OK, this may not seem like a big deal but it REALLY irritated me! The backstory is that last year my DH's birthday gift to me was several plywood circles in varous sizes for my cakes. He's a wonderful man, but not a great gifter, so this was pretty big and I really, really like them. I treat them like my cake stands and normally only use them for competition cakes or when the cake is staying in my possession.

I recently made a retirement cake for a friend/coworker. It was a gift for the work party we threw for her. She is a good friend. It was an elaborate cake. I used one of my nice plywood cake boards (decorated, of course). No one would cut the cake at the party so her husband took it home to use at the party he was having for her a couple of days away. I brought it to the car for him and said, "I'll need the cake board back"..."no prob" says he. I go to his party, the cake is still not cut (is this a compliment or not?). While arranging a lunch date a few days later with my newly retired friend, I mention "hey, don't forget, I need my cake board back"..."no prob" says she. Well, today I find out there is in fact a problem. He took the leftover cake to someone to share. He told THEM "I need the cake board back"..."no prob" says they. He went back to get it and they "couldn't find" it. He bought me a package of cake drums in the same size but they are not even close in quality . This is a couple I absolutely trusted would take care of something that didn't belong to them. I'm thinking of going to Lowe's to replace it so my DH won't find out.

Thanks for letting me vent. Lesson learned is that future gifts go on cardboard!

oh I am so sorry. and i completely understand. my DH made me a bunch of cake boards too. and one disappeared. at least your person tried to replace it, I just got a "so sorry, guess it got tossed." NOW.. i charge a deposit on them !! and havent lost one since !!!

I say cry on DH's shoulder, tell him what happened and hopefully he will make you another one !!

Sorry to hear about this. I recently had to ask 3 times before a cake base was returned. It was an 18" ceramic tile with furniture coaster glued to it for feet. I had to all but beg!

Oh, that's terrible! I'm so sorry! Yeah, I second the move to tell DH and just tell him your new resolution regarding charging the deposit. I hate it when people don't place the same value on YOUR things that you do, and treat them as something less ... I'm sorry!

Thanks everyone! tesso and emiyeric, I now feel like I was careless with his gift which is why I hate to tell him. He is SO supportive of my caking. BeanCountingBaker, that sounds like a great cake board! I'm glad you got it back, even if you did have to beg.

What a great gift your hubby gave you! I think I am going to have to plant a gift seed in my hubby's head when he gets home!

It's sad when they get away from you, but it might help if you had your boards tagged on the back. Mine are marked with a fat marker that says "Please return to: (your name or business AND phone number)"

It might work even better if it said "Please return for deposit" (along with name & phone number), so regardless of how many people it was passed along to, someone might want to claim the deposit! (of course, you'd tell them the deposit will be returned to the person who actually paid the deposit.)

Sorry this happened. It seems like it's always the ones we least expect. Hopefullly someone will find it eventually. I know that it means a lot to you since your husband made it for you.

Oh no -

Reminds me of the tine (think i have already posted this elsewhere) when i delivered a cake to a restaurant on my perspex cake stand.
Fair enough - i did have the deposit for it - but when it didn't arrive back to me as arranged i was
So i phoned the customer and she proudly told me that my 3 tier perspex cake stand was sitting in her sun room with her new fern on it.

She thought that seeing as she had let me with a deposit - she could take it home.
Very calmly and politely i said "madam, i shall be around in 30 minutes to give you your deposit back and to collect my stand"
When i got there she was most indignant that i wanted it back
I handed over her money and she handed me over my stand - water, soil and a fern leaf ............. if you don't mind.
Came home and put it through that sanatizing solution and bought it back to a healthy brand new look.

So sad when you treasure something and other poeple don't care.

Do hope your DH can make another for you.
I know thats not the point - but hopefully you will get a replacement.

Bluehue.

Once again, thanks everyone! Of course, not that it matters, but none of the people involved know that it was a birthday gift. I like the idea of putting my name on the back. Maybe something along the lines of:

DON'T THROW THIS AWAY! RETURN TO _________________________

Although, even my good friends will no longer be getting cakes on anything that's not disposable. I think it got thrown out...how can you "lose" a 16" plywood circle covered in fabric, with 3 rows of decorative cord around the edges.

Bluehue, I LOVE your signature line!

Maybe you could put an address and phone number on a Please return to... label?

The first person you gave the board/cake to is the one resonsible. You should nicely tell him that as much as you appreciate the replacement boards they are not the same and you need your original board back or a new wooden one. You should not feel guilty for wanting YOUR property back or an exact replacement.

So I shouldn't feel bad that I don't send my cakes out with my nice cake boards?

Elcee, I'm sorry that this happend to you, I am sure your DH will understand.

Bluehue, your signature made me laugh! My 5 year old asked what was so funny, she didn't get it.

i had my own sister miss place a 18" cake drum from a cake i made for her...... $10 cake drum just up and disappeared and i called her 2 days after the party for it.... dont know what happed to it is all i got out of her...

LOLLLL - re my signature line.................thankyou.

2 gf's asked that if i *go first* can they have my shoes"

NO, THEY ARE MINE - MINE I SAY - IF I GO FIRST - I SHALL GO WITH MY CLB'S ON....after all, one must *arrive* suitably dressed on the other side.




Bluehue

Kayakado, I already took a sharpie to the back of the remaining 3 of the set

audrey0522, you are so right and I definitely will not let something like this happen again. I feel like I need to chalk this one up to experience, though. I have already accepted the replacements.

Kims_cakes, definitely don't feel bad

cakesbymark, I bet it got thrown out by someone helping her clean up and she didn't want to tell you. She shuld have bought you a replacement, though.

Bluehue, while CLBs are not in my budget, I love heels, platforms, boots, etc. I work with teenagers and the girls know Ms. Linda will NEVER wear old lady shoes , now hopefully I never develop a foot condition of some sort because I'll have to eat my words

shuld -................................giggle

I've had over $40 worth of masonite (sp?) cut boards lost or not returned. I decided from then on I'm charging for them and if I get them bonus for me. I always ask for them back but very rarely do. For those who return them I give them a few dollars back for it.

NO, THEY ARE MINE - MINE I SAY - IF I GO FIRST - I SHALL GO WITH MY CLB'S ON....after all, one must *arrive* suitably dressed on the other side.


Oh my I am so not with it. I do not even know what CLB'S are! Hope the golden gates will open for some old horse lady with duct taped boots.

Oh boy, do I feel your pain. A few months back my hubby and I made some beautiful square cake stands for a good cake friend. They had gorgeous trim, all mitred corners and were stunning after she spray painted them gold to match the wedding. She told the bride the stands were to be returned (yes, she took a deposit on them), but after the wedding when the stands hadn't been returned, the bride commented that she wasn't aware she was responsible for them. My friend contacted the venue, the MOB, the caterer and no one had a clue where the cake stands went. She had probably $150 in supplies (not to mention our time making them) and when she talked to the new groom about paying for them since they hadn't been returned, he balked - loudly and kind of mean - saying they weren't paying to replace them. So far she's not seen a penny from them for the replacement cost (yes, it was in their contract).

Just curious if anyone has sued over "lost" cake stands and won???

I've had the same problem, lost many boards that I had specially made for large cakes. I now charge a HUGE deposit along with my name and phone number written on the board. I now get a call the next day asking when they can bring it back so they can get all their money back. Haven't lost anymore.

That really stinks. I got mad for you when I read your post.