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Pricing Help With Cake.. Photo Attached

post #1 of 18
4/30/12 at 9:03pm
Thread Starter 
This is a repeat customer for me and she had brought her family members to me for cakes but she requested a replica of this cake and its rather large. She wants all the things that are on this cake in a smaller version that feeds forty people, but my thoughts are that theres so much on the cake that it has to be large anyway.. any suggestions on price? My sister told me I sell my cakes for too little and I've never made a cake this large. Thanks for all your help in advance!

http://blog.great-birthday-party-ideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/backyardigans-party-ideas-cake.jpg
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post #2 of 18
5/1/12 at 6:35am
First, think about how long it'll take you to sculpt each and every figure. It might actually be more time consuming to make small versions of them. What's your time worth to you? Don't sell yourself short - take it from someone who has! I've quoted a price to a client before on a challenging cake that I didn't think would turn out as well as it actually did. It took me twice as long as I thought it would so the price just went up for the next person who wants something similar. That's how you learn, though. Good luck!
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post #3 of 18
5/1/12 at 6:48am
My first bit of advice would be to try and get your customer to cut a few things from the cake. This cake does look rather large, so if she's only wanting one to feed 40 people, it's going to look cluttered with everything that's in the picture.
Kendra is correct about the time to sculpt the figures (it takes longer than you think), and not selling yourself short. All of us do it at some point, but don't do it just because she's a repeat customer.
The only other thing that I can suggest if you think the cake has to be that big, then use cake dummies for some of the layers. That avoids an overabundance of cake but still gives the same look in the end.
I'm up to my elbows in powdered sugar....LIFE IS SWEET!!!!
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post #4 of 18
5/1/12 at 6:49am
Your pricing is going to be different than mine. But just based on the cake alone (looks like three 14 inch rounds and two 12 inch rounds, which is well over 300 servings) the minimum for me would be close to $1,300. MINIMUM!

Edited: - Sorry, I totally missed the part about her wanting a smaller cake but with all of the fun stuff on top. I clicked the link to the picture before I finished reading and bugged out at the cake itself. That thing is HUGE!
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There are times when I think I can help. Other times I think, given an already shallow gene pool, I am doing more for humanity by just letting go...
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post #5 of 18
5/1/12 at 6:50am
There is absolutely no way you're going to get all that crap on a cake for 40 people. Your customer is going to have to make a choice - - either go with a much smaller, simpler cake OR pay for a lot more cake than she wants.

This is the fun part where you have to educate your customers and occasionally
give them a reality check. icon_rolleyes.gif
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post #6 of 18
5/1/12 at 9:05am
I have a two tiered Backyardigans cake I did for my cousin's daughter on my website (link in my signature). I used the round Wilton seperator balls and made the characters on those. I believe it was Paco that I did for the top, but you could do whichever one is her favorite.

Edited to add: The rest of the cake was decorated to match the plates and napkins.

~Chelle
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Interested in ICES? www.ices.org Live in Mass? www.massices.com
Want to see my cakes? www.chellescakes.com
http://cakingmysanity.blogspot.com/
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post #7 of 18
5/1/12 at 9:43am
Two things I learned from this forum .

Be sure to ask potential client ,

1) How many people do you want to feed?

2) What is your budget ?

Doesn't matter how much someone would charge for that cake if its not in the clients budget .
you are not going to get all that on a small cake . Ask the budget and then go from there on the theme based on what they can afford.
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post #8 of 18
5/1/12 at 9:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cakery2012

Two things I learned from this forum .

Be sure to ask potential client ,

1) How many people do you want to feed?

2) What is your budget ?

Doesn't matter how much someone would charge for that cake if its not in the clients budget .
you are not going to get all that on a small cake . Ask the budget and then go from there on the theme based on what they can afford.



Amen!!
I'm up to my elbows in powdered sugar....LIFE IS SWEET!!!!
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I'm up to my elbows in powdered sugar....LIFE IS SWEET!!!!
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post #9 of 18
5/1/12 at 4:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jgifford

There is absolutely no way you're going to get all that crap on a cake for 40 people. Your customer is going to have to make a choice - - either go with a much smaller, simpler cake OR pay for a lot more cake than she wants.

This is the fun part where you have to educate your customers and occasionally
give them a reality check. icon_rolleyes.gif



That's exactly what I thought when I saw the photo.

My second thought was that Miranda is either going to have her self-image of being a princess crushed by reality eventually, or she's going to make her parents miserable when they have to continue catering to her if that's the kind of cake she gets at a young age. I pity the wedding planner who has to deal with that family.

On a cost note, It would probably take around 8 hours to make the figures etc, so I'd be charging them a lot.
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post #10 of 18
5/1/12 at 4:58pm
First ask her what price she does NOT want to go over. You'll probably get a more honest answer than just what her budget is.

Then get your pans out and show her exactly what 40 servings look like. Then count ALL those characters and tell her you would have to miniaturize them to fit and each one would be a minimum of at least $25. Have a design in your back pocket already drawn that shows a reasonable and tasteful design utilizing some...but not ALL of her requirements.

You might also tell her that there is a copyright issue in creating these figures and that if she could purchase them somewhere then all you would have to do is place them on the cake. Then you would have time to create the background and other details and concentrate on the cake as opposed to the figures.
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post #11 of 18
5/1/12 at 5:12pm
I'm with Carmijok...get her to buy the figures and that way you are cover on the copyright thing, they will already be miniaturized ( which if you had to make them would be a real pain) and it will make the cost reasonable.

mommachris
wife to David for 23 years
mom to 13 blessings
Nine who are still living at home that range from 21 to 3 years old.
Holly, Amy, Aaron, Evelyn, Zebedee, Melody, William, Melissa and little Tobin
and four more sweet babies in heaven.
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wife to David for 23 years
mom to 13 blessings
Nine who are still living at home that range from 21 to 3 years old.
Holly, Amy, Aaron, Evelyn, Zebedee, Melody, William, Melissa and little Tobin
and four more sweet babies in heaven.
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post #12 of 18
5/1/12 at 5:29pm
Very good points carmijok and mommachris!
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post #13 of 18
5/1/12 at 7:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by costumeczar

Quote:
Originally Posted by jgifford

There is absolutely no way you're going to get all that crap on a cake for 40 people. Your customer is going to have to make a choice - - either go with a much smaller, simpler cake OR pay for a lot more cake than she wants.

This is the fun part where you have to educate your customers and occasionally
give them a reality check. icon_rolleyes.gif



That's exactly what I thought when I saw the photo.

My second thought was that Miranda is either going to have her self-image of being a princess crushed by reality eventually, or she's going to make her parents miserable when they have to continue catering to her if that's the kind of cake she gets at a young age. I pity the wedding planner who has to deal with that family.

On a cost note, It would probably take around 8 hours to make the figures etc, so I'd be charging them a lot.

LOL!!!
Being perky and kind is the is the only way to go! Now let's decorate and make someone happy.
I operate legally out of The Cake Studio. It would have been easier to be based at home but my little boys were eating the the fondant flowers and accents!
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Being perky and kind is the is the only way to go! Now let's decorate and make someone happy.
I operate legally out of The Cake Studio. It would have been easier to be based at home but my little boys were eating the the fondant flowers and accents!
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post #14 of 18
5/2/12 at 6:23am
Just because a cake is smaller, doesn't mean it takes less time to complete.

Therefore it doesn't mean it's cheaper.

That's usually a tough one to get into people's heads.

icon_rolleyes.gif
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Always put your eggs in one basket.......why do you want to carry two?
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post #15 of 18
5/2/12 at 8:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baker_Rose

Just because a cake is smaller, doesn't mean it takes less time to complete.

Therefore it doesn't mean it's cheaper.

That's usually a tough one to get into people's heads.

icon_rolleyes.gif



It often means there's MORE time involved! ;D But there are less ingredient costs in a smaller cake so that should be a factor in cost.

However a detailed cake like this would take more man hours and probably negate the less ingredient savings .
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