Looks like OP has not learnt anything since March 2009
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-622553-.html
This thread is just a repeat of what happened before....... so I repeat what I said earlier...
I think people post questions such as this, ALWAYS with an accompanying photo.. or two... or three just so they get noticed!!
Maybe the next time this question is posted we all need to say...
Refer to this thread..... xyz and this one ... abc!!
I mean look what has happened here - she posts a question - has about 3 replies of dialogue on the first page and then disappears to let everybody else squabble over ... WHAT???
I am more than happy to help GENUINE people with a genuine interest to learn from other people's advice - I am not happy to waste my time on attention seekers
MAJOR THUMBS DOWN FROM ME 
Wow...You know, I'm simply amazed at the responses the experts/professionals/long time cakers give to those of us who are starting out on shaky legs trying to compete with those who came before. I have read a few of these threads, b/c I would LOVE to know what others are charging. I know that there's a per slice charge (that's been hammered into my brain, thanks), but since I'm starting out, I wouldn't even DARE to charge what the pros charge. I would charge what I think I am worth, AT THE TIME. I mean seriously, $4-$6 a slice for something that looks frankly juvenile is an insult to the customer. And lemme tell ya, I recognize that some of my efforts are just that, juvenile. But you better believe I know I'm capable of more and will be swingin hard with all the major leaguers when my time comes.
And for all the comments asking if people post their pics for "validation" or "comments/favorites" and making it sound like a bad thing...uhhhh...why do YOU post your pics hm? Self gratification? I don't believe that for a minute.
I believed this site to be for new cakers and old cakers and yuletime cakers of yore to gather together and share tips and tricks and above all else ENCOURAGE each other. Soooo...basically stop being big meanie pants and be nicer. At this point, I'm paranoid to ask ANYTHING about my own cakes for fear of being harangued to death and ultimately ruining what little confidence I have going on. And if all the comments are meant to be nice and you need to read between the lines...welll, I don't have time for that. Everything typed is taken at face value with no tone/inflection and so, ya...keep that in mind please.
That being said, yes, OP, you should charge much more than $20, but you need to feel good about your product and your price or you won't sell a ding dang thing. So keep on keepin' on sister!
You know what - this works in reverse as well
Do you know how many times I have seen people RUBBISH somebody for saying they can get $1,200 for a cake (well YES I have charged that)
NOBODY on this board knows what my ingredients cost - nor any other costs associated - and if I have customers that are prepared to pay the price WHY should I be made to feel like I am ripping people off.
I don't have the 'apologetic approach' (love that term) to my business - sure not everybody can afford the cakes that I make (and they are NOT all $1,200) but then I don't want to cater to EVERYBODY do I?
I am not better than somebody who charges $20 for a cake - I have just put a little more effort into working out what to charge.
And it REALLY isn't about PER SLICE!! that comes AFTER you work out your TOTAL costs
I give up - !!!! this subject has been DONE TO DEATH here on this forum and it still amazes me that people just DON'T WANT TO LISTEN
I believed this site to be for new cakers and old cakers and yuletime cakers of yore to gather together and share tips and tricks and above all else ENCOURAGE each other. Soooo...basically stop being big meanie pants and be nicer. At this point, I'm paranoid to ask ANYTHING about my own cakes for fear of being harangued to death and ultimately ruining what little confidence I have going on.
OK - before I disappear off to the DARKSIDE .. I do want to clarify a few things.
When you say this site is for ALL - you really mean that this should be a site where newbies should come and get ALL the assistance they want, at the snap of their fingers and ALL sugar coated.
What I see are a bunch of DEDICATED experienced cakers doing their utmost to assist newbies - these people are running very succesful businesses and ALSO have family/house commitments as well.
Yet they MAKE THE TIME to come here to CC to answer questions, time and time again!! YES - the same questions!!
How is this being MEAN??
YES - it is frustrating to answer all the questions, but they do it!
You ask WHY people post their pics ? Well I for one don't care less if there is not 1 comment - I put them there as a generous guesture of sharing - not all my cakes get put there - but I am happy just to inspire others... copy away!!
WOW I just got $20 for a 6incher kit kat cake! And that was cheap because it was for my son's Aunt & Uncle...
You couldn't even go to Walmart and get a cake to feed 36 people (6 & 8 in cakes) for $20... I am cheap and for that cake I would charge about $90....
Don't think of yourself as Walmart, if people want to pay 20 bucks for a cake, by all means head off to walmart and get yourself a nice cake that will be just fine for anyones party... BUT if a person wants a fresh work of art the is hand crafted (not in China!! lol) they will pay the money! Don't devalue your worth and time and energy!!
Ugh Sassybuns what did that have to do with anything? Where did anyone accuse the OP of submitting pics for self gratification? She just wanted to know pricing. Please try to stay on task.
Yes, CC on the whole is a place for everyone, but asking questions in the business forum will get you an answer that might require your big girl britches... plain and simple.
And as many people have pointed out in the past, the cake business forum isn't the "happy puppies and butterflies" forum that many of the other ones are. If you want real advice on running a business, post your questions here. If you can't handle the answers, maybe you shouldn't be trying to run a real business. I see a lot of people ask questions, not like the answers they get, and accuse everyone who gave those answers of being "mean." We'll encourage you, sure, but not all criticism should be taken as being mean.
Yes, CC on the whole is a place for everyone, but asking questions in the business forum will get you an answer that might require your big girl britches... plain and simple.
hahaha - you just said in one line what I couldn't get anyone to understand in 4 posts!
Must be language barrier ... LOL
It's not really fair to expect the uninformed to know about this hardball policy in this one particular forum and then turn around and tell them to go get some cake lessons.
Ladies and Gentlemen, that's sorry.
I'm conjecturing here but op caught hell apparently for charging twenny weenie bucks for that cute little cake of hers. We should be jumping the steroidal cheapskate she's (I think) come in contact with.
Our op does not have a business per se if I understand her post. She made a cute cake & made the mistake of asking us how much.
Sometimes in the 'how much' threads I can hear the breathy, 'Oh my lookie what I made~~to enhance my braggin' rights, tell me how much I can say this would cost' -- so it's not all hardball.
I think in this case she got resistance for the $20--that's all. Exactly why should she go get lessons? Her cake is adorable. Absofrickenlutely adorable!
Kate
I'm not saying she needs to go take 'cake decorating' lessons - I'm saying perhaps she needs READING lessons.
See my post - top of this page.
I am all for helping people with their pricing especialy when they are new to it all... BUT when it has been asked before by the SAME PERSON -in March of this year, in nearly an identical post - I'm left asking myself
WHY?
I don't think it is hardball at all - geez - you ask a question - you got to expect answers! No matter what you do on here you are never going to please everybody. So it is a 'job lot' so to speak - some people say it how it is... some people sugar coat it..... some people just like to sit the fence.... some people are just "people-pleasers" ... some people just like to "agitate". At least you are getting a lot of different points of view 
If people think that CC is playing HARDBALL - wait until you get into business for real !! this is like nursery school ! 
So could we hold off on the fire power and just let a few folks escape with their ego somewhat intact--maybe we could make 'em promise to never come back --or we can keep the present policy 'cause they for dang sure ain't coming back.
The forum needs to be re-named to reflect the taking no hostages theme.
Kate
I'm not saying she needs to go take 'cake decorating' lessons - I'm saying perhaps she needs READING lessons.
That's correct, someone else said it.
See my post - top of this page.
I am all for helping people with their pricing especialy when they are new to it all... BUT when it has been asked before by the SAME PERSON -in March of this year, in nearly an identical post - I'm left asking myself
WHY?
She wanted to know--it's a different type of cake. I mean I didn't know we can't ask similar questions. We're just allowed the one pricing question? We need to post these rules.
I don't think it is hardball at all - geez - you ask a question - you got to expect answers! No matter what you do on here you are never going to please everybody. So it is a 'job lot' so to speak - some people say it how it is... some people sugar coat it..... some people just like to sit the fence.... some people are just "people-pleasers" ... some people just like to "agitate". At least you are getting a lot of different points of view
If people think that CC is playing HARDBALL - wait until you get into business for real !! this is like nursery school !
She said she doesn't have a business.
Okay this is a friend of my moms ,,, she asked me if I do cakes and I said I do make cakes for family and friends but when I sell a cake it's gonna be at least 20.00 . Now here is a pic of the cake I did today ,, mind u I do not usually sell my cakes . Do you think 20 is to much for this ? I dod it pretty quick notice ?
So to answer your question--No $20 is not too much.
Well I am back I did'nt run off %&%&^%%* to the ones that said I ran off It's just that I actually have a life and have better things to do thatn sit here and fight like some of you . Now I do not sell my cakes okay I do them for family but yes ,, sometime a friend of a friend pops up and wants one . And I feel good about that and since I am practicing I tell them that and I don't charge much . So no I really have'nt learned a lesson mainley b/c I rarley sell a cake and when I do I am not yet confident enough to charge a arm and a f- leg ,, I am not going to do that ,, plus I am not greedy .
I asked a simple question and I didnt expect a bunch of HENS to make a big deal over it quote " left ya'll to fight over it " get over yourself if your that small of a person sorry .
As for leverly or whatever she calls herself , I won't take the time to look up her name b/c she has a distasteful mouth .Pimping out a cake she says or wanting to beat the holy hell out of me { ps I live in Mesquite Tx pm for my address } !!!!!!!!! .. What I want to tell you miss trash mouth was that if you are so worried about me the hobby chick down the street maybe your cakes are'nt worth what you think they are b/c if they were you would'nt worry about what I am doing down the street . So maybe you should be asking the " how much should I charge ? "
To the nice comments and actually help thatnk you !
N
OMGoodness ladies, is it a full moon tonight or something? This is the third or fourth thread I've seen today where people were just tearing each other to pieces.
Kim62808, for now you should just figure out your costs and make sure you're covering them. When you get that confidence up, you can start charging for your time, if you don't want to do it now. But don't take less for a cake than it costs you to make it and don't agree to do any cakes if you have something better to do that weekend, because if you're doing it too cheap or for free you may start feeling like you've been taken advantage of, and that takes the joy out of doing cakes.
Well I am back I did'nt run off %&%&^%%* to the ones that said I ran off It's just that I actually have a life and have better things to do thatn sit here and fight like some of you . Now I do not sell my cakes okay I do them for family but yes ,, sometime a friend of a friend pops up and wants one . And I feel good about that and since I am practicing I tell them that and I don't charge much . So no I really have'nt learned a lesson mainley b/c I rarley sell a cake and when I do I am not yet confident enough to charge a arm and a f- leg ,, I am not going to do that ,, plus I am not greedy .
I asked a simple question and I didnt expect a bunch of HENS to make a big deal over it quote " left ya'll to fight over it " get over yourself if your that small of a person sorry .
As for leverly or whatever she calls herself , I won't take the time to look up her name b/c she has a distasteful mouth .Pimping out a cake she says or wanting to beat the holy hell out of me { ps I live in Mesquite Tx pm for my address } !!!!!!!!! .. What I want to tell you miss trash mouth was that if you are so worried about me the hobby chick down the street maybe your cakes are'nt worth what you think they are b/c if they were you would'nt worry about what I am doing down the street . So maybe you should be asking the " how much should I charge ? "
To the nice comments and actually help thatnk you !
N
BRAVO 
Just to redeem myself..this was said by ApplegumKitchen
"Do you want all the platitudes about ... oh no - your work is worth more than that! - because I for one am not going to do that. "
That would be where the "self gratification" comment came from. It was implied in the thread...I'm pretty sure that makes me "staying on task". Someone else implied that's what it was and I was responding.
And I'm certainly not implying that anything should be sugar coated. I am all for constructive criticism. That's exactly why I like this site. I believe OfficerMorgan's criticism about her work was meant in a honest fashion. And I would love to hear something like that as it was given in a constructive manner.
SOME of the criticism here FEELS and READS like the writer is implying that the OP or other posters are idiots. I personally feel that's unnecessary...that is what I got heated about and felt the need to comment on.
Well I am back I did'nt run off %&%&^%%* to the ones that said I ran off It's just that I actually have a life and have better things to do thatn sit here and fight like some of you . Now I do not sell my cakes okay I do them for family but yes ,, sometime a friend of a friend pops up and wants one . And I feel good about that and since I am practicing I tell them that and I don't charge much . So no I really have'nt learned a lesson mainley b/c I rarley sell a cake and when I do I am not yet confident enough to charge a arm and a f- leg ,, I am not going to do that ,, plus I am not greedy .
I asked a simple question and I didnt expect a bunch of HENS to make a big deal over it quote " left ya'll to fight over it " get over yourself if your that small of a person sorry .
As for leverly or whatever she calls herself , I won't take the time to look up her name b/c she has a distasteful mouth .Pimping out a cake she says or wanting to beat the holy hell out of me { ps I live in Mesquite Tx pm for my address } !!!!!!!!! .. What I want to tell you miss trash mouth was that if you are so worried about me the hobby chick down the street maybe your cakes are'nt worth what you think they are b/c if they were you would'nt worry about what I am doing down the street . So maybe you should be asking the " how much should I charge ? "
To the nice comments and actually help thatnk you !
N
Geez OP! Get hold of yourself. You gave so little info in your original post.
The OP asked if we thought $20 was too much. People answered. Obviously the answers weren't what the OP wanted or expected, so s/he feels the need to lash out at everyone who told her that NO.... $20 is most definately NOT too much.
I forgot to throw in a booooooo to applegumkitchen ,, wow ur a total donkey's butt !
It was a simple question , I am going to charge someday for my time but as for now I don't . I bake all the time and it actually did'nt cost me more than 20.00 to make I had alot of the stuff around the house . I made my own MMF and had it froze from a cake I made my girlfriend for her shower as a gift ,,YES A GIFT I actually did'nt try and be greedy and charge my friend it was a thoughtful gift . So like I said when I have friends come and ask me for a cake ocasionally I dont charge them to much ,, this dosent happen often !
hahahahahaa - You think that hurt ?
Yep - I'm a donkeys butt ...... but this donkey butt is certainly earning a better living than YOU!!
To Mensch - I understand the question I asked but ... some of these responses were off the chart RUDE ! Saying I need reading lessons and gosh knows what else -- so go back through the forum and read some of the rude comments and then come back and let me know how u would feel when people WIG out for something so small .
Misssassybuns - Thank you for ur comments , no I was'nt looking for praise I was just looking for help ! I honestley fell bad if i charge to much , I have sat down and counted the costs but I dont have a back bone sometimes ,, I know that and I am getting better but .... ok YALL I;m done with this forum fight among urselfs ..back to my life !
I forgot to throw in a booooooo to applegumkitchen ,, wow ur a total donkey's butt !
It was a simple question , I am going to charge someday for my time but as for now I don't . I bake all the time and it actually did'nt cost me more than 20.00 to make I had alot of the stuff around the house . I made my own MMF and had it froze from a cake I made my girlfriend for her shower as a gift ,,YES A GIFT I actually did'nt try and be greedy and charge my friend it was a thoughtful gift . So like I said when I have friends come and ask me for a cake ocasionally I dont charge them to much ,, this dosent happen often !
If you're sure $20 covered your costs for the cake and you're not out to make a profit then why bother to ask if we think you charged enough?
I forgot to throw in a booooooo to applegumkitchen ,, wow ur a total donkey's butt !
It was a simple question , I am going to charge someday for my time but as for now I don't . I bake all the time and it actually did'nt cost me more than 20.00 to make I had alot of the stuff around the house . I made my own MMF and had it froze from a cake I made my girlfriend for her shower as a gift ,,YES A GIFT I actually did'nt try and be greedy and charge my friend it was a thoughtful gift . So like I said when I have friends come and ask me for a cake ocasionally I dont charge them to much ,, this dosent happen often !
Seeing you are SO GOOD at using your brain to toss around the insults - try directly it to thngs of a BUSINESS NATURE! - your question DID NOT say.... this was a gift! nor did it illude to the fact that ... you were only charging for the ingredients that you had to GO OUT & BUY !! (did the ones in your pantry fall from the gods?)
Why are you saying all of this now? You are obviously VERY HAPPY with the $20 that you charged
WHAT DID YOU HOPE TO GAIN FROM POSTING THE QUESTION ??
And yet again, nothing positive is coming from this thread so therefore, at this time, it is being locked
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