What's new
The Shaving Cadre

Welcome to The Shaving Cadre, a forum dedicated to gentlemanly discourse about wet shaving and other topics of common interests. Membership is always free so register today and join in the fun

Price Break Point

Bogeyman

Bogeyman

Shave Member
Artisan soaps have crept up in price recently to the point that some may just be pricing themselves out of sales IMO. Some have even hit $30!!! Once you throw in shipping you're talking real sawmill dollars!!! :oops: I have only paid more than $20 a few times and each time I could hear my ol' Palmolive shave stick laughing in the background. 😣

Feedback?
 
We each have our playtime money to spend. Some like movies, some like fancy whiskeys (some like *ugh* bourbon :cry:), some like eating out. I like saving for retirement, while occasional buying a pound of soap. To save some $$$ and buy Arko from in Turkey, I once convinced my wife that flying to Italy and taking an eastern Med cruise was her idea and that the main purpose was a vacation. Shhhh, don't let her know any differently.
 
woodpusher said:
We each have our playtime money to spend. Some like movies, some like fancy whiskeys (some like *ugh* bourbon :cry:), some like eating out. I like saving for retirement, while occasional buying a pound of soap. To save some $$$ and buy Arko from in Turkey, I once convinced my wife that flying to Italy and taking an eastern Med cruise was her idea and that the main purpose was a vacation. Shhhh, don't let her know any differently.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah the “Great Arko Cruise”....:D
 
Given the repeated success of companies like THB (even ignoring its secondary market), MdC, SV, Pannacrema, even AOS, etc. I think the mildly inventive will be just fine.

All that’s needed is catchy branding/packaging, perhaps a little exclusivity, whispers of greatness, and a half decent product doesn’t hurt.

Folks always have money to burn when the fancy strikes.
 
Do I have expensive soaps? Yes however, I also have Wilkinson Sword shave sticks right next to the Saponificio Varesino Dolomiti and everything else. Enjoy your stuff at whatever price point it may be...
 
Bogeyman said:
Artisan soaps have crept up in price recently to the point that some may just be pricing themselves out of sales IMO. Some have even hit $30!!! Once you throw in shipping you're talking real sawmill dollars!!! :oops: I have only paid more than $20 a few times and each time I could hear my ol' Palmolive shave stick laughing in the background. [emoji21]

Feedback?
Click to expand...
I'm in the same boat. I generally don't pay over $20 for a soap. Some pricier ones are going to be worth it to me, but it'll be a rarity.
 
MilkCrate said:
Those artisans will price me out of their products. I also like a matching splash which drives the price up further.
Click to expand...
I completely agree with you.
I also like matching splashes which makes a set anywhere from $27 from Stirling to $40+ from other artisan companies. I do like that PAA offers two levels of soap&splash sets, one at $35 and ck6 formula at $45. That being said, I still have not yet bought a set from PAA ( but they are on my radar).
 
Shavin’ Yeti said:
I completely agree with you.
I also like matching splashes which makes a set anywhere from $27 from Stirling to $40+ from other artisan companies. I do like that PAA offers two levels of soap&splash sets, one at $35 and ck6 formula at $45. That being said, I still have not yet bought a set from PAA ( but they are on my radar).
Click to expand...

I have the PAA Atomic Age Bay Rum and it is amazing. It’s not the CK6 and I bought it used. That will always be my Bay Rum. I may look at one or two more PAA sets, but they will be the cheaper ones. And Stirling will always be in my rotation.

Shoot me a PM if you want a sample of the Bay Rum.
 
MilkCrate said:
I have the PAA Atomic Age Bay Rum and it is amazing. It’s not the CK6 and I bought it used. That will always be my Bay Rum. I may look at one or two more PAA sets, but they will be the cheaper ones. And Stirling will always be in my rotation.

Shoot me a PM if you want a sample of the Bay Rum.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the offer, but I have discovered that I am really not a big fan of bay rum scents.
 
The only soap I've purchased over $20 was Sopanifico Veresino. I figured since it is a triple milled soap and lasts a long time that it would be worth it.

To help bring down the cost per shave I've been using Arko & Derby sticks. Also have Palmolive, Speick sticks to try.

Seems like there are quite a few quality soaps out there in the $13-$20 range. I like to try and catch them on sale or a free shipping special.

While I like luxury in a shave soap. I don't want to overpay for it either. It cuts into my playtime $$ that woodpusher mentioned.
 
My thought is, since I have to order soap online, usually from another continent, the price of the soap being a little more doesn't really factor in after shipping, duties etc.

I have not bought soaps because of the high shipping price. (I'm glad I did too because my go to soap also has the best shipping rate I've found out of N. America, and it was sa big factor in me deciding to try it in the first place.)
 
There are so many factors that, for the most part, aren’t being considered here. Cost per tub is an absolutely useless metric. Cost per shave is much more useful.

For example. If you spend $15 on a soap and it lasts you a month. Then you buy another soap for $30 and it lasts you 3 months.... which is the better value? People hymn and haw over the expense of MdC.... but that one tub will last over a year of daily shaves. So in cost per shave terms, it’s cheaper than nearly all other artisan soaps out there.

My main consideration these days is quality ingredients. I’m less interested in something that just gets the job done. I’m more interested in something that is going to give me a better experience and feels better on my face, or makes my face feel better after the shave. I’m willing to pay a little more for soaps that do that.
 
HMan said:
My thought is, since I have to order soap online, usually from another continent, the price of the soap being a little more doesn't really factor in after shipping, duties etc.

I have not bought soaps because of the high shipping price. (I'm glad I did too because my go to soap also has the best shipping rate I've found out of N. America, and it was sa big factor in me deciding to try it in the first place.)
Click to expand...
Which soap would that be?
 
Spider said:
There are so many factors that, for the most part, aren’t being considered here. Cost per tub is an absolutely useless metric. Cost per shave is much more useful.

For example. If you spend $15 on a soap and it lasts you a month. Then you buy another soap for $30 and it lasts you 3 months.... which is the better value? People hymn and haw over the expense of MdC.... but that one tub will last over a year of daily shaves. So in cost per shave terms, it’s cheaper than nearly all other artisan soaps out there.

My main consideration these days is quality ingredients. I’m less interested in something that just gets the job done. I’m more interested in something that is going to give me a better experience and feels better on my face, or makes my face feel better after the shave. I’m willing to pay a little more for soaps that do that.
Click to expand...
This is how I now track the pricing component of shaves. My favorite (i.e., would buy again) soaps range from $0.09/shave (Wickham Parma Violet) to $0.41/shave (Grooming Dept Angel). My median price per shave over all of the soaps is $0.20/shave and $0.21/shave for creams.
 
Brew said:
Isn't something that is "artisan" expected to be a bit more $$ ?
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. Murphy and McNeil, Noble Otter, Storybook Soapworks, and Wickham all have soaps that I'd buy again that came out less than my median cost of $0.20/shave.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top