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Is anyone actually making money on cookies?

post #1 of 40
1/24/10 at 8:30am
Thread Starter 
I don't have time to go back thru all the threads so if this has been answered before please let me know.

anyway...I was making cookies for family, I do it every Xmas...and I thought of trying to sell them but after checking on what others are pricing there's at there is no way I'd make any money on them. The time involved with decorating them is just too much...at least for me. But I know people on Flickr who are doing really intricate patterns and designs and they sell a lot...but how can they even be breaking even?? It took me 2 days just to do a batch of Thanksgiving cookies!!

Maybe I'm just slow?
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post #2 of 40
1/24/10 at 8:39am
You definitely get faster with practice and the size of the cookie makes a big diff.

I remember I made 100 dog-boned shaped cookies and it only took me about a couple of hours. Small cookie (2x3" ish), one color.

Then I made 50 Hello Kitty cookies. Oh my god those suckers took me 5 freakin' hours!!! icon_eek.gif THe cookie was WAY bigger than they looked. My back was totally killing me when I got done.

If you're doing mass quantities, covering them in fondant, even as just the base, is way faster than icing. Here's a thread with some tips on doing that: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-649283-tshirt.html

What kind of price range have you priced yours at? (Are they priced close to the Cookies by Design pricing?)
Cake Cutting Guide: http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/cake%20comb
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/
www.cateritsimple.blogspot.com
http://debiswritingcollection.blogspot.com/
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Cake Cutting Guide: http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/cake%20comb
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/
www.cateritsimple.blogspot.com
http://debiswritingcollection.blogspot.com/
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post #3 of 40
1/24/10 at 8:56am
I absolutely make money off my decorated cookies. The key, for me, is keeping the design simple. I enjoy the challenege of creating an intricate design on a cookie, but am realistic enough to know that I'll never make money off of those designs. I dont like to spend more than 2-3 minutes per cookie.
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post #4 of 40
1/24/10 at 9:10am
How do you guys market cookie bouquets? I just made a couple of Valentine bouquets..
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post #5 of 40
1/24/10 at 10:49am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

You definitely get faster with practice and the size of the cookie makes a big diff.

I remember I made 100 dog-boned shaped cookies and it only took me about a couple of hours. Small cookie (2x3" ish), one color.

Then I made 50 Hello Kitty cookies. Oh my god those suckers took me 5 freakin' hours!!! icon_eek.gif THe cookie was WAY bigger than they looked. My back was totally killing me when I got done.

If you're doing mass quantities, covering them in fondant, even as just the base, is way faster than icing. Here's a thread with some tips on doing that: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-649283-tshirt.html

What kind of price range have you priced yours at? (Are they priced close to the Cookies by Design pricing?)



I haven't actually priced them at all because I've only ever done them for family. I was thinking of selling though and I just kind of figured I wouldn't be able to make any money on them. I used to sell some plain cookies (choc chip, oatmeal...that sort of thing) at my friend's cafe but that was mostly for fun and to help him out a bit.

if you get a chance check out Rosey Sugar on flickr. Her cookies are amazing...so are her cakes. Her piping work is some of the best I've ever seen. Also Sweet Sugar Belle's cookies are stunning. And she's very very prolific.
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post #6 of 40
1/24/10 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 
also, I'm a royal icing girl when it comes to cookies. I know it takes longer but I like the effect (personal pref only) better than fondant. I really should try fondant again tho now that I have a good one and I know more about it. I used Golda's on my 1st and only attempt and it really does stink...figuratively and literally.
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post #7 of 40
1/24/10 at 10:57am
I can definitely see how people could make money selling cookies. I'm not experienced in cookie making (or selling) by no means, but I made some bee cookies last week for my baby's bday party & they where super fast to make. I covered them with fondant & put RI stripes & eyes on them. It took just a min per cookie. I would keep it simple as stated above. I don't even know what people will pay for cookies, but they would be a very unique thing to offer. If I where selling the cookies that I made, I would probably sell them for $1 at least. I guess it also depends on the size of the cookie & if it's packaged.
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post #8 of 40
1/24/10 at 11:01am
I much prefer the taste of RI on cookies than I do the fondant, but when it comes to high production work, I'll use fondant every chance I can. thumbs_up.gif

Check out CbyD's website, stores in your area, to get an idea of what detail designed cookies price for.

Just as FYI, my choc chip / snickerdoodle type of cookies, I sold for $6/dz, and that's considered "not expensive", especially if you compare them to what you find in Starbucks, Subway, etc.

Here's my cookie pricing page (I haven't taken down the cookie website yet): http://www.bannascookies.com/pricing.html
Cake Cutting Guide: http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/cake%20comb
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/
www.cateritsimple.blogspot.com
http://debiswritingcollection.blogspot.com/
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Cake Cutting Guide: http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/cake%20comb
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/
www.cateritsimple.blogspot.com
http://debiswritingcollection.blogspot.com/
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post #9 of 40
1/24/10 at 11:09am
Thread Starter 
Check these guys out tho
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosey_sugar_palace/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetsugarbelle/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34555769@N04/with/4266877310/
cuz, frankly, I don't know how they're even breaking even!

Maybe I'm just way too slow.
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post #10 of 40
1/24/10 at 11:12am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

I much prefer the taste of RI on cookies than I do the fondant, but when it comes to high production work, I'll use fondant every chance I can. thumbs_up.gif

Check out CbyD's website, stores in your area, to get an idea of what detail designed cookies price for.

Just as FYI, my choc chip / snickerdoodle type of cookies, I sold for $6/dz, and that's considered "not expensive", especially if you compare them to what you find in Starbucks, Subway, etc.

Here's my cookie pricing page (I haven't taken down the cookie website yet): http://www.bannascookies.com/pricing.html



thanks. It would be nice to be able to offer personalized cookies as wedding give aways when I actually start taking wedding cake orders. I have yet to get my 1st...it's pretty much been cakes for friends and friends of friends so far. I do have a wedding cake to do for my brother's mother in law this fall. I'm really looking forward to that.

I should see if she wants some autumn cookies too. I have some awesome leaf cutters that would go perfect with her theme.
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post #11 of 40
1/24/10 at 11:45am
Thanks for sharing those flickr sites Sally--what beautiful work they do!! Very inspirational!
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post #12 of 40
1/24/10 at 11:50am
Thread Starter 
you're welcome. Rosey Sugar kills me! Check out her cakes with the intricate piping. they're breathtaking.
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post #13 of 40
1/24/10 at 12:25pm
Haven't sold any yet (well, did some for a close friend at cost, actually they paid me a large tip, too, but was still a LOT less than if they'd paid full price, but it was sort of a barter situation, her DH is doing my website for me), but a $1 per inch, yes, I would most certainly make money (and a lot of it) were I to sell them.
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post #14 of 40
1/24/10 at 12:34pm
I am completely awe inspired by the cookie designs I see on flickr. I'm not an artist and many of those women (as well as the decorators on CC) are ARTISTS. But when making my cookies, I focus on taste. My cookies taste wonderful and customers like simple designs. Sure I would like to be able to design fancy cookies, but I agree the time it takes to make them, makes them super expensive. I haven't found anyone willing to pay what I would charge so I stick to basic designs in 2-4 inch cookies. Just starting out. My problem is I can't bake from home and renting kitchen space is expensive.
http://cookiesmadewithlove.blogspot.com/
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http://cookiesmadewithlove.blogspot.com/
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post #15 of 40
1/24/10 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I am an artist and I'm still in awe of what some of those ladies can do with a cookie!! Here's my little flickr cookie set if anyone wants to have a look. Certainly not as amazing as the others.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surlybratt/sets/72157614130087587/

The baptism cookies were the only ones done using fondant. Sadly it was the Golda's fondant and they tasted like shite. I had to throw them out.

Note* I'm a bit of an idiot sometimes and some of my pictures reflect that. There are also some naked gingerbread men with little gingerbread pee pees so I hope they don't offend anyone. icon_smile.gif
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