Retro Tie-dye Gift Basket

A new basket to add to the inventory and now selling on Amazon - the Retro Tie-dye Gift Basket:

 

 





Now I have 4 example baskets and am still waiting to hear back from the vendor about whether my application has been accepted.  I'm also sending an sample retro gift basket to a friend who just had surgery as a get well soon present.  I'm shipping it to her and will find out if my shipping method will work out.  I filled the bottom of the basket with Kraft paper, then wrapped the basket in bubble wrap, put it in the box, and filled the rest of the empty space in the box with Kraft paper.  We'll see if it get's there in one piece...

Selling on Amazon!

Finally selling on Amazon.com!!!  Now I can sell the example baskets I made and be able to sell the rest of my inventory when the rest of the candy is ordered.












http://www.amazon.com/Retro-Nostalgic-Gift-Basket-80s/dp/B00FD95H9W/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_tnr_1



How exciting! super stoked.  I think I will still sell on my own website as well to have another outlet to sell in and to boost the Sugar High brand.  I'll have to wait though until I have my inventory all set up to launch the website.  Hopefully I'll find out about my credit application from the vendor soon.

I have also been thinking about different shipping options - to make sure the gift basket gets there in one piece.  At first I was thinking packing peanuts, but that has turned out to be very expensive, I think I paid about $70 for 7 cubic feet, not knowing how many boxes that would fill.  I'm hoping it will fill 15-20 boxes, but we'll see.  I'm thinking I might, instead of packing peanuts, wrap the gift baskets in bubble wrap and then stuff the empty space in the box with craft paper/packing paper - I think this will be a lot cheaper and still hold everything in the basket together during shipping.  I also learned about Glue Dots to use instead of double-sided tape, apparently it will stick a lot better and stay.

Another trick is the gift basket shrink wrap system, checkout this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4WdRb6Eduk

This is kind of expensive though, for a 24" system, it is something like $350-$399.

Anyways, many things to think about in the gift basket making world.  Can't wait to sell more on Amazon!!

Gift Baskets - Vendor

So, I'm planning the logistics of selling gift baskets online.  I have bought some of the inventory but have not yet bought the majority of the candy.  I'm waiting to find out if my credit application has been accepted by a vendor whose rep I met at the Philly Candy Show in Atlantic City a few weeks ago.  They carry all the retro candy that I'd like to sell at a lower cost than I've found on most wholesaler sites online.  It might take another week or two to find out.  In the mean time, I'm doing everything I can to plan ahead.  I've created spreadsheets for each type of gift basket I want to sell which will tell me how much it will cost to make the basket, that way I can reasonably price my products so that I am making a profit.  It also allows me to plan exactly what candy will go into which gift basket.

 

Originally I wanted to sell on Amazon.com but that has proven more difficult than expected.  Apparently, in order to sell gift baskets on amazon.com, one needs a UPC label for each type of basket or a UPC exemption approved by Amazon.  Another way to get around the UPC requirement is to get approved on Amazon's brand registry program.  But that's for people who manufacture their own goods, not for a gift basket which contains items manufactured by others.  I was rejected when I applied for a UPC exemption for some reason, so the only option I have left is to buy UPC's from a number of online company's at about $89 per bar code.  Although, I just saw a website where you can buy 25 UPC codes for $50 and the codes are accepted by Amazon - www.instantupccodes.com.  Maybe I will be able to afford to purchase UPC codes after all.

Regardless of whether I can sell on Amazon, I can still sell them on my own personal website - www.emilyssugarhigh.com at $24.99/month.

Right now my inventory consists of lunch boxes (boom box, Woodstock, Betty Boop, and I Love Lucy), popcorn buckets, and tie-dye buckets:

 

Now I'm starting to think of other items to add to the inventory (mugs filled with a "Sugar High" retro candy mix and gift bags):

The Beginning

I've always wanted to own my own candy store, ever since I was a kid.  I decided to finally put it into action after a long time of going back and forth, weighing the pros and cons.  I'd like to open the store by late winter or early spring of next year in Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti.  I've decided to save up money and then apply for a small business loan by the end of this year.  I have a lot of ideas for the store and hope that they will work/pan out.  I want to sell retro candy gift baskets online, provide a candy buffet service, and have a store front with all sorts of reasonably priced retro candy and retro gifts like clothing, bags, and collectables.  My ideal store would have a couch for people to hang out and rest on and room for parties and events.  It's going to be a long journey and take a lot of work, but I'm super excited and have become really passionate about it.  I started writing a business plan to present for financing, here is a excerpt of my Mission Statement:

Mission Statement:  To provide a unique candy lover’s experience of childlike wonderment.  We are dedicated to selling nostalgic candy and goods and providing an experience to customers unlike any other candy store.

 

And a little bit about the products and services that will be provided:

Sugar High will provide an experience to the customer of stepping back in time by offering nostalgic candy from the 60s, 70s, and 80s at competitively low prices.  The store will be the main attraction, it will not only be a shop to buy things in but a piece of installation art with interactive candy art pieces.  The window displays will be small replicas of a world made of candy, much like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.  Special emphasis will be placed on the one-of-a-kind gift baskets and their aesthetic quality.  The overall presentation is what will be unique about the store and its products.  The store is meant to be an attraction as much as a place of business.