Costs of Reproducing Antique Springerle Cookie Molds

I was once asked why resin copies were so expensive. At that time I had not dealt with resins or silicones but knew the materials could be expensive. Now that I am involved with reproducing old molds I can see the costs more clearly.

First there is the need to obtain the rights to copy an old mold that may be in a collection or museum. This can be very expensive as the owner would like a good sum up front to purchase the rights to their mold for a set time and or would like a percentage of each copy sold. Secondly, the cost associated with having the mold reproduced in silicone by a professional so that there is not any damage done to the original mold. With this, the materials and labor can prove expensive. Thirdly, having a resin formula produced to meet your requirements can be very expensive and then the resin itself is quite expensive.

Some mold reproductions are sealed and then stained and are quite good while others will have their finish wear off over time with use. This leaves a mottled looking mold with the bare resin exposed. The molds we are looking to produce will not have the stain but either be just a clear mold or tinted colored mold. My experience and that of others that have already used the molds being produced is that the doughs release quite readily from the mold without the addition of any extra powdered sugar being used on the mold.