This section is from the book "How To Keep Bees And Sell Honey", by Walter T. Kelley. Also available from Amazon: How To Keep Bees And Sell Honey.
The beginner has a difficult time convincing the public that he is an expert in any line. Therefore, it is advisable for the beekeeper to start with one or two hives and to start selling his honey the first year and develop his local market as his colonies increase. A small 12 x 18" honey sign, such as supplied by the bee supply factories, placed out by the road will be sufficient in most cases to sell the first year's crop and if the quality of the honey is first class and the service good the home market should develop as fast as the production, especially if you live on a busy street or highway.
Small honey signs are a stock catalogue item and help to sell honey.
When the business develops into a sizable volume, new and better ways will be required to handle the growing business and your author cannot recommend too highly a honey store of your own located in your front yard, provided that you have someone who can take care of the store, either on a full-time or a part-time basis from the house.
The bigger the signs the better.
You must advertise to sell your crop. Here is an idea for the rural beekeeper.
Here is a high priced honey house and extracting plant combined built by Kenneth E. Smith of Neenah, Wisconsin.
Here is a medium cost honey store in western Canada that has lots of 'class' and would stand duplicating in many locations. It makes a spectacular display from either the inside or outside. The big picture windows on all sides are filled with honey in glass.
The display at the left is actually a big revolving wheel with many shelves of honey on display. The shelves are pivoted at the ends to keep them in an upright position and a large light near the center makes the display gleam and glisten as the wheel revolves.
Probably the most elaborate honey stand is this one near Monrovia, California.
Here is another spick-and-span honey stand that was low in cost, but of excellent design. It sells a quantity of honey for D. D. Love joy, Waverly, Iowa.
Paint a sign on the back of your truck. In this position everyone has time to read it.
Here is an excellent low cost honey stand built and operated by H. J. Moulton on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. This gives excellent protection to the display and being of the self-service style (the money is dropped through a slot into the lower compartment) does not require constant attention yet it sells many tons of honey annually.
Have advertising signs painted on your trucks which will be seen by many that would otherwise not know you.
Here is a similar stand which operates on the SELF SERVICE plan. A slot is made in one shelf to drop the money through and a small amount of change is left in the bottle for the customer to make his own change. This works satisfactorily with very little loss in country locations.
One of the best, big capacity, low cost and most practical honey stands is that of Roy F. Denney, Colony, Kansas. This stand is made of wood, the front having shelves spaced like steps for a display and the back has cupboard doors for additional storage, especially for the larger containers. The cover is a light frame work covered with metal with appropriate advertising. The front cover has 2 prongs on the bottom that slip into slots and the front and back doors can be locked. The cover is an advertising sign when the stand is closed as well as when the stand is open as the cover is placed against the tree for effect.
The advantage of this design is that it is cheap to construct and there is a large display in view to the passing public. One of the chief advantages the honey does not have to be moved at night (only the cover is moved). The disadvantage is that it has no protection from rain.
The real pay off is that this stand sells several thousand dollars worth of honey a year at the highest retail prices, even in years when the wholesale market is flooded. Mr. Denney, who is a retired railroad man, and his wife tend the stand and although they produce 10, 000 pounds of honey a year they have to buy much more from their neighboring beekeepers. Colony, Kansas has a population of only 600 and is located on US 169 and 59.
Low cost roadside stands of Roy F. Denney, Colony, Kansas, which sells thousands of pounds of honey annually.
Many beekeepers successfully operate semi-self-service honey stands wherein the customer is invited to drop the money in a slot and take the honey or to call for change or for special information and help in making the selection. These work especially well in the country and in small towns.
The advantage of your own honey store is that you have only your brand of honey to sell and no one can undersell you. You are making personal contacts with your customers and can tell them of the healthgiving qualities of honey also why your honey tastes better than some other they bought down the road. You can and should have an observation hive which will stimulate their interest in how the bees work and they will tell their friends about this. Your trade will grow, and grow in direct proportion to the enthusiasm and effort that you put forth to make it succeed.
Another important advantage of your honey store is that you can collect the full retail price. If you sell direct to your local grocer he will require a 25% discount to cover his costs, even though you buy your groceries from him. If you sell through a broker, who in turn sells to the wholesaler, who then supplies the grocer, you have lost most of your profit and will be working for exercise only.
If you desire to do business at the back door of the house or the honey house located in the rear, put up a big fine sign like this one that we found in Tulaire, California.
If you live on a back road put up one or more big signs and direct the public to your door. If your product is good, your prices right and your greeting cordial you can still build up a profitable local trade.
Large signs attract attention and help to make sales.
If you sell honey to grocery stores build a display case so the grocer can visualize your complete line at a glance and decide promptly which are the best items for his trade.
 
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