People Just Don't Want To Pay My Prices!
Decorating By MandyCakez Updated 15 Nov 2010 , 12:18am by LatteGirl
To be honest...people pay more for things that are important to them. I'm sure you've taken you wife out to eat a piece of steak that probably cost $30 to $40. To me thats crazy. But to my husband thats important and he'll pay the money for a little piece of meat. But like I said before, it's relative. In the grand scheme of things . Think about how may servings of cake you could get for one piece of steak. Shoot some people I know have speaks up to a hundred dollars on steak
I get what you are saying.
I personally would never pay $100 for a birthday cake, but I would pay $200 for a pair of running shoes that are slightly more comfortable than a pair that cost $150, and my husband and I have spent $40 each on a steak on a few occasions, because we really, really like steak. 
Some people have no problem paying high dollar for an occasion cake, because having a really memorable, awesome cake is as important to them as a really nice dinner with hubby or a lighter pair of runners is to me. To each his own. Just because you CAN be rude and nasty, doesn't mean it's called for.
Thanks Erin
To be honest...people pay more for things that are important to them. I'm sure you've taken you wife out to eat a piece of steak that probably cost $30 to $40. To me thats crazy. But to my husband thats important and he'll pay the money for a little piece of meat. But like I said before, it's relative. In the grand scheme of things . Think about how may servings of cake you could get for one piece of steak. Shoot some people I know have speaks up to a hundred dollars on steak
I totally get what you're saying and completely agree. CCers often complain about how "cheap" some people are when it comes to cake.... but they're not necessarily cheap, they just don't care enough about cake to pay for a delicious, custom cake. They're not going to pay several hundred dollars
for a cake, no matter how wonderful it is, because cake is not that important to them!!!
The people that don't really care about cake will go to the grocery store for one and that is fine if that is what they want. However, there are people that want a beautiful custom cake that will take you several hours maybe days to finish and they don't want to pay more than $ 50.00 for it. I call these people cheap. You also may say that they don't know what it takes to make a custom cake but I tell you this: they know enough to tell the difference from a grocery store and a custom cake. They want something special, that is why they are coming to you instead of the grocery store.
Special, better, bigger, fresh, custom, etc...these things cost more. They don't expect to pay for a Escalade the same price they pay for a Kia ( thanks indydeby, I love that)..... just saying....
If you'll notice, I specifically said that they're not necessarily cheap. Of course there are cheap people. Many cake decorators are cheap people. My boss is cheap. My m-i-l is cheap. Heck, I'm cheap! But people who don't want to pay big bucks for a cake are not automatically cheap. Just sayin.
As for restaurants charging $4 up to $7 for a dessert is a good way to look at things. People gladly pay the price for their desserts but they won't pay $2 a serving and thats a steal.
While I think $2.00 per serving is more than fair. Comparing what people pay for a dessert in a restaurant and a dessert serving of cake is not a legitimate comparison. I can easily go out to dinner a pay for a single dessert or two for me and my wife. Paying for a 48 serving cake is much different than paying for a few desserts.
Second I have eaten at plenty of places where the dessert sizes are enormous compared to a 4 by 2 by 1 inch dessert size serving. What is the difference, at a restaurant I am not paying for decorating on that large 8 in layer wedge of chocolate cake I just paid $8 for. Point is it matters little what people are willing to spend on dessert as price per serving is not calculated the same way, decorating is not part of the price, and paying for a couple of desserts is not the same as paying for an entire cake.
All this said I think to OP's prices are more than fair and could be charging more.
Marketing comparisons are ridiculously illegitimate. I mean just listen to the commercials and the sales people on the shop tv shows. My husband and I are always saying, 'hey, if we buy this then we're gonna get the cute chick or the hot guy or we won't be lonely anymore or we'll be the king or be envied or be complimented, talk of the town, etc. etc.'
But this restaurant dessert comparison is pretty good really. It's about giving the client a perspective on the price and you are correct that it is not a straight up apple for apple comp--because it doesn't factor in the decor. The place here that serves the $7 slice of cake serves it thin enough to see the pattern on the china through the cake.
I've eaten in places where the desserts are nothing more than a blob on an asian spoon and cost much much more than we're discussing here. A 1x2x4 size serving is a good size piece of cake. A nice portion. There's bigger there's smaller.
$2 a serving for wedding cake sucks.
$2 a serving for wedding cake sucks.
In some cases. In rural Iowa maybe not.
Here, my cake often has many different cooked additions besides the cake, whipped cream & fresh fruit.
swiss meringue buttercream
Pierre Herme's lemon cream
my berry filling
Grand Marnier splash
I often combine two of those to get a lemonberry filling to go above and below the fresh fruit & whipped cream filling. A 1x2x4 inch serving of cake that rich is well sufficient and worth much more than $2.
You are paying for expertise you are paying for reputation. You are paying for a masterpiece to be delivered and look beautiful and smell wonderful, slice perfectly and taste divine. Two dollars? And for it to stay fresh even after it is served--sitting out for a couple hours at the reception. Often personalized. That's a tall order. It's the focal point of the reception. It's the place of tradition and photographs--the first food the happy couple shares.
Two bucks really? Naw!!!
$2 a serving for wedding cake sucks.
In some cases. In rural Iowa maybe not.
Here, my cake often has many different cooked additions besides the cake, whipped cream & fresh fruit.
swiss meringue buttercream
Pierre Herme's lemon cream
my berry filling
Grand Marnier splash
I often combine two of those to get a lemonberry filling to go above and below the fresh fruit & whipped cream filling. A 1x2x4 inch serving of cake that rich is well sufficient and worth much more than $2.
You are paying for expertise you are paying for reputation. You are paying for a masterpiece to be delivered and look beautiful and smell wonderful, slice perfectly and taste divine. Two dollars? And for it to stay fresh even after it is served--sitting out for a couple hours at the reception. Often personalized. That's a tall order. It's the focal point of the reception. It's the place of tradition and photographs--the first food the happy couple shares.
Two bucks really? Naw!!!
You're funny 
Well, I'm sorry if I offended anybody. It was not my intention. My comment was about people wanting to spend more money in some things than others. And that is very valid. I do that myself. Maybe I should explain what I wrote in a different way.
"If you'll notice, I specifically said that they're not necessarily cheap."
Yes, I did notice.
"Many cake decorators are cheap people. My boss is cheap. My m-i-l is cheap."
I'm sorry. I don't understand what other decorators, your boss or even your MIL has to do with what I said.
"Heck, I'm cheap!"
So am I. I pick and choose where to spend my money and I just love a bargain!
"But people who don't want to pay big bucks for a cake are not automatically cheap. "
I agree with you 100%
My comment was aimed at people who want a Coach bag and think they should get it at Walmart cost.
People don't have to pay big bucks for a cake if they don't want to. United States of America is a free Country after all. However, if they want a custum made, special cake, that takes me many hours/days to make, they can pay my prices or go elsewhere. If they are going to try to talk me down in price, expect me to do several time consuming fondant detail and also expect me not to charge them more than a grocery store, and because I know I don't overcharge people ( sometimes I undercharge myself), I call THEM cheap. Maybe you have another word for them, I don't know. I just call them cheap or people that think for some reason not know to me, they are entitle to it.
Now, just to make myself clear:
Not everybody that doesn't want to pay a lot of money for cakes is NECESSARILY or AUTOMATICALLY cheap.
Any other person who thinks they can get a custum cake with all the works for the same price as a grocery store: is cheap, uneducated or plain out of their minds.
Well, I'm sorry if I offended anybody. It was not my intention. My comment was about people wanting to spend more money in some things than others. And that is very valid. I do that myself. Maybe I should explain what I wrote in a different way.
"If you'll notice, I specifically said that they're not necessarily cheap."
Yes, I did notice.
"Many cake decorators are cheap people. My boss is cheap. My m-i-l is cheap."
I'm sorry. I don't understand what other decorators, your boss or even your MIL has to do with what I said.
"Heck, I'm cheap!"
So am I. I pick and choose where to spend my money and I just love a bargain!
"But people who don't want to pay big bucks for a cake are not automatically cheap. "
I agree with you 100%
My comment was aimed at people who want a Coach bag and think they should get it at Walmart cost.
People don't have to pay big bucks for a cake if they don't want to. United States of America is a free Country after all. However, if they want a custum made, special cake, that takes me many hours/days to make, they can pay my prices or go elsewhere. If they are going to try to talk me down in price, expect me to do several time consuming fondant detail and also expect me not to charge them more than a grocery store, and because I know I don't overcharge people ( sometimes I undercharge myself), I call THEM cheap. Maybe you have another word for them, I don't know. I just call them cheap or people that think for some reason not know to me, they are entitle to it.
Now, just to make myself clear:
Not everybody that doesn't want to pay a lot of money for cakes is NECESSARILY or AUTOMATICALLY cheap.
Any other person who thinks they can get a custum cake with all the works for the same price as a grocery store: is cheap, uneducated or plain out of their minds.
Well, I'm sorry if I offended anybody. It was not my intention. My comment was about people wanting to spend more money in some things than others and it is very valid. I do that myself. Maybe I should explain what I wrote in a different way.
"If you'll notice, I specifically said that they're not necessarily cheap."
Yes, I did notice.
"Many cake decorators are cheap people. My boss is cheap. My m-i-l is cheap."
I'm sorry. I don't understand what other decorators, your boss or even your MIL has to do with what I said.
"Heck, I'm cheap!"
So am I. I pick and choose where to spend my money and I just love a bargain!
"But people who don't want to pay big bucks for a cake are not automatically cheap. "
I agree with you 100%
My comment was aimed at people who want a Coach bag and think they should get it at Walmart cost.
People don't have to pay big bucks for a cake if they don't want to. United States of America is a free Country after all. However, if they want a custum made, special cake, that takes me many hours/days to make, they can pay my prices or go elsewhere. If they are going to try to talk me down in price, expect me to do several time consuming fondant detail and also expect me not to charge them more than a grocery store, and because I know I don't overcharge people ( sometimes I undercharge myself), I call THEM cheap. Maybe you have another word for them, I don't know. I just call them cheap or people that think for some reason not know to me, they are entitle to it.
Now, just to make myself clear:
Not everybody that doesn't want to pay a lot of money for cakes is NECESSARILY or AUTOMATICALLY cheap.
Any other person who thinks they can get a custum cake with all the works for the same price as a grocery store: is cheap, uneducated or plain out of their minds.
Well, I'm sorry if I offended anybody. It was not my intention. My comment was about people wanting to spend more money in some things than others and it is very valid. I do that myself. Maybe I should explain what I wrote in a different way.
"If you'll notice, I specifically said that they're not necessarily cheap."
Yes, I did notice.
"Many cake decorators are cheap people. My boss is cheap. My m-i-l is cheap."
I'm sorry. I don't understand what other decorators, your boss or even your MIL has to do with what I said.
"Heck, I'm cheap!"
So am I. I pick and choose where to spend my money and I just love a bargain!
"But people who don't want to pay big bucks for a cake are not automatically cheap. "
I agree with you 100%
My comment was aimed at people who want a Coach bag and think they should get it at Walmart cost.
People don't have to pay big bucks for a cake if they don't want to. United States of America is a free Country after all. However, if they want a custum made, special cake, that takes me many hours/days to make, they can pay my prices or go elsewhere. If they are going to try to talk me down in price, expect me to do several time consuming fondant detail and also expect me not to charge them more than a grocery store, and because I know I don't overcharge people ( sometimes I undercharge myself), I call THEM cheap. Maybe you have another word for them, I don't know. I just call them cheap or people that think for some reason not know to me, they are entitle to it.
Now, just to make myself clear:
Not everybody that doesn't want to pay a lot of money for cakes is NECESSARILY or AUTOMATICALLY cheap.
Any other person who thinks they can get a custum cake with all the works for the same price as a grocery store: is cheap, uneducated or plain out of their minds.
In the scheme of things you have to get paid what you are worth. I'm in the burbs of Kansas City Missouri. My minimum I need to make for each transaction with tax and delivery is $500.00 that includes some birthday cakes but mostly wedding cakes. I hear alot of people around here complaining about the recession, people are cheap etc. I stand up for myself, if you don't like it there is a Walmart down the street and I tell them that. I tell them why would I make a $40.00 cake when it takes $6.00 just to turn on my oven and preheat it. I always get people when I break down my expenses. I will openly show you my electrical bill for $800.00. Let them do the math. After that they always book because I took time to educate them about our industry. Please don't sell yourself short.
Sorry about all the posts! I don't know why it keep reposting it 
Computer bug??? Big, huge bug?
In the scheme of things you have to get paid what you are worth. I'm in the burbs of Kansas City Missouri. My minimum I need to make for each transaction with tax and delivery is $500.00 that includes some birthday cakes but mostly wedding cakes. I hear alot of people around here complaining about the recession, people are cheap etc. I stand up for myself, if you don't like it there is a Walmart down the street and I tell them that. I tell them why would I make a $40.00 cake when it takes $6.00 just to turn on my oven and preheat it. I always get people when I break down my expenses. I will openly show you my electrical bill for $800.00. Let them do the math. After that they always book because I took time to educate them about our industry. Please don't sell yourself short.
Good for you, Andrea! And CakeDiva, there's something going on, I've seen a lot of duplicate posts today.
In the scheme of things you have to get paid what you are worth. I'm in the burbs of Kansas City Missouri. My minimum I need to make for each transaction with tax and delivery is $500.00 that includes some birthday cakes but mostly wedding cakes. I hear alot of people around here complaining about the recession, people are cheap etc. I stand up for myself, if you don't like it there is a Walmart down the street and I tell them that. I tell them why would I make a $40.00 cake when it takes $6.00 just to turn on my oven and preheat it. I always get people when I break down my expenses. I will openly show you my electrical bill for $800.00. Let them do the math. After that they always book because I took time to educate them about our industry. Please don't sell yourself short.
Good for you, Andrea! And CakeDiva, there's something going on, I've seen a lot of duplicate posts today.
Oh, thanks! I was thinking I pushed the wrong button
Hey mandy
I found a great pricing matrix on this site that was great - sorry I don't remember who loaded it - Alice someone??. It really helped me price my cakes right. I haven't had anyone shudder at the prices and I'm getting good value for my hours put in.
Good luck - and don't under value yourself!!
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