You’re facing a double whammy. First, candles are a fun hobby, so the people who really appreciate it are making their own. Secondly, you’re competing with cheap Chinese imports. Yes they are junk, but the customers don’t care.

You do need to be able to buy supplies in bulk, at wholesale. That’s really true for any craft that you want to sell. It’s also important to be able to offer something they could not make for themselves, from materilas they can’t find in their local Hobby Lobby. It also has to be nicer than candles they can buy in a store… and then do the sales pitch to convince them of it.

What about offering classes instead, or offering supples to candlemakers? You could buy at wholesale and sell at retail.
.

You need to find a different source of candle supplies try to find good deals on them. Sell them for about $5.00–$7.00
every now and then do discount and contests. Make a website where people can order them. Make sure the buyer knows he/she has to pay for shipping. Tell them all the good details about the candles. email me at to tell me your progress. PLEASE really email me.

Aha, a candle maker! Lucky you, I am a small business owner who used to be a hobby soapmaker!

Before you go any further you must realize that the vast majority of candles out there are made from soy-based wax, and a lesser amount of them have been made of beeswax. Soy has seen worldwide price increases so making a profit with soy based wax will be harder than before. Also, although I do not know if beeswax has seen price increases also, but I know the price of honey has been steadily increasing over that past few years so I suspect the price of beeswax has gone up also. Finally, if you make candles for sale people will mentally compare your prices to the prices of other retail candles. They have you at an unfair disadvantage because candle-making factories can use machines, low price specialized labor and economies of scale to drive down the costs that go into making their products. So, from the beginning you have to accept that your candles will cost more even if you run the business out of your house and charge minimum wage for your labor. You just have to make it worth everybody’s while to pay more for your candles and learn to feel good about charging more in the knowledge that people are still getting their money’s worth.

The best way to justify the higher price point is to make a better quality candle with a fragrance people like, in colors people like to look at, and packaged in a pretty way, and make sure your candles are not like anyone else’s candles out there.

Here are some websites that can show you how to make candles using methods other than melt-and-pour for gel candles:

Here are some websites where you can buy supplies and waxes:

Also, I don’t know where you are but there is a large store in Brooklyn called Madina that imports fragrances from Asia, North Africa and the Middle East that are inexpensive and sooooo wonderful. I used to shop there all the time because it’s a soap maker’s paradise. Best of all, they now have a website.

You should also check out the WIBO website or the New York Public Library website for free business podcasts that will teach you about how to price your product so you can make a profit. Also, learn what a break-even analysis is. It sounds hard but it’s not, and without it you won’t really know if you made a profit.