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Getting Cupcake Towers

post #1 of 15
6/5/12 at 10:25pm
Thread Starter 
Hi Everyone,

I need some advice on where to get cupcake towers; I am just starting out and don't have this equipment yet.

Someone called for 250 cupcakes for a wedding. Rental prices at commercial party rental stores are obscene. Also, local stores are selling them for between $100-$200 each. I looked online and found some for $55 (6 tier clear acrylic very beautiful and can hold alot) but shipping cost is crazy.

Has anybody had these custom fabricated? Any success? Any wholesalers?
I appreciate any advice as I can not fathom paying hundreds of dollars for a few pieces of plastic.

Thanks

PS I am in Canada
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post #2 of 15
6/5/12 at 11:35pm
I haven't used this one myself but I've heard good things about it:
http://www.penguincupcaketowers.com/cupcake-stand/Emperor.html
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Recent Articles: The Magic Pricing Formula • Copyright Law
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post #3 of 15
6/6/12 at 12:45am
The good ones are expensive. My favorites are on ebay. I fogot the seller, but they dominate the acrylic cupcake tower category. I think they are from the UK.
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post #4 of 15
6/6/12 at 12:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_kraft

I haven't used this one myself but I've heard good things about it:
http://www.penguincupcaketowers.com/cupcake-stand/Emperor.html



Have you ever seen it in real life?
The price is reasonable.
Shipping to Canada is almost as much as the item tho..
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post #5 of 15
6/6/12 at 12:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scp1127

The good ones are expensive. My favorites are on ebay. I fogot the seller, but they dominate the acrylic cupcake tower category. I think they are from the UK.



You mean the ones where you can fill the middle pole with decorations, silk flowers, ribbon etc. (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/9-TIER-TUBES-CUPCAKE-CUP-CAKE-WEDDING-DISPLAY-STAND-/150464133713?pt=Uk_Crafts_Cake_Decorating_MJ&hash=item23085c7a51#ht_5181wt_1292) Those are stunning, but, the shipping is like 2 or 3 x the price icon_cry.gificon_cry.gif so frustrating
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post #6 of 15
6/6/12 at 5:38am
When I needed one and time was of the essence, I used www.cupcaketree.com Reasonably priced, shipping was reasonable considering the size of the box and shipping was fast.

I am going to have one (or two) custom built and we'll see how that goes.
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post #7 of 15
6/6/12 at 7:00am
http://www.ebay.com/itm/cake-or-cupcake-stands-ROUND-SQUARE-SCALLOPED-STAGGERED-2-3-4-tier-Dessert-Tree-/130607840959?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item1e68d57ebf#ht_8647wt_1037

I purchased this, and it is very durable and can be reused.
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post #8 of 15
6/6/12 at 8:08am
I had a 5 tier wood stand that spins (built on a lazy susan) custom built for me. You can see the stand in my pictures. It cost about $475 (I can't remember exactly). Now, that is pricey but I rent the stand for $40 for my clients and it has more than paid for itself. The top 3 tiers are connected and the bottom 2 tiers are connected. They fit together by these little pegs. This way I can use the stand for both large and small events. All events are charged $40 to use it, whether they use half or the entire stand.
"who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?"
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"who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?"
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post #9 of 15
6/6/12 at 8:36am
Take a look at this outfit for their solid and simple designs:

http://www.designacrylics.co.uk/acrylic-cupcake-stand-577-p.asp

Any way you slice it, this is an investment that you report as a business cost. You make sure that you charge a deposit for the stand separate from the deposit for the cupcakes.

You might think about buying the Crystal Clear separator plates in Canada at goldaskitchen.com and making acrylic tube pillars for cupcakes, and you can also use the plates for cake supports.

You can have acrylic circles cut at a local machine shop. You will pay for the sheet plus an hourly rate. A full 48x96 sheet will make as many circles as you will need in your lifetime.so ask if they have scrap. You tell them it's for a bakery, and you bring them some cupcakes when you pick up the finished work, and you will be pleased at the reasonable cost.

Use hollow plastic tubes for the pillars for a cupcake stand. Johnson Industrial Plastics sells the stuff in 8 foot lengths across Canada, and you need only a hacksaw and a mitre box to DIY. Bribing a handy spouse with beer works.

You should hand finish these using 200, 600 and 1500 grit aluminum oxide paper (Home Hardware, eh). It doesn't take long to get that crystal clear edge finish.
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post #10 of 15
6/6/12 at 8:49am
Spending more for a higher quality cupcake stand will only help you in the long run. For example, let's say you charge 1/3 the item cost as a rental fee plus the total item cost as a refundable deposit (that's what we do), and each item has a useful life of 10 rentals.

If you buy a $30 cupcake stand, the rental fee is $10, and after 10 rentals you are ahead by $70 for the life of the stand. If you buy a higher quality $120 cupcake stand, the rental fee is $40 and you are ahead by $300 overall. In the latter case your customers will also benefit from a superior product, which will in turn help improve your reputation.
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An experimental blog with new content every Tuesday!

Recent Articles: The Magic Pricing Formula • Copyright Law
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The Bakery Business Perspective
An experimental blog with new content every Tuesday!

Recent Articles: The Magic Pricing Formula • Copyright Law
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post #11 of 15
6/6/12 at 9:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by akaivyleaf

When I needed one and time was of the essence, I used www.cupcaketree.com Reasonably priced, shipping was reasonable considering the size of the box and shipping was fast.

I am going to have one (or two) custom built and we'll see how that goes.



I use cupcake tree also, I charge them a flat fee (it's a purchase, not a rental - I usually profit about $20), decorate to match, and then I don't have to worry about it being returned to me. For most large cupcake orders my clients have been more inclined to go with a box tower.
You get more bees with honey!
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You get more bees with honey!
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post #12 of 15
6/6/12 at 12:17pm
My Dad made me 2 stands for about $30.00. He made me a 5 tier square and a 4 tier round. Absolutely love them!

There's a picture of the square one (part of it) in my photos under "McKennas birthday".
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post #13 of 15
6/7/12 at 2:57pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone who replied the info was extremely useful. I like the idea about having them custom made as well some of the links you sent look useful.

Now I'm gonna weigh the options...
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post #14 of 15
6/7/12 at 4:12pm
Cupcakeliner, I get my liners from Global Sugar Art

http://www.globalsugarart.com/product.php?id=22292&name=White%20Cupcake%20Baking%20Cup%20Liners%20-%20500%20Count


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post #15 of 15
6/7/12 at 5:33pm
Are you crafty at all? I made my own cupcake tower using cake boards, styrofoam, ribbon, cardstock and soup cans. It looks great and was dirt cheap to make! I can send you a link to the directions if you would like!
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