torysgirl, here you go: http://www.agbayproducts.com/

I don't think anyone asked you if you had cardboards between the tiers? I'm assuming that you did but to not have anything between tiers would cause a collapse for sure. I agree that your cake could have been top heavy and being that it was uneven on the bottom to start with, that was the problem. I also never deliver a pre-stacked cake unless it's just a small two tiered. I also use bubble tea straws and for the lower tiers, also have a smaller fat straw (like McDonalds) inside the bubble straws.
Another thing, I always have two cardboards between tiers.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sure you were devastated and luckily the bride wasn't angry. I almost had a problem years ago transporting a three tiered stacked cake and had the wooden dowell pounded all the way through but they didn't tell me that the driveway was steep and full of potholes. Luckily, it didn't slide too much and was fixable. So, since that happened, I'l never pre-stack a cake.

The SPS is great. I transport fully assembled 4 tiered cakes with no problems.. *knock on wood for safety*

I also use a little level to asses how level my cakes are. I fill the tiers and let them sit for a while unfrosted wrapped in plastic so they can settle and re-asses their level.. usually there's no movement, but you never know. Then I will chill them and ice them and assemble the cake.

It it's a big cake and I couldn't lift it fully assembled then I take it in parts, but I can lift a pretty good sized cake.

So sorry that this happened.. at least you were able to get something together for them and everyone was happy.

I had cardboard between tiers. I'm not sure how I could not have...I'm sure the cake was too top heavy.

I'm not sure if the bride was not upset. I didn't speak with her, only the mother of the bride and the coordinator on yesterday, who were reasonable. I did call the bride today and left a msg, sent her an email and electronically refunded the cost of the cake. I'm not sure how she feels, but I'm sure she's upset. When I called about the payment on Thursday, she talked to me about the drama she was having and I assured her that I would deliver her cake on time....

About leveling:
I looked at the Agbay. I leveled each cake, but used a small leveler from Wilton. I filled each pan with a bit more batter so that the cake would rise above the pan then I just cut the top off by taking the level across the pan. How wrong is it to do this? I didn't use an actual level to check, but I really thought the cakes were level. They obviously are not by looking at the picture. How did they get this way? I think I would've noticed this as I was stacking, but I don't want to seem like I'm making excuses. I was rushing like crazy too to get out of the house w/ the cake so I didn't notice it when I took the photo. I also want to know...how important is it to have level icing as well?

Level icing is more important for asthetics and measuring your dowels. If you used a dowel from the shorter side of the cake to measure them then there would be pressure on the taller side and your icing would shift, or if you measured each dowel separately it would make for a discrepancy between the dowel height on each side of your cake. If you measured your dowels from the taller side of the cake you would have a gap on the shorter side as well, but the cake would be level or at least more level. I use a level after I ice the cake too.. I just put a piece of waxed paper on top and check and then smooth out any lines if I have to.

This is what makes the SPS so nice.. there's no cutting dowels. It has 4" high dowels and I make my cakes 4" tall and they system works great. You can get longer dowels if you need them, but I find it easy to make cakes fit the system as is. I only use the taller dowels for elevated tiers.

I'd say that if you leveled them with the pan then it's your icing that is off more so than your cakes. Getting the icing level can be hard, this is why I use a piping bag to put the icing on. I use a #12 round tip and just go around and around until it it covered and smooth.

Is it possible that the cake settled somewhat after it was removed from the pan; maybe a bit unevenly?

Now see, I wish I knew what it is I am doing wrong but...I don't find it that easy to use the SPS. My cakes, once iced and fondant covered are NEVER exactly 4" high. I'm either cutting the plastic tubes shorter or having to cut longer ones because the 4" ones aren't long enough, and the next tier is squishing down too much on the bottom tier.
Does that make sense? Anyone else have these issues?

Another thing. If you torte each cake & it's not even (one side thicker than the other) then you put 2 thicker & 2 thinner sides together (the torted cake not put back together exactly how you took them apart) then you'll end up w/a crooked cake. Think about the topsy turvy cakes. This is "extreme" angles, but shows what I'm talking about. http://forum.cakecentral.com/article1-Instructions-For-Building-A-Whimsical-Tilted-Cake.html . That's why I cut a notch in the sides of my cakes, so I can line them up when assembling.

I didn't and don't torte cakes for that very reason. Two 2 inch cakes stacked.

I measure my cakes as I put them together.. you also have to add on for the height of your boards.. so if you cake board is 1/8 of an inch then you have to measure your cake to be 4 1/8" tall as the pillars rest on the cake boards.

I do torte my cakes and I torte them to 7/8" tall.. filling layers are about 1/8" thick and top frosting is 1/8-1/4" tall depending on the day. I find having your cake be a teeny bit taller than the pillars and using plates that are 1" smaller than your finished cake helps to keep the separator plates invisible.

It takes some practice.. but making a cake to a certain height isn't all that hard.

and when you make a topsy turvy cake.. it's best to have your layers level and carve in the angles rather than try to create the angles by making the cake itself uneven. You will run into less problems with them leaning and falling over.

About the cardboard, I also use two under each cake. I also wrap them in plastic or clear shelf liner, or even fancifoil...especially when I am only doing buttercream. The cardboard soaks up the fat in the shortening, making it soft and weak. I haven't had a problem doing this, and I transport 4 tier high cakes all the time, and I live in the mountains. HOWEVER...I would TOTALLY use the sps if my customers would be willing to increase to cost of the cakes to include it. Most of the time, they are not.

Also, go to your local hardware store and get yourself one of those laser levels. They are awesome, and you can position it to "shine" a light all the way across while you cut. AWESOME.

I dont' give my customers a choice on buying SPS. It's a $20 add on fee. I just tell them "Your cake will fall down without this equipment set." Never an argument.

But where do you get it for $20? I can't find it for that cheap. Plus the cost of shipping. It was more like a $50 system per cake.

You can let them "rent" the SPS. Have them pay a $50 deposit & refund $30-40 when it is CLEANLY returned. Just an idea

On the Oasis Supply site, a bog of the GC-4S legs is $ is 3.95.

White round plates: 6" is $1.39; 8" is $1.80; 10" is $2.55.

Total before shipping, $9.69.

That's enough for a four tier cake.

Shipping depends on your location, obviously. Do try to maximize your shipping. Order enough parts for as many cakes as your can at the same time to save on minimum shipping costs and avoid small order fees.

That is exactly where I found them Leahs! I did as you suggested and will add them to the total of the cake!

so sorry this happened to you. I am for you.

I use an Agbay to level all of my cakes. I use 1/2 foamcore board under all of my tiers so it is really sturdy and I don't have to worry about it becoming soaked with the icing or anything.

I am a big fan of Stress Free Support system. I do know that it is expensive but I NEVER worry about my cakes collapsing or falling over. I will stack 3 tiers and carry and don't think a thing about it and have done so with 4 tier cakes but I prefer to usually carrry my 4 tier cakes 2 and 2. I dowel with a sharpened rod down into the board. I do like that the stress free only puts 4 tiny little holes in each cake!

I do not charge to use my stress free system but I do take a deposit on them. I collect a $150 deposit to ensure my rings/legs are returned. I don't have to remember to order more (good thing for me...my husband doesn't call me Dippy Doodle for nothing) and they are easy to use and clean.

So for me it is

1. Agbay
2. 1/2 foamcore board
3. Sharpened Dowel rods
4. Stress Free System

and I don't worry about cakes being unlevel or falling or collapsing.

I am a small time amateur, and don't have money for the fancy separators and such... all my cakes are for family or free gifts.

What I do is have my husband cut the dowels all exactly the same and cut them 1/4" higher than the highest point on my cake. I use cardboard between the layers and ice over/between the gaps left by the extra 1/4". Your cake does not need to be level if your dowels are...

I use plenty of dowels per level and one final dowel through all layers... a 12", 9", 6" cake pre-stacked traveled over 30 miles and was solid as a rock when I got there...

It's just a matter of measuring properly for your dowels and using a proper saw to cut them cleanly. Luckily dowels at Lowe's are only .69 cents. One long piece does a three tiered cake for me.

Good luck with your next cake!

What is the appropriate dowel width?