I couldn't believe the cookies you were making in 2018 and selling for $1.50 per cookie! They were so detailed! So pretty! I've been decorating sugar cookies as a hobby for a couple of years for friends and family, so I haven't charged anything. I was thinking of selling some (at a local level) for maybe $3/cookie. I feel kind of guilty doing that when I see the gorgeous cookies you were making and selling for $1.50! Mine aren't nearly as detailed! Your videos are very informative! Thanks for sharing so many tips!
I know! Ahh! I look back and kick myself for charging so little. Ha! $1.50 per cookie was insane. haha. Definitely sell cookies for $36 a dozen. That is extremely reasonable and what most cookiers start as their base price. I was a goofball for charging so little!!!
WOW Thank YOU so much for this candid video... The Truth will set you FREE... This video was Honest and down to the Nitty-Girtty. Thank you for sharing this video...
This was so helpful! Lots to think about. I appreciate how much thought you put into this because you covered EVERYTHING! Thank you so much for sharing!
Wow very informative. I have only been doing cookies for a few months. So my prices are lower than other bakers around me. Like u I want to get the practice on my skill. This is very true that cookie decorating is an art it is hard it is frustrating sometimes you Invision something and when executed it can be a total fail. For this reason you have to do what u love and love what you do.
Yes! Exactly! You really do have to love making cookies. It's definitely not an easy hobby or business! 😘 And I still struggle with my vision matching my execution all of the time. 🤣 Sometimes I nail it, but a LOT of the time it still turns out differently than planned. It is all a part of the ride! 🥰
Hello Joan! Yes! I most definitely charge extra for shipping. It depends on where it is going in the US and how many cookies I am shipping. But at LEAST $15-$20 depending on those things. One dozen could ship for about $12 - $15. Two dozen ships for about $15-$18. Three dozen is usually $20-$22. So I add those expenses on top of how much they paid for the cookies. It's one of the reasons I love Etsy because they charge the customer for me and I don't have to worry about it! As for keeping them from breaking - I will have a video coming out in my Etsy series that will show exactly how I package my cookies. But basically, I heat seal each cookie first. Then with a piece of bubble wrap, I heat seal each cookie with bubble wrap next. Then in a very very sturdy box (I buy special boxes - again I'll have those in the video I make soon!) I layer bubble wrap, then lay the bubble wrapped cookies flat, then another layer of bubble wrap, then lay another layer of cookies flat... etc. until all of the cookies are in the box. So LOTS and LOTS of bubble wrap! I know that probably doesn't make much sense without a visual to go along with it - so stay tuned for the video that shows how I package them! Hope that helped a little!
Thank you so much for doing this video. It has helped soooo much. I'm new at the cookie world. I live in ca, but in northern va and it's a small area. Can't thank you enough. Sandy
Hi- when discussing Etsy pricing- was this with or without shipping? Just curious! Very informative- I just did my cost and 😅😅😅😅😅 I’m thankful for this video.
Without shipping! Shipping costs were normally an additional $15-$25 that the buyer had to pay on their end. I did not factor that costs in to my own pricing because it varied SO much from state to state. Hope that helps!! 🧡🧡🧡
Hi there. Thank you for this very informative video. I was wondering if when selling on Etsy, if you were baking out of a commercial kitchen? The lure of raising prices by selling on Etsy is great, but trying to figure out the logistics with Cottage Food Laws in my state. Thanks in advance for your reply!
Hey Tabitha! Thank you so much for your sweet words! So yes, I do bake from my home as a "home baker." I am allowed to do so in my state, and be within the Cottage Food Laws of Arkansas. As long as I label my cookies with their ingredients, and my business information. ETSY complies with whatever your state requires. So as long as you are complying with your OWN state's laws, then you can sell on ETSY. Does your state allow shipping? Arkansas does as long as you do not use ingredients that require refrigeration. I'm actually working on an ETSY video tutorial right now that I will be posting in the next couple of weeks!
Hi! This is such a great video with some great information!!!! Do you have tips on how to raise your prices when you already have customers on the books, And you already told them the price?
I'm guessing you were like me, and booked out in advance. This is tricky. You can indeed email them all and say that your prices have now increased as of ____ date, quote them the new price, and ask if they would like to keep their reservation or cancel. I do think if you increased the price for those already booked you would need to give them the option of cancelling. So it is indeed a risk. But I think if you approach it humbly and yet firmly - you could still receive positive responses and most would continue with their booking. If you don't want to risk them cancelling, then I would probably say that they get this last order at your old pricing, and then every new order from today on get the increased prices.
I have definitely been there! It’s a little nerve wracking when you first raise your prices but after you get the first few orders booked at that new price point, it feels so good! 🥳 Big hugs! You definitely deserve that raise!
I totally agree with ALL what you said. Thank you so much for this video! I'm just doing cookies for the last 8 months but I love it and I feel the work, commitment z and sacrifice just to find customers and give them the best product they I can.
In your opinion is the pricing for gluten free cookies different (higher) due to ingredient pricing differences? Or other specialty ingredients like alternate sweetness? I and several family are gluten free so I’d like to offer this option as not many in my area do.
Good question! I *do* charge more for special diet accommodations. My typical charge use to be an additional $0.25 per cookie but I honestly haven't priced all of those ingredients in a while so it may need to be more than that! It equals $3 extra dollars per dozen. But like I said - it may need to be more than that now since basically everything costs more now! ugh! I have found that the people who needed the special accommodations never minded paying the extra because they were just so grateful to have someone willing to make the cookies fit their needs. So yes! I love that you are offering gluten free or alternative sweeteners but charge for them since they do cost you more!
Man, so sorry Kelsey! I definitely know a lot of areas like that and where I lived when I first started was similar to that. I would encourage you to keep trucking along and finding ways that make the small profit worth it for you! Even slowly increasing your prices by just fifty cents a dozen and give yourself annual raises that way.
