I have a collection of pans, tips, presses, cutters, plates, gumpaste tools and countless other things I want to sell on Ebay or Craigslist. My question is should I list as one big auction or many different auctions and whats the average person looking for for instance I have a full set of Magic line square pans 16,12,10,8,6 I think I paid like 120 would it be ok to list for 100 or should I list lower? I just want to get rid of it all so when the family comes for a cake I can tell them honestly I have gotten out of the cake business .

but you make such beautiful cakes!!

one big one will net less money but be less of a headache.

more smaller lots will net more, but be more of a hassle.

group similar sets of times --

like all the tips

all the spatulas

all round pans

all square pans

etc.

if you have any big ticket items -- kopycake projector, edible image printer, rare cake pan -- those should be listed individually.

---

ebay can net more money due to bidding process (and the way some get caught up in "winning" -- but you pay a fee based on amount it sells for -- the higher the winning bid, the higher the fee.

c-list is fixed price so you get what you advertise -- and pay no fee.

for either, be sure the buyer pays the shipping.

So why are you giving up caking? Your cakes are gorgeous! Your family is just taking advantage of you?

I agree with everyone who has posted so far.

Your cakes are wonderful so, WHY? I've seen other threads where CC'ers suggest just putting the equipment away for a while to see how you feel. Then when your talent calls again, you won't have to replace everything.

But if you feel strongly about selling, I think Doug's suggestions are right on. You will get more money from an eBay auction than listing on Craigslist. Grouping items is good too.

Good luck...your CC friends are with you.

Yep, it sounds to me like FAMILY has taken advantage of you!
Now...BACK AWAY FROM THE FAMILY.
If you are in a business, it's business. They need to pay like the rest.
If you give them a break, okay that's family.
But I think way too many of all of you out there are being taken advantage
of by family. I know I am too, and I'm not a professional. Mine isn't even just family. It's friends, sporting teams, etc. I understand.

Just put your foot down and continue what you love to do.
Don't sell it all. You will regret it and then resent your family/friends even more.

Dude, I'm so with you on selling everything but I am waiting. I mean waiting is easier too than being organized and making decisions, advertising, packing them up & shipping.

Because just because you do all that--it ain't gonna be 'over' y'know what I mean? Then you'll just be jonesing to do cake and not have equipment--compounding the issues. huh

I do recommend a several month wait for you--like six months--give yourself time. It's hard to replace that stuff and I mean pans, they don't take up that much room.

I mean if I can hang onto my two commercial ovens (etc.) for a while longer you can stash the pans under the bed or something--deal?

Just tell them you've retired (over and over).

I remember when I took a "break", I sold everything that I possibly could. LOL! I didnt intend for it to be a break, as I thought I was done with caking for good! It had just become too much and I became quite overwhelmed baking for family and friends. I remember being glad to tell my friends/family that I couldnt make cakes because I no longer had my supplies. Little did they know, I wasnt able to sell everything.

Well, after a year or so I came back to it. I was quite upset that I had gotten rid of stuff, especially the stuff that wasnt available locally. I still havent aquired everything that I got rid of. However, it's cool. In the future when I feel like "quitting", I will just pack my stuff away just in case. LOL! This time around, I feel more in control. I said I'd only bake for family and friends and I'm sticking to it. That means MY family and MY friends, not my family's friends or my friends' friends. Nope no sirree! LOL!

Let me know when you list everything, I might want to bid on some!

I agree that you should take a break and think things over. It is a habit that is hard to give up and there is not a single 12 step program out there for it.

I would start by packing and sorting things in groups like Doug suggests. Place a list of the items in the box, the estimate price/value you paid for the items, and then your asking price. Once you see all you have boxed up with the investment you have made, you may change your mind. If not, you are ready to go on to ebay. If you choose to continue, you will have your stuff organized and remember all the items you do have.

You are vwery talented and it would be a shame to lose you to the cake muggle side.

Well, she did say she was listing stuff, so I'll leave the "talking her out of it schtuff" to you guys!

yes.. I'm with Jamie. Please let us know when you list your things. I really need some supplies.

Sorry ladies and gents but due to CC's policies, the OP can not post items or let you know on the forums when she start selling. Maybe interested persons can keep in contact by pm.

TOMAY,
I tend to go in cycles with hobbies and interests. So, if you're like me, DON'T SELL right away. Think about it for a long time before you sell anything.
When I'm in quilting/embroidery/sewing mode, I don't go near the oven to bake. When I'm in knitting/crocheting or polymer clay or photography or stained glass modes, that's all I want to do. And when I'm in baking mode, I never stop thinking cakes/cookies/cupcakes! I just cycle through the hobbies, and always return to each of them. I think I'm done with a hobby forever, but I'm not. I just need to re-charge. If I sold my supplies every time I lost interest (temporarily) in something, I'd go crazy trying to re-stock.
So, even if you go out of the cake business, you will probably still want to bake. Hold onto those goodies!

Like K8 said, take a break. Get a big rubbermaid bin and stash it. In a corner. Because the next thing you know, you are going to want to make a cake for a special someone, and then you won't have anything. But the family doesn't have to know!!!!!!

Find a good friend with a little extra storage space somewhere....give it some time...if you go a few months and dont miss it, then sell. but if you miss it you aren't out of luck yet !