Anyone ever just get annoyed when...

[Wyredgirl]

You are scrolling through another forum and people bring up soapmaking for the holidays, and ask for a "recipe" and you hafta just sit there and be like, soapmaking is not cheap, it's a super expensive hobby, and if you're gonna make soap commit to it and get the right tools.

Sorry just a little annoying rant

 

[MrsSpaceship]

I get annoyed with all of the "I just threw these together last night with no thought to safety or prior research, and my friends and family who love me said I should sell this so I'm opening my business this weekend. Give me your recipes and tell me what I want to hear, not the constructive criticism I asked for."

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. :twisted:

 

[hozhed]

I get annoyed with all of the "I just threw these together last night with no thought to safety or prior research, and my friends and family who love me said I should sell this so I'm opening my business this weekend. Give me your recipes and tell me what I want to hear, not the constructive criticism I asked for."

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. :twisted:

Making soap is my cheapest hobby........................my most expansive one is snowmobiling.......Driving expensive, high powered machines all over the mountains of Maine that get terrible gas mileage all winter long, in a great big hurry to get to someplace we don't really need to be in the first place. Only in America!

 

[shunt2011]

Yep, see it all the time. I did a large craft show this past weekend and a guy came wandering into my booth asking if it was glycerine soap. I told him it was Cold Processed in which the glycerine was retained however if he was asking if it was MP no. Then he told me he made goats milk soap and had a booth there too. I asked how long he had been making soap and he said 4 months.
I shut my mouth and waited for him to stop smelling my stuff and leave. Fortunately I had an awesome show.

 

[MrsSpaceship]

Lol, you know he was scoping out the competition.
I researched for at least 6 months before I even purchased a SB, and lurked like a crazy person before creating an account. I think I know just enough to be dangerous (and irritated when I see the people that are in for a quick buck.)
I quickly learned that theory only goes so far, and i while I may have had a few successes, it will be a very long time before I am comfortable sharing with anyone outside of my circle of nearest and dearest.

 

[shunt2011]

I was exactly the same way. I had family and friends telling me I should sell. I'm so glad I waited and took the time to work on it for a long time. Plus I knew I wasn't going to get rich quick doing this. It's something I truly enjoy.

 

[TBandCW]

I don't even tell others where I get some supplies! I put in lots and lots of time and research to get the best price I can and so can you! (I mean the person who wants to know) Some stuff I don't mind giving out info on, I'm really not that mean! But hey, do your own research!!!!

 

[jade-15]

I watch plenty of YouTube videos on soap making, and made the mistake one day of reading the comments on one of Ariane Arsenaults video (I had a question, and thought maybe she had already answered it.)
People are ridiculous... Asking for her recipe, or how much money she makes from her business, and wanting to know if the local products she uses can be bought online (like the beeswax she gets from a local farmer - go find your own local bee farmer!)
At least I did find the answer to my question. I do wonder how people have the patience to post these videos and handle all those responses! Doubt I could do it.

 

[not_ally]

The comments on the YouTube videos are really crazy sometimes. It is strange that people do not realize how rude they are being, and/or how much they are asking. And then sometimes they come back and say "how come you did not answer me?" No way I could do it.

 

[not_ally]

Fortunately I had an awesome show.

Am I mean-spirited in hoping that his was much less good?

 

[Wyredgirl]

Lol yeah it's the people who are like "hmm coconut soap sounds like something I could do, does anyone have a recipe?" Then I hafta pitch in and tell em that there is no set recipe and every recipe is unique, additionally that a 100% CO soap at a 20% SF is NOT fully saponified.

I usually just tell someone that the easiest thing may be to just make lotion bars as there is no caustic substances.

I know it's silly but I try to dissuade the general "I wanna make and give these away for Xmas gifts" unless it's followed by "I've done my research ....."

 

[shunt2011]

Am I mean-spirited in hoping that his was much less good?

Not at all there were actually 4 soap makers there including me. I had many customers come back after checking the others out. This was my 4th year there and I had a lot of repeat customers.

It's held in a touristy area in a quaint little town. It's one of my favorites to do each year. It's about 3 1/2 hours from my house but my parents live up that way so it's only about 35 miles from them on Lake Huron.

 

[kumudini]

My only interactions with other soapers or wannabees is here on the forum. I try to answer newbie questions( more new at soaping than I am) but once I see they want to sell or do wedding favors or whatever, I tell them that may be they are not ready, after that I just try to stay away from those threads as I don't have too much experience and no real failures to learn from. I also don't experiment too much so the learning is slow. So I leave it to the more experienced ones here. I do like that the newbs get thorough teaching on this forum. It's the absolute right thing to do folks and I'm super glad that you don't shy away from that responsibility.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Aye. "What's your most luxurious recipe?" Or "what's your most popular recipe" are good ones, too. People selling too early is a known red rag to this particular bull - good soap does not mean you are a good soaper!

But the main one for me - when someone posts their first post and it just goes directly in to a question without so much as a "hello, new member here, just wondering..........." It's like just stopping someone on the street and barking out "where is the post office?" without so much as a "excuse me".

 

[Wyredgirl]

Vkumdini, actively researching all that goes into soapmaking is better in my book than jus going "I'm gonna make soap and give it to ppl for the holidays" at least some research is being done. I was once very new and thought soap would be a great gift but I ended up making some and liking it, but eventually finding a soap-mentor who could help me hone my craft. I gave soaps that I made (under her supervision and guidance) away for Xmas. It was a fantastic learning experience!

I don't believe "newbies" should sell, I've been making soap for about 1.5 years, and I'm just now settled into my recipes and trademark. And in the next year I *may* look into selling at shows/online, but for now I'm content to work on technique, build up my stores of supplies, and play with other body products.

I just hate when CP/HP soapmaking is undertaken lightly. I KNOW firsthand what accidents can happen, and despite using all of the appropriate gear and caution, they still happen.

I will say I still have some of my first soap, and it's fun to go back to it, ugly as all get out soap but after nearly 2 years old it has no DOS and still smells beautiful.

 

[kumudini]

Vkumdini, actively researching all that goes into soapmaking is better in my book than jus going "I'm gonna make soap and give it to ppl for the holidays" at least some research is being done.

Ofcourse, I could differentiate people who have done their research and are gathering up the courage to actually make a soap or have made some batches and are just trying to improve their craft from those who just thought that soap making is easy and they could just get a recipe from here, make it and gift away or have made a few batches which turned out so 'great' that they immedietly think of selling.
And no amount of 'research' is going to prepare you for what all can go wrong when you are 'practicing' soap making. It's great that you had a mentor at the beginning. A huge amount of time spent reading and watching a zillion beginner videos on you tube and my inherently slow pace combined with my 'everything ready before I start' approach was what helped me in my soap making till now.I also actively absorb everything I manage to read on this forum,so doing a CPOP or HP or new additives, nothing feels like an experiment to me as someone on this forum had already done that and explained the process very well, what worked, what didn't or what might work better all that info is here. That's why I love this forum.

 

[dillsandwitch]

so is this the part where I ask for all the secret recipes and run off and make then half assed and sell them to the unsuspecting public? hahaha

I would say I have been making soap for 1.5 to 2 years now. I'm glad I found the forum when I did as I had already done a heap of research and had made a few batches before I stumbled upon it and it has taught me so much. I still feel like a complete noob some days. Like right now I'm trying to wrap my head around why my latest batch of Dragons blood soap hasn't turned brown yet. I used the exact same recipe and everything as I did last time. only difference is the mould. I though at the beginning of the year if I set my sights to possibly begin thinking about possibly thinking about selling by the end of this year would be a reasonable goal to set for myself. At this stage I'm thinking that in reality that I am better of only possibly considering possibly thinking about it at the end of next year. maybe.

This probably makes me a bit of an evilly minded person but I find it highly amusing when newbies come on the forum, demand the best recipe with the intention of selling right away, get shot down by all the experienced soapers, blow up at everyone and leave. My bad.

 

[Susie]

I feel sorry for them. But they are so new that they don't even know the questions to ask yet. You need a minimum of knowledge to even grasp how much you have left to learn.

 

[gigisiguenza]

Lol, you know he was scoping out the competition.
I researched for at least 6 months before I even purchased a SB, and lurked like a crazy person before creating an account. I think I know just enough to be dangerous (and irritated when I see the people that are in for a quick buck.)
I quickly learned that theory only goes so far, and i while I may have had a few successes, it will be a very long time before I am comfortable sharing with anyone outside of my circle of nearest and dearest.

Everything you said exactly LOL

My only interactions with other soapers or wannabees is here on the forum. I try to answer newbie questions( more new at soaping than I am) but once I see they want to sell or do wedding favors or whatever, I tell them that may be they are not ready, after that I just try to stay away from those threads as I don't have too much experience and no real failures to learn from. I also don't experiment too much so the learning is slow. So I leave it to the more experienced ones here. I do like that the newbs get thorough teaching on this forum. It's the absolute right thing to do folks and I'm super glad that you don't shy away from that responsibility.

Personally I'm very grateful for the fact that the experienced soapers help us newbs so much. I love this hobby, and while I may choose to sell down the road, it's a long ways away, if at all. I'm enjoying the hell outta the science of soaping and the camaraderie that I feel in sharing with people who share the same enjoyment. You guys rock and I'm so grateful for your help and friendship. <3

 

[MrsSpaceship]

Aye. "What's your most luxurious recipe?" Or "what's your most popular recipe" are good ones, too. People selling too early is a known red rag to this particular bull - good soap does not mean you are a good soaper!

But the main one for me - when someone posts their first post and it just goes directly in to a question without so much as a "hello, new member here, just wondering..........." It's like just stopping someone on the street and barking out "where is the post office?" without so much as a "excuse me".

Um, so... about your shave soap recipe... :angel:

Just kidding... sorta. :think: