Cotton Candy-Pricing?

[Bruce L]

Headed to my first show this weekend with the vortex cotton candy machine,just curious about pricing? I see from older threads $3.00,$4.00 and $5.00 per bag, yet I didn't see anything about cone pricing?
Thanks in advance,Bruce

[maple2]

we get $4 a bag at shows. $3 at the sugarhouse. Tried selling it on the stick. Sold few. They tend to be messy and drip

[SeanD]

I charge $1 whether it's on the stick or bag, BUT I only put in one Vortex scoop of sugar per serving. If it's not too humid that one scoop can make a puff on a stick that's a little smaller than a basketball.

The sticks are fun because the kids love to watch them get made and as soon as a couple of kids are walking around the market with them, the others come running. Besides, it's a PITA for me to get them in the bag by myself. I don't have one of those tear away bag holders.

Good luck!

Sean

[Tweegs]

We sell it for a buck a scoop on the Vortex, mixed 5:1.

No access to power at our slot in the farmers market (not sure it’s legal for us to make it on the spot anyway) so it’s all made and bagged the night before.

[Moser's Maple]

we charge anywhere's from $2-$4 per bag or cone depending on what venue we are at. we give the customers the option of either one, but 90% of people want the bag instead of the cone

[Bruce L]

Is 4:1 too heavy,practiced with that last night and it sure had a nice flavor.

[SeanD]

I used 4:1 all last year. On humid days, which we have from June to October, the candy wouldn't really puff up that much and it made a gooey mess on everything. Sometimes the puff would get so sticky we couldn't even get it in the bag without mashing it into a clump. Mass and Vermont use 5:1 at the Big E and I gave it a try. Much, much better.

Hey, Tweegs, I thought I remember you mentioning a system you had for bagging the candy alone. Do you nest your bags in something to hold them open for you? I drilled two screws through a pack of bags into a board to make something like the bag holders out there. It's not the best.

Sean

[Tweegs]

My wife and I tag team it.

We took an old water pitcher, cut it so we were left with a ring about 2” long and a diameter that would fit inside the bag (make sure to file off any burrs). She loads the ring inside the bag and holds it while I load the candy. She then closes and ties the bag, loads the ring into the next bag. Goes pretty smooth.

Now I don’t see why you couldn’t screw the bags to a board, like you suggest, and attach the ring above the bags using a few washers to space the ring away from the board a bit. Maybe downsize the diameter of the ring a touch. With a little head scratchin’ and maple ingenuity, you could probably pull off a single-handed load job that way.

Me, I prefer to keep the wife busy. She’ll go soft otherwise.:lol:

[SeanD]

OK, I like that ring idea. I had an unused pitcher from when I filled my pans by hand, but I just threw it out this spring! You've really got me thinking now. Thanks for the inspiration. I'll cobble something together tomorrow.