Well after several weeks of baking and trying out recipes, then making them our own. We came up with some very tasty cakes and matching buttercreams. We baked several and handed them out as free testers to family and friends for honest feedback. Everyone said they were delicious and that we should sell them as they were that good.

Great we thought. So all this last week my hubby was off work and we got stuck in. A village hall was hosting a table top sale yesterday (Sunday) and we were told it was very busy, and that no one else did baked goods, so ours should be a hit.

Cue several days of none stop baking and an estimated £250 worth of baked goods (had we sold them all at our chosen price). Hubby finished icing the last of the cakes while I packed at 7am SUnday morning, having stayed up all night. He had just enough time for a couple of hours kip before setting off.

He was at the sale for 11am, and home by 2pm when it finished. He sold £13 worth of cakes

Can someone please tell me what we can do with the other £237 worth?

I mean seriously, the cakes are excellent, and the packaging looks great. I spent hours sourcing the perfect packaging and designing our own labels. There was nothing wrong with the goods. It's just that only about 2 dozen people looked around the sale!

The guy running it kept on going up to my husband and apologising. He tried the cakes and loved them, so he has offered us a stall in prime location for their VERY ( ) popular Christmas fair on 5th December. He even said if we made up some posters he would band them around so folks knew we were there.

Trouble is, we used almost all of our remaining money to put into this sale, and we really don't think we can even chance going through that again!

Anyone for some cake? My hubby is taking whats left to work with him tomorrow, I just hope people want to buy them, else it will all have to go in the bin

Ugh. I don't have any advice, but I wanted to offer you some cyber hugs. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I understand being so excited about something, and then when it doesn't go the way you planned it can be so hard on your heart.

(((hugs)))

That's terrible! The only suggestion that I have is if you do decide to go use the VERY popular stall, you should definitely just make a normal amount of goodies the first day and see how it goes. Then based on business you can make more or less. That way you're not going into the hole and wasting all of your time.

I hope it turns out better for you all. Good luck!

So sorry, CakeBuddy. I've been there though. A long time ago I made some dolls and got a table at a similar event. Huge snowstorm hit, few customers...But of course y'all's stuff is perishable. So sorry.

wonder if it would be better to just make up a few trays of 'samples" and then take orders to ensure there is no waste the next time?

It is the economy... Not only here in Canada,US but around the world also..May people have said that the annual bakesale/craftsale,Farmers markets are not half as busy as last year and not as many people even passing through....I opted out of a few this year as it just isn't worth the time and effort as it once was...Here's to hoping 2010 is a better year for everyone!!

I agree about the economy being the root of all evils right now. I would not sell defrosted goods. You are only as good as your last cake, cookie,brownie....Take the remains to a local school or whatever, while everything is still fresh, and sell for a small discount. Or a fire dept. Or...you get the idea. maybe you can recoup some of your outlay and be able to invest the proceeds into the Dec 5th sale.

Ugghhh, not good. I'm so sorry this happened to you...

Jen

Anytime I read about someone doing a craft fair or a small flea market type of thing, it never turns out good.

When I go to a craft show, I'm not looking for foods to take home. I might buy a cookie or a cupcake to eat while I walk, but that's it. I go to these places for the items made out of wood, wall hangings, handmade jewelry stuff.

I rarely, lets say "never", buy a full size cake or a dozen cupcakes at something like this.

So I'm wondering if anyone has had a good experience at one of these? Are they really worth doing?

I would donate what you can't sell/eat/freeze to a food bank or shelter... at least you can get the tax write-off for it!

I agree with you indydebi. I usually only buy the individually wrapped item to snack while I walk too. My Master Gardener's Assoc. has a huge "Spring Fling" every year and baked items are a big thing. However, they stress the items be single serving wrapped as they've found those sell much better. Maybe that would increase JFCakes' selling potential?

Thanks for the kind words all

We didn't just have cakes, we had loads of cupcakes and cookies to! The cookies were all individually wrapped, and the cupcakes/muffins were all in boxes of 2. The cakes were there, so if anyone had the muffins/cupcakes and came back for more they had the option of a larger cake in the same flavour too.

I think the only problem we had really was the fact that only a couple of dozen people came to the sale.

My hubby took a load of the goods to work yesterday and managed to sell most of it, but I darn't let him take anymore now, as I wouldn't think they taste their best now.

Feedback from those who took some yesterday was brilliant though, and we have an order for a birthday cake coming son apparently.

We have decided we will be giving it another go this weekend, but on much less of a grand scale. We will be selling some other bits and bobs along side them, as it will be an indoor car boot this weekend.

Usually car boots are great places for cakes stalls. Every single one we have come across on boot sales have been sold out in minutes.

tubbs, thanks for clarifying a car boot...I never would have guessed it was a garage sale lol I was thinking like a car show or some type of a sale at a car dealership lol