About That Tricky Tray..I Just Want To Say...Chapter 6_(Closed)

Use This Post To "Speak Your Mind" About A Tricky Tray or Anything Related To A Tricky Tray. Tell us about the Grand Prize You Just Won or How You Haven't Won A Thing 10 Tricky Trays Straight. Just Click On The comment link below and start typing away.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Has anyone ever been to the Long Valley Firehouse tt? Its coming up this Friday. Just wondering how it is? Thanks!!
Anonymous said…
About Long Valley - I met someone at a tt in Succasunna who said that it was a good one. Don't have any details, though. Would love to here more - like number of items, prices, etc.
Anonymous said…
Anybody know anything about the Caldwell College event? Would love to hear from those who have attended previously. Trying to decide between that and Long Valley firehouse! Comments?
Anonymous said…
Anybody out there????
Let's get this going!
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
Just UpDated the web site

More details fot the Long Valley tricky tray this Friday, June 16.

New trickytrays added for Sept & Nov too

Check it out at
www.trickytray.com/events.htm

Best to All,
Mr. TrickyTRay
Anonymous said…
I would go for the Caldwell College one again. We've gone the last 2 years. They usually have good prizes. I think I remember the ticket prices being on the higher end. But at least the prizes are good. Give them a call. That's what we always do.
And don't forget the Corpus Christi tricky tray in South River. There is a carnival too and you need not be present to win. I checked it out last night and they have over 70 prizes. Values starting at I believe $50. A flat screen Nets TV valued at $500. Calling is at 8:00 Saturday night. This is a very good cause to help the school.
Anonymous said…
I'm glad I didn't go to Piscataway! It was nearby, but lucky for me, it seems, I had a school function to attend for one of my kids!
Anonymous said…
Went to Long Valley. My main comment was that on the regular prize tables the prizes ranged from a pizza or a manicure to Medieval Times tickets. I would have preferred if the smaller value items were grouped together so that prizes had a minimum $25 value. I came home a winner, so I can't complain!
Anonymous said…
Thank You to those who came to the Long Valley Tricky Tray. I do all the runing around to the local businesses, and Let me just say it's alot of work, but it great to see the night turn to be a great success, and our best tricky Tray yet. I will Deffently keep in mind next year about grouping the trays. Oh and I just hope everyone heard me well, I am the one who calls all the tickets. Thanks Again for your support.
Anonymous said…
Does anyone have any details about the Pike County Developmental Center TT in Milford on 6/24? How many prizes, what kind of prices, are kids allowed, etc.? There's no number to call.
Anonymous said…
I went to a really nice tt last year on Sept. 16, 2005 in Totowa. Does anyone remember what organization ran it? I seem to remember something about Verizon but not sure it that is accurate. I would love to go to it again. If anyone has any info.
Anonymous said…
More Info on that Pikes County PA tricky tray has been posted on www.trickytray.com along with a contact email
Anonymous said…
Pike County Developmental Center did a nice job. They had a bigger crowd than expected and had to bring in additional chairs. Well run, nice variety of prizes and reasonable prices. And, we were finished by 8!
Anonymous said…
prize list for tricky tray just added for

Thursday, July 6, 2006
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Location:
FDU University Softball Field
off Hackensack Avenue
at Kotte Place
Hackensack, NJ  07601

on www.trickytray.com
Anonymous said…
Nice to see some tricky trays for the summer!
Anonymous said…
Anybody else go to the Joey Bella tricky tray?
I thought there were a good number of baskets and the prices were fair. I didn't win, but would go again.
Anonymous said…
Did you all see the article on tricky trays in the Star Ledger today?
Anonymous said…
You can read online at

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1152253063116570.xml&coll=1
Anonymous said…
This will be our first year hosting our PTA Tricky Tray in Sussex County, NJ - Hampton Township PTA and was wondering if anyone has ever been to Hampton's PTA Tricky Tray in the past and had any comments (good or bad) to help us this year. We are also trying to decide what month to have the tricky tray - is it better to have it in the fall-middle of the winter - or in the Spring? Thanks for any help!
Anonymous said…
I personally like the spring events. The weather is always nice. I noticed many events are held in the fall and kind of thin out as the spring arrives. What we need more of is summer events.
Anonymous said…
I prefer that you stay away from Friday nights - they are too hectic to get to after work (especially in Sussex County because of the traffic on 80/15/206!), and some Friday nights there are sooooo many to choose from. January, February and March are on the light side (and the summer, too, of course), but then there's always the traffic issue.
Anonymous said…
oops - sorry!
in my posting above, the last sentence should be... the weather issue. (not traffic!)
Anonymous said…
Any info on any of the upcoming events? Good, bad, worth the trip, etc. There aren't too many in the summer, so I need my fix!

I though this blog would really get moving after the Star Ledger article. Is there anyone else out there??????? Hello!
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the comments about having our Hampton Twsp (Sussex Cty) Tricky Tray - we decided to have it on a Saturday (March 3rd)! Thanks again. I will post the date when I have more info.
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
HOw's your Summer Going Everyone?
There seems to be a nice mix of tricky trays to make it through the "tricky tray summer blues". The events are rolling in. Just posted some for Oct & Nov.

Don't forget .. tricky tray t-shirts are on sale now!
http://www.cafepress.com/trickytray

Help support TrickyTray.com!

Thanks
Anonymous said…
I'll go anytime! There seem to be a lot on Friday nights, so some weeks I really have to make a choice. If they're not too far from me (or my office), I go to the weeknight ones. No matter what day of the week they are, I only go to the ones without dinner - don't want to spend $40 dollars on a meal because that's $40 less to spend on tickets. And my guess is that others feel that way, too.
Anonymous said…
You are absolutely right! No dinner! I refuse to go to them for that reason. I spend a lot of money on tickets and I don't want to first spend $40 on a meal. The one time I did go to a $40 luncheon I spent less on tickets so the organization didn't make as much as they should have. However, I prefer a Saturday night only because it's easier to leave the kids at home with my husband rather then paying a sitter $10 per hour during the week. You can get big prizes from Disneyworld (4 park hopper passes), Sony, and American Girl. You can find their addresses on the web. Sometimes banks will donate cash which then you can purchase some expense items. You can also get items such as bikes from a "bike shop" at cost...or any local business. We will be getting designer sunglasses from our local eye professional at cost.
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the suggestions & input. I went to a dinner tricky tray this past Spring that was $25 for the entry fee - with dinner & a sheet of tickets. If I could swing that, would that make it more attractive?

Also, month - Is there too much going on in May with weddings & communions & such to bother? Should I be shooting for April? Or is May an OK month for this sort of thing?

Thanks so much!
Anonymous said…
When planning your event, make sure the price of the tickets matches the value of the prizes. I personally like the tricky trays where the regular prizes are between $25 and $75 and the tickets are up to $5 a sheet. And make sure the prizes in each level are consistent - no one wants a pizza and a $100 gift certificate in the same level. And, not too many levels of prizes. I think 3 is enough. I've been to some where there are 7 or 8 levels and it's just too much.
As far as when to hold your event - May gets really crowded with events. If you can hold off till the summer, it would be great. There's not too much selection of events in the summer (or the winter, for that matter).
Anonymous said…
I agree about the pricing & the levels. I can't stand that sort of variation either, and never understood it.

Summer's a little late for when we'll be needing the money for theater repairs... so I'll have to see what we can swing.

Thanks!

I'm actually picking up a lot here - no bent tix, signs indicating direction of travel, etc...
Anonymous said…
There is only 1 tricky tray that I'll go to and spend $40 on the dinner. And that one I wind up spending big money.
Please do not do a dinner. And thanks for listening to all the advise about bent tickets etc.
Anonymous said…
Hey, I want to do this right. I've been to tons of them, but never really observed; I guess now I wish I had! But BCP has never done a tricky tray & I'd like to show them how it's really done. This one's for our anniversary, but if I can make it a real success, I might be able to convince them to do it as a yearly thing, which would be great for the theater.
Anonymous said…
Here's my Most Unusual prize and it was a $250.00 value. 10 tons of stone. Delivered free of charge. From NJ to Tobyhanna, PA. Thanks Carmel Trucking!
My most coveted prize was tickets to the play "Wicked" and $100 for dinner in New York City.
Anonymous said…
Unfortunately I didn't feel that it was worth the trip to St Elisabeth's in Ortley Beach. I do give them an "A" for being nice and following all the rules. They do need to combine the small prizes. $4-20 on the small table. And they need to get more big prizes. They are there for the asking. A lot of big companies will donate. Go to a few good ones and most will share their sources. I give them a "C" minus for prizes. We'll stay home next year.
Anonymous said…
I also went to the Tricky Tray in Ortley Beach and thought it was very nice. Prizes were good quality and the amounts for the tickets were good. I didn't win but I will be back next year and try again.
Anonymous said…
Wow - you can see we all have different expectations! One tricky tray and some say the prizes were nice, others (or at least one other) said they were too small. I wasn't at this one, but in general, I would say anything under $20 is too small (unless the tickets are $1 a sheet).
What does everyone think is a good ticket price/prize value? $5 a sheet for $50 value prizes?
Anonymous said…
The extra tickets were only $2 for the small prizes and the gifts were $10-25 value I would say. Everyone has different opinions.

I would go back.
Anonymous said…
I WENT TO ORTLEY BEACH ST ELISABETHS WASN'T VERY HAPPY. THEY WERE VERY NICE AND DID FOLLOW RULES NO BENT TICKETS ETC. SMALL SHEET WERE $2 EACH SOME PRIZES WERE $5 OR LESS .. THEY COULD HAVE COMBINED SOME. ALSO YES NO GREAT GRAND PRIZES BUT MAYBE FOR A SMALL COMMUNITY IT WAS GREAT TO THEM. MONEY WAS FOR A GOOD CAUSE BUT I WOULDN'T TAKE THE TRIP AGAIN. THEY PUT TOO MANY PEOPLE IN ONE SMALL AREA. WE COULDN'T EVEN MOVE OUR CHAIRS.
Anonymous said…
Mr.TT and anyone who does know...I am new here and was curious about the rules about kids attending tricky trays. You may have mentioned this before but I don't think I have the time to read all the blog threads. I have been to a few tricky trays where kids were putting in tickets and holding tickets during the calling of the trays. I was wondering what rules there were about this. Personally, if anyone out there is putting together a tricky tray-I think that having kids there is not usually desirable for many attendees. The ones I went to had so many kids there that they were running all over the place, making so much noise I could not heat the calling. I don't go back to the places that are like that...
Anonymous said…
Pennsylvania Avenue School 27 in Colonia NJ is planning its 2nd Tricky Tray Event for February 2007. We had a very successful Tricky Tray back in 2004 with a Rock Around the Clock 50's theme and this year's theme is The Wizard of Oz! Last time we held it at a local Knights of Columbus hall and only charged $7.00/ticket, and the hall could only hold 200 people. We quickly ran out of room with more than 300 prizes and certainly could have charged more money for the entrance fee. Our 4 grand prizes were a $300 Create Your Own SPA DAY - a $400 fishing trip (had to get something in there for the men) $275 worth of DVDs with DVD player and BlockBuster Gift Cards and a 3 day/2 night Carnival Cruise ($599.00 value).
We also had 20+ gift certificates to restaurants and services on a different level and many, many other great prizes, like Waterford Toasting Goblets, a Nintendo Game Cube, a Grill, a Patio Set and a lawn mower!
Our 2007 event promises to be bigger and better. Stay tuned for more details to Follow the Yellow Brick Road to our 2007 Tricky Tray!
Anonymous said…
Pennsylvania Avenue School 27 in Colonia NJ is planning its 2nd Tricky Tray Event for February 2007. We had a very successful Tricky Tray back in 2004 with a Rock Around the Clock 50's theme and this year's theme is The Wizard of Oz! Last time we held it at a local Knights of Columbus hall and only charged $7.00/ticket, and the hall could only hold 200 people. We quickly ran out of room with more than 300 prizes and certainly could have charged more money for the entrance fee. Our 4 grand prizes were a $300 Create Your Own SPA DAY - a $400 fishing trip (had to get something in there for the men) $275 worth of DVDs with DVD player and BlockBuster Gift Cards and a 3 day/2 night Carnival Cruise ($599.00 value).
We also had 20+ gift certificates to restaurants and services on a different level and many, many other great prizes, like Waterford Toasting Goblets, a Nintendo Game Cube, a Grill, a Patio Set and a lawn mower!
Our 2007 event promises to be bigger and better. Stay tuned for more details to Follow the Yellow Brick Road to our 2007 Tricky Tray!
Anonymous said…
Anyone know anything about the August 4 Birchwood Lake Tricky Tray? I'm thinking of going, but wanted some more info. Sent an email to the address listed in the trickytray.com ad, but haven't gotten a response.
Anonymous said…
Oh wow! I went to School 27's Tricky Tray that year..it was the best one I have ever been to! The prizes were fantastic and the 50's theme was fun! I am so glad you guys are doing another one. Please post all of the details when you have them all.
For all of you "serious tricky trayers" this is THE ONE to go to in NJ!
Anonymous said…
Nice to see the calendar filling up for the fall! Can't wait!
Anonymous said…
Hello All: Our organization is hosting our First Tricky Tray in the fall. I was hoping to get some feedback on the following issue from some experienced tricky-trayers: Instead of bringing the prize/basket to the winner right after the winning ticket is announced, our committee is considering having the winner sign a "receipt" and then, at the end of the tricky tray, the winner would collect their prize when they present their "receipt." I think this may be too chaotic at the end of the raffle, with everyone trying to collect their prizes all at once; and it takes away from the fun of winning (and oohing and aahing at your basket). Please provide some "friendly" advice on this. Does any other organization do this and is it successful? Do you like the idea, or do you just want to get out there when the raffle is over, instead of "redeeming" your receipts for your prizes. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance. We'll be posting our Event on the site as soon as we can (save the date, November 10, 2006)!!!!
Anonymous said…
In response to your question regarding the receipt -- personally I hate the idea and if I knew about it ahead of time I would pass on that event, if I found out that night, I wouldn't go back the following year -- at the end of the night when all tickets are pulled, all I want to do is get in my car and go home -- I don't want to be standing around for another hour or more while someone checks again to see if I won and get my prize. Just my 2 cents
Anonymous said…
I agree - I want the prize when my number is called. Picking up the large prizes (bikes, grills, patio sets) at the end is the norm, but for the regular baskets - we want instant gratification!
Anonymous said…
we are having a tt on Sept 9 at Roxbury high school, what does everyone think of having a $1 scratch off ticket included with your door prize?
Anonymous said…
Not sure if that is legal. You might want to check the New Jersey Games of Legalized Chance Control Commission rules before you advertise/offer that.
Anonymous said…
thanks it was just idea, always looking for something different.
Anonymous said…
WHAT'S IN YOUR TRICKY TRAY BAG ?

Thought it would be interesting to see what others considered a staple to bring to a tt and what it is used for!!
Anonymous said…
I bring tape, a fold up nylon bag to carry home my winnings, a small battery fan (incase its hot!) a pen for writing tt info from others. I'm going to Lakeland"s tt on Sept. 9th, noticed it was a 3rd. runner up last year in the voting, hope it's good I really need to go to a GOOD one. The summer is just so long without one in my area.
Anonymous said…
In my bag I bring staples, scotch tape, large and small baggies for the tickets. And of course my light up spinning thing from Great Adventure. The baggies are important so you cut your tickets ahead of time. It's not fair to others to stand there and rip tickets and look at prizes too.
Anonymous said…
THEY DID THAT ONE YEAR AT A TT I ATTENDED AND SOMEONE TOOK OTHER PEOPLES PRIZES AT THE END. THE SCHOOL HAD TO MAKE GOOD FOR THE PRIZES ONE. REALLY TOO CONFUSSING
Anonymous said…
Thank you all for your very helpful comments on the "receipt" issue! We decided not to do it, for all the reasons you all have mentioned. That's why I come back to this blog...to get the tips from the experts! Thanks again!
Anonymous said…
Hi again,

I've been "mostly" approved to do a tricky tray for my community theater, but a question came up - for those of you who've done it for nonprofits. Because it's a form of gambling/raffle, what sort of permit is required, how much does it cost, and from whom is it acquired?

Thanks!
Anonymous said…
If you're in NJ you need to contact the "Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission" (973-273-8000) or on the web at http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/lgccc.htm
You need to be qualified by the state and then you need to get a license in your town.
Anonymous said…
If you're in NJ you need to contact the "Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission" (973-273-8000) or on the web at http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/lgccc.htm
You need to be qualified by the state and then you need to get a license in your town.
Anonymous said…
Thank you!
Anonymous said…
Looking for opinions on preferred traffic patterns for center tables

what works what doesn't...

seems the standard is one continuous conga line around several tables lined up down the center of the room.

We normally have table around the perimeter and then the center table running down the center...last year we had a tough time keeping people moving- made it tough to nmeet the 8:00 calling deadline.
Looking for better traffic options Any suggestions?
Anonymous said…
It doesn't seem to matter how the tables are set up!

Here are a couple of my thoughts-

I think if there are numbers on the prizes, people tend to go in order.

If the prizes are too close together on the tables, it takes longer.

Encourage people to rip their tickets prior to getting in line. I tend to do a quick scan of the prizes to see how many tickets I should buy and then head to my seat and start ripping before I start putting my tickets in.

Having a prize list is nice, but when people refer to it as they are seeing the prizes, it can make the line sluggish.

But, my biggest pet peeve are the people who pick up the baskets and critically look at every item in there. That really holds up the line! If one thing in the basket catches your eye, put in a ticket and move on. So what if you end up with something you don't want/need - just donate it.
Anonymous said…
thanks great feedback. all our gifts/baskets are open so thankfully we did not have that problem but I will definitly look into the pre-tear and spacing options.
Any other ORGANIZATIONAL suggestions are welcome!
Anonymous said…
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Swartswood did a nice job. The prices were reasonable and the prizes were nice (I think they were better than last year). I came home a winner and would go again.
Anonymous said…
Has anyone gone to the Lakeland Animal Haven tt,I see it's coming up on the 10th. I would love to go to a tt but don't want to waste time at a bad one.
Anonymous said…
Lakelands tt is the 9th, oops! so excited to go to one soon, any info would be great.
Anonymous said…
Yes, Mt. Carmel had a good crowd, but I wouldn't say it was overcrowded. In fact I had an empty seat next to me. If the seats had been arranged differently, they could have fit more people - having the 50/50 at it's own table took up valuable floor space. Most tt's have the 50/50 people roaming the floor.
Anonymous said…
GREAT DID YOU SEE CORPUS CHRISTI IS HAVING THEIR TRICKY TRAY NOVEMBER 11TH. NOT AT THE SCHOOL?? MAYBE MORE ROOM. GREAT ONE TO GO TOO. AWESOME PRIZES TWO YEARS IN A ROW. REALLY ORGANIZED. I WON A FEW GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS. EVEN HAD GREAT GOODY BAGS MY KIDS HAD A BALL LOOKING THRU ALL THE STUFF?? CAN'T WAIT FOR TICKETS TO BE ON SALE
Anonymous said…
Any info on the upcoming Lakeland Animal Haven Tricky Tray? It got a lot of votes last year. Who has been in the past - what made it so good? Am thinking of going, but went last year to the top rated tt from the year before and was very disappointed.
Anonymous said…
I WENT LAST YEAR IT WAS VERY GOOD, GREAT PRIZES, THE CALLER WAS REALLY GOOD, REASONABLY PRICED, I'M GOING AGAIN ON SAT.
Anonymous said…
I'M ALSO GOING, CHECK LISTING YOU CAN GET PRE SALE TICKETS 6/$20 THATS PRETTY GOOD, CAN'T WAIT TO START THE TT SEASON AGAIN !!!!
Anonymous said…
I, too, liked the prizes at Lakeland Animal Haven. It would have been better if the caller didn't look into the bucket as she was pulling - especially since there were different ticket colors. Maybe if you were in the back you couldn't see, but we saw her do it more than once.
Anonymous said…
We were sitting next to the caller and I think she was looking in the bucket because the tickets were sticking together and she was trying to only grab one. I think she was doing a great job. At least she stired them up well. Prizes were great and we will come back next year.
Anonymous said…
I am the chairperson for COSAC's, the NJ Center of Outreach Services for Autism Community's first TT. I had a difficult finding public school space near Parsippany area, so we are going with the Birchwood Manor. $40 includ. 2 sheets of tickets. What can I do to make this more appealing, I see many do not like dinner. I am nervous for our first event I won't get attendees. Great prizes, $35-70, $125-175, airline tickets etc. What are your thoughts on ticket prices etc.

Thanks
Anonymous said…
The Lakewood Animal one was good. The caller was fast. There were a lot of people so your odds weren't as good. Just a few more bigger prizes and they'd have been great. And of course the cost of tickets could have been a little less. $5 a sheet 5 for $20 on the small table is a little high. The prizes were Ok but not great for that price.
Anonymous said…
I attended Lakeland Animal TT and thought the prizes were great and the cost of tickets were just fine. I have been to others that cost so much more and gifts were not good. I think they did a great job.
Anonymous said…
COSAC Tricky Tray, I personally do not go to dinners that cost $40. To make it more inticing I think would be to have a pre-sale offer of "ticket packages" which include tickets to ALL levels at a discounted price before the event. This would also prevent long lines to purchase tickets. Another thing would be to increase the admission price to around $50 or $60 and include a "ticket package" with ALL levels of tickets. Still another throught would be to keep the admission at $40 and give everyone a good take home bag. As a first tricky tray you don't want people to leave with a bad taste where they wouldn't want to return for the next event you run.
Anonymous said…
I also probably will not attend the COSAC event even though it is for an EXCELLENT cause. Dinner just turns me off and it's hard to get a group together who want to go to a dinner. Even if you couldn't find a school, etc, did you consider a VFW, Elks, church hall or something like that where you could hold it and charge a more nominal admission (5 or 10 dollars) and just have light refreshments? And are you totally committed to the Parsippany area?
Whatever you do, keep the tickets for the small prizes at $5 a sheet or less.
Anonymous said…
I attended Lakeland's TT for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised. It was very good and very well organized. Caller was loud, clear and fast. With over 200 trays, we were out of there by 9:30. (that was nice!) Prizes were decent, although the "big" ones could've been a little better, but were OK. They had their complimentary baked goods "mixed & pre-packed" in baggies which I didn't care for. I like to choose my own. Other than that, this was a good event and I will definitely attend again next year. Do it for the animals!!!
Anonymous said…
I thought the Laneland Animal tricky tray was really good. I thought they had great prizes all around. We had fun. Good caller, prices were reasonable. I will go again next year.
Anonymous said…
SAVE THE DATE - May 4, 2007 - the SGT. RYAN E. DOLTZ MEMORIAL FDN. will have their Tricky Tray. This was an EXCELLENT TT last year: great prizes, fast calling, fair/reasonable ticket prices, fun/generous snacks. More info later, but this one shouldn't be missed!
Anonymous said…
The tricky tray for lakeland was great. Prizes were good the small table had over 200 prizes and baskets were full. Gas card was a great idea.
Anonymous said…
The only problem I found with the lakeland tricky tray is that I did not win the big snowman they had. But it was a great tricky tray. Caller was spoke clearly and got us out early. Prices were very reasonable.
Anonymous said…
I am the Chairperson for the Unity Spiritual Center's 2nd Annual Tricky Tray coming up in Asbury, NJ (out west on Route 78, not down the shore!) on Sept. 23rd. We have over 150 great prizes again this year, all valued between $25 and $2000! We have some unique prizes such as massages, reiki, chiropractic and acupuncture as well as many popular gifts and gift certificates. We will NOT PULL BENT TICKETS and we have added seating so that more can stay and enjoy the calling of winners. You do not have to be present to win, however, if you prefer to drop your tickets during the day and wait for our call. THANK YOU for your support!!
Anonymous said…
I went to Lakelands tricky tray I thought it was great. they had a veggie platter with cheeses and a fruit platter and cheeses as one of their first prizes, what a great idea! nice items to snack on while waiting for your number to be called! I think $5 a sheet is more than fair for regular baskets,$150 gas card was a great prize, unfortunately I didn't win it, but will go again next year! great job!
Anonymous said…
Glad I went to Lakeland every year it gets better and better keep up the good work.
Anonymous said…
Anybody know anything about the upcoming Autism tricky tray in Manville on Saturday?
Anonymous said…
I went to the Robert's Wings Tricky tray for Autism in Manville over the weekend. Didn't see many of you "regulars" there. The prizes were nice, but it was rather expensive - they didn't do sheets of tickets, but rather individual tickets. There were about 125 prizes spread over 3 categories. They were $2, $3, and $5 a ticket. There was a package ($50) and also breaks if you bought a lot - but overall a very expensive event even though it went to a good cause.
Anonymous said…
Hi all - Just wanted to let you know that the tickets for the February 24, 2007 Pennsylvania Avenue School 27 Over the Rainbow Tricky Tray are NOW ON SALE! We are only selling 300 and anticipate selling out. There is no limit to the number you can purchase and we will not be selling any at the door. See out post or email me for more details. TrickyTrayCherry@aol.com
Anonymous said…
Robert's Wings tricky tray was rather expensive. Was disaapointed that the low end prizes weren't a sheet for $3. It was $3 a ticket. Like the previous person said they did have a deal for $50. Didn't get many tickets. Overall they did listen to advice. Started slow and they weren't dumping the tickets. But they changed after our suggestion. Some good prizes. Would go next year if they change the prices a little.
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
Attention New Jersey Tricky Tray Organizers!

Is Your Tricky Tray Event in Compliance with the State of NJ??

"He's checking the list,
He's checking it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice"


You get the picture!!
Make sure you have the proper licenses and permits for state amd local minicipality.

Get More info below:


http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/lgccc.htm

or call 973-273-8000
Anonymous said…
I personally don't like the breaks! I would bet the organization makes more money, though. If you haven't won any of the early prizes, you may spend more money at the break to increase your chances. I have been at some where the sales for the specials and super specials continue throughout the evening. That to me is preferred over a break because the break always takes longer than the 15 minutes that is planned!
Anonymous said…
I also do not think breaks are necessary. They are given enough time to buy what they want in the begining.
Anonymous said…
No breaks please! It takes long enough to call all those numbers...however...making announcements "during" the calling that tickets are still available for the next prize levels is absolutely great! I personally have gotten up and purchased more higher level tickets as the lower level tickets were being called. I just have my friends watch my numbers for me.
Anonymous said…
Looks like the weekend of September 29/30 is a busy one! Any suggestions?
Anonymous said…
Sorry - I don't go to dinners. What are the prices for the prize tickets?
Anonymous said…
Well, we've been approved & are pretty much set to go! Bergen County Players will host its first ever tricky tray on 5/31/07 at the Cotillion in Garfield. Included with the $25 entrance fee will be a 4-course family style dinner & one sheet of small tickets. We're working on & anticipating hundreds of baskets & gift certificates, including some very interesting grand prizes, with no basket value under $20 or $25. Attendance will be limited to about 300 people, so I'll post as soon as tickets go on sale!
Anonymous said…
Anyone go to the TT in Oldbridge on Friday night? I don't want to write what I really thought of it because I know it will start a uproar on this board. Let me just say people who are working and running the show might not want to be drinking as much as they were during this event. Other then that the place was VERY overcrowded and you could not even move your chair. Next time think about having it somewhere larger. The prizes were nice and they have some great donations. Food was good and the kitchen people were really working hard.
Anonymous said…
I went to the Old Bridge one but when I got there they said they were sold out. If they were sold out they should have posted it on Trickytray.com. They said they didn't know they were sold out until then. What a crock!
Anonymous said…
I need someone to explain to me the rules about children at TT's. Are they allowed to play? My understanding that kids can't participate because it's gambling. Went to Church of The Saviour last night and there were so many kids there and they were all playing. I could be wrong but I would like to know for sure if it's allowed. If it's not allowed how do all of these TT's get away with it.

If you put your kid on a slot machine in AC you will DYFS at your door faster then you could answer it.

Hint for the people running the TT over there. if your going to charge that much to get in or for extras at least have more prizes.
Anonymous said…
Children cannot purchase tickets or call the numbers. They are permitted to put tickets in the buckets. They can run the prizes except if it's alcohol or tobacco products then an adult must give the prize to the winner. You can find all the rules on the LGCCC website.
Anonymous said…
The LGCCC (Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission) does allow children to attend and play at a Tricky Tray. Even though we may look at it as "gambling", it is considered a "merchandise raffle". As long as they are playing for merchandise, children are allowed. However, they cannot win money, as in a 50/50. Only adults over 18 can purchase 50/50 tickets.

The reason we see children at SOME Tricky Trays is because that organization is allowing them into their event. Other organizations may decide to have an event for OVER 18 only....a wise choice, in my opinion. To allow or not allow children is up to the organizers.

Another thing, while I'm at it, is that alcohol of any kind and lottery tickets are NOT allowed to be used as prizes. Even though they are some of the biggest money makers at a Tricky Tray, the LGCCC bans them. If a representative of the LGCCC decides to make a surprise visit on the night of a TT, those items will be pulled from the prize lineup. I have actually seen that happen at a "Casino Night" event.
Anonymous said…
Oh, I forgot....

Children under 18 are also not allowed to be runners.
Anonymous said…
I could not find that website for the specific rules. Can someone post the specific website?
Anonymous said…
Hey I have a question how do you find the rules for PA Tricky Trays?
Anonymous said…
Here is the link for the LGCCC guidelines. Very long and confusing tho. Use the table of contents to help you.

www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/lgccc/lgccc.pdf

Unfortunately, the State of NJ does not have a rule book made specifically for Tricky Trays (they call them "Penny Auctions"). Rules for "RAFFLES" are used as a guide. I've always called my contact person at the LGCCC whenever I have a question. A lot of the information she supplies me with is not written down anywhere, but rather loosely applied to Tricky Trays. She tells me that they don't have the time or manpower to focus on TT's, but eventually need to since these events are now so popular. Casino Nights seem to be their focus lately as far as rules go.
Anonymous said…
Went to the Old Bridge tricky tray Friday. The prizes were good on the larger tables. The small table weren't that great but they only charged a $1 for a sheet, so one can't complain. It was a little crowed and they should have posted that it was sold out on the site. Called and they said they were sold out. So how didn't they know???
Anonymous said…
I AGREE WITH THE FRIDAY NIGHT TT FOR POP WARNER AND CHEERLEADERS. TOO CROWDED, THE CALLER ALWAYS HAD A BEER IN HER HAND? WHAT WAS WITH THE DRINKING?? ALSO WHEN I CALLED PRIOR AND ASKED WHAT PRIZES SHE MENTIONED GREAT ADVENTURE TICKETS AND I SAW NONE THEIR??
Anonymous said…
Agreed on the North Warren TT - really good prices. Tickets were brutal to rip though. Nice to have the free refreshments also. We're planning on going to their next one in two weeks
Anonymous said…
SAVE THE DATE - May 4, 2007 - the SGT. RYAN E. DOLTZ MEMORIAL FDN. will have their Tricky Tray. This was an EXCELLENT TT last year: great prizes, fast calling, fair/reasonable ticket prices, fun/generous snacks. More info later, but this one shouldn't be missed!
Anonymous said…
How do I get tickets to the Penn School in Colonia tricky tray? Please let me know.
Anonymous said…
How do I get tickets to the Penn School in Colonia tricky tray? Please let me know.
Anonymous said…
Are you looking for the Pennsylvania Avenue School? Go to trickytray.com and look at the 2007 events. There is an email address there.
Anonymous said…
Suggestions for events to go to September 29/30? Looking for something with nice prizes, but not overly expensive.
Anonymous said…
Did anyone go to the tt at the Unity Center in Asbury, NJ? I was there only in the a.m. They were very nice. I was impressed with the setup. What did you think of the prizes and pricing of tickets? Was it very crowded? I didn't win anything. They notify anyone who won by phone, if they couldn't be there.
Anonymous said…
LOVED the TT at Unity in Asbury!! People couldn't be nicer, great prizes and no admission. Tickets priced very reasonable. Good food too! I will go next year. PS I did win 4 baskets!!
Anonymous said…
need help with first tricky tray. i need suggestions on how to get donations of items. please email me at gmb729@aol.com thanks
Anonymous said…
Check out the Blog archives for past suggestions. Many of the comments repeat over time. New people discover tt's and ask the same basic questions. From the very beginning everyone detests any events that award prizes to people who bend tickets or charge way too much for tickets. And of course, many suggestions have been made about how to set up the best events.
Anonymous said…
the tt is posted dec.16th just need to get more items people keep giving certificates instead of merchandize thanks to all who can give good advise to help
Anonymous said…
Any suggestions on which Tricky Tray I should go to on Saturday? I don't mind driving I just want to make sure I get in sometimes you go them and you find out there sold out and never posted it.
Anonymous said…
Anyone notice that Corpus Christi School TT is back in the Cafeteria on November 11th?
Anonymous said…
Hey need help... Last year I went to a TT but can't remember which school it was. They had all the small prizes outside and they were under a tent with heaters. Please tell me which one that is. All the big prizes were inside on the stage area. Thanks bunches!
Anonymous said…
I went to Church of the Assumption/St. Marys in Mt. Olive last night. They said it was their first one, which I didnt know before hand. Im glad I did not know that because I traveled from N. Jersey and probably wouldn't have if I knew it was the first one. Well Im really glad I went. First off, I must admit I am one the the critcal ones when it comes to comments on this blog and I am happy to say I have nothing negative to say. They did a SUPER JOB!!! The callers were fast and good. The prices were good. The prizes were very very nice. The people running it were extremely nice, all of them! They did such a good job that I will go next time and bring alot of my friends. This one was outstanding for a first time out!
Anonymous said…
"Hail Mary Full of Grace"...Yes a great tricky tray by Church of the Assumption/St. Marys in Mt. Olive. Can't wait till next year
Anonymous said…
I went to the Hillsborough Woman's Club tt on Friday. I thought it would be really expensive since the sheets of tickets were $8 (prizes under $50) and $12 (prizes over $50). It turned out not to be super expensive since there were only 80 prizes in each level. The price tags were on the prize I won and it was about $150! Nice prizes and good snacks.
Anonymous said…
Went to the Netcong Fire Company on Saturday night. Nice prizes good prices and those men called fast made everything go quickly. They did a great job!!!
Anonymous said…
Hey today I went to the TT in Helmetta for the Friends of John Droppa. Let me tell you it was AWESOME. I go to at least 2 TT's a week and this one was one of the best ones I have seen yet. There were over 500 prizes tickets were very reasonable. I won 8 prizes and there were so many prizes to go around I don't think anyone left empty handed. Really was a great cause and I'm glad they had a nice size crowd.
Anonymous said…
The Helmetta for Friends of John Droppa was indeed a good one. Lots and lots of prizes. Prices were fair. Because there were so many prizes I was there from 2:00 - 8:00!
Good job ladies.
Anonymous said…
Just a quick observation about the Friends of John Droppa TT Sun. @ Holy Trinity Parish Center Helmetta.
One of the Friends of John Droppa am here to say that I was blown away by the turnout for John.
I was also impressed that John dragged himself out (ir-regardless of his health)and drew the winning tickets. He also stayed and personally thanked "all the friends" and even the "kitchen kids" as well as the "gift runners" (future postal workers?) The saying is true, "Good things come back to Good People" A good time was had by all!
Anonymous said…
Any suggestions for October 6/7? I was thinking about the Hopatcong Warriors on Saturday. Does anyone know anything about it?
Anonymous said…
To reply to a post a few posts back...our Pennsylvania Ave School 27 in Colonia Tricky Tray tickets are on sale NOW! We are also pre-selling val packs. Please email me for tickets or mor information. Thanks. TrickyTrayCherry@aol.com
Anonymous said…
Yes, I can suggest a great Tricky Tray for you to attend on Friday, October 6th. It is the Pet Adoption League's T. Tray to be held at Minebrook Golf Club, Hackettstown on Schooley's Mountain Road. Lots of great prizes, you can reserve tickets in advance by checking out www.palpets.org or emailing trickytray@palpets.org - advance tickets are $10.00 for 4 sheets, doors open at 6 p.m. for advance and 3 sheets for $10.00, doors open at 6:30 p.m. for non-advance. This is going to be a great event.
Anonymous said…
Cherry,
I didn't see St. John Vianney on trickytray.com. Do you have any details?
Anonymous said…
The Pet Adoption League Tricky Tray in Hackettstown just gets better and better each year. I think they used to have it at the Legion hall, but this year moved it to the golf club in town. More people, more fun, great prizes. Lots of people must know this one because they were lined up. This is one of the best TTs for prizes based on fair prices. Keep up the great work!! I'll be back next year for sure!
Anonymous said…
Sorry, I just found out SJV was sold out! They didnt even post on here. 400 tickets sold out in a week.
Anonymous said…
I'm in Union county, but mostly go to events in Morris county - I think they're the best!
Anonymous said…
I am from Middlesex County. Anyone going to the CARD PARTY at Immaculate Conception Nov 3? It is always sold out so get your tickets early. I still have my connections to get a table.
Anonymous said…
I didn't know about a Card party tell me more... maroulr@comcast.net Thanks
Anonymous said…
I'm from Middlesex County and we have some good tricky trays. I've gone up North and West to PA & I still think that the ones in Central Jersey are the best.
Anonymous said…
The Pet Adoption League Tricky Tray was great. Gets better and better every year. Just one comment, the facility needs to be a little larger, perhaps the high school. It was so crowded you couldn't move, and I think they turned people away.
Anonymous said…
Can someone please share with me where you get your entrance ticket sheets from at a good price? Thanks!
Anonymous said…
Any suggestions for this coming weekend? I'm willing to travel! Looking for a reasonable number of prizes for the number of people and decent prizes and prices.
Anonymous said…
I went to the Hopatcong Warriors Tricky Tray on 10/7. The prizes and prices were pretty good. And, it wasn't too crowded, so that gave us all a better chance. They could have moved along a little quicker though if there weren't so many door prizes (that was way too long to sit in bleachers!). The door prizes could have been grouped togehter and they could have made a few more baskets with them. Were any of you other trickytray.com people there?
Anonymous said…
For those oraganizations who list websites on their trickytray.com postings, it would be much better if you have a link on your website giving additional information about your tricky tray. I click on some and find that the websites have nothing or are very out of date. And, if you give an email address, it would be great if the person who monitors that email address would respond. Several times I have sent an email and not gotten a response.
Anonymous said…
I am planning a tricky tray and was wondering is it best to have in on a Friday night or is Saturday nights okay?
Anonymous said…
If it's near me, I'll go to a Friday night event, but because of traffic it's a lot easier to get to the further ones on a Saturday. But, that being said, I'll go any day of the week! Just don't make me pay $40 for dinner. That's $40 less I'll spend on tickets which goes directly to your charity, not the catering hall!
Anonymous said…
You can purchase tickets at www.auctiontix.com - their prices are good. Just make sure you order all your tickets from them because we had some left over from last year and they were a little different. I would order from them again - the stores mark up the prices considerably.
Anonymous said…
Make sure you get the right website - I tried the one you listed and it's not the one - go to www.auction-tix.com (note the dash!)
Anonymous said…
Just have to get this one off my chest...I just went to a TT on Friday night. The caller was making me crazy. He did something that I think would upset most of us. He looked in the container almost every time he pulled a ticket. Some of the tickets had significantly larger print than all the other numbers. When he looked in the container, he ALWAYS pulled a large print number. When he was distracted, he would pull something else. Needless to say, a heck of a lot of the large ones got pulled. I didn't say anything; but I've been to other TTs where this happened and people have pointed out that you can't look when you pull tickets. You subconsciously pick out a number or a color that appeals to you. Like I said, just wanted to blow off a bit of steam about that and to alert future callers to keep their peepers to the side when pulling. Happy Tricky Traying!!!!
Anonymous said…
Sorry about the auction-tix.com website, I did it from memory - should have known better.
Anonymous said…
In the past I've been to tricky trays that charge $10 per ticket only to see 2 tickets in the bucket. I would never spend that on one ticket, there wasn't even a discount for buying more then one ticket. What I would spend is the following, 1 ticket for $5, 3 tickets for $10, 10 tickets for $20. You will sell more tickets when people get a discount. They will almost every time spend the highest amount of $20. Isn't that better then having two tickets in the bucket?
Anonymous said…
On the Lenox Wizard of Oz item. You can go as high as $5 a ticket. Not everyone will want that item, so you might give them a break and do it 2 for $5. If it was a vacation get away you could easily charge $5 a ticket with a $850 value.
Anonymous said…
There are so many tricky trays this weekend! Can't wait to hear from all of you about the good and the bad!
Anonymous said…
I went to the one at St. George Greek Orthodox Church last night. Let me find the nice things to say. People were nice, huge space, soda was $1. LOL Now on the other hand the regular prizes were only $2 a sheet but prizes were only worth that much. A potholder was a prize! A few items did look to be used. There were not enough prizes for the number of people there for sure. Then the higher price tickets were crazy compared to the value of the items. All bigger tables no matter on value were all the same prices just different colors. Just my thoughts.
Anonymous said…
Went to the TT People for Animals GREAT!!! Not one bad hing to say about it... Everything was just done so nicely... Good Job
Anonymous said…
Did anyone get to go to the Camp Auxilium Tricky Tray last night? I missed it, but heard it is always pretty good.
Anonymous said…
I hate to do this, my first "report" back from a TT and it was, not so good :( St. John Vianney in Colonia held in Clark. Where to begin? Value Packs were $50.00 - very expensive. They had 400 people in a space that probably was meant for 300. $35 ticket was for a buffet and one sheet of tickets. So after you walked around for an hour putting your tickets in you had to then get on another line to get your dinner. The food was, sorry to say, not hot and then no one came around to take your plates.
Prizes were, ahh ok. 1st level was ok $5.00/sheet. Maybe 5 out of 120 that I really wanted ( including tickets to The View, Regis & Kelly ). Next, $2.00 per ticket for the dinner gift certificates - there were about 40 so I passed compeletly on that level. Next level, in a small, crowded back room, $10/sheet. Again, maybe 5 or 6 out of 60 that I wanted. Here is the kicker - 30 grand prizes and they were $3.00 per ticket! Also, didnt know how they had a Playstation next to a 2 month membership to Curves, next to digital camera. Seemed like about 8 of them should have been grand prizes. In the past, this TT has been one of my favorites. Not sure if it is because it was a buffet dinner, or because they didnt have enough "quality" of prizes, or 400 people and less than 275 prizes...but I most likely won't go to thiers again next year. On a positive note, the one 50/50 was $2000.00 to the winner and the other was about $800.00 to the winner.
Anonymous said…
I went to the Colonial Volunteer Fire Company tricky tray in Hamilton on Saturday. For the admission you got a sheet of tickets for the first level, a bottle of water and some snacks. There were way too many prizes! Over 300 in the first level (most of which were really not that good!), over 200 in the second level, 50 in the next level. Needless to say, it was a long night (5 hours from the time the first number was called till the last prize)! I would suggest that next time they bundle some of the prizes together to make bigger prizes.
Anonymous said…
I agree with the previous blogger...Colonial Fire Co. had way too many prizes on the lower end tables...over 500! (I didn't get home to Ocean County until after 1 AM.) Those items could have been bundled into baskets to make a nicer prize. The higher value prizes were good tho....a couple of nice overnight getaways, great value on diamond earrings, computer.... They have a huge hall and enough parking - great for a Tricky Tray crowd. I don't know if they do this every year, but I would go again.
Anonymous said…
I JUST MAILED FOR TICKETS TO CORPUS CHRISTI NOV 11TH THEY HAVE AN AWESOME TT. LADY SAID TICKETS ARE GOING FAST. THEY SOLD OUT LAST YEAR 3 WEEKS BEFORE?? AWESOME GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS AND MYSELF..
Anonymous said…
I agree CORPUS CHRISTI is a great one I already got my table of six. This way I know we have seats. This one is always packed but prizes are great if you win one.
Anonymous said…
Just bought 3 tickets last night at Corpus Christi Bingo. I heard they have 3 getaways, alot of gift certificates from skiing to dinner to shows. Alot of nice christmas presents and about 6 super grand prizes. And about 200 baskets. It will be great. Can't wait.
Anonymous said…
Didn't go to the Bonafides tricky tray this year, but have been in the past. I agree it's not one of the high end events, but generally the prizes are fine (and match the price of the tickets). As I recall, they don't solicit donations from businesses - all the prizes are donated by the members. It is nice that they allow kids - 10 year olds and up know how to behave and get so excited when they win!
Anonymous said…
Does anyone know when Bernards High School will be having their tricky tray? They have really nice baskets! I remember it being sometime in the fall.
Anonymous said…
I was saddened to see that West Morris Central is not going to have a tricky tray this spring. They're doing an art auction instead. They cite a lack of volunteers and a downturn in the economy. That is one event that will truly be missed - they had fabulous prizes!
Anonymous said…
Hey...I went to the St. John's TT in Clark, too. My whole table and the people I talked to seem to agree with what was already posted. The worst part had to be the cold food, the long lines and the inferior quality of the prizes. A BIG disappointment from years past. My suggestion, go back to having it at school where you can bring your own food and plan more ahead so you have more/better prizes. I would have much rather preferred a sit down dinner with some waitress service too!
Anonymous said…
Our Tricky Tray in February is a sit down dinner and the prizes are coming in nicely and we have $$ allocated to purchase our top few prizes if we do not get them donated. Tickets sales have started, its very exciting! I love reading the posts here...you learn the Do's and Dont's of TT.
Hope to meet some of you gals at ours. Talk to you soon.
Anonymous said…
attended ramapo bergen tricky tray last night at brownstone, paterson NJ. wasn't impressed with the event at all. thought tickets were overpriced and prizes were truly lacking. baskets looked like they were thrown together in a matter of minutes. didn't look like any effort was made to make them look eye catching. m.c. was hard to understand, confused at points in the night and spoke very low. food was ok but certainly not worth $40 bucks for family style meal. our night was topped off by waiting close to 45 minutes to get my car. wound up having to walk to the rite aid around the corner at 11:00 to retrieve my own car. would not attend any future events.
Anonymous said…
I also attened the Ramapoo Animal Shelter TT at the Brownstone. I have been to many TT's and this one was the bottom of the barrel. First, there were too many people for such a small place. Very Expensive admission for a family style meal, they should have given you a free sheet of tickets along with admission. There should have been two MC's, the one that they had was rude and you could barly hear her. I also experienced a nightmare getting my car 45 minutes i had to wait. I understand that it was for a good cause but come on!!!!!
Anonymous said…
I have to agree with the two blogs before me.
I was so disappointed in the Tricky Tray Fundraiser for the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge. I had heard such great things about last year however I wasn't impressed with the orgainzation of the TT. There were too many people in the room there was very little room to walk and for the servers to get around. Even know you had pretty decent larger prices, the smaller prizes were not visually appealing. The woman who called out the tickets was not consistant when calling out tickets.. Too many tickets had to be recalled because my feeling was she was not speaking loud enough. WHen you have a room full of 400+ people you better make sure you are loud... I waited for my car for 1/2 hour and took it apon myself to retrieve my own car in the parking lot. Very disappointing...
Anonymous said…
Did anyone attend the Music and More Tricky Tray at the Hanover Manor on Oct. 12th? Looking for some feedback.
Anonymous said…
So many tricky trays, so little time (and so little money!). Can't wait to get this weekend's update on the good and bad!
Anonymous said…
Insider news regarding the Budd Lake Firehouse TT, sponsored by St. James' Church. From what I am reading on this blog they are doing everything right! They know the caller will not look into the ticket containers, they are shaken not stirred and fast. They have over 200 baskets including IPOD, Broadway Tickets, LCD TV, Jets football tickets, Medieval Times, Carnegie Hall and so much more. We hope that you will give us a chance to WOW you. Ticket cost are right in line with what bloggers are requesting. Plenty of tickets still available. Seating for 260, will not exceed seating capacity, after all it is at the firehouse. Lots of advise taken from many active TT enthusiast including the PAL. Saturday, 5:30pm. Hope to see you all there. Thanks.
Anonymous said…
Just saw signs go up in Long Valley, for a tricky tray Nov 4 to benefit one of the schools. Spoke w/someone and it and looks pretty good with over 200 baskets with pretty nice stuff (electronics, gift certificates, merchandise, tickets, etc.) average values between $50 to $500+. It's being held at some new golf club in Washington (Warren County).
Anonymous said…
I want to try you guys one last time. Does anyone know of the TT off 80 that has all the prizes outside under heated tents?
Anonymous said…
I would like to hear some feedback on the PASS(Parsippany Animal Supporters Society) Tricky Tray last night in Boonton. Did anyone attend, and any comments?
Anonymous said…
the tt with the regular prizes outside in tents is St josephs in newton , it on the 27th. I went last year it was great!
Anonymous said…
Thanks so much I though it was that one on the 27th but wanted to be sure. It's a hour and a half from my house but it was so worth the drive. Thanks for the info!!!
Anonymous said…
St. James Church TT @ the Budd Lake fire house was great. It was the first one that they did and it was organized and NICE. They even provided baggies to put the tickets in, a small thing that was a big hit! I thought they did a fantastic job.
Anonymous said…
Thanks to all who attended the St. James' TT on the October 21st. It was our first one and from our prospective it was very successful. Now I anxiously await reading your comments, please let me know what you thought> good or not so good.
Anonymous said…
I thought the St. James TT was fantastic. You advertised well, the food was great, the prizes were very nice and there were so many of them for a first TT. Only one negative and it's not your fault...one of the food items in the basket I won was expired by 10 years. I've seen it happen before. You can't control what your donors put in all the baskets. Everything else in it was beautiful though. Thanks and I'll definitely come again next year.
Anonymous said…
I was at the RBARI TT on the 18th and I have to say last year's was actually nicer. I think it was less crowded, the caller was much better, and the prizes on average were better. Some of the stuff this year was very cool, and I won two things - one I really, REALLY wanted, so I can't complain all that much. If you saw a guy walking around with the piggy cookie jar, that was my boyfriend, carrying it for me. My other prize was one of the free advertisements in a weekly paper. Both my mother & I have our own businesses, and we're splitting up the ads, so it was a GREAT prize to win, especially right before Chanukah & Christmas. I've never seen that sort of prize before, and it's a great idea.

The problem with the caller is that she wasn't sticking with normal number rhythms, reading the numbers WAY too fast the first time, then immediately repeating too quickly, and only slowing down for the third & last call, which is why she was calling new numbers all the time. I was almost right next to her, so I could hear really well, and I thought it was really unfair.
Anonymous said…
I will say, though, that I intend to go back every year. RBARI is where I got my cat, so I have no problem donating to them as much as possible. In fact, I donated one of the prizes, for the second year in a row - I'm the face painter who donated an hour gift cert for a party.
Anonymous said…
Nov. 5 - Tricky Trays at Bridgewater and Woodbridge.....the info for each of these is the same, obviously an error. Please correct.
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
Thanks for pointing out that error.
Anonymous said…
Can you tell me what you think a fair price would be for tickets for a widescreen flatpanel HDTV (around 32" screen)? The TV itself will be worth approximately $1000. Any suggestions for ticket prices? Thanks!
Anonymous said…
Wow - great prize! I have seen items of that value go for $10 a ticket or 3 for $25. I personally don't usually go for the big prizes like that - my limit is $5 a ticket.
Anonymous said…
What's up for this weekend fellow tricky-trayers? I'm headed to Newton for St. Joseph's. Hope it lives up to my expectations based on all of your comments! Do they have a lot of prizes? I think I heard they have room for 600 people! Any details on the prices?
Anonymous said…
I am with you on the St. Jospeph's TT... It's very crowded and your odds of winning are so slim. Think about your options before you decide to go.
Anonymous said…
Went to St. Joseph's - loved it! Great prizes, good prices, and I came home a winner! Good crowd, but not overly crowded. In my opinion the only negative was that you had to park so far away!
Anonymous said…
Not crowded were we in the same room??? St. Joseph was very crowded and it wasn't very fun to have to go outside in the rain and stand to wait to put your tickets in the buckets under those tents. Prizes were very nice and good prices excet the high items the were a small amount for 30 bucks come on... Great free food spread but if you are going to charge for soda and water at least you can do is buy the name brand stuff. You will make you money back because we will buy it. Don't sell us store brand stuff.
Anonymous said…
Went to the St. Stan's Tricky Tray for kids this afternoon. It was a mad house. Not enough seats so many people had to stand! I don't mind kids at Tricky Trays at all but this one was nuts. The caller had to keep telling parents to go get there kids out of hallways. Outside some of the kids were fist fighting and no one was watching them to stop it. IF YOU TAKE YOUR KIDS TO A TRICKY TRAY THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS WATCH THEM! Maybe next year they can improve on the mishaps of today.
Anonymous said…
To anonymous about St. Joseph's - I got there early and it wasn't raining when I was outside. Yes, there were a lot of people, but there were empty seats in my row and the rows around me and I was near the front. I agree with you that the upper prizes were nothing special, but the 1st two levels were great!
Anonymous said…
I do agree with you the prizes were great. They always are but you should never have that many people in one room. There was a empty chair or two in the row near me but there should have never been that many chairs put out. Everyone is on top of each other. A group of us went and stood in the hallway for most of it. That really doesn't make for a fun evening. I want to make sure you all know I was very happy with the prizes and I won a few but two many people is too many. I would have rathered paid a small admission fee for them to have less chairs. They would have still made there money.
Anonymous said…
I went to the TT on 10/25 at the Saddle Brook Holiday Inn held by the junior womans club of Dumont/Bergenfield. First, I hope that you ladies did well, it's a good cause. My two friends and I will not be back. One friend won a baby basket with expired baby food and visibly used toys. Many of the prizes were okay, many were not desirable. I should have looked it over first, but I bought the ticket package that included ten tix for grand prizes, I think there were only 8 grand prizes and I was not interested in a single one. To anyone planning a TT, check all your donations, discard any expired or short dated food items and do not put visibly used items in a prize basket. Also, the Holiday Inn Saddle Brook top floor is the wrong place for this event, very poor lighting, couldn't see what was in many baskets, and there are only two very slow elevators. It takes a very long time to get a few hundred people and prizes out of there.
Anonymous said…
I was just planning out all my Tricky Trays for the rest of 2006. I called the one in Allentown on December 16th. Want to make sure I go to the very end. LOL They have some really cool prizes the lady said some of the top prizes are Disney Hopper Passes, trips, golf outings, and some prizes were in NJ like Paper Mill and Medieval Times. I wanted to make sure before I drove out there from NJ. I am one of those TTers that will drive anywhere for a good one. I got a group of tickets and they told me because we got them now they came with two sheets instead of one. Good Deal I hope it is as good as they say. I'm also going to the Corpus Christi TT. It really is a great one it's already sold out same as last year. Another good one is St Cecelia School just be prepared to spend the cash.
Anonymous said…
I also went to the TT run by the junior Womans Club of Bergenfield/Dumont. I thought it was well run, and the prizes were nice. I agree with the previous post that they should not put out things that have expired, (baby food etc.) but maybe someone donated that basket already wrapped and they didnt realize the items in it expired. I bid on the baby baskets and to tell you the truth, I did not see baby food in it. Maybe thats because the lighting was poor and it was hard to see. This also is not the fault of the womans club but I think they should pick a better place for the event next year. Those 2 sloooow rickety elevators seemed like it could be some kind of fire hazard to us. This place was the strangest place I have ever seen. This place reminded me of that other dump, The Wayne Manor, which thankfully has or will be demolished!
Anonymous said…
I attended the event held by the Junior Woman's Club of Bergenfield also. I thought the event was fabulous! The prizes were very desirable in my opinion. The baskets were well put together. The event ran smoothly and they called over 200 baskets in less than 2 hours. They were organized and well thought out. Most baskets are donated as we all know and you can't fault them for not pulling each one apart to check for expiration dates, that is impossible. Overall I thought the event was excellent!
Anonymous said…
Did anyone go to the Dystonia Foundation TT at the Westmount last week? How was it?

Also, I liked the TT person's idea of planning out the rest of the year's TT to attend. Can you bloggers tell me which upcoming TT's are really great (and if tickets are still available), and their dates and how to reach the organizers (if they aren't listed on this site?)Many thx, TT 4-ever!!!
Anonymous said…
A reminder, the Long Valley Flocktown/Kossmann PTA is holding a tricky tray this Saturday evening (Nov 4) at Hawk Pointe Golf Club on Rt. 31 in Washington. Ticket sales have been slow, so there will be a GREAT opportunity to win lots of baskets (right now there are more baskets than tickets sold and there are close to 200 baskets!!). Please come out for what promises to be a fun night.
Anonymous said…
For a fun night on 11/10/06 check out Our Lady of Mt. Virgin (Middlesex NJ)'s Harvest Moon Basket Raffle. We have 2 prize levels and some great grand prizes. Some Grand Prizes include a 32" flatscreen HDTV, a GPS system, a Blue iPod Nano package, "Bake for A Cure" Pink Kitchen Aid basket, a helicopter ride and dinner in NYC, and much more! Some admission tickets are still available and we are not sure if they will still be around to purchase at the door, so get them now while they last. Check out our post on the "Events" section. Hope to see you all there. We are planning for a wonderful, fun filled night! Thanks also for all your wonderful comments and suggestions!!!
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