# FO's & shipping



## 2Sticks (Dec 13, 2007)

It seems like sometimes when you go to look for a reasonable price on a fragance you want, you'll find a good price but the shipping will be outrageous. , so you go looking elsewhere. I wonder if in this instance it may be better to pay a little more for the FO and get free shipping? I realize they factor in the shipping cost so it really isn't "free" but it seems like you can still come out better than cheaper FO cost and higher shipping. There is one place I'd really like to buy from, but their shipping costs are way to high, I can't see buying a $15.00 bottle of FO and having to pay over $11.85 in shipping. I think that's very inflated shipping costs since I just had $7.90 shipping charges for the same amount from another company. 

How do ya'll handle that problem? Is there some solution I don't know about?


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Best, of course, is to optimize your shipping by ordering as much as you can at a time...not just one FO. Now, obviously, this doesn't always work out, but the more you can order at once, the better for shipping charges. And of course, the further a company is from you, the more expensive shipping is going to be, so it might not be one company jerking you around, they might just be on the opposite end of the country and the one that was cheaper might be closer.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I like to order fragrance from companies or individuals who do flat rate shipping. When Lillian used to do her pre-sales she would hold our orders until we had bought enough to fill a box then she'd bill for shipping and ship. If you can find a company who does flat rate shipping and then order as many bottles as will fit in the box you'll come out better. I can't remember who it was I just ordered from...it was a small, lightweight order, and the shipping was OUTRAGEOUS. Actually, one of the companies was lotioncrafter. I didn't need a lot of stuff but the shipping was nearly as much as the product I bought. Luckily I had some points to use which took off money for my shipping, otherwise I would have had to forget about it for now. I used their lotion calculator to find out that the more product I ordered, the lower percentage of the total the shipping was. I started really saving money when the total was over $120 dollars I think. But I didn't want to use that much of my budget for just lotioncrafter when I also needed to order from three other companies for various things.

Bulk ordering is really the only way to keep costs down....but if you are like me, not needing a ton of this or that, and with a very small budget...it can be a huge hinderance to growth of the business, at least it has been for me. The costs of products, and especially with shipping added in has kept the growth potential of my business down. I cannot afford to make enough soap to send out samples to lots of buisiness, only to not have enough soap to stock them because I could not buy any more coconut oil this month.  

It is a headache, that's for sure.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

That's why I've narrowed my FO suppliers down to 3 or 4. Then when I order I order at least 5 lbs, usually 10-15.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

It's the hardest part...sort of like feeding goats. If you buy from resellers, when they choose not to carry your best scent anymore you are out finding a new one to replace it. It's cost, you have to pay shipping either in the cost of the scent being more or the lowered price of scent and raised shipping and handling costs. It's hard enough to find really good scent that works in CP soap and sticks. Not that cost isn't important but just like feed, I am not going to drive 2 hours to get cheaper feed, I don't have time to do that and I don't save all that much. I didn't use SOS for awhile because their website is simply WAY to much to get through to order, now I have a person to call and put in my order. Vicki


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## 2Sticks (Dec 13, 2007)

Vicki,
Do you buy their SO, Ultra or Extreme? Are their FO's good? For some reason I was hesitant that they might not be full strength.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

There is no reason to buy anything but the normal strength, alot of the others are for incense etc. Imgaine having to remember that it is concentrated and then forgeting. I do buy several of their scents, and they are great for trying new fragrance. I really can't stress how important it is when you are new to find a place you love their shipping, you love their customer service and you love their scents, and build your line around them...it wastes so much money buying a few from here and a few from there. I use SOS Rice Flower Shea, Drakkar dupe, Almond Cherry (but I have a test I need to finish with this one) and a pomegrant, they have a new Pink Sugar now after complaints about the one they have, which is awful. I am also trying the old OMH now that they have the old one back. I know there are others since I buy 10 pounds at a time from them and the carton holds all 6 containers. Vicki


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## faithfarm (May 10, 2010)

Living in the South made shipping mega high for me to try too many different suppliers since most of them are out west so I found a "local" supplier (Camden Grey in Florida). They do not have a huge variety of scents but what they don't have I get from a second supplier where I also order from for my herbal business. Camden Grey also has a flat rate shipping for small orders which is also nice I think it's something like $8.

Blessings,
Hope


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## 2Sticks (Dec 13, 2007)

Here's the first ones you sent me. I am trying to find the 2nd set. Kim told me you found the recipe, I'll pick it up for you, no problem. Missed you last night, and look forward to seeing you online on erev shabbat. I'll send the other email if I can find it...Love you lots!

Vicki,
I just saw your answer and it answers alot of questions that I had. I was hesitant to oredr from them because of the different strengths. I'm going to go ahead and place an order from them.

Hope, 
Thank you for telling me about Camden Grey. Do you also buy from Southern Garden Scents since it's in the South also?

Anita, 
Yes, I'm just like you, need to make every cent count. It would be nice to have a littlke more capitol to work with!


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