# Free samples and postage



## K-Ro (Nov 10, 2009)

Do you charge for postage if a person, not a store, asks you to send them a bunch of samples or samples of all of your soaps because they love to try samples - this is for their personal use?


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I do not send anyone samples. I hand out samples in person but if I did, I would cetainly charge them for the postage. Unless this is a friend of yours, many people try to get free stuff by asking for samples.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I don't have samples laying around to send. Now if someone is here they can smell soap, and I have some end peices I give away for free.


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## K-Ro (Nov 10, 2009)

Ok, Thanks. I almost felt bad telling them to pay for postage, lol. I sometimes have samples available where ever I am selling that I will hand out, but I figured if people were going to start asking me to mail them they could at least pay for postage.


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2010)

Yes, they are just trying to get it free... betcha they won't want alot more when they find out how much postage is these days.. 
Barb


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## DostThouHaveMilk (Oct 25, 2007)

I will send samples to a close family friend for free, but she sends them out in packages that she swaps so I end up with prospective future buyers. A benefit to me.
I also sell 50 samples for $15.00 (covers shipping and a touch extra) to another woman who also sends the samples out with the yarn and fiber she sells. So again, it benefits me.
I would definitely request coverage of postage at the miminum. I have to make the samples and that means time, labels, business cards and packaging. Make it worth your while.
I do sell a number of samples at the Farmer's Market and have gotten back a number of new customers through that.


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## Tallabred (Jun 12, 2008)

I will include a sample in the order. Maybe they will want to come back to order it.


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## Poverty Knob Goats (Apr 13, 2010)

I give away alot of small samples, but if they want me to mail them they can pay for pastage.


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## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

I charge postage for anyone requesting samples. If they actually pay the postage, I give them pretty large chunks to offset the postage cost.
PJ


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I've never had much luck with samples creating customers for some reason. I did have a lady order quite a few samples from me for her and two friends. Of course I made her pay postage...nobody gets free postage, but I never heard from her again. This has happened several times. Now, the people who buy my smaller bars or even just one of the bigger bars nearly always come back and buy more. Several have ordered more for gifts...like 100 bars or so. I started cutting my samples a little bigger and making samples in a star mold and selling them for a dollar. So far I don't know if that is going to work or not but there seems to be something about people not appreciating things they get for free that makes giving out tons of free samples a waste. 

I do keep samples aside and if someone acts really interested, but is sitting on the fence, those are the people I will give a sample too.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I like having samples of my Plain Jane soap available because that sells very well to the sensitive skin crowd, but they'd usually like to try it first and see if they react before buying a full sized bar. And I've gotten some sales from people I've given samples to, including one that gave the sample to her sister from out of town and then the sister ended up ordering via email.


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## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

Samples work extremely well for us. Always have. 
PJ


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Stacey.....I rarely sold unscented so I took it off my table to make room for other stuff and kept it on-hand for if/when someone asked for it. I did that for over a year. Well, this past weekend I tweaked my set up a bit and had some extra room. Decided to put out my unscented soaps to fill the space (I have 3 types). I only had 6 bars with me and I sold them all. Could have sold more if I had them. What a duh moment I had. LOL


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Yeah, my Plain Jane is one of my best-selling soaps!


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## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

Which is the best because it is the cheapest and easiest to make! 
PJ


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Definitely the easiest, anyway!!


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