Lowest Price You Charged????

Decorating By alvarezmom Updated 2 Mar 2009 , 1:45pm by jules06

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Princess3 Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 1:59am
post #91 of 109

Wow.. this has been on my mind all day actually. I am starting to think my habit with this is costing more than its worth. Today I did a 11 x15 sheet cake half was to be for a boy wanting super mario and the other half for a girl wanting minnie mouse. I told her I would charge $30 instead of my normal $35 for this size. Then I just couldnt figure out what to do on it so I made 6 different colors of fondant yesterday using more time and money, so I didnt make money off that. Then today I went on making a dozen cupcakes out of the left over batter and icing in case they ran out of cake and I didnt want it here at home. So she got a 1/3 sheet cake with super mario made out of fondant, minnie mouse of fondant and twelve additional cupcakes for $30 on top of the time it took away from my family on a weekend when I should have been doing something else. I did not make a profit today and I am questioning this..??

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__Jamie__ Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 2:14am
post #92 of 109

Well Princess....here's virtual boot to kick yourself with. icon_biggrin.gif Ya won't do that again, will ya?!?! icon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gif

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tootie0809 Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 3:06am
post #93 of 109

I got $45.00 out of this one. It was for my sister's neighbor and I did it more for practice. I think she got a bargain though. icon_wink.gif
LL

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Linliv46 Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 4:30am
post #94 of 109

Well, I need help before I make a big pricing mistake!! icon_rolleyes.gif
Tootie your princess set-up is so pretty! My question is: I am a "hobby baker". I have a request for a 6 inch 2 layer WASC with buttercreme with a tiara whcih I have already made and put away for safe keeping + 2 doz. decorated crown cookies + 3 doz cupcakes with a swirl of BC and the wilton tiara picks. I don't have a clue what to tell them! This is a friend off DD! I would appreciate any of your ideas! I have read this whole thread tonite and it is very enlightening! thumbs_up.gif
LL
LL

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LaBellaFlor Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 5:21am
post #95 of 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linliv46

Well, I need help before I make a big pricing mistake!! icon_rolleyes.gif
Tootie your princess set-up is so pretty! My question is: I am a "hobby baker". I have a request for a 6 inch 2 layer WASC with buttercreme with a tiara whcih I have already made and put away for safe keeping + 2 doz. decorated crown cookies + 3 doz cupcakes with a swirl of BC and the wilton tiara picks. I don't have a clue what to tell them! This is a friend off DD! I would appreciate any of your ideas! I have read this whole thread tonite and it is very enlightening! thumbs_up.gif


At $3.50 a slice, and a cupcake is considered a slice, 6" cake is 8 slices, & your cookies (which are SO CUTE & definitly worth it) at $3.00, I get $226. But I've never priced cookies, though I have ordered customed made cookies & packaged they started at $3.50.

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LaBellaFlor Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 5:24am
post #96 of 109

P.S. I also priced at the cheap end, your crown may knock up the price a notch icon_smile.gif !

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Babarooskie Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 5:30am
post #97 of 109

Boy, oh boy...

The lowest price I ever gave to a client was when I first started.

200 cupcakes and a 6" cake with fondant..you ready for this?
$200!!!!!

I should've charged $335

Oh well... you learn from your boo boo's!

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LaBellaFlor Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 5:36am
post #98 of 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Boy, oh boy...

The lowest price I ever gave to a client was when I first started.

200 cupcakes and a 6" cake with fondant..you ready for this?
$200!!!!!

I should've charged $335

Oh well... you learn from your boo boo's!


WOW! What a bargain you used to be, cause I get $728!!! LOL! icon_smile.gif

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Babarooskie Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 5:41am
post #99 of 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Boy, oh boy...

The lowest price I ever gave to a client was when I first started.

200 cupcakes and a 6" cake with fondant..you ready for this?
$200!!!!!

I should've charged $335

Oh well... you learn from your boo boo's!

WOW! What a bargain you used to be, cause I get $728!!! LOL! icon_smile.gif





$728?!?

Wow... am I pricing things wrong then?
I calculated the cupcakes at: $2.25/ each= $450
Then the 6" cake with fondant= $32.50
Total= $482.50 (not incl. delivery)

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LaBellaFlor Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 5:46am
post #100 of 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Boy, oh boy...

The lowest price I ever gave to a client was when I first started.

200 cupcakes and a 6" cake with fondant..you ready for this?
$200!!!!!

I should've charged $335

Oh well... you learn from your boo boo's!

WOW! What a bargain you used to be, cause I get $728!!! LOL! icon_smile.gif




$728?!?

Wow... am I pricing things wrong then?
I calculated the cupcakes at: $2.25/ each= $450
Then the 6" cake with fondant= $32.50
Total= $482.50 (not incl. delivery)


Depending on the detail, buttercream cakes start at $3.50 a slice average. A cupcake is considered a slice. Now, I actually priced your cake 6" fondant cake at buttercream price, not fondant price, so my total should be a little cheaper then what you got. Do you charge your cakes at $2.50 a slice?

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Babarooskie Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 5:49am
post #101 of 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Boy, oh boy...

The lowest price I ever gave to a client was when I first started.

200 cupcakes and a 6" cake with fondant..you ready for this?
$200!!!!!

I should've charged $335

Oh well... you learn from your boo boo's!

WOW! What a bargain you used to be, cause I get $728!!! LOL! icon_smile.gif




$728?!?

Wow... am I pricing things wrong then?
I calculated the cupcakes at: $2.25/ each= $450
Then the 6" cake with fondant= $32.50
Total= $482.50 (not incl. delivery)

Depending on the detail, buttercream cakes start at $3.50 a slice average. A cupcake is considered a slice. Now, I actually priced your cake 6" fondant cake at buttercream price, not fondant price, so my total should be a little cheaper then what you got. Do you charge your cakes at $2.50 a slice?




Yea, I charge a cake slice $2.50 for BC, $3.00 for BC with fondant accents, & $3.50 for fondant. Does that sound reasonable?

Also, just a question though... some people charge a cupcake as a slice, but isn't a cupcake smaller than a cut piece of cake?

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LaBellaFlor Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 5:51am
post #102 of 109

And FYI, most places that specialize just in cupcakes (and I know of a couple, heck, in just regular bakeries) start between $3.50-$4.00. Thats their STARTING price, don't let them get jazzy with the cupcake, cause then the price really goes up!

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LaBellaFlor Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 5:59am
post #103 of 109

Okay, so first off I see your in Miami (I was wondering if you were pricing so cheap, cause of where you may be from)so thats a pretty upscale, pricey place to be & live. And of course I don't know what cliental you have, but your prices are kind of low. Depending on your cupcake pans, they should be a little smaller then a slice of cake. But heres the thing on cupcakes, they take more work! Think about it, you stack a cake and frost and decorate all at once. A cupcake requires you to pour batter individually & then you have to frost & decorate each cupcake individually. They are flat out more work & that is why they are charger by the slice. Heck, thats why custom cookies can get so expensive.

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Babarooskie Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 6:03am
post #104 of 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Okay, so first off I see your in Miami (I was wondering if you were pricing so cheap, cause of where you may be from)so thats a pretty upscale, pricey place to be & live. And of course I don't know what cliental you have, but your prices are kind of low. Depending on your cupcake pans, they should be a little smaller then a slice of cake. But heres the thing on cupcakes, they take more work! Think about it, you stack a cake and frost and decorate all at once. A cupcake requires you to pour batter individually & then you have to frost & decorate each cupcake individually. They are flat out more work & that is why they are charger by the slice. Heck, thats why custom cookies can get so expensive.




OK I see your point....thanks so much for the tips and advice =)

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LaBellaFlor Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 6:10am
post #105 of 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Okay, so first off I see your in Miami (I was wondering if you were pricing so cheap, cause of where you may be from)so thats a pretty upscale, pricey place to be & live. And of course I don't know what cliental you have, but your prices are kind of low. Depending on your cupcake pans, they should be a little smaller then a slice of cake. But heres the thing on cupcakes, they take more work! Think about it, you stack a cake and frost and decorate all at once. A cupcake requires you to pour batter individually & then you have to frost & decorate each cupcake individually. They are flat out more work & that is why they are charger by the slice. Heck, thats why custom cookies can get so expensive.



OK I see your point....thanks so much for the tips and advice =)


Always happy to help! icon_smile.gif Thats what I love about this sight, all the helpful advice. People want Duff/Food Network Challenge cakes at Wal-Mart prices, we gotta start looking out for ourselves! I'm not saying lets be Duff and start at $1000 for basics, but at least lets make it worth our while icon_wink.gif

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Babarooskie Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 6:20am
post #106 of 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Okay, so first off I see your in Miami (I was wondering if you were pricing so cheap, cause of where you may be from)so thats a pretty upscale, pricey place to be & live. And of course I don't know what cliental you have, but your prices are kind of low. Depending on your cupcake pans, they should be a little smaller then a slice of cake. But heres the thing on cupcakes, they take more work! Think about it, you stack a cake and frost and decorate all at once. A cupcake requires you to pour batter individually & then you have to frost & decorate each cupcake individually. They are flat out more work & that is why they are charger by the slice. Heck, thats why custom cookies can get so expensive.



OK I see your point....thanks so much for the tips and advice =)

Always happy to help! icon_smile.gif Thats what I love about this sight, all the helpful advice. People want Duff/Food Network Challenge cakes at Wal-Mart prices, we gotta start looking out for ourselves! I'm not saying lets be Duff and start at $1000 for basics, but at least lets make it worth our while icon_wink.gif




These are the cupcakes and cake I told you about///
LL

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LaBellaFlor Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 6:27am
post #107 of 109
Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Babarooskie

Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBellaFlor

Okay, so first off I see your in Miami (I was wondering if you were pricing so cheap, cause of where you may be from)so thats a pretty upscale, pricey place to be & live. And of course I don't know what cliental you have, but your prices are kind of low. Depending on your cupcake pans, they should be a little smaller then a slice of cake. But heres the thing on cupcakes, they take more work! Think about it, you stack a cake and frost and decorate all at once. A cupcake requires you to pour batter individually & then you have to frost & decorate each cupcake individually. They are flat out more work & that is why they are charger by the slice. Heck, thats why custom cookies can get so expensive.



OK I see your point....thanks so much for the tips and advice =)

Always happy to help! icon_smile.gif Thats what I love about this sight, all the helpful advice. People want Duff/Food Network Challenge cakes at Wal-Mart prices, we gotta start looking out for ourselves! I'm not saying lets be Duff and start at $1000 for basics, but at least lets make it worth our while icon_wink.gif



These are the cupcakes and cake I told you about///


All I can say is WOW!!!! And not to hurt your feelings, but now that I see your work and the detail & I get $4.25 a cupcake ( cause I can't see piping all that stuff individually for less) & $4.25 a slice (at 8 slices for the 6") for a gran total of...drum roll...$884...not including delivery icon_wink.gif

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FromScratch Posted 1 Mar 2009 , 6:38am
post #108 of 109

Cupcakes are actually a little bit more than a wedding slice of cake. I start cupcakes at $4.50 each filled and iced with BC. Basic cupcakes (choc or vanilla not filled) are $3.50 each.

I did the volcano cake in my pictures for $450. There was so much detail... mini fondant figures, gumpaste flowers, a custom cut and decorated board, gumpaste palm trees. SOOOOOO much work. It was my first wedding cake though so I gave them a deal. The groom's mom ordered it and I just loved her so much. How many people want an 18" volcano that smokes (it had a recessed cup that had water and dry ice in it) for their wedding cake???

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jules06 Posted 2 Mar 2009 , 1:45pm
post #109 of 109

I always have a hard time trying to work out how much to charge for my cakes ( we don't do it by the slice here ) so I invariably undercharge !

$250 for this one ( i made 150 profiteroles !! )

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1260935.html

$50 for this one

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1172126.html

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