mgdqueen
Love, love, love your tag line!!!!!!!!

Please no locked threads.....healthy debate right?

I think it all depends on your particular area....$10 and up in NYC is average...Mine average between $2-$4...I do offer discounts to repeat customers, and those with huge orders depending on the cookie. The only real competition in my area is a Cookies by Design and their cookies are a lot more expensive. I will show prospective customers the comparison in prices.

Well, as I was searching design cookie places on the web for some design ideas, I noticed that cookie bouquets are VERY expensive. I have seen cookies priced at 9.75 for one cookie. But then again, they are cookie bouquets..but still! Wow! here's a pricing sheet for one of them ohttp://www.cookiesbydesign.com/CatalogPricing.aspxne place:

Wooops! Just saying that the talented people here should feel comfortable charging for their work, obviously there is a market for high end cookies. No need to be nasty!

The area that your cookie is priced in, etc. has a lot to do with it.. as well as your overhead/costs for the month you need to make from your sales.

My mother has ran and owned a stained glass business in Washington State for a while and when she worked out of home (her studio was in our basement) she could charge lower prices. Now that she has an actual storefront, etc, she has to charge a little more. Some customers were confused but all she said to them was, I am a business and as much as I like you guys I have to make money! All of her students (she teaches classes) and her customers understood that though.. it's a specialty market. But she always charges not only for her time and her materials and the difficulty involved but also a little extra to help go towards overhead/etc.

That being said, concerning cookie quality.. it's no lie or meanness to say that not all cookies are created equal. Not every cookie is ornate.. and it's safe to say that a four-inch sugar cookie decorated to look like the Eiffel tower at night is harder to make than a four inch chocolate chip cookie! I don't think anyone on cake central should be ashamed of their work-- but baking is an art and we all improve as we go, even the very best of us. But every one of us who bakes things for other people gives a beautiful product to someone who wants it, and for that everyone should be proud.

On the subject of Toba Garrett, when you're famous your price automatically has to go up (or else you'd be swamped), and not to mention, she's in an area that can afford higher prices. But I think she's a good example of how your pricing doesn't have to exactly reflect the "norm" or "average" if it suits your area, etc.

Anyway. I don't think anyone is trying to be nasty, and this is a nice discussion to have. Just remember everyone that most of these comments are far more innocent than people are giving credit for.

What I think some are missing is that Toba's prices ARE personal in part. She can charge $15 per cookie because of who she is and what she's done, not just for the cookies alone. Part of what you're paying for there is the experience, talent, and prestige of Toba Garrett instead of someone without her credentials.

i charge $3 per cookie. yes, some people don't want to pay that much, but i have a lot of people that do. most of the time once they see how detailed or personalized your cookies can be, they don't have a problem with the price. i do think that each cookie should be priced according to each cookie.

Thanks everyone...I think I am going to do $1 per inch on detailed cookies, and a little less for simpler ones.

I think $1 dollar per inch is reasonable... That's what I charge and if I put on an edible image... I charge more.. In , my photos, my Black History cookies (those particular ones were donated) But, I sell them for $3.50, $3.75 for the one's in my photos.. it's a 2 1/2 inch square. So, it just all depends on the work you put into your art... your cookie. If they don't want to pay for it... someone else will....

I start any bagged and tied cookie at $2... START. If they have multiple colors or need extra handling - luster dust, special techniques, etc, then I adjust my price accordingly. My homemade cutter princess/wedding gown dresses can sell for $6 a piece, but that is one huge cookie! I sold 90 chili pepper cookies this weekend for $2.35 a piece, and that was because they were only glazed in red (no outline) with a green RI stem and yellow RI personalization. It took no time with that minimal detail, and the cookie wasn't all that big - rather skinny! But some of my more detailed cookies - like Thomas the Train - waaaaaay too much detail and precision needed, so that one will automatically cost more. Hello Kitty is large, but very simple, so the size crosses out the detail aspect. Big & simple is the same as small and detailed. I couldn't imagine trying to price by square inch, unless there was a huge difference in size. Nowadays, I don't even buy the smaller cutters, because most people want a sizable, favor-type cookie. And its hard to bag up three smaller cookies and have the presentation still nice. (Oh, I would have charged $2.25 for the chili peppers, but the client wanted them tied with raffia - which was a total pain! DH helps me tie when I am really booked, and he complained the whole time that he had to double knot each one! LOL)

I hope I won't stir up a hornets nest by putting this out there, but I just started my business in August and tried the $1 per inch pricing and could not get any orders. For myself, I am asking less than I should just to get a client base built up and to get the exposure. I make sure they know my prices are introductory prices. This goes for every thing I sell. As I get busy I figure I can up my prices to where they should be. The people who have tasted my product know the quality and I am sure they will be repeat customers even when the price is higher. If I scare customers away because of the price how do I ever build a customer base?

I've gone out to a lot of the cookie sites and I can't imagine paying what they ask. I saw some posts about $5+ cookies on a stick but I've seen them in my area for $1.45. (I heard some ladies talking about them and they said they were hard as a rock...should have whipped out a card and handed it to them!) So I guess you have to price by client base and location and what the market will bare. I am hoping to get so busy that I have to say "yes I can do it, but it is going to cost you...."

MelZ....you are selling yourself short! I looked at your pictures and your Valentine's Day cookie bouquet is beautiful!! Your lines are perfect! You must have one steady hand.

Hi,

I have had no problem getting a $1.00 an inch..If you look at my baby shower cookies,( the ones on the tray) I have the prices listed that I charge..They are a lot of work, and very time consuming..I won't do them for any cheaper..
JoAnn

bonjovibabe....your cookies came out great!! I love the colors, and you assembled them for the photo in such a cute way! Definitely worth $1 an inch!

ok you all take my opinion with a grain of salt since i just plain couldn't make cookies like you all do. But i just recieved a flyer for a well known chain of cookie bouqets and...they are charging $40.15 for 5 cookies ( central NY-not NYC)

87.90 for 12 -that does not include the fancy containers they are pictured with.

for plain undecorated cookies- 33.25 for 2 dozen.

I have seen the work many of you put out it is unbelievable and very time consuming.

my cousin is paying over $7.00 a piece for a basic design outwest for an order of over 200.

don't sell yourselves short

sweetviolet, That's what our local chain stores sells for also. I've heard they don't taste so hot though.

well that too - we are talking about homemade with you guys!!

I had never made cookies for sale, last year I made them for gifts. A lot of my co-workers won't pay $20 to $35 for a cake, but they had no problem buying cookie bouquets with 3, 2 1/2 - three inch cookies for $15. Go figure. I was shocked at how fast I made sales. I only wanted to sell 20-25 bouquets. I had 17 orders the first day.

I went into the bakery across the street from my house (I've lived here 2 years, they are literally across the street from me and 3 days ago was the first time I went in there!) I brought my 3 year old and she wanted one of their cookies about the size of my hand, they were .35 EACH or 3 for a dollar! I could NOT believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How do they make any money? They weren't cutsie decorated or anything, but come on! Of course we intentionally live in the hood (urban ministry) so a lot of their customers are meth addicts and prostitutes at 1am....... but still! I'm not going to be so cheap.....

I was talking to my husband earlier tonight and showed him some of the designs that I'm going to make for St. Patty's Day. I asked if he would pay $4 for the cookie that was 4 inches. He said no way. He said it would depend on how good it was. I said it would be my sugar cookie!! He thinks they are worth it, but on the other hand he wouldn't pick up a $4 cookie in a store. I don't know, maybe it's a guy thing, but now I'm second guessing whether $1 an inch would fly for me.

100% baked fresh to order, completely personalized in colour/details to each client's request. I sell wholesale to a few locations throughout the calendar year, but they too ask for customization for each order.

I don't have a retail establishment with foot traffic/public sales at all.

$4.00 for a 4 inch cookie is NOT alot of money. For all of the time and ingredients that goes into making and decorating those puppies! No way would I charge less than that. I have never had a problem with people paying that and I always tell them in advance. Now I can see where there might be differences in cost due to your location in the US. I'm in downtown Seattle and $4.00 a cookie seems like a deal to most people here. If your city is not as metropolitan - more small town like- than I might charge $3.00 for a 4 inch cookie but NO less than that. Don't shortchange yourself. If people think that's too much than they don't have to purchase your cookies! If you are turning out a quality product then you should feel confident in your asking price.

I agree. Maybe it's just a self-confidence thing for me. I wish you could buy self-confidence in the baking aisle!

You know how I try and think of it?................I think to myself if I were to see a beautifully decorated cookie in a bakery or in a higher end grocery store (QFC, Whole Foods etc), and the cookie was priced at $4.00 for a 4 inch cookie - I would expect that the cookie must be excellent quality, with fine ingredients and of course I would notice and admire the beautiful way it was decorated and if the packaging was a compliment to the cookie itself, I would be totally sold. It's all in the quality and in the presentation. If you start out asking $4.00 a cookie, it's a lot easier then if you start out asking $1.00 a cookie and then realizing that you should be asking more and suddenly raising your prices. I don't know about you, but I put a LOT of time, love and effort into my cookies and I would like to make a little profit. I go way out of my way to purchase the perfect coordinating packaging supplies (ribbons, tissue, special boxes & bags, gift tags, cards), I use fresh, fine quality ingredients, I make every order fresh - never frozen, I work with my customer to make sure they are getting exactly what they want (color, shape, customization, suggestions, delivery options) and my cookies do not go out the door unless they look like a million bucks. How could I not ask for $4.00 a cookie???!! I deserve it.