We're Men! (Manly Men!)

This is a girly site, right? And there's nothing girlier than a scented candle, right? Wrong!!!!

Hart Main
Photo Credit: Mancans

Hart Main is all boy. He's 13 years-old, loves to run 5Ks, and swims with the local YMCA. In his spare time (I want some of this child's energy), he manufactures scented candles in his kitchen with his mom. Manly scented candles. Bacon, cut grass, leather, pizza...you know, manly fragrances.

Hart's little enterprise started when his sister brought home a school fundraising campaign that featured scented candles. He made fun of the candles (and his sister, of course) for being too girly. Then a lightbulb went off. Instead of complaining, he would do something about the problem! With $100 in start-up money earned from his paper route and odd jobs, Hart and his mom started making candles for a more masculine clientele. The wax is poured into repurposed soup cans (the contents were donated to a nearby soup kitchen) and labeled with recycled brown paper bearing the warning: “In case you are stupid, this candle will get very, very hot.” You know, manly packaging.

At last count, Hart had sold 500 "Mancans" at $5 a piece through local shops and his own website. He told reporters he'd profited enough to buy a new bike. Then the story went national...

Hart is still taking orders, though, as his site says, "Please be patient, these are still made in my kitchen, and I still have to go to school during the day." Hart must have figured out the law of supply and demand, as the price has increased to $8 per candle, and he's rolling out new scents for Spring. Cracker Jacks candles, anyone? He's also on the lookout for charities that will accept soup donations. If he keeps this up, candles might just put him through college. For more information, check out the Mancans site.