Yikes! Did I Possibly Miss Something?

Business By AHTCakes Updated 25 Jul 2013 , 2:37am by Stitches

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AHTCakes Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 7:26pm
post #1 of 16

A customer contacted me for a very "unique" wedding cake. (Pic below). I did a cake tasting with her, we discussed the design, the flavors, size, servings, delivery, set up, etc etc. Before giving her a final price I sat and picked the image apart. I have experience with the topsy-turvy, there is quite a bit of hand painting, the topper is obviously intricate, however I can see how to break each part of the cake down and piece it together. She made some minor changes to the cake in the way of colors and details that actually will save me SOME time... so I quoted her a price. 

 

Ummmm...I came in at 1/3 of what the other bakeries in the area quoted her!!!! UH OH!! 

 

This has never happened to me before. I am typically right in line with the prices in my area. Now I am worried that I am missing something. This woman was very thorough, asked intelligent questions and seemed very educated about what she was looking for. In other words I don't see any "odd expectations" coming around the corner that another bakery was charging extra for. I've run the numbers several times now and I just can't see where I may be in error. Unless she is lying to me (or REALLY over exaggerating in some of the other quoted prices), but what reason would she have for that?? 

 

She has asked for this cake to be 14 inch, 10 inch, 6inch (ordering larger than she needs), white cake with buttercream under fondant. 

 

What would you be charging?? 

 

15 replies
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DeliciousDesserts Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 7:37pm
post #2 of 16

AI'd be about $575 before the ship on top. I'd charge about $100 for the ship!

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AZCouture Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 7:42pm
post #3 of 16

Probably around $900 or so. I learned madhatters from a Planet Cake instructor, so that's the method I would use, and ganache, plus the hand painting and the ship....yeah, around $900ish.

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AHTCakes Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 7:49pm
post #4 of 16

Ok, now I'm not feeling as bad. Still just as confused...just not as bad, lol. This woman says she was quoted as low as $1300 up to $2200!?!?!? 

 

After some of the changes she made I told her it would be between $550-$750 depending on whether she wanted the different ship and sword her fiance was considering. 

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AZCouture Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 7:54pm
post #5 of 16

AYeah, I was looking at that ship a little more, and estimating tine, and I'd probably be around $1000 too, maybe more. Lol...hard to estimate when I'm not doing it "for real".

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morganchampagne Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 7:57pm
post #6 of 16

AI would be around 850-900 for that cake. But I could see that being thousands easily.

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Godot Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 7:58pm
post #7 of 16

What a great cake. I'd charge about $1500.

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Godot Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 7:58pm
post #8 of 16

What a great cake. I'd charge about $1500.

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kikiandkyle Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 8:00pm
post #9 of 16

AWhere do you live? Do you have high end bakeries in the area?

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leah_s Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 8:05pm
post #10 of 16

I'd be right at $1k with delivery

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AHTCakes Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 8:11pm
post #11 of 16

AI live in the greater Pittsburgh area. So while there may be one or two super fancy decorators in the heart of the city, I keep my prices right in line with the "nicer" suburban bakeries in the out skirts (where I'm located).

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maybenot Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 11:41pm
post #12 of 16

My simple guess is that the others didn't really want to do the cake, so they just shot out a number that they felt would either scare her off or make it VERY worth their while to do the cake if she bit the hook.

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morganchampagne Posted 24 Jul 2013 , 11:46pm
post #13 of 16

A

Original message sent by maybenot

My simple guess is that the others didn't really want to do the cake, so they just shot out a number that they felt would either scare her off or make it VERY worth their while to do the cake if she bit the hook.

This thought crossed my mind as well. I have a tendency to do that

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vgcea Posted 25 Jul 2013 , 1:59am
post #14 of 16

ASo I wonder how overcharging and 'overcutting' affect the market. From my perspective, a home baker has charged what, based on responses here, appears to be a fair price on a cake. A cake that more than one person has suggested was probably overpriced to discourage the customer from going through with the order or making it really worth the overcharging caker's time. So for all intents and purposes, the customer is walking away from the situation with the same mind set as she would with an underpricing scenario-- the other bakers price-gouged and the home baker is offering the cake at about 1/3 the price. The difference of course being we're dealing with larger amounts of money. Just a hypothetical perspective of course.

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Norasmom Posted 25 Jul 2013 , 2:31am
post #15 of 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by maybenot 

My simple guess is that the others didn't really want to do the cake, so they just shot out a number that they felt would either scare her off or make it VERY worth their while to do the cake if she bit the hook.

Yup!

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Stitches Posted 25 Jul 2013 , 2:37am
post #16 of 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by Norasmom 

Yup!

Ditto

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