Pricing for PTA event!

[inappropriateraspberry]

We're doing a school event and will be having a cake sale etc. As it's near bonfire night we'll be selling some chocolate dipped marshmallows, but are unsure of pricing! What would you expect to pay for one marshmallow with chocolate and sprinkles? 20p, 50p? We don't want to be left with loads afterwards!

Assuming they're big marshmallows, 4 for £1 or 30p each? 🤷‍♀️

They're not the giant ones, just normal standard size!
Didn't think about a multi buy - good idea!

I think 20 or 30p each

Not 30p - you want to make it easy for people to spend £1 coins. So 20p or 25p

2 for 50p. So much simpler with change (assuming you're doing cash) to stick with 50p and £1 coins only. Don't bother pricing anything with 5p denominations, it's a pain

Work out how much they cost to make first and add a percentage?

This

Bag them up beforehand - quicker to serve out. 4 in a bag for £1 sounds optimal to me.

Agree with. @SUPdude but you do need to know your costs.

5ps are the work of the devil when it comes to counting and banking. Although we have a counting machine…….

I agree with this with the point on denominations, but even 2 for 50p feels a bit mean TBH if we're talking 'standard' marshmallow size (I've only ever seen mini, standard, and super-giant that are the size of a child's fist - is there a size between standard and mahoosive?). Maybe 3 for 50p? Or if you use those super giant ones you could charge £1 each IMO.

This is going to be a change nightmare! Warn people in advance to bring coins.

The marshmallows are being made as a donation, so no costs! 2 for 50p sounds good.

Definitely nothing ending with 5ps!

The marshmallows may be a donation, but what would they cost in the shops?

My rule of thumb was always double the cost price, rounded up a bit. Don't forget to include the cost of the chocolate & the sprinkles and sticks.

X for £1 encourages spending and is easy to manage at pay points.

e.g. Cost price ~11p, double to 22p round to 30p each, but do 4 for £1 (which is still more than the 22p you need per item)

This!

Do you mean a marshmallow from a haibo multipack? The type you get a bag of around 20 for £1. Or something bigger??
If a small thing, 20p absolute tops.

Our PTA sells a paper bag of pick n nix for 50p. Just two marshmallows seems a bit mean for that....

We're not going to bag them, they're to be eaten there and then.
Rough pricing they'll cost about 5p each to make, so anything is a profit really.
I think 2 for 50p is good, round pricing.
It's all pocket money prices really, a kind of mini fair for the school children.

We sell little bags of sweets for 20p, so it's all relative really.

OP do you have a photo of what size marshmallows you're talking about?

If they're just normal sized like this then 2 for 50p seems really expensive, and if you're also selling bags of sweets for 20p I can't see you selling many marshmallows.

Seems a slightly odd treat if it's just standard size marshmallows. Three on a stick, dipped in chocolate with sprinkles looks more appealing, easier to eat and could charge a decent price.

Marshmallow kebabs - like it. Half dipped in chocolate, half not.

That would cost 15p to make and you could charge 40-50p as it looks and sounds more special.

Well, yes, I did say they are going to be dipped in chocolate and sprinkles!

I think 3 on one stick and called kebabs sounds more special than 3 separate ones.

People are suggesting there might be a better way of doing it and pricing it. You're obviously not interested.

Is it going to be runny, melted chocolate or are you dipping them then letting them go hard? If it's the former, have you factored in napkins and/or paper plates? It sounds fun but actually could be quite sticky and messy and I would steer my younger children towards choosing a bag of sweets instead. On the other hand, a couple of marshmallows dipped in chocolate and sprinkles and allowed to harden, then wrapped in a cellophane bag would be lovely for 50p.