around in the UK. :sad:

I bought a fondant mat on eBay and cut it to size so it fits perfectly inside a Pringles can. There was enough left over to line a small log mould on all the three long sides AND still enough left over to put in the bottom of a red ED silicone mould, so you get a lot for your money.

I don't know if this link is to the cheapest one you can get, but I just found the first link I could with a mat like the one I got. Look around, coz sometimes they are on whopper sale and/or auction for cheap.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOT-Silic...ake-Sugarcraft-Pad-Mat-mold-Tool/121254141599

 

[AcornSky]

Thank you! You're wonderful!

I've never seen anything like that before, and a whole world of possibilities has just opened up. I've already tried using a Pringles can, which worked very well, so this should be well within my capabilities.

 

[Tienne]

Thank you! You're wonderful!

Yes, I know. I'm absolutely fabulous. I'm glad someone finally noticed! :mrgreen:

But joking aside, LOL, I'm so glad it gave you some inspiration. You can get all sorts of patterns and sizes, so be sure to check out you get a big enough one. Some of them are very small and they usually don't tell until far down in the description. I have my eye on a cobblestone patterned one, but I must resist!! I can't afford to eBay too much these days coz I'm spending all my play money on hiring that cutesy gardener. It's all about priorities, don't ya know. LOL

Don't forget to post pics of the imprinted soaps you make!

 

[lsg]

That is a good recommendation for your soaps. You might tell him, his recommendations to other people would also be welcome. I love the design around the outside of your soap.

 

[navigator9]

Woo hoo.....good for you, with the barter, the gardener, the works! And that's a great idea about the fondant mat. I just bought one and it was too big for my log mold, and I wondered what I'd do with the left overs, now I'm going to line my Crystal Lite container....thanks!

 

[Sagebrush]

That's an awesome story...in every way. It's nice when you see the benefits of your products in someone else's life!

That's also a great idea to use the fondant mats in Pringles cans. Now I'm gonna be online all morning looking for the perfect pattern instead of making soap

 

[Tienne]

Thanks everyone!! I have to tell you though, that the idea to use a fondant mat in a Pringles can isn't my idea. I saw some soaps a while back that were done that way so the credit should rightly go to some anonymous but creative soaper out there in Soapland who first thought of it and whose idea I just happened to rip off. I just wanted to put that out there so you don't go thinking mistakenly that I have any kind of creative streak of my own whatsoever, coz I don't. LOL

 

[warmhandswarmheart]

Acorn Sky, the pattern is from a fondant mat. You can buy them on Amazon. They are usually used to decorate cakes.

 

[seven]

i hope you still have the recipe for that amazing avocado soap

ya know what, i can totally understand how happy he must be, since i have a sensitive skin myself. when it's acting up, the itching can be unbearable, seriously! he did not joke when he said he couldn't sleep. i myself can scratch in my sleep, and when i woke up.. blood everywhere

 

[brandnew]

I would like to thank you for your wonderfully amusing story.....your invaluable use of spending ;-).....and the great idea of a fondant mat! I am already an avid pringles tin user and now it will be even better! Thanks ever so much! Amazon here I come....sorry hubby!:-o