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retail honey prices

7K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  James Burke 
#1 ·
Hello everyone

Can you please share with me what you are selling your honey for on the retail level.
Would you also share any creative marketing you do with the forum.
8 oz
12 oz
1 lb
2 lb
cut comb.

Thanks
Phillip
 
#2 ·
I tend to go to the grocery store and see what their prices are. Then it depends on how your selling it. How fancy the bottles are etc. I sell it at a farmers market. I figure there are two kinds of consumers there. The ones looking for something interesting and the ones looking for bargins. I think you can market to both. I sell in bulk in their container for $12 a gallon. ($6 for half a gallon ect.) I assume these are fluid ounces.

4 oz fancy jar $1.50
8 oz cut comb in a jar of honey $3.00
8 oz fancy jar $2.50
12 oz squeeze bottle $2.50

cut comb in a wide mouth 16 oz jar filled with honey: $5

cut comb approximately 1 lb $5

I just got the wide mouth 2 1/2 pound jars for cut comb but haven't filled or sold any yet.

David Eyre sells little crates to do multi colored honey in one package. I intend to try this soon. Put a dark and a light honey together. People are stunned that honey comes in different colors. I think I'll try sorting my honey by color as I extract and see if I can keep some of the flavours separate.

I am planning on taking an observation hive to the famers market, but haven't been able to do this yet. I built a little three frame wide one, so I could just shut the entrance before daylight and take it. I would just keep the entrance shut for the day. It has two screened feeder places on the top. The top is just 5/16" plywood and the holes are exactly the size of a quart jar lid and are screened with hardware cloth on the bottom. This way I can put a jar of honey on one end of the top and a jar of water on the other and the bees can use the water to cool or the honey to eat. I have the bees in this hive, but they are just getting established now. I suppose I should keep two of them so I could alternate one on Sat and one on Sun so they wouldn't get as stressed from being closed up.

I also have a one frame observation hive you can just pull a frame out of a hive and put it in it. I'm not sure if this is convienient enough for a busy day getting ready for the famer's market.
 
#3 ·
I am a hobbyist with 20 hives. Here in Yankton, SD I sell my honey at a farmer's market and also at several local craft shows during the Fall and one large festival (RiverBoat Days) in August. I offer honey, creamed honey, comb honey and beeswax candles/ornaments. The following are my prices for 2002 crop honey:

HONEY
8 oz Hex - $2.25
12 oz Squeeze Bear - $3.00
16 oz Squeeze Honey Bee - $3.50
Quart - $7.00
Gallon - $23.00
5 Gallon Pail - $70.00

CREAMED
8 oz Hex - $2.75
16 oz Tub - $4.00

COMB
8 oz Round - $4.00
8 oz Cut-Comb - $4.00

CANDLES
I make many different figurine candles and two different size taper candles. I sell my tapers for:

6" Pair - $8.00
10" Pair - $12.00

I believe that presentation is very important. That is what gets people to come to your table and look to see what you have to offer. I use a bright yellow table cloth. I have signs stating "Local Honey For Sale". I have product elevated and not just on one level of the table top. I feel this is more professional. I may spend a lot of time in my presentation, but I feel it does pay off. Also, another important thing (probably the most important) is that I try and educate people on how my "Local Honey" is better tasting and better for them than store bought. It's just amazing how many people do not realize this. Hopefully, after talking to them they will go away with a bit more knowledge and of course a jar(s) of my honey!!!

John


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#4 ·
I have 25 hives.
I have a self serve shed out at the end of the driveway and have someone closer in town selling from her house. I go to two Famers Markets every week.

8 oz (Glass) $2.25
12 oz (Bear) $2.50
1 lb (Glass) Bear $5.75 (Expensive jars)(Not a big seller)

1 lb (Glass) $4.00
2 lb (Glass) $7.00 (Best seller)
5 lb (Glass) $15.00 (Most repeat customers)

1 lb (Glass) Chunk $4.75 (Sells out fast)
1 lb (Glass) Creme $4.75 (Sells out fast)

No candles but blocks of beeswax for $3.00/lb (Candle ready)
 
#9 ·
I only have 3 hives this year all are sized down to 4.9 mm and I harvested 200 lbs of wildflower honey and 100 lbs in the last 2 weeks of goldenrod honey. I sell all as cut-comb 1 lb. blocks for $10.00 each as chemical free and I sold out in 1 week at the farmers market and my home stand. I should have gotten more honey if not for the drought
Clint

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Clinton Bemrose
 
#15 ·
FREE SAMPLES FREE SAMPLES
I agree free samples do sell honey! I use popsicle sticks. They're available at Wal-Mart and other stores in the craft department. You can get them by the 1,000's next to nothing. They're cheaper than a plastic spoon and hold more than a toothpick. Let the customer dispense his/her own from a squeeze bear.
I also found a single frame observation hive is WONDERFUL "people magnet". Usually someone who isn't interested in honey will come to look at the bees. After a while of looking, they're interested in tasting. After that, they're interested in BUYING! Talk about a slick marketing campaign! It has worked for me and I'm sure others will agree.
Be ready to talk bees. Most "old timers" (and young 'uns alike) will have their share of bee stories. Keep them talking and soon they'll be buying.
Have fun but don't forget to educate your customer about the importence of bees.

Regards,
Jim
 
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