Product Post #6: Comparing Candles

I confess: I'm a candle nut. I can hardly resist buying them; I burn them non-stop during Christmas season; when I was in the classroom, I had one going all the time. I love the aroma of a beautifully scented candle.

Here's one I bought years ago, probably at the BIG Yankee Candle store in Massachusetts. It sits in the middle of the dining room table, with a glass "shade" on it, so I don't burn it as often as I might. Thus, it's lasted a long time. Cost of this candle? A whopping $20.99 for 22 oz.
See how nicely it's burned down? There is not a smidgen of wax left on the sides of that jar.
Here's a shot from the side. (Sorry about the blackening. I think that's from using the shade.) Note how well the wax burns down. This Yankee Candle is expensive (in my opinion), but at least you get every last penny out of it! This candle will still burn for me.
As opposed to: this candle. WalMart special, "Mainstays" I think, made by Candlelite in Cincinnati, OH. The scent? Mulled Cider, and I LOVE how this candle smells! The cost? A mere $5.00!!! Yippee. However, note how poorly it burns:
It leaves TONS of wax on the sides of the jar. Now, skin-flint that I am, I assiduously scrape down the sides of my candle jars. I even dig old wax out of jars and keep it -- for YEARS, hoping to use it again! I tried gently bending the warm wax away from the sides of this candle, so it would melt better and more economically. But who has time to stand over a burning candle, tending to the wax like a baby?
Last time I used it, the wick went out and wouldn't re-lite. Wasted wax. Wasted money. Frustration.

So, judge for yourself: is it worth it to buy a higher quality candle, or will you spend $5 and get 1/3 of the value? Tough decision!