# I hate gift baskets!



## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

I am making a public notice. I hate gift baskets! I know as a female I should like gift baskets, but only if I am on the receiving end. 

Ten reasons why I hate gift baskets.
1. People want a discount on the contents. They want to discuss this in front of other buyers and all eyes are on me when I refuse the discount.
2. They are a lot of @#$% work to put together. I also have to talk one of three males (in my no longer empty nest) to grudgingly help me.
3. I stress myself out every time I try to make them. (sucks time out of my life when I could be making soap)
4. I am really no good at putting the colors and presentation together. (my utilitarian personality is revolted by purchasing packaging that will probably be thrown away.)
5. People want to swap items out of the basket that I put great effort into assembling. (see items 2-4 this is not clear) 
6. People want one item out of the basket but not the other items.
7. They take up more space than my regular inventory. (if I do not pack them nicely, I will never be able to sell them.)
8. They are harder to transport because I can not easily pack them like a bar of soap. (my '87 astro practically is moaning under excessive load now)
9. Finding packaging that is cheap and pretty at the same time is a mental riddle that I DO NOT NEED IN MY LIFE!
10. I don't really make that much money off of the product, when I consider all the time that is sucked out of my life in huge quantities. (see items 1-9)


There I said it. 

I will NEVER do these again.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I hate them too. And I quit trying. Now I have simple boxes that hold 3 bars of soap and another that will hold 2 bars and a soap dish and nail brush or wash cloth. I have a couple made up that if/when I have room I display them. If not, I have them on hand for when someone asks. And they are easy to change out the soaps. I had 5 made up for a nice Mother's Day display today and last week and I sold a fair amount of them. Everytime one sold I quickly made another. So much easier than baskets.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I went here and got a case of these oval bamboo baskets: http://www.papermart.com/Product Pa...02&SubGroupID=17673&ParentGroupID=30649#17673

And a box of shredded tissue (it's huge and will last a long time): http://www.papermart.com/Product Pa...8244&SubGroupID=8245&ParentGroupID=19073#8245

I offer baskets on my website and sell a few there, and a few maybe at Christmas. Never very many, though, even if I bring a lot with me to something, so I've really stopped bringing them to most things. It's handy to have them as an option when I'm asked for a donation for something. But I just do a standard Soap & Soap Dish-Body Butter-Sugar Scrub combo, shrink wrapped (and that way, no one thinks to ask of substitutions!) or a men's Shaving Soap-Mug-Brush combo. So it's not too painful, and I can put one together by myself in less than five minutes, which I do as they are ordered.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Kalne said:


> I hate them too. And I quit trying. Now I have simple boxes that hold 3 bars of soap and another that will hold 2 bars and a soap dish and nail brush or wash cloth. I have a couple made up that if/when I have room I display them. If not, I have them on hand for when someone asks. And they are easy to change out the soaps. I had 5 made up for a nice Mother's Day display today and last week and I sold a fair amount of them. Everytime one sold I quickly made another. So much easier than baskets.


 :yeahthat


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I bought some metal mesh baskets at the dollar tree for a dollar, and keep them on hand if anyone wants a "basket". I do put some stuff in them at christmas time, but I don't wrap them and customers can pick other items if they want. The baskets stack perfectly, the handle folds down and is not in the way. That's about all I do in the way of baskets and no one has ever asked for anything more.  I do offer a slight discount on the products because I do a discount on multiples anyway. People bought them at christmas for $20 to $40. Some had laundry soap too. I bought some tissue paper to line them with, but didn't do the fancy bows or anything else extra. I just hope they still have more baskets when I need more.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

I have a tote full of baskets made up and don't think I've ever sold one. 

I did just pick up a wholesale account-a gal that does nothing but baskets. :biggrin She may be at the same flea market once in awhile that I'm at, so maybe I'll get to see them and get some better ideas.


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## In it for the Bucks! (Mar 12, 2012)

Anita if you can't find the baskets in store check on line. Sometimes they have a minimum order but not always .


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

Cindy, where did the boxes come from? I am looking for them now.


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## Angelknitter12 (Feb 16, 2012)

I am now selling the products in special packages, meaning a lotion, and two bars of soap or whatever, for people to put in gift baskets. I won't.do baskets myself. I don't have the talent to make the basket look pretty.


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