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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cakes too cheap at school fair?

253 replies

Clary · 08/07/2011 22:38

It was our school fair this afternoon; I went to help as requested on refreshments, carrying cakes I had made (big chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate buttercream).

Got there only to see a notice advertising cakes on sale at 20p. Surely that's ridiculous? It wouldn't have covered the cost of the ingredients in the cakes I made. Now I know people donate the cakes, but surely no-one objects to paying 50p a cake at a school fair, do they, even if it's just for a glace-iced bun?

The cost of ingredients has risen hugely in the last couple of years (a dozen eggs is £3 up from £2 a year or two ago, the butter I use is now £1.40 where it was 90p two years ago, etc) and don't PTAs need to bear that in mind? Or AIBU?

(BTW I am on the PTA and will be putting some of this to the chair).

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 09/07/2011 21:39

I think you have to price according to your market. If we charged 50p for fairy cakes we wouldn't sell half as many. Simple really.

"if someone donated a vase worth thousands and you sold it for £1 would you think ah well that's £1 for the school funds?"

And if you asked for £1000 and got nothing then the school doesn't benefit at all.

I still don't get the argument about the cost of raw ingredients, the costs are incurred by the parents not the school. Everyone knows that we sell cakes for 30p. If someone wants to bake cupcakes decorated in gold leaf they will do it knowing that they won't be sold for huge amounts of money.

lizzie1180 · 09/07/2011 21:47

It does seem daft to spend time and money baking cakes that then sell for less than the cost of the ingredients. The PTA would surely be better off in this case if the parents just donated the money.

BarkingHarriet · 09/07/2011 21:50

I'd like to offer a service - if people would send their cakes to me, I'll selflessly taste-test them then tell you how much the PTA's should charge.Wink

I'll judge the bottle tombola as well if you like Wine Wink

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 09/07/2011 21:51

Guess it depends how much your school needs the funds. Ours is losing TA hours which is just the beginning and I don't think we can be in the position where parents are spending money (ie. Ingredients) which doesn't translate into money for the school so need to find a balance.

StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 21:52

if you sell at a loss it's not a fund raiser, it's a subsidised cake sale.

lizzie1180 · 09/07/2011 21:53

As for the vase example, if it was that valuable then either it could be sold to a dealer and the money donated to the school, or the school could sell it to a dealer. If I donated something of value i would expect it to be treated with some respect. If I bake cakes I treat my time effort and cost of ingredients as my donation, to sell for less than i spent devalues my donation.

mummytowillow · 09/07/2011 21:53

I made some for a Hospice my mum volunteers for, lovely cupcakes with quite elaborate decorations, took me bloody ages! (but I love making them)!! Wink

Anyone, I took them along to help out, and the 'cake woman' put them up for 25p! 25p, I was so shocked!

And she wouldn't let me help on the cake table, apparently their really precious about it!!

However, its for a Hospice so I just smiled sweetly and went shopping to the retail park!! Smile

mummytowillow · 09/07/2011 21:54

Anyway that's meant to be!

StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 21:58

"And if you asked for £1000 and got nothing then the school doesn't benefit at all."

I ahve never disputed that - of course selling is better than not selling. However selling for less than you could have got than not selling in the first place is silly. And I'm sure there are people out there who are willing to spend £10 on ingredients and bake who wouldn't donate the £10 directly, even knowing their £10 will be 'converted' into £5 max. Lot of people are not logical!
If this really was life or death - what would you rather have - the £10 or cakes you could sell for £5. I know this isn't life or death but if this is primarily a fundraiser the principle is the same. he life or death thing just allows people to cut through all the other crap.

Original poster
Clary · 09/07/2011 22:34

Well this has struck a chord tho perhaps not quite the one I had in mind!

I really just wanted to know if people were willing to pay 50p for a nice cake at a school fair - many thanks to everyone who has answered that question, at least some people say yes! Grin

The rest is certainly an interesting debate. I think if I "knew we always sell cakes for 30p" then I would just buy a few extra raffle tickets at £1 each and not bother donating cakes.

But as I said earlier, we don't actually get many cakes donated (junior school; parental enthusiasm flagging) so it's not a case of price too high don't sell em. IME at this school anyway, obv may be different at others. I agree a pile of unsold cakes is neither use nor ornament when the fair is over.

OP posts:
Original poster
Clary · 09/07/2011 22:35

BTW as others have posted, no my £3 dozen eggs are not Faberge, just Asda. I too will not buy battery and find large is the smallest acceptable size; mixed size eggs are basically small and I just end up using more.

OP posts:
emkana · 09/07/2011 22:38

If parents just donated the money there would be no events that bring the school community together.

StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 22:40

That's fine - as I said, my logic only applies if the primary purpose is fundraising. If it's a community event then they are selling cakes subsidised by the baker, which is fine.

Original poster
Clary · 09/07/2011 22:44

I like the school fair (if it was on a better day for me) - I do, really! I just want it to make more money!

But I do agree it is a valuable event to bring people together for a fun time (which is why it's better on a Saturday afternoon when everyone, including working mums and dads, can come - but that's another issue!)

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 22:47

I suppose my question would be do the people who donate know that they are subsidising cakes for the children and parents who attend, or do they believe they are helping the school to fundraise

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 09/07/2011 22:48

Can't it be both though, to get the school and wider community together and to make a decent amount of money for the school ? I think it can with a selection of stalls of varying prices to suit every pocket but not getting in the situation where people would have been better off giving a monetary donation.

Oh dear , I just want to run from the whole PTA thing whilst I still have my friends and sanity...

OracleInaCoracle · 09/07/2011 22:52

stealth, I really dont see it as subsidising. I am making a donation to the school of roughly 15p per cupcake. then they make an extra 5p on top of that. I dont do fancy designs, or use too much buttercream or top notch ingredients. it is what it is.

StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 22:54

Well tha involves selling the cakes for more than the raw ingredients cost!
No, I think it can be both - after all as others pointed out 20p is 20p. But if I was the cake baker, I'd be annoyed that I was effectively paying a higher donation so the parents who didn't contribute their time could get something for less than cost price. The way I understood these things is the person doing the baking donates the ingredients and their time, because it's for charity, and in the same spirit, the people who didn't bother to bake buy the stuff, and pay slightly over the odds for a battered cupcake, because it's for charity. Then the charity benefits from both sacrifices, not just mine. That's the spirit of the thing, surely, not exploitation of the baker's good will?

Still, given my baking, it's unlikely ever to happen to me.

StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 22:56

but lissie, then you are not subsidising! They are converting your 15p into 20p. You have given something to the school that they can get a higher donation for than you spent to make it. The other person is still getting a cheap ymmy cake. The school is getting 20p. Everyone happy.
Now if they lower their prices to 10p, then I'd feel you were subsidising!

StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 22:59
OracleInaCoracle · 09/07/2011 23:06

but, there are people who will spend 30p per cupcake. the only reason I make mine so cheap is that a) i use medium FR eggs from the local farm and I get them cheap because I buy a lot. b) all my ingredients are the value range. c) the recipe I use means that I dont need large eggs. we landed on 20p so that kids could come up with their grubby coins and stuff their faces buy a cake, while leaving money for the other stalls. we made quite a bit and sold everything (although still reduced a few things) it was also raining, so there were fewer people there. 20p seemed like a good price. no doubt there were people who were upset that we hadnt given their culinary skills the recognition they deserved, but next time they can volunteer to run the stall instead or write a cheque instead.

CurrySpice · 09/07/2011 23:13

RottenTiming Sat 09-Jul-11 11:42:29

"I do despair a bit at some ladies' grasp of numbers stuff....."

Did you pat me on the head when you typed that? Angry

The school has not "converted" £2.80 into £2.00. They have sold 10 cakes which they were given for £o.00 into £2.00. They weren't given £2.80 and they haven't converted anything Hmm

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 09/07/2011 23:18

Didn't we have this exact same thread this time last year?

CurrySpice · 09/07/2011 23:25

who knows I think there's only actually about 10 or 12 basic topics on AIBU...MILs, sex, DHs, Other people's kids, BF, driving....etc etc. And, it would seem, cupcakes :o

RottenTiming · 11/07/2011 15:50

Nope, you still don't get it do you......

Jolene doesn't get tongue in cheek humour and Curry doesn't get valuing intangible assets (goodwill re donated cakes).

I think I've been on MN enough years now to get that swearing is allowed but, as with all things, there's a time and a place. I also get that some people are prone to taking offence.

If you undervalue goodwill you find it drops off accordingly until a fresh source is found, similarly exhausted and so on.

My friend from ante natal classes has a child at a school with tbh a fairly grim demographic in terms of wealth. They do not waste the surplus cakes. They bag them up and each teacher gets a couple of bags to send home with a child who "has been very good that day" or "made me smile today" or "really worked hard on their maths today". Result is child with ear to ear smile at the end of the school day and, with a savvy teacher in charge, well distributed freebie potentially much appreciated by the parent/guardian.

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