Party Favors--super bargain!
My daughter is in preschool, and they are celebrating the summer birthdays during the month of May so the kids get a chance to have their birthday in school. The "approved treats" list is very restrictive, and kind of expensive. Special allergen-specific brands and prewrapped treats; nothing homemade. So I decided to make goody bags.
It's been a while since I made goody bags I suppose because as I looked at the aisles of "theme birthday" merchandise at my local party shop, I was shocked. Favors were never really high quality, but these were total junk---and for $3 for a package of 12. I'd have to buy 2 packages so that's $6 just for one item; and I'd need several per bag. Plus, the "value" packs were nothing such; the individual items were 25 cents apiece loose and the same price in a value package. As I wandered the store and brainstormed, I saw boxes upon boxes of things back in the Halloween costume area in the back--boxes marked "50 cents each, orange stickers only".
Well, most of the items didn't have a sticker, but clearly (since there were several lines worth of merchandise, all shopworn packages and jumbled together) these were supposed to be discounted in some way. I rooted through boxes under the tables and found packages of Backyardigans stuff. Some of the packages were worn, but I'm taking the things OUT of the packages anyway! 50 cents for 12 pieces of plastic junk is much more acceptable.
I loaded up my basket, deciding to make treat boxes for her actual birthday party as well: 3 packages of 8 mini frisbees, 2 packages of 12 pencils, 3 packages of 8 yoyos, 2 bags of 12 mini crayon boxes, a special baseball hat for the birthday girl, and a package of assorted card games (there was only one package of 10, so those will be for the regular party not the class). I even got special little Backyardigans treat boxes so they will be extra special.
I took my basket up to the front and explained that while they did not have orange stickers, they were clearly meant to be discounted. They rang up full price. I persevered, saying since I had to dig under the table, they must be discounted. The clerk asked for a manager who said they didn't get the stickers on the stuff yet, and it was 50 cents for everything. They had to get another manager to override the prices (which was fine with me).
All in all, I got enough to make 24 themed treat boxes for only $8.66 including tax. The items originally rang up over $30.
I'll call that a success!
It's been a while since I made goody bags I suppose because as I looked at the aisles of "theme birthday" merchandise at my local party shop, I was shocked. Favors were never really high quality, but these were total junk---and for $3 for a package of 12. I'd have to buy 2 packages so that's $6 just for one item; and I'd need several per bag. Plus, the "value" packs were nothing such; the individual items were 25 cents apiece loose and the same price in a value package. As I wandered the store and brainstormed, I saw boxes upon boxes of things back in the Halloween costume area in the back--boxes marked "50 cents each, orange stickers only".
Well, most of the items didn't have a sticker, but clearly (since there were several lines worth of merchandise, all shopworn packages and jumbled together) these were supposed to be discounted in some way. I rooted through boxes under the tables and found packages of Backyardigans stuff. Some of the packages were worn, but I'm taking the things OUT of the packages anyway! 50 cents for 12 pieces of plastic junk is much more acceptable.
I loaded up my basket, deciding to make treat boxes for her actual birthday party as well: 3 packages of 8 mini frisbees, 2 packages of 12 pencils, 3 packages of 8 yoyos, 2 bags of 12 mini crayon boxes, a special baseball hat for the birthday girl, and a package of assorted card games (there was only one package of 10, so those will be for the regular party not the class). I even got special little Backyardigans treat boxes so they will be extra special.
I took my basket up to the front and explained that while they did not have orange stickers, they were clearly meant to be discounted. They rang up full price. I persevered, saying since I had to dig under the table, they must be discounted. The clerk asked for a manager who said they didn't get the stickers on the stuff yet, and it was 50 cents for everything. They had to get another manager to override the prices (which was fine with me).
All in all, I got enough to make 24 themed treat boxes for only $8.66 including tax. The items originally rang up over $30.
I'll call that a success!
posted by knittykat @ 9:07 AM
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