Hamster treat boxes....opinions please.

[purple_x]

I've been planning on doing these for a while as I need to start raising money for my little rescues vet fund.

I have made a box that is 100% suitable for ALL hamsters.
And the idea is that you can just pop the box in their cage and they can destroy it to get to the goodies inside....they then have the box as a new toy/house :)

Now I have worked out costs and stuff and would like to sell them for £5, that includes delivery.

Here is what is included
-4inch box (the one in the pics is 5inch but it seems too big)
-Shredded andrex toilet roll
-1 Millet spray
-4 monkey nuts
-1 moonbeam
-1 coloured star (these come in 6 colours, colour will be put in at random)
-2 mini munch balls (these also come in 6 colours)
-1 little pouch (the ones on the square of toilet paper) of treats. These are sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and mixed puffs.
I can put in other treats though if you want (mealworms, scratter mix, dog biscuits, walnuts, dried fruit or mixed cereals)

Could you tell me if you would buy one?
If you think they are worth £5?
And what you think I should change/add/take out.

Pictures...
http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i407/purple_x/1-16.jpg

With treat pouch closed up
http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i407/purple_x/2-13.jpg

All boxed up
http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i407/purple_x/3-8.jpg

[Silver]

I like it,

But I would change the box you are posting them out in to a smaller size, this will cost you less to post & when people undo it, they will see the box looking more full, so they think they have more for there money.

I would also lower the price to £3.99. people would think, oh a fiver mmm. But being £3.99 they would think oh yes well under a fiver will get one

Silver xxx

[Call me Alison]

i totally agree with silver £3.99 and i will def buy a few for xmas pressys (for the hams) obviously lol xxx

[Lougarry]

I would use cheaper toilet paper. Hamsters like the cheaper stuff just as well and if you re going to reduce the price it'll help your margins (oh, the holy margins - have I watched too much Apprentice?).

[Lougarry]

£3.99 and i will def buy a few for xmas pressys (for the hams) obviously lol xxx

Not obvious at all from the lady who eats her hammies' treats :p :mad: ;) xx

[purple_x]

Ok, I have the smaller boxes on the way (4" ones this time)
I will add pics to this thread when they come.
I'll also see how much the box will cost to post, hopefully the smaller box will mean smaller postage cost!
The box in the pic, the 5" one, would have cost close to £2 to make plus nearly £2 to post 2nd class! That's why I was asking for £5 as I would have made just over £1 profit per box.

Hopefully I can get the cost down with a smaller box and still make a profit....if I'm only going to make a few pence profit per box it wont be worth it :(
I really thought these would be a good idea.

[Call me Alison]

Not obvious at all from the lady who eats her hammies' treats :p :mad: ;) xx

you caught me red handed lougarry, it's going to be my christmas snack ;)

really good idea idea about the cheaper toilet paper!! xxx

[Silver]

Ok, I have the smaller boxes on the way (4" ones this time)
I will add pics to this thread when they come.
I'll also see how much the box will cost to post, hopefully the smaller box will mean smaller postage cost!
The box in the pic, the 5" one, would have cost close to £2 to make plus nearly £2 to post 2nd class! That's why I was asking for £5 as I would have made just over £1 profit per box.

Hopefully I can get the cost down with a smaller box and still make a profit....if I'm only going to make a few pence profit per box it wont be worth it :(
I really thought these would be a good idea.


They are a good idea. See what the price of the postage is with the smaller box.

Could perhaps go to £4.25 but think they would sell better at £3.99 See how it goes

Silver xxx

[Call me Alison]

there a really good idea!!

i know rat rations do a similar type of thing and i have bought a few so would def purchase a few of yours!! xxx

[purple_x]

Ok I am going to really work on getting the cost down :)

And hopefully be able to sell them for £4. I would say £3.99 but I dont like random numbers, I like nice round numbers!

Watch this space!!

[purple_x]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.....much appreciated. x

[delbert]

i'll buy one from you now if youre selling them already :)

[purple_x]

i'll buy one from you now if youre selling them already :)

I only have the bigger boxes right now so they would be £5.
You're welcome to have one though.
I'd be happy to throw in 2 stars and a few extra treats as you'd be my fist customer!!

The £4 ones will be available when the smaller boxes get here :)
So if you'd prefer to wait a week or so that's fine too.

[delbert]

I only have the bigger boxes right now so they would be £5.
You're welcome to have one though.
I'd be happy to throw in 2 stars and a few extra treats as you'd be my fist customer!!

The £4 ones will be available when the smaller boxes get here :)
So if you'd prefer to wait a week or so that's fine too.


A bigger box one will be fine, thanks
How should i send payment to you?

[purple_x]

A bigger box one will be fine, thanks
How should i send payment to you?

I will pm you :)

[Miriam]

What a fab idea, especially like the idea that they chew through the box themselves to get to their treats. I'd definitely be interested, would make an ideal Christmas pressie for my little ham Morris. Will you be selling through eBay? Btw I'm new round here, have I massively embarrassed myself by admitting that Morris gets included on the Christmas list?!!

[purple_x]

Hey Miriam, I am in the process of trying to make cheaper boxes (it doesn't seem to be happening yet though, I'll be running at a loss if I charge £1 less which sucks!)

If I do sell them I will advertise them on here and sell them through my rescue page (link in my sig)

All my pets get xmas presents from 'santa paws' so dont be embarrassed, our pets are spoilt on here!!

[Miriam]

Hey Miriam, I am in the process of trying to make cheaper boxes (it doesn't seem to be happening yet though, I'll be running at a loss if I charge £1 less which sucks!)

If I do sell them I will advertise them on here and sell them through my rescue page (link in my sig)

All my pets get xmas presents from 'santa paws' so dont be embarrassed, our pets are spoilt on here!!

Ah I am not alone! Nothing nicer than a spoilt, contented and happy little hammy! Will defiantly keep an eye out for you advertising these, happy to buy one even at £5 if I can pay through paypal, for a box 4inch or smaller

[sully]

Ok, I have the smaller boxes on the way (4" ones this time)
I will add pics to this thread when they come.
I'll also see how much the box will cost to post, hopefully the smaller box will mean smaller postage cost!
The box in the pic, the 5" one, would have cost close to £2 to make plus nearly £2 to post 2nd class! That's why I was asking for £5 as I would have made just over £1 profit per box.

Hopefully I can get the cost down with a smaller box and still make a profit....if I'm only going to make a few pence profit per box it wont be worth it :(
I really thought these would be a good idea.

That made me feel very sad for you :(

[purple_x]

That made me feel very sad for you :(

Awww it's ok....I guess I just dont have a good head for business type ideas!
I would LOVE to make these boxes just for the fun of it and only get the money back I paid for them and postage back (so could easily sell at £4)

But I am doing this to make money for the rescue as everything is paid for by me and vet bills and whatnot soon add up....I wanted to get a head-start before anything major happened.

I will figure something out I am sure :D

[purple_x]

Ah I am not alone! Nothing nicer than a spoilt, contented and happy little hammy! Will defiantly keep an eye out for you advertising these, happy to buy one even at £5 if I can pay through paypal, for a box 4inch or smaller

If you are interested in a box now or closer to xmas then just PM me.
You can pay using paypal :)

[Sterluv]

I would buy but I live in the U.S.! Sounds like a good idea to me though. Good Luck! :)

[Call me Alison]

i will def buy a couple in a few weeks!! :) xxx

[purple_x]

Aaww thanks everyone :D x

I did think about posting them to places outside of the uk but postage would be pretty high so not worth it.

[delbert]

Hi, just thought id let you know that Bisto got his little parcel in the post this morning, Cant wait for him to wake up tonight so he can open it. (although I must admit ive already opened it and it looks fab, makes me wish i was my hamster, cant wait to see him tuck into this)

[jesselle]

i'd buy some teeny ones for £3.99 or £4! also, i reckon as added value and incentive to buy, it'd be good to include some ingredients in there that are either hard to get hold of or a hassle to make/buy? or perhaps items that you have to buy in bulk or from somewhere far away. not sure what those ingredients would be mind you!

[flybynight78]

see, id've gone for a fiver quite happliy, but i hate change.

[purple_x]

i'd buy some teeny ones for £3.99 or £4! also, i reckon as added value and incentive to buy, it'd be good to include some ingredients in there that are either hard to get hold of or a hassle to make/buy? or perhaps items that you have to buy in bulk or from somewhere far away. not sure what those ingredients would be mind you!

The only problem with that is bulk buying or getting hard to get items/ingredients makes things more expensive :(
If people want to pay £4 I have to try and make the box with everything in it PLUS postage come to under £3 otherwise I would only be making pennies in profit.

If the only profit I make on these is a few pence per box it's not worth it because I can just take those few pennies from my own purse and donate them to the rescue myself and there would be no 'hassle' of buying and selling the boxes.

I think I'm just not going to bother with them.

[kyrilliondaemon]

Why not just stay charging £5
Or even drop to £4.50 if you want it to be below £5?

I'm not the type to buy boxes like that (our giant store of treats tends to defy the point a bit I'm afraid) but I think you've got the potential for this to be something really good :)

[Call me Alison]

please make them!!

IT'S GOING TO A GOOD CAUSE I'LL HAPPILY PAY A FIVER :)

XXX

[karinanlyla]

I would happily pay £5 :) also just a suggestion but if you buy boxes of tissues that come in the square boxes (you can get them from cheap shops too) then you could use those boxes and shred the tissues that come in them and use them instead of toilet roll? Don't know if that would work out cheaper as don't know how much you pay for the boxes. Pretty sure you can get them in £1 shops and stuff though

[purple_x]

I can get 50 4" boxes for £12 :D
When the new boxes come I'm going to see what postage is then, I'm fairly sure it'll still end up being £2.20 and that's 2nd class.
The expensive bit is the postage which sucks.

I shall get everything together and see how it goes.