I was a vendor at a Bridal Show this past week end. A lot of the brides are trying to save money and want a dummy cake with only the top layer real. Then they are using sheet cakes in the back. I told them I would not do the sheet cakes, as Costco and all those places do a great job and I don't want to compete with them. BUT I would be interested in doing the dummies with the top layer real as I just like the decorating part. Any idea what you would charge for something like this??? I was even asked if I can do "Rent a cake" where the whole thing is fake. I am charging $2.00 a slice for buttercream and $3.00 a slice for fondant but no idea what to charge for dummies. Has anyone else been asked to do this???
Many people charge about the same for a custom decorated dummy as they do a real cake. You spend a lot of time decorating something that may or may not be able to be used again--what if the bride wants a black & purple cake?? The issue may be different if you had stock dummies for rent, but making something to each bride's specifications would be cost prohibitive, IMHO.
The dummies don't cost much less than the ingredients in a cake and if they're broken or damaged they cost $ to be replaced.
As for having someone else provide the sheet cakes, many bakers don't want that because they don't want their name associated with/confused with "inferior" products 
Another post mentioned a bakery that would rent the dummy cake as long as they also provided the sheet cakes--money made all around.
Just my .o2
Rae
Your prices are already really reasonable for real cake! Where on earth are these brides getting price quotes for real cakes - Wal-Mart?
I have never understood the concept of creating and selling dummy cakes for anything less than what one would charge for the same real cake.
But, if this is something you really want to do, I guess you should figure out how much your time is worth and calculate it that way, plus materials.
Some styrofoam dummies cost more than the ingredients used in real cake!
this is a link previously posted here but i dont know the link for the topic. They rent dummies maybe you could reference them to get a price. I like that idea of renting a cake personally i think in can allow a bride to go extravagant withought paying the price. 
I would suggest if you had room to only rent the dummy cake so you can actually keep it for display.
http://www.rentthecakeofyourdreams.com/gallery.php?pid=9
and also i agree with blakes cakes "As for having someone else provide the sheet cakes, many bakers don't want that because they don't want their name associated with/confused with "inferior" products Confused
Another post mentioned a bakery that would rent the dummy cake as long as they also provided the sheet cakes--money made all around."
when I got married in 2001 I had a partial dummy cake. It was a gorgeous castle with winding cobblestone steps that attatched on the side of my "real cake" 2 tiers, where I put my topper. My mom new the lady so she didn't charge me for the dummy, but said it was $300 to rent the dummy. It was beautiful and I definitely would have paid for it. I believe it is art work and if they want noce art work than they should pay for it.
If providing a complete dummy cake, I think it would depend on whether it had already been made or if I was completing it from scratch just for them. Can it be reused, or like it was said before are the colors uncommon? Just some thought. The one I had was used multiple times before and was displayed in her shop.
I tend to agree with the I'll make the dummies but I have to make the sheet cakes too. You could really get stuck with an inferrior product and you don't want that attatched to your name!
That being said you could do very simple sheets with filling and plain icing to match "real" cake. You wouldn't have to border or design those really.
And as for the dummies, if you want to do this the best thing might be to purchase some dummies, decorate them and have them for "rent". But to make a dummy for 1 bride that is non-reusable is not cost effective for you. So if it's an odd color or design then I might give 15 0/0 discount on dummie with the purchase of the sheet cakes and top layer "real cake" for anniversary or for wedding party.
Just my little ol' opinion.
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