# It was MARKET RESEARCH.....really..



## midkiffsjoy (Feb 27, 2008)

So I was in HEB pantry, looking at their handcrafted soaps and I realized something about packaging.......I am willing to pay MORE for an ugly soap in a cingar band than a perfect soap in a box or shrink wrap. Shrink wrap = mass produced and manufactured, while cigar band = handcrafted. 

Thats an interesting reaction to ponder when considering how to package my soaps!!!!!

The average price asked was $1.25 an ounce.

The goat milk soap bar was REALLY an UGLY bar!!!! All uneven cuts. No plumb corners. Just MESSY !!! But I bet it sells better than the perfect "manufactured" looking bars. I guess theres such a thing as looking "too professional".

Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm things for me to ponder.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

NO, no, no......do not tell me that! LOL *I* do not like shrink wrapping for that very reason.....it smacks of WalMart and mass production. BUT I do not like exposed soaps either. I wrap some in shrink and some in pretty papers.....and all of my store accounts prefer the shrink wrap because they want their customers to be able to see the soap. I've seen a lot of unwrapped soaps on store shelves and most do not seem to wear very well. And those with just a cigar band seem to end up with the band getting lose and easily falling off. I go back and forth over this issue.


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## midkiffsjoy (Feb 27, 2008)

Nod I can understand that!!!! Im going with unbleached coffee filters this time with a sample bar in the front, but it worries me ... the not seeing the bar. Cigar bands dont really work the same on round soaps.

I tell ya, I didnt even LOOK at the ones in boxs (okay I pondered ONE. The one in a red box. It ws made with mexican chocolate. I proptly walked ovr to the exotic chocolate isle & picking up some Mayne chocolate to soap......owwwwwwwww sexy soap.........)

There were some that had the band all the way to the ends, with only the ends open. But I was drawn to the ones were I could see the soap the most. Im hoping the filters dont work against me!


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## feistymomma (May 20, 2009)

I was wondering about packaging myself. Farmer's Market starts the 8th, so I am going to need to figure out how I am going to package, but I haven't a clue!!!!


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

I wrap all my soaps with waxed deli paper and then put a cigar band around them. When at market I simply put a naked bar out for display. I have been pondering for a long time how I should wrap when I go after more wholesale accounts. I'm sort of at a loss as to how I should.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Now I use shrink wrap and I don't think my product screams "Wal-Mart".


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I bet you a box of donuts the cigar wrapped soaps are commissioned and they give you back soaps that have shrunk and the bands are now loose, that folks have scraped with their fingernail to feel the soap or banged the edge off the soap. Not one of my stores wants soap unwrapped and cigar bands gives you two whole sides unwrapped. Everybody will pick it up but nobody wants to buy it if its the least bit messy. Same with lotion, shrink wrapped tops all the way to over the label, that nobody can get into with testers for folks to use, and your labels had better be excellent because with lotion grease on their hands they then won't by labels they themselves have smudged with the lotion they pumped! Also most of us will end up on the bottom shelves, right where nasty little kids are going to ruin alot of your stuff, why you don't commission  Vicki


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## midkiffsjoy (Feb 27, 2008)

It was neat to see the handcrafted soaps up top and the boxed up ones were at the bottom.


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

what about the little cellophane bags, what kind of compromise would that be with a nice sticker label closure? Customers can see it, but its protected and nicer than shrink wrap.


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## midkiffsjoy (Feb 27, 2008)

I'm looking at one of those right now on the desk. Those look very handcrafted gifty to me. With the nice little tan twist tie. Ive even seen people use raffia or hay twine, though that might not be cost effective. I was going to use the bags and twist tie. But then I switched to round soaps.....

What was it the gentleman said.....he could see Vickie gluing little bows on her packaging and she pointed out how much time & expense thatd be.

It's tricky finding that balance.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I use the little bags with, right now black twisties, they have new clamps I will be using after I get through about another 10,000 of my black twisties  No it wasn't what I had invisioned or my soaps, hand made paper, label, all essential oils, all olive oil...you go with the flo or the business goes elsewhere. Vicki


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## Jenny M (Nov 21, 2009)

I'm pondering new packaging/labeling also. Right now I use a clear bag w/ twist tie or wraffia (from Paper Mart) but I do a private label using the sandwich wrap & very simple label that looks so clean & nice. You can smell the soap thru the paper. This morning I took a few bars to a regular customer in the sandwich wrap. She loved the paper! One thing, with the paper it takes more time to wrap & I find using very small pieces of double stick tape to secure the side & ends looks better than cello tape but don't know if it's worth the trouble & time. Also, I think taping the ends & then using the label to seal the side looks ok.

I get the sandwich wrap at Costco. 1000 sheets for $10 (maybe?) but you can use a paper cutter to cut the sheets into multiple sheets.

Jenny


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Jenny, is your sandwhich wrap paper or a plastic type wrap? I use shrink wraps on most of my soaps. I cut them down on the open end so that when they shrink the right end has an open area for sniffing and air transfer. I want to have some soaps wrapped in some type of paper too, and I don't mind if they take longer to wrap, I won't be doing them all. I just want a few different looks for my table. I love the idea of a waxed, decorative paper wrapping. Anyone know of a place to buy those?


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I've never found any (waxed decorative paper). But I have found scrapbook paper to work well and the finished look is very polished. I've never had any get oil spots and I have a few that were wrapped last Christmas.


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## Jenny M (Nov 21, 2009)

Anita, the sandwich paper is a greaseproof sandwich wrap 12'' x 12"; crisp white paper. It just looks very clean & simple so your pretty label will really stand out. Costco has it. The box is 12 X 12 & pretty flat but has 1000 sheets.

The private label I do is so plain, but that is what the customer wants & it fits their theme. I have looked at every piece of paper that Michaels has in stock. They have fantastic scrapbook papers. Kathy, is that where you get yours? They also have packs of origami paper that come in such fantastic colors & patterns - maybe too over the top, though.

Jenny


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I get most of mine from Hobby Lobby and a couple I get from JoAnn's. I wait for their sales and get 5 sheets for a dollar. One sheet will wrap 2 soaps. Hobby Lobby has theirs on sale more often which is why I go mostly with them. But JA has a couple that are just perfect (like the one with small palm trees for my Caribbean soap). I do not have a Michael's that is convenient to get to so I haven't looked there.

I absolutely love the look.....but my wholesale customers want the shrink wrap so customers can see the soap. And my regular market customers take the shrink wrap because they want to save the fancy wrap for other customers. Too funny!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

10 soaps wrapped for $1 an that isn't even your labor to do it! orientaltrading.com has really excellent buys on tissue and also scrapbooking papers. Wrapping paper would have to be cheaper. Vicki


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Yep I'll never go back to bands, I won't shrink wrap. I use the poly bags and I LOVE the new clamp ties they have out. They do make the bag look more sophisticated and for arthritic hands are much easier for packaging.
Tam


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Wrapping with the scrapbook paper takes me no more time than shrink wrapping and you cannot duplicate the look with tissue or regular wrapping paper. It's 10 cents a bar vs. 3 cents a bar for the shrink tubing so a 7 cents per bar difference. I only use it on maybe 10% of my soaps but it sure adds a nice touch/color to the table.


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## Jenny M (Nov 21, 2009)

I saw some lovely soaps sold by a shop in NYC that were wrapped in an antique - looking print paper with a contrasting cigar band/label. I want to try to duplicate that look for some of my more upscale shops. Once you get your routine down & the paper cut to the correct size you can wrap pretty fast. I'm just trying to find a source for the paper. I've tried tissue but it's just not as good looking. The sandwich wrap is a good clean look & gives you a nice spa look.

I mostly use a gusseted poly bag from Papermart. 2000 bags for $29. They look fine & the price is right.


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