Developing a menu for FIMO food

**Sakurako** · April 4th, 2005, 12:39 PM

I was thinking about making FIMO food for Board members over the weekend and would be interested in feedback. If I were to do this to augment my income, I'd need at least $15 per meal (plus postage). Is this a reasonable amount, in your opinion? It would include a sandwich or main course item, a side salad and a dessert. The main course item would not include a plate but I could make spaghetti and meat sauce, for example, and you could put it on your own plate. I was thinking of cucumber sandwiches, tacos, burgers, pizza slices, etc. I could also make specific party items like cupcakes or scoops of ice cream of various flavors. Maybe 4 party items for $15?

What items would you be interested in, if you had a free choice? Do you think this price is fair? Some of you have said you'd be interested in this, which is why I'm asking. I would also be able to customize menus for you if you wanted something specific and could point me to a photo of it.

**dianasmama** · April 4th, 2005, 01:23 PM

Cherry, in all honesty, the price "sounds" high to me in comparison to what AG offers like for their lunches, etc. Are you saying this would be (1) complete meal for (1) doll?

That being said, though, I have seen pics of your work and it is beautiful! I also know first hand that when you do hand-crafted items, you have cost involved in materials, time, labor, etc, and that is costly. If you aren't making some money on it, why bother? So from that viewpoint, I KNOW the $15 is reasonable, since you are not a factory with a machine just cranking out these items.

I'll ask Diana today after school what food items she'd like to see for her dolls and get back to you later. Since she's in the "birthday mode", I'll bet she'll say Cupcakes!

Laurie

**beccachris** · April 4th, 2005, 01:25 PM

I would be interested in tacos, pizza and cupcakes for sure.

But instead of a whole "meal" I would probably be more interested in several tacos or one pizza (with 4 slices) or the 4 party items like you mentioned.

Oh and I would love some fruit too if you make those.

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ April 04, 2005 10:31 AM: Message edited by: beccachris ]</font>

**Stephanie31802** · April 4th, 2005, 01:38 PM

I was thinking that your price seemed a little high in comparing what Ag charges for their food. But I would lower it by only a few dollars. I know that it must take a lot of time and skill to make what you make. I would be very interested in purchasing some food from you. I would be interested in Mexican food (tacos!) and not a whole meal.

**AGOTemily** · April 4th, 2005, 01:55 PM

I think $15 plus postage is a good price for a hand-made customized doll food. I think you do beautiful work and you obviously put in an enormous amount of thought, time, and effort into it. Would you consider selling some of the Japanese food items you've made? I'd definitely be interested in those!

**Sakurako** · April 4th, 2005, 02:05 PM

I think the rock bottom would have to be $12 for 1 serving of three "main" items or 4 individual somethings, depending on how much clay is involved. For example, unless I form the cupcakes around aluminum foil on the base (I haven't tried this -- I think the balance would be wrong), I can only get 1 cupcake per block of FIMO: 1/2 block for the base and 1/2 block for the frosting. That means if I made 4 cupcakes, it would cost me between $12 and $16 for materials alone, which makes no sense. For less solid things, I'd probably get a better margin. I was hoping the cost of making tacos, which is time consuming but doesn't use up a lot of clay, would offset heavier things that are solid, like ice cream and cupcakes. Maybe it would be better to have a sliding scale, depending on the order. It would actually be easier to make several of the same thing, so 4 tacos (for example) would probably cost the same as 1 serving of several courses.

For cupcakes, would you want a place to insert a birthday candle at the top? This would leave a permanent hole but it would be fun to be able to put candles into them, I think. Depending on the age of the human person involved in the party, of course.

Yes, Japanese food is where my imagination is centered at the moment, so that's a definite possibility. If it's a main dish with rice, I would have to make it flat to serve on a plate. But I can make sushi -- that stands by itself. And the wagashi confectionary is lots of fun to make and really pretty to serve.

For fruit, would one-sided fruit like the strawberries I made for Lindy be OK? I have molds for fruit and several kinds of flowers, but they're all flat on the back. I haven't learned how to do full-round molds yet, which is why I didn't offer to make fruit originally. But flat strawberries work fine on a plate or mixed up in cereal or on top of ice cream.

**beccachris** · April 4th, 2005, 02:10 PM

I don't mind the flat on the back pieces of fruit because it would look like it had been sliced in half.

**Stephanie31802** · April 4th, 2005, 02:17 PM

Cherry,
I think it would be a good idea to individually price the foods. Or maybe offer a small discount for multiple orders of the same food (ie: 1 taco=$3, 4 tacos=$10 , of course that's only an example). It's up to you how you do it but I think that whatever you decide, people will still buy your foods.
Stephanie

**Sakurako** · April 4th, 2005, 02:26 PM

That's a good idea. See, this is why I wanted to post this as an exploration rather than a done deal. I'd rather make things for friends on the Board than to sell on ebay anyway, so I wanted to get your input first.

I'm surprised no one wants picnic stuff with summer coming -- burgers and hot dogs? I made molds from the first AG burgers when the Weber grill was sold and I think I can make one of the watermelon slice, too.

Now all I need is a Code (ROTFL)!