Selling soap

[perfectsoap]

Hello all.
I am new to this and have just gathered all of ingredients to make my first CP batch of soap. I have playing with soap using melt and pour, but want to make my own now. I have been thinking about trying to sell my soap once I get everything running smooth. I was very excited, but just noticed that their are people out there selling soap on Ebay for what my cost would be. I mean it is the same recipe give or take and comes from goats milk that their goats produce on the farm. They must have saving with owning their own milk supply and buying oils and such in bulk, but they are selling 100 4oz bars for $60.00 and less than $10 to ship. This is homemade goats milks soap with olive oil, etc. Sorry to go on and on, but kudos to someone who can do this, but is there a market for others that will have to sell for $4-6 per 4-5oz bar?
Thanks for anyones input! (there are several on Ebay that are doing this)

 

[Zenobiah]

Check out Etsy.com. Lots of people in that price range there. But please, please do not start selling until you are completely familiar with all the weird stuff that soap can do. It is harder than it seems at first...

 

[zajanatural]

Yes, I concur. I did not start selling till I had 2 years under my belt of hardcore soap making. I too often wonder how some can sell their bars so cheap. Perhaps they don't know that people can and will buy soap at a much higher cost. Or perhaps they are not in it for the profit, just to get a good product in people's hands. Who knows. But I find that Ebay is not the best place to price check, its turned into a huge flea market over the past years. I sell on Etsy and love it.

 

[Zenobiah]

I checked out your store on Etsy, zaja, but it was empty!
When will it be filled again?

 

[Soapmaker Man]

perfect soap, we're glad you are interested in learning to make a good, quality, safe product. But I fear you are rushing into selling way before you should even think about selling. It took me a better part of 6 months testing on myself and family before I even thought about selling. I just started selling over a year ago my soaps and lotions. I beg you, slow down, read, ask, learn, make and most importantly test, test, test. You will soon learn after many attempts how to make a good soap, but you can't do it overnight or even in a month or two, it just don't work that way. You are not the first to want to see income from the investment you put into your hobby/craft/profession, but you must. I invested hundreds of dollars in materials, oils butters, etc. tried at least 12 recipes changing them a little to get to where I am today. Please, I do not want to sound rude or imply you should not ever think about selling, but as a part of the forum, I always, we always want to stress safety and promote experience before selling to someone else. There is insurance to think of too, as people are law-suit happy these days. Just proceed with caution, and slowly. Enjoy yourself before committing to selling your wares to others. Just my thoughts and experience.

Paul.... :wink:

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Yup, Zaja and I started almost the exact same time! It takes a while doesn't it Z?
Paul.... :wink:

 

[Zenobiah]

I found Zaja's shop under aromaticbodyoils, the shop announcement under zajanatural needs to be updated, I think!

 

[Soapmaker Man]

I think she states she is moving everything over there as that is what most of us old timers who know her have always known her as. 8)

Paul.... :wink:

 

[Zenobiah]

Oh, I thought that she had changed her mind or something but forgotten to take it out of there.

 

[Tabitha]

No one can sell 100 4oz bars for $60.00 for long. It may be a publicity stunt or maybe they have a ship load of soap they need to dump really quick. It can certainly not be a long term busness goal unless that was opening bid & they were hopeing a bidding war would break out & force the price up.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Or there was a reserve price on it. Or maybe they are used to selling soap for $7.00 a bar and now need a tax write off for 2007....oh no, only a few hours left to sell it----new price--.45 per bar!

Paul :wink:

 

[Tabitha]

I just took a look & found the soaper you are refering to. That is her buy it now price & looks like she sells at wholesale all of the time. If you go back a month & look, her 100 bar lots were selling to the highest bidder for 60-120 alot. They are unscented, uncolored & unlabeled so that saves quite a bit on the cost for them. How or why does she sell at that price? We don't know. She must be making at least a little money or I do not imagine she would still be selling on ebay. She has been selling in qty since 2001.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Plus she has to pay her Ebay and PayPal fees on top of that. That is unreal. She must make a 3 oils soap.

Paul....

 

[Tabitha]

You can search soap 100 & find her.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

The one I found sell goat milk soaps --100, unscented, naked bars for $59.95 plus shipping. Her recipe ingredients are fairly BASIC, but she does add Shea . That is a fantastic price. Says she has been selling since 1999.

 

[Tabitha]

Yes, that is the one I found. I checked her feedback & it started in 2001, so maybe she sold elsewhere in 1999 & 2000. Than again I could be mistaken about the date.

 

[zajanatural]

I checked out your store on Etsy, zaja, but it was empty!
When will it be filled again?

Here is my Etsy shop:

http://aromaticbodyoils.etsy.com

I had this account before signing up for the other one and just never used the other one Have not logged into that one in ages. I did plan on moving all my items there but changed my mind since I would basically have to start all over feedback wise.

 

[stoneheart]

Her About Me page says she's a homesteader. Probably buys large amounts of lard in bulk and her goat's milk comes straight from her herd. I imagine as a homesteader she can store quantities of oil that home soap makers cannot and thus her batches are likely huge.

 

[perfectsoap]

perfect soap, we're glad you are interested in learning to make a good, quality, safe product. But I fear you are rushing into selling way before you should even think about selling. It took me a better part of 6 months testing on myself and family before I even thought about selling. I just started selling over a year ago my soaps and lotions. I beg you, slow down, read, ask, learn, make and most importantly test, test, test. You will soon learn after many attempts how to make a good soap, but you can't do it overnight or even in a month or two, it just don't work that way. You are not the first to want to see income from the investment you put into your hobby/craft/profession, but you must. I invested hundreds of dollars in materials, oils butters, etc. tried at least 12 recipes changing them a little to get to where I am today. Please, I do not want to sound rude or imply you should not ever think about selling, but as a part of the forum, I always, we always want to stress safety and promote experience before selling to someone else. There is insurance to think of too, as people are law-suit happy these days. Just proceed with caution, and slowly. Enjoy yourself before committing to selling your wares to others. Just my thoughts and experience.

Paul.... :wink:

Thanks for the thoughts!
I truly am a long, long way off from selling! Selling is a long way down the road! My plan is to work towards that, but I know that I will be putting in hundreds and hundreds of $$ to get there and that has to be in the plan! I was just discouraged to see someone selling sooo cheap! I am doing this more out of the love of it, but I need to be able to sell it someday so I can pay off the debit my fun creates! lol
Thanks so much for the comments!

 

[perfectsoap]

I just took a look & found the soaper you are refering to. That is her buy it now price & looks like she sells at wholesale all of the time. If you go back a month & look, her 100 bar lots were selling to the highest bidder for 60-120 alot. They are unscented, uncolored & unlabeled so that saves quite a bit on the cost for them. How or why does she sell at that price? We don't know. She must be making at least a little money or I do not imagine she would still be selling on ebay. She has been selling in qty since 2001.

I was going to add the link, but wasn't sure I should. I agree it is basic, but a great price for what is being made natural! Like I said I pat someone on the back for being able to do that, I just hope they are making a nice profit because it may hurt others just to sell it around cost, kinda like Wal-Mart, but with a quality product!
Thanks!