Jeliz your cakes are beautiful!
I came on this thread looking for advice for pricing as well and I've got to say WOW !
I would have to agree that some of the legal advice was worth hearing but as one one PP mentioned no one ever mentioned how to go about making a cake with that theme without infringing any copyright laws. So though the advice was great, please give suggestions on how to deal with those types of issues. Us newbies do want to learn, but how do we learn if you can't offer a solution.
My biggest problem was with the person who said that because you're a newbie you shouldn't be selling cakes, everyone starts somewhere (even you did), and even if your cakes were awful, people must like them for some reason enough for you to have orders.
I appreciated all the information provided by the pros but do try to offer more solutions to the issues.
And as we tell our kids, if you don't have anything nice to say, (this is to the person who believes that newbies shouldn't be selling cakes and those that were straight out rude by calling her a snot) then keep your comments to yourself.
I can't really help you since I was looking for advice on this thread myself, but good luck!
I recently joined this site, and my sentiments regarding some of the discussions I see on this website are similar to yours, craez4cakes! I'm a chatterbox and love engaging in discussions about cakes, but have found many of these pricing discussions where it turns into a whole legal issue. I appreciate the fact that the posters are offering advice, based on their own experiences, but it does come across as condescending and almost like bullying in some of the discussions that I've read (even if it wasn't intended to be). It makes me feel intimidated to even post a discussion question! I truly believe that the posters have the best intentions, but I've often found that instead of pointing out the flaws in someone's post, perhaps offering them a solution may the best, and most user friendly approach. Luckily, I live overseas, in a country where small businesses and home-based businesses are encouraged...so not as much red tape to deal with. Hopefully no one assumes I'm selling cakes illegally or not worthy enough to sell my cakes if I end up posting a pricing question... just my two cents! Have a blessed evening!
I've been reading all of these posts and the first word that comes to my mind is WOW! As a new person to CakeCentral, I can honestly say that I am not impressed. First off, the topic of this forum is "Pricing Cakes", so naturally it piqued my interest and I clicked on it. I was surprised to learn that this forum is full of arrogant bullies who snobbishly look down on others who may not be as experienced as they are. It's like High School all over.
Most of you have ganged up on one person, first telling her that she's too inexperienced, secondly that she needs to find out about laws concerning the selling out of her home. Third someone tells her about character copyright infringement. And so on and so forth. While it may appear that these people were giving helpful advice, I have to agree with team Jeliz. Very few answers were directly related to the question. You were quick to offer your professional know how, but not one of you offered her a solution to the copyright issue. Rather than telling her what she was doing wrong, why not add what she could do to remedy the situation? Like perhaps telling her that she could color the cake in the colors of Abby Cadabby and let the parents make the choice of adding the characters AFTER she delivered the cake.
For the smart person who responded saying that she should charge zero for the Abby Cadabby cake from the pan, perhaps you should go back and read her first post, she said she was aware the pan was for home use only and would not use it. Good answer, but not helpful in this particular case. For the person who made the comment about the altitude, I'm utterly confused, was it an attempt at adding humor to the post? What do you possibly have to contribute? And for you, the person who called her a snot, perhaps you should take a step back and analyze yourself. I'm a strong believer that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, so your comment is wayyyyy out of line. Since you know so much about copyright lawsuits why not tell her what to do to avoid them? And do it in a way that doesn't further agitate her.
While I appreciate what CakeCentral does for all of us cake aficionados, I have to say that the homepage of the Forums site should have a huge banner that runs across the site saying "Post at your own risk". That's what I plan on doing going forward. I find that Google search is more helpful than most of you have been. There are definitely some heads stuck in butts here, but it's not Jeliz's. She may have overreacted a bit, but under the circumstances, I could see why she would feel justified.
For you Jeliz, and to answer the question at hand. I agree with some of these posters in that no one can really tell you how to price your cakes. At the end it all boils down to your experience, cost of materials and your target audience. Call your local bakeries and find out how much they charge per serving for butter cream vs. fondant. You can also ask how much they charge for 3D/sculpted cakes. Call as a potential client who's looking for a price quote. It's honestly the best suggestion I can give you. Oh and not sure if you saw my suggestion above, but the next time a client asks for a character cake, tell them why you can't do it and offer the solution of coloring the cake in theme and have them add the characters themselves. This is a good way to avoid breaking the law inadvertently.
Good luck with your up and coming business, your cakes are very nicely executed for a person who's just beginning. My favorite is the 'Wizards of Waverly' place because it's one of those cakes that prove my point about not violating copyright.
Wish there was a "like" button so that I can acknowledge those who cooperated with my question. 
And here's an update on this now infamous Abby Cadabby cake. I never made it!!!!!!!, I really wasn't interested in doing it in the first place and the person could tell by my pushback. She ended up getting the cake she wanted, but not from me.
Jeliz, I'm so happy everything worked out for you. Please keep coming to CC. There are many extremely talented and experienced cakers who are truly generous with their time...they frequently help out newbies like me and patiently answer questions and give advice about how to approach a decorating challenge. I've really learned a lot in the few months since I joined. 
Jeliz, just want to say goodluck with your cake business. You are very skilled for someone who is new to cake decorating.
Hi Jeliz. I have posted here before. THEN, I looked at your cakes. I would have to agree that you have what it takes to decorate cakes (rhyme unintentional ). I recently took a cake class. We were all taught the same skills, but when you looked at the finished products, it was glaringly obvious who had talent and who didn't. You've got it girl! Obviously, there is still lots for all of us to learn as we hone our skills and experiment with new techniques.
I had posted for help on pricing several times. Most of the time, I got positive, helpful responses. Do a search for "pricing" or "charge" and I am sure you will find a lot of useful posts.
There are a few on here that really like to make it hard on everyone when they answer. I am sure that there are those who get upset with people who work out of their home when they have spent money to get licensed out of their home and all and yes, it is a big cost, but not everyone has the money to get licensed from their home when they do no more than maybe 15 cakes a year for people who pay...if even that much. I used to live near a restaraunt that the lady would let me use her kitchen to cook and bake if I needed to. Now I don't and it would be very costly for me. None of my friends would turn me in because I baked in my home. I can afford to charge less because I don't have the overhead. Maybe someday I will be able to have a kitchen that is separate and be able to really advertise where people will see what I am about, but I keep my advertising very minimal. If the County or state really wanted to come after someone who does it from their home illegally they wouldn't have to go much further than craigslist to do so. there are dozens who advertise there. Just because I advertise doesn't mean I get any business so they would have that to prove before they could do anything.
I have not had the chance to look at your work, but I am going to do a search for your cakes and have a look. Don't give up on the forum altogether.
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