Hello everyone! I just got my taxes back and I'm planning on getting a nice set of decorating tips. What all do y'all like? I've been decorating for a few years as a hobby, but I've decided to go for an associate's degree in pastry. I've known about Wilton for years, but I've started to hear about Ateco. What are the pros and cons to each? What sized set would I do best to buy (I don't want to buy a thousand piece set that I won't use half of them)?

Thanks in advance for any input! I have become addicted to this site! Everyone is SO talented on here!

Personally I'd skip sets and buy mutliples of tips that I use alot. I have some tips from sets that I have never used at all.

Good Point Texas...what tips do you use the most and what "out of the ordinary tips would you sugest?

Just thinking about getting some new ones to practice with....

I agree- I just bought 4 more #2's (I already had 4). No need to buy tips you will never use and there are plenty of tips that you will never regret have multiples- you won't find that in a kit.

I'm with TexasSugar, just buy multiples of the tips you use alot. I bought the 52pc set but don't use many of the tips.
At one point I think I was Michaels and Hobby Lobby' best customer, I have most everything they carry for decorating but could have saved a ton of money.

PTBUGZY1, just wait in the next month or two we should be getting in new products. Hehe.

Your most used tips are going to vary based off what you do.

Ones I use alot are:

Round tips: 1-8, 10 and 12. I use more 3s than anything but I like different sizes there.
Star tips: 16, 18, 21
Petal tips: 104 (roses) I use other sizes on these as well by 104 is the most used.
Leaves 67 or 352 (352 is my fave)
Basketweave: 47
Love my 1M for cupcakes.

Ok TexasSugar....... anything new besides the 'Duff stuff' ? dying to know (got coupons lol)

Yes Wilton will be coming out with some new stuff. What will actually be in the store I'm not sure. But they bring out their new products around May/June including the yearbook.

Most of my tips are Wilton but I do have some old British ones that were my mothers, plus some that were given to me by a friends father that closed his bakery, and I have a few Ateco seamless tips that I love.

If I was starting out again, I'd only buy seamless tips. Less curling of the icing if you're using a very small numbered tip, and easier to clean. For me anyway..
I'm not positive all Ateco tips are seamless though as I only have a few of them, you'd have to check their website out to be sure.
If you're going to pastry school you might want to hold off buying too many tips until you're there. I would think once you are enrolled, your school might have a source where you can buy your supplies at a wholesale price.

I agree with Joyfully, Pastry school will give you a supply of what you need, and also I took a class with Geraldine Randlesome, this weekend, and she recommends beckenal, but she says they stop manufacturing tips, so the next seamless tips that we used in her class were PME. she did not think they were so great but they were good, I liked them. so maybe you might want to try a few of those.

Thank you for all of the replies! I got on GSA and got me some tips ordered tonight.

I had a problem letting my Ateco tips air dry: they rusted. So make sure (if you bought that brand) that you actually dry them by hand immediately after you wash them.

Good luck!