About That Tricky Tray.. I Just Want To Say_Chapter 15 (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. However..no personal attacks will be tolerated.

Comments

Mr. Tricky Tray said…
Hi Everyone,

With the Fall Tricky Tray Season upon us, I thought now was a good time for a new chapter. Keep checking trickytray.com daily as events are coming in each day. Right now I have a 1/2 dozen to post over weekend. And let's get some blogging going on recent events. Always great to hear feedback!

Also I'm on facebook now..become a friend!

http://www.facebook.com/mrtrickytray

Mr. Tricky Tray
Anonymous said…
Hi!
Hoping for some input from the Tricky Tray community. Do you enjoy 50/50 raffles? Would you prefer they be 50/25/25, so there'd be 2 winners?
Anonymous said…
I love the idea of two prizes, though announcing 50/50 is a lot catchier than get your "50/25/25" tickets.

The St. Joseph Regional School tricky tray has always had a highly successful 50/50 raffle. Am hoping to win that prize this Friday night!
Anonymous said…
I'm headed to the St. Joe's TT, Newton NJ this Friday, too. It is Sussex County's best TT by FAR! The prizes are all $75 and up. There is this enormous food basket to, the Grocery Prize. Could feed my 4 kids for weeks.
trickytraycherry said…
Depending on how much your 50/50 can be would determine my answer. If the organization is getting $1000 and $1000 to the winner, 2 $500s would be fine. But if its $500 and then 2 $250s Id say no. Just my opinion :)
Anonymous said…
Thanks, Cherry!
Elizabeth said…
As the Giving Network gears up to assist local residents whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Irene and the subsequent floods, the public is encouraged to help by attending a Tricky Tray (Basket Auction) on Saturday, October 22, 2011 in Manville.
This promises to be a very fun, social evening filled with laughter - and all for a good cause. Admission sold out last year, so get advance admission now! Advance Admission payment must be received by 10/15.
Your $15 admission includes great refreshments, a sheet of 25 regular tickets and a ticket for door prizes

The Giving Network is an all volunteer charity which began in 1999 as a band of volunteers worked tirelessly to assist victims of Hurricane Floyd, which devastated Bound Brook and neighboring towns. Soon after, the Giving Network was officially formed and has been helping the neediest members of our community ever since.

For further information and a partial list of prizes, visit http://givingnetwork.bravehost.com
Anonymous said…
re 50/50
I'd love to see more happy winners rather than someone I don't know clutching thousands of dollars. Draw a new winner for every $100 available. Those who purchase multiple strips of 50/50 tickets are odds on faves for their numbers to come out more than once. So if your 50/50 goes to $1784 to the winner, you would have 17 winners of $100 and the last would be thrilled to get the $84
Anonymous said…
St Joseph's has dropped tray value to $75 - traditionally all trays were $100 in value. Does anyone know if the larger prize value has also shifted around?
Anonymous said…
How many people usually attend? Are there at least the same amount of baskets as people attending?
Anonymous said…
My friends and I like one big 50/50 prize. Two or three levels are ok also. I would not care for the suggestion of 17 winners of $100. I dont need $100 and probably would not buy tickets for such a 50/50.
Anonymous said…
My mom won the big flat screen TV at St Joseph's in Newton's tricky tray last year and I won a Keurig coffee machine. My sister-in-law also won a basket of Godiva chocolates. It was exciting and fun and lots of baskets lining the hallways and auditorium. It's this Friday and I'm going even though my mom can't come.
trickytraycherry said…
Hi everyone. I am posting regarding the November 12 Triple Crown Tricky Tray. In our ad in the POST YOUR EVENT section we have listed some of our prizes.

We have a "large outdoor gazebo" listed as one of our prizes. I listed it because it was one of the items that we purchased at a major store, along with the grill, patio set, tv etc.

We are in full swing of wrapping baskets and getting prizes togehter. We opened the gazebo box to read the directions to see how involved the set up was going to be to decide if this was something we were going to assemble and have out on display or something we would leave in the box. Unfortunately, when we looked in the box we noticed several of the supporting bars were bent and two of the bags of screws and bolts needed for assembly were missing! We contacted the store, but because of the time of year it is now there are no gazebos left in stock at their store or another store. They are going to give us a partial refund and we will purchase another item in its place, but I felt the need to explain why there will be no "large outdoor gazebo" at our event as we stated in our advertisement.

I certainly dont want anyone to think that we listed large prizes to lure people to attend our event.

I will contact Kevin and ask him to remove that prize from our ad and we are certainly looking to replace it with another large prize, but of half the value.

On a good note, some more prizes we do have and that are not damaged are :)

Craftsman toolbox and tools - Digital Camcorder - Baby package including stroller, swing, $100 Your Baby Can Read DVD set and baby items - XBox Bundle with gift card - Galaxy Tablet - Michael Kors purses and Coach bags, just to name a few.

I wanted to post this sooner, but we were deciding on how to handle it and now that we are getting a partial refund we will be able to purchase something, albeit smaller, in its place.

Thank you for your understanding and if you have any questions, please dont hesitate to contact me here or at TripleCrownTrickyTray@mail.com

thank you-
julie
Anonymous said…
Attended SJRS tricky tray last night. Prizes were ok, way too many Vera Bradley bags. The tickets were hard to separate. I heard this from alot of other people as well who's tickets were getting torn when trying to separate them because of the difficulty. For the number of total baskets, this event should have been over by 10:00. I've been to tricky trays where there were double the baskets and finished between 10 & 11. Once again, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DESCRIBE EVERY SINGLE BASKET! THAT'S WHAT THE PROGRAM IS FOR PEOPLE!! I think if it began @ 7:30, people wouldn't have been as exhausted and paying more attention to their numbers towards the end and not have to pick new numbers. Won't go again.
Giving Network said…
Hey all! A few of the donors for the Giving Network tricky tray are still having trouble deciding what to donate, so they asked us.. and we're asking YOU!
What's "hot" right now? What lower & higher level prizes would YOU put YOUR tickets in to try & win?

We want to be sure we've got what you all like! :-D
Anonymous said…
tablets (ipad)
amex gift cards
weekend getaways
appliances
broadway or sports tickets
among my favorites
Giving Network said…
Thanks, anonymous! What sort of appliances do you mean?
trickytraycherry said…
Oooh had a big day at the mailbox -HAD TO SHARE! Just added to our prizes - 2 tickets for Rock of Ages on Braodway - 2 tickets for The Adams Family on Broadway and 2 nights for 2 at The Portly Grape near Long Island NY - winery/bed & breakfast - looks goregous!!!!

Also wrapped a stroller, baby swing and Your Baby Can Read set.

Countdown has begun!!!
Anonymous said…
stuff you want to win but hate buying for yourself

toaster ovens, blenders, chopper, food processor, coffee pots, griddles, that kind of stuff.

pots and pans are nice, baking sheets too.
Giving Network said…
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll tell our last-minute donors - and hope to see you Oct 22! :-D

Elizabeth
http://givingnetwork.bravehost.com/index.html
Anonymous said…
Tricky tray season is in full swing! Where's everyone headed this weekend?
Anonymous said…
Just found time to comment on St Joseph's tricky tray. I have not attended this event in several years, and I was a little surprised. The trays didn't seem to be $75 in value. The specials certainly were, but not the regular trays. At the start of the event the coffee and tea were free....all of a sudden the sign said $1 and the cups were removed. No free deserts either. I remember when there use to be cheese and fruit trays and a lot more goodies that were free. I guess times have changed. Coffee and Tea at least should be free. Some cookies or cakes whould help also. When I mentioned the coffee and tea at the event, nothing was changed.
NJsharon said…
Going to the Giving Network in 2 weeks & I would love to see these kinds of prizes...

lottery tree
flatscreen TV
kindle or nook
bottle of wine
kids board games package
keurig
food blender
juicer

Looking forward to the tricky tray!
Anonymous said…
we are starting to plan our tricky tray, and can the person who has written the last few posts about the great prizes they are getting ie broadway tickets, appliances, etc. tell me what you are doing and how we can also solicit such great contributions? Appreciate your help so much. Thank you
Giving Network said…
Sharon, thanks for the input!
We've already got almost all the prizes you listed, and hey, maybe we'll pull another one out of our magic hat! Looking forward to seeing you soon!

http://givingnetwork.bravehost.com/index.html
Anonymous said…
Not sure if you are aware, but lottery trees are among the "no-no's" for the state of new jersey.
Anonymous said…
where do you see info about lottery trees being off limits? We've scoured the rules... link appreciated, thanks!
trickytraycherry said…
I dont know where the lottery tickets thing is in the rules provided in the link on the tt.com homepage, but when you call the state of nj the guy runs down a list of illegal prizes. They are:
livestock, tobacco, firearms, cash prizes other than 50/50 and lottery tickets. I can make a call tomorrow and see if they can provide me with a link and I can post it for you.

Also, someone asked where we got our prizes from tickets, etc. We purchased the 2 sets of Broadway tickets and we worked with a nearby "major department/home store". The store manager was wonderful with us. We just explained our situation and told him what we were looking for. He gave us almost 50-60% off most items. We spent over $2,000 at his store and got over $5,000 worth of prizes. You just need to find a manager that is willing to work with you. We also opened a credit card and saved 20% and he honored our tax exempt status. He also emailed us when it was Friends & Family Days...so we are so thankful to him and that store.

We mailed over 400 letters to local and corporate solicitors. Keurig will donate a coffeemaker, just go to the Keurig website. Dicks is good - Target - Kohls.

Main thing is to find people who work at places that can donate or discount. Thats my 2cents worth of advice :)
trickytraycherry said…
Groupon too!!!!
trickytraycherry said…
Sorry, meant to respond to another post a few days ago and forgot.

To the anonymous post from Oct 1 regarding the SJRS tricky tray.

I have found that the last few tt I attended had tickets that were hard to separate. They arent as perforated as they used to be and the paper is thinner. It is just the quality of the tickets that are being fabricated now.

Side note - I scoured the net looking for red tickets to match our first level of prizes. No one has red. I contacted a company that offered to custom make the tickets for me in red. The regular ticket sheets with 26 tickets are $29 for 500 - they wanted $275 for 500! So, needless to say we went to pink.

Im not thrilled with the quality of the tickets either, but its just what is out there, without spending a ton of money. Less we spend = more we can make!!!
trickytraymama said…
Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission Regulations

13:47-6.20 Prohibited prizes
(a) No licensee shall offer or award any prize consisting of
real estate or any interest therein, bonds, shares of stock,
securities or evidences of indebtedness, weapons, live animals
(except a gift certificate redeemable for live, edible
seafood), foreign or domestic coins (except collector pieces
or sets that are marketed as such and are clearly not intended
for use as legal tender), tobacco products, motor vehicle
leases, or any merchandise refundable in any of the foregoing
or as money or cash.

That last part that says merchandise refundable in any of the foregoing or as money or cash would include lottery tickets and money trees.

Feel free to call Scott at 973-273-8000 for further explaination.
Anonymous said…
What do you guys think of "children welcome" at tricky trays.... Was looking for some upcoming events to attend and noticed I was seeing this more and more... Right now I'm thinking of sticking to "adults only" postings but was wondering how others felt about it...
Anonymous said…
It would depend on if I wanted to bring my own kids. If not, don't think I'd want to go to a kid-friendly one - there's always at least one person who lets their little ones run around screaming.
Anonymous said…
WAY too many dinner/tricky trays in Oct.......thats a lot of money...$30-$80.....some are okay..but I couldn't possibly justify spending that much money unless its a major 'cause'
Anonymous said…
Attended the Netcong Fireman's Tricky Tray at Lenape Valley High School. What a great job you did. The prizes were great and the prices were reasonable. Everyone was friendly and the event moved right along. We had a really nice evening. Good luck in the future.
Anonymous said…
Great comments :) Those are the main things that can make any tt a success - reasonable prices with great prizes, friendly volunteers and moving it along - amen!!!
Anonymous said…
wow, what is the record for the most tricky trays in one weekend? There sure are a lot this weekend. I'll be going to one tomorrow, wish I could afford to go to more. I've had to cut back to just a couple a year and have cut out the dinner events in favor of the less expensive ones. I save my coins and cash them in for tricky trays. good luck to everyone this weekend.
Anonymous said…
wow, what is the record for the most tricky trays in one weekend? There sure are a lot this weekend. I'll be going to one tomorrow, wish I could afford to go to more. I've had to cut back to just a couple a year and have cut out the dinner events in favor of the less expensive ones. I save my coins and cash them in for tricky trays. good luck to everyone this weekend.
Anonymous said…
Discount Coupons as prizes? What does everyone else think about this? I went to a tt last Saturday and there were close to a dozen level 1 & 2 prizes that were $50 and $100 discount coupons for party entertainment (lizards or music), on the table was a paper indicating the name of the thing and amount, but no description of what it actually was for. Looking it up the next day online, I found out more and saw that they charged over $200 for an event. So if you "won" that prize it would still cost you a lot of money. I don't think a coupon should be a prize. A gift card is fine if one can potentially use it without having to spend more such as a restaurant or store coupon.
trickytraycherry said…
I completely agree with you. I hate to say no to people who want to make a donation, but when someone gives you a $50 off a purchase of $100 or more it isnt really a prize. A few of the larger corporations were offering these as prizes. We accepted them but did not feature them as main prizes...we put them in prizes that already reached the goal price range.

But, now I will tell you about a great prize I am happy about. "Extreme Couponing" is the name and is a Level 1 prize which is $75-$100. We have been clipping coupons for a few months, checking to make sure the expiration dates are at least into 2012. There are over 100 coupons in there and Im getting more every day. In addition to that prize we have a 2012 Entertianment Book and a $50 gift card to a food store. Those last 2 prizes are worth $75 so all of the coupons really dont go towards the value of the prize, but someone is going to be very happy with a ton of coupons!!!

We are just 15 days away, Im so excited!!!!
Janine said…
Just wanted to thank everyone who came out to our TT on Saturday, October 22 (yes, there were a LOT of TTs on that weekend!). We hope everyone who attended enjoyed themselves and if you liked our TT - don't forget to vote for us for the Best TT of 2011. Thanks for all your support! Animal Protection League of NJ
Anonymous said…
re: Casino Nights

these can be done multiple ways...if you are posting one please specify the format.

Some are tricky tray format and I would guess you are doing that if you post here...but if not please specify.

They can also be done silent/regular auction.
Anonymous said…
Why do some tricky tray groups have to charge so much money for a single sheet of tickets....@ EVERY LEVEL!!?? I just don't get it. Do they not want people to spend more than less?....On top of already paying a fair amount for the entry. Are we not trying to boost the economy & entice people to want to have a fun night out? I'm all for supporting charities & organizations, but come on...Really?? People may attend, but the odds of them spending as much as they normally would go way down.
Anonymous said…
Anonymous - what to you is a reasonable amount for a sheet of tickets at each level?
Anonymous said…
Found this one & it is one of the best I've seen: might even attend this tricky tray.
Combo pack $20.00 - 4 sheets, 3 specials and 2 super specials.
50/50 - $1.00 ea /15 for $5.00
Tray sheets-(25 per)-1 for $3/10 for $24
Specials- $2/3 for $5/ 6 for $10
Super Specials - $5 ea

Here's another good value I found:
Pink tickets $5/sheet 3/$12 ~ White Tickets $7/sheet 3/$18
Value Packs $25 3 sheets white 3 sheets pink.
Mega Prize Tickets $10 3/$25.
• Pink Prize Baskets & Pink Gift Certificates UP TO $75 value.
• White Prize Baskets and White Gift Certificates UP TO $150 value.
Anonymous said…
but you understand, you end up with the same chance of winning if everyone puts more tickets in, right? There'll just be more tickets in every container.
Anonymous said…
I disagree with the above posting. If tickets are cheaper per sheet a person can at least get 1 ticket into each prize on the lower level. I totally disagree that it is the same chance of winning. I believe it totally defeats the fundraising ability of the organization. If I go to a tt and the prices are high, I ALWAYS spend less than I would if the prices were lower. And second I NEVER go back to the ones with high prices ever again. Therefore, in the long run, you lose money from me and my group initially and then you lose again when we don't return the following year. There is no need to gouge people at a fundraiser, they will not spend and they will not return. I know for a fact I am not alone in this thinking.
Anonymous said…
I disagree with the above posting. If tickets are cheaper per sheet a person can at least get 1 ticket into each prize on the lower level. I totally disagree that it is the same chance of winning. I believe it totally defeats the fundraising ability of the organization. If I go to a tt and the prices are high, I ALWAYS spend less than I would if the prices were lower. And second I NEVER go back to the ones with high prices ever again. Therefore, in the long run, you lose money from me and my group initially and then you lose again when we don't return the following year. There is no need to gouge people at a fundraiser, they will not spend and they will not return. I know for a fact I am not alone in this thinking.
Anonymous said…
To the above poster.....NICELY PUT!! Yes you most definitely are not alone in your thinking.
Anonymous said…
Referring to the discout coupons. They are donated, and are still a good value if you win it and would like to have the people come and do a show. You are still getting $50 - $100 off of a $200+ show. I think that it's a good prize for those that want it and those that don't, shouldn't waste their tickets on it. If you have a $25 Gift Certificate for somewhere, usually, you wind up spending more anyway (like grocery or gas GCs), it's the same thing.
Anonymous said…
to the poster above about the discount coupons - ok, sure, AS LONG as the fact that it's a coupon is well stated, clearly, on the basket, so the potential winners realize what they're getting.
Anonymous said…
Re Discount coupons: not a good prize. Most of these discounts are not shown in a way that people understand that it is a coupon. The winner never intended to pay additional and in the end does not claim the prize, has a bad feeling about misrepresented 'prizes' at that event and dislikes by default the company that donated the 'coupon'.

re affordable prices for tickets: Some event committees are just hard-hearted in their greed. They drop the value of their trays because donations are down, they stop offering anything (even free coffee) to their guests who attend the event even after charging them an admittance fee for getting in the door and they glibly defend offering coupons as prizes while they bump up the ticket prices each year.
Very few people feel the need to drop a ticket in every bag. But don't think we are stupid. Good events have not raised their ticket prices for years. Those who attend walk in the door knowing they have $50 or $100 to spend. What you charge will not change that because that is all the money they have budgeted for the event. They will remember and not return to events that over charge for tickets.
trickytraycherry said…
Lots of interesting posts about ticket prices. There is nothing worse then attending a tt and seeing a level with $50 prizes, at best, and they have over 75 of those baskets, yet tickets are 15 for $20. As prize values increase, so do the ticket prices but the quantity of tickets decreases. Then the grand prizes are on a table with 10-15 prizes and those tickets range from $5-10 EACH. That is rough.

When coming up with ticket prices, my suggestion, look at the value of the prizes on the level, the amount of prizes you have there and then what it would cost to get tickets in 75% of the prizes.

Our tt is next saturday and we decided this year to only use the 26 ticket sheets for every level of prizes. At program print, we had 87 level 1 prizes - nothing less than $75 in value, most with $100 - and those sheets are $5 each. You get one with admission so there are 26 right there. If you wanted to try and get 1 ticket in each basket you would only need to spend $10 and get 52 more tickets - youd have 87 tickets. Of course people dont put one in each, and some put 5 in one..but that, to us, is a fair price.
As values quality of baskets increase (value), quantity decreases ( amount). Level 2 are $100-$200 - at print we had 70 of those. Those sheets are $8 for 26. So if you buy 3 sheets for $24 you have 78 tickets...very fair. You get the point :)
Yes, of course, we do these as fund raisers, but we also want it to be a fun night out and one youd want to return to because you felt like the prizes were good, the prices were fair, the volunteers were helpful and it moved along quickly...oh yeah, and winning a few prizes always helps!!!

Freebies are always appreciated, even if its just coffee, desserts, water or snacks :)

Have a great Saturday everyone - see some of you next week!!!!
~julie
maryann said…
what do you think about have a trade table at the end of a tricky tray. i know we put in for what we supposedly want , but sometimes we really want something else. of course the trade would be for the same level prizes you never know, you could end up going home with the prize you really wanted
Anonymous said…
re Trade table: Many people leave when the regular tray drawing finishes (because they didn't have $ to put in the upper levels, or simply weren't interested. An interesting method might be if the tray is promptly identified as wanting to trade. Maybe put it on stage and open it to 1 for 1 trade with any other tray already won at that level.

Personally I only put in for trays I want to win. There is some real frustration felt when people who put tickets in every bag and then complain that they win what is of no use to them. The problem is there were a lot of people who really did want/need that prize. I know people who literally have thrown prizes away because it was of no worth to them. arrrrrgh. Which brings me back to having a request if there are any trays up for trade and getting this done before people walk out the door. It would be fun if whoever has an unopened tray could claim the prize. Their tray could be accepted or again put up for trade. Assuming the trays were not cherry picked with some items removed, that might be a fun event that wouldn't take up a lot of time.
maryann said…
i agree , sometimes i am in a rush a put in for anything at that will end up what i do not need or want and yet there were lots of tickets so someone would have liked/loved itc
trickytraycherry said…
I have 2 tickets for the Triple Crown Tricky Tray this Saturday! They will go to the first person to contact me via MY CELL at 372.841.1109 If you couldnt get tickets and you are interested, please text me ASAP - they are $15 each. Thank you :)
trickytraycherry said…
Sorry, 732.841.1109
Anonymous said…
Re: Discount Coupons. I was concerned that this may have been a comment from our TT as it was the same weekend. We had our baskets clearly marked with HUGH letters on a 5 x 7 piece of paper that said... "$50 Discount Coupon off a Performance"...and in the Brochure it read "$50 Discount Coupon", so I was a little upset that they said it was not "mentioned anywhere". I am not sure how much more information was needed?
If the person was not interested in a "$50 Discount Coupon off a performace" (which to me, clearly indicates, that more $ would be needed), then they should not put a ticket in.

They did neglect to mention that they got a 1st level sheet & FREE dessert on their table for their entrance fee.

Sorry... just venting... a lot of work goes into these and things like this burn me up.
Anonymous said…
Re: Discount Coupons.

I was concerned that this may have been a comment from our TT as it was the same weekend.

We had our baskets clearly marked with HUGE letters on a 5 x 7 piece of paper that said... "$50 Discount Coupon off a Performance"...and in the Brochure it read "$50 Discount Coupon", so I was a little upset that they said it was not "mentioned anywhere". I am not sure how much more information was needed?

If the person was not interested in a "$50 Discount Coupon off a performace" (which to me, clearly indicates, that more $ would be needed), then they should not put a ticket in.

They did neglect to mention that they got a 1st level sheet & FREE dessert on their table for their entrance fee.

Sorry... just venting... a lot of work goes into these and things like this burn me up.
Anonymous said…
to the previous poster, don't know which was yours, the one I went to in Bergenfield, I had also gone to last year and was very excited to go again, but it was obvious it was not organized by the same people. Last year had many better prizes at the higher levels, desserts were a box of Entenmans donuts vs this year a package of no name oreo type cookies. and while there may have been a label on the prize, there was no way to know what a performance by Peas and Carrots was. and why so many of the same exact thing? I know that a lot of work goes into these things, but appreciate the feedback, it's honest and if you see more or less people next year, you may know why.
maryann said…
did u get rid of the triple crown tickets yet
trickytraycherry said…
i did but may have one more...i replied to an email, best way to get me now is via text or call 732 841 1109
Anonymous said…
Discount Coupons...

Yes, it seems that the Tricky Tray you were talking about was mine. It was a benefit for the Boy Scouts in Troop 139. All proceeds from this Tricky Tray benefit go to our boys. ie, Summer camp fees, trip costs, camping equipment, community service projects, Eagle Scout projects, etc.

It was most definitely organized by the same people. And I am proud to say it. The two of us that put the whole event together, worked extremely hard this year and until now, we have heard nothing but good comments from attendees.

Prizes... I am sorry you did not enjoy the prizes. Unfortunately, due to lack of business donations, we did have a smaller amount of prizes. However, I don't think that 342 is a terrible number for an amount of baskets. With or without the Discount Coupons, we still had well over 300+ very nice baskets and prizes. We did have quite a few higher end prizes last year, but that is because they were donated. As we are a non-profit, we just don't have the funds to buy more expensive prizes. If people don't donate, we can only do so much. We had so many of the coupons because the company was generous enough to offer them to us. There were many parents who won these coupons that were thrilled. Including one of our own Scout parents who plans on using it toward a presentation of the Lizard Guys at their Cub Scout Blue & Gold Dinner this year.

Desserts... Desserts are provided to each table as a perk. So there is no guarantee of what it will be each year. I would think free cookies are better than nothing.

Perks… One of our new, and VERY well received, perks this year was for people that pre-reserved Really Important People (RIP) tables in advance. Those tables received some wonderful extra perks (such as: buy 7 get 1 free tickets, soda, chips, donuts, crayons, etc.) as part of a promotion for getting their tables reserved early. If you would like to send me your e-mail, I would be happy to send you our flyer early next year so that you can get the early bird rates, better perks, etc. We will be doing the RIP (Really Important People) tables again.

Anyone that reserved their entrance ticket(s) in advance received a 2nd level prize sheet. People, who paid at the door, received a 1st level prize sheet. Anyone that donated a prize to the Tricky Tray was given a COMP entrance ticket and a 1st level prize sheet. So we really did try to make in enticing.

Prize Labels...We do appreciate your feedback. My colleague and I discussed it and we don't feel that there really is a way of explaining EACH and every prize. We think that we already put more information on prizes than most tricky trays provide. We will take into consideration your comments about the descriptions of each prize and your dissatisfaction with donated discount coupons.

I would like to apologize if you felt you did not have a good time or the prizes were not good. We do strive to do our best each and every year. We always hope that everyone goes home with something they wanted and if not, at least they had some fun.

Unfortunately, I feel that the purpose of the Tricky Tray has really changed. They are supposed to be about having fun with friends while helping out a worthy cause. At least that is why I go to Tricky Trays. To have fun with friends and hopefully help a group who has worked hard to raise money for their cause.

Sincerely,
Diana V (cecile033@aol.com)
Christine said…
Does anyone have any tickets for the Triple Crown that they can't use???
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
Went to my first tricky tray this year, "Triple Crown Tricky Tray" Colonia, NJ ! Julie did a fantastic job! Great Prizes, decorations, organization and a huge 50/50 plus all the suprise features to win made it a fun afternoon/evening. Even came home a winner! For those of you that missed it, definately keep it in mind for next year.
trickytraycherry said…
Kevin - it was great to meet you, so happy you came and even won! Our hard work paid off and we made $$$ for CHS and had a great time while doing it. Thanks again for all of your help and support :)
~julie
Anonymous said…
I attended the Triple Crown Tricky Tray in Colonia, NJ. What a class act. Julie, Cheri and Gina you did a wonderful job. Prizes were excellent and the event was so well run that I can't wait until the next one. Every little detail was covered. I've attended many Tricky Trays and this was the best one ever.
Anonymous said…
In the past I've read spirited commenting here about cheaters hitting central NJ events. We recently attended a Sussex co event where I kept running into conversations about cheaters in attendance. I was shocked to hear organizers had called the police to have them removed and banned specific people from their future events. Any event that went to that extent, should be letting everyone know. This was not a conversation with a single person. It was the conversation you heard standing in line to get in, standing in line to buy 50/50 tickets and while dropping tickets in. There were so many random people complaining about 'cheaters'

I'm hoping this was unusual, but if we have cheating now in Northern NJ events what can we do to stop it? I'm sure organizers would appreciate knowing what kind of trouble has happened and what protection would work. How bout using a neighborhood watch approach where attendees are requested to report anyone reaching in and tampering with tickets already put in bins. No one should be touching anyone else's tickets ever.
Anonymous said…
When i ran a TT, only NON PROFITS could run a TT.....so buying prizes for a TT is an issue for ALL orgs...

342 is A LOT of baskets....
Anonymous said…
Anyone know of any tt's this weekend? I'm remembering that we used to have a few - gave a great opportunity to take visiting family out to experience a NJ
We have lost a number of the smaller church and Fire Dept events do to the strain on a smaller and older support group. They just couldn't do it any more. Though there are smaller events out there that don't get listed here. Thanks in advance, to anyone who willing to share. and, happy thanksgiving
Anonymous said…
Anyone in need of empty baskets for upcoming Tricky Tray you are planning? Variety of sizes! Please email me at drmgirl75@aol.com.. I'm located in Morris County area. Thanks!
Linda Mohr said…
If anyone is interested in running their own Tricky Tray Fundraiser, I've written a book called "How to Run a Tricky Tray Fundraiser" which is available in PDF form for $7.50 or via mail for $10.00.
E-mail me at lcmtrickytray@lcmohr.com for more information.
And good luck, everyone!
Linda
MetroCheer said…
We are happy to report that our event For MetroCheer on Tuesday, December 6th at St. Vincent's Robinson Hall in Bayonne is SOLD OUT.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH to all who bought tickets for this annual event. Thank you too, to all who wanted tickets and can not join us. We hope you can join us next year.
Happy Holidays to all.
MetroCheer committee.
Anonymous said…
3 serious issues with a TT tonight...

they offered a door prize ticket in exchange for donating food or toys to charity....some people got 1 ticket no matter how much they donated...some people got 1 ticket per item..

the caller was dumping the tickets in the garbage even before reading the winning number...once a major prize wasn't claimed--but the rest of the tickets were already in the garbage..

you need to have a few (approx 3) buckets to draw from---and leave the tickets in the bucket until the winner is confirmed..

WAY OVER PRICED on the main table and prize categories not well organized--$10 for a sheet of 26 tickets--with prize values from $20-$120...many places charge $1 for a sheet if the value is less than $50....prizes should have been combined or have another level or prizes...under/over 50..$2 per sheet for the lower prizes $5 for the higher prizes

the caller developed a new game the night before...how did that make it into the permit?

door prizes were better than some main table prizes ($25-$50 value)

TOO MANY similar prizes-- a LOT of designer purses/clutches as well as alcohol based packages..more variety is needed for a wider range of interests.....

desserts---typically, desserts are placed on platters and delivered to tables.....the coffee and dessert was put out late---and people had to leave their table to get dessert....

event started late---at 7pm...announcer needed to push stragglers along..



minor issues...a lot of commentary--naming and describing all the prizes and them some commentary on winners she knew...took 2 and a half hours for about 200 prizes...LOUD..especially for people sitting by the speakers..the venue needs to look into placing speakers in all corners so the 1 doesn't have to be so loud..near the end the caller seemed to be yelling


poor variety in the 'grand prize level' about 1/3- 1/2 involved going to a location in New York/elsewhere instead of an object
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
Hi..Links just went live on site for voting. www.trickytray.com/events.htm

Happy New Year!
Anonymous said…
Not so sure I will be voting for a "Best 2010 TT" this year. I decided to go to some of the 2010 bet TT's and generally found them to either be overpriced, and/or the gifts not very interesting. It's apparent that some of the more popular ones have their own fan club, but the extent to which their comments are truly representative of the things that make for great tt's, well, I didn't see it. But each to his own preferences. Hoping for some new events in the New Year!
Anonymous said…
Well here it is, 2012! Hope all Tricky Tray's are a success! My New Year's Resolution...I will not pay more then $10 admission for ANY tricky tray event. Recession is a tough thing and as much as I would like to support ALL of them, I just can't. Think of the logic, people will purchase a good amount of tickets if they don't have to spend on dinner, and that is your profit! I like to buy a good amount of tickets and with the admission price so high I could only buy a few. Dinner Tricky Tray's are nice, but not necessary. What happened to a fun, inexpensive night out with friends? Another area I will support will be "children allowed". I have 2 well behaved children under the age of 18 but over the age of 12 and they have a great time at these events. I do my part by purchasing tickets for them as well as mine. Please bring back the $10 and under admission, no dinner and children allowed. (Yes, children are allowed at tricky trays, it is NOT considered gambling.)
Anonymous said…
I agree with the above poster. I am no longer going to go to the dinner tricky trays. I can no longer afford to pay for the dinner I don't want and also buy the amount of tickets I like to buy. I would much rather go where it is reasonable to get in and then I can buy all the tickets I want.
Anonymous said…
Some great thougts:
why would the event committee want to set up a situation where so much money is going to overpriced caterer instead of your organization? Ditch the dinner setting, offer something like portions of premade subs (inexpensive but relatively healthy food for sale)instead of just trays and trays of sweet dessert items.

We are buying tickets to support your organization! Ditch the gouging of an 'Admission fee' to donate to your event. Such greed. There are other events people can and will go to.

no matter which event comes out on top, people support events that move them whether they are popular with the small vocal crowd here or not
Voting is not so meaningful as it used to be.
Anonymous said…
Has anyone completed the donation request for Disney Hopper Passes? It was not the easiest form to navigate.
Anonymous said…
When creating ticket packages why not be generous with the amount of tickets you include in the packages? Don't you understand you will sell a lot more packages if people got a good "bang-for-the-buck" deal? Tickets cost nothing (compared to the price charged for them), why not be generous? (This is long and calculated so read through the entire post to get a full understanding of what I'm saying.)

Here is a just a suggestion and examples on how I determine if I go to a tricky tray or not based solely on ticket prices.

Ticket Prices:
Regular Tickets: $5/sheet of 25 tickets
Grand: $5/each or 5/$20
Super Grand: $10/each or 3/$25

Ticket Packages Available:
Small: $25 value for $20: 1 reg, 2 grand, 1 super

1 regular ticket = $5 per sheet

+

2 Grand tickets 5/$20 = $4 each

+

1 Super ticket 3/$25 = $8.33 each

= $21.33

It's a savings of $1.33 not $5

(You cannot use the single ticket value when calculating the savings.) Why not make the package include 1 regular at $5 sheet + 5 Grand tickets $20 + 3 super tickets which would have a value of $35 for $20?

The following will be calculated the same way:

Medium: $40 value for $35: 2 reg, 4 grand, 1 super

$5 + $5 + $4 + $4 + $4 + $4 + $8.33 = $34.33

It this case it cost less to buy individual tickets. You are paying 67 cents more if you buy the package. Why not make this package 3 regular sheets $15 + 5 Grand $20 + 3 supers $25. Here you would have a $60 value for $35.

Large: $60 value for $50: 3 reg, 6 grand, 2 super

$5 + $5 + $5 + (6 grand tickets = 5/$20 + $4) $24 + $16.66 = $55.66

In this case this is the best deal, however, not great. A $60 value for $50 for a savings of $4.34.

Why not make this one your "I can't pass it up" deal? Give a good amount of tickets and people will get multiples of this package. For example, 3 regulars $15 + 8 grand $40 + 6 supers $50 this would be a $110 value package for $50!!!

A package like this sells itself. I will absolutely buy 2 or 3. In the above packages before my suggestions I would just buy a few regular sheets at $5 each spending a total of $20 or $25. Compare that to spending $100 to $150!

Please, this is just a guideline I follow and not something I'm telling you to do.

How does the Tricky Tray community feel about this and what do you like to see?
Anonymous said…
I think overpricing works against event. When they put together big cost packages that reduce the pricing by half, it turns more people off. Anyone used to purchasing $25 worth of tickets is not going to magically spend $150 because it's such a great deal.

Why not price tickets fairly - starting at 3 or 4/$10 for regular trays and scale the larger ones back to $5 or 4/20 for the grand prize

And then back off the packages, charging people for a seat at a table, the admission charge to get in the door to then buy inflated tickets. Just price the tickets fairly with a package deal at each level.
Anonymous said…
I agree completely with all of your points. Organizers don't realize they will make so much more money that way.
Anonymous said…
Im hoping someone can help me with this ... I am running a tricky tray for the first time EVER !!! Stress is all I can say LOL. I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how many tickets we should purchase. We obviously don't want to run out of tickets, but we also don't want to be left with a ton of them either. I know that small prize tickets are sold in quantities of either 500 or 1000. We will max out our event at 250 people. Is there some kind of formula to use to figure out how many to buy? I hope this makes sense and there is some one out there that can guide me. Thanks soooooo much Sue
Anonymous said…
Remember that unopened packs of tickets can be returned so make sure you save the receipt.

Buying tickets depends on how many will be in your ticket packages (if you decide to have packages) and if you are giving each guest one sheet at the entrance. Assuming 250 people, 500 sheets per pack, half of the pack goes to the entrance. Ticket packages range from 1 to 5 tickets. then you need some extra to sell at the event. If you decide to use ticket sheets for 2 levels then you need 2 different colors. For level one tickets I would buy 3 packs of 500 ticket sheets. For level 2 I would buy 2 packs of 500 ticket sheets. (Level 2 costs more so you want to put less in the packages.) As for rolls of tickets buy 2 of each color you need. I hope this helps.
Anonymous said…
Is a tricky tray considered gambling in NJ? Were can we find the laws /rules?
Anonymous said…
Thank you to the kind soul that replied to my "FORMULA" question. I now have a starting point. Thank you !!!
Anonymous said…
You can find the NJ Laws by going to the New Jersey Games of Chance Control Commission website. (do a search and it will be found)
Anonymous said…
To the poster who is running a tricky tray for the first time EVER, why not try to get at least your Level 1 tickets donated? There are companies who still do this as it is a great form of advertisement for them and not overly expensive. We've gotten our Level 1's donated now for the last 3 years! Just a suggestion to help w/cutting your expenses.
Anonymous said…
Tricky Trays are raffles. Therefore, the organization must be registered and secure the appropriate municipal license if interested in conducting. Folks under the age of 18 are allowed to attend but can not participate in the raffles, nor assist the organization in the conduct.
Anonymous said…
HAPPY TAILS ANIMAL RESCUE PARAMUS NJ IS HAVING THEIR TRICKY TRAY FEBRUARY 24, COME AND HAVE FUN. WE LOOK OVER THE BLOGS TO GET GREAT IDEAS AND TRY VERY HARD, FROM PRICING TO PRIZES THNAKS FOR THE INPUT
Anonymous said…
yes, a TRICKY TRAY is gambling
jembecca said…
How do TT organizers get their BIG prizes? We don't have money to lay out; one of the reasons we are thinking of having a TT.
Anonymous said…
Hi, does anybody know of any TT's this week that are not listed on this site? I really want to go to one, but the pickins are limited. Appreciate feedback, Thx!
Kim said…
Looking for a fabulous tricky tray, be sure to mark your calendar for Frelinghuysen Township School's Tricky Tray on February 3rd. This event is held every other year, so we are able to offer fantastic prizes. I have read all of your suggestions and we are looking forward to an exciting evening.
Anonymous said…
Kim:
do you offer advance tickets? Partly this is whether you have reduced price tickets, but also if you sell out it's a way for people to assure getting in the door even if they can't get there early.
Anonymous said…
Not sure where your question is going. Loosely many would say, sure TTs are gambling. But is it gambling? Absolutely not if you want an IRS view. A raffle is distinctly different from gambling and you can not deduct the cost of your tickets to reduce the value of any gambling wins. Also IRS considers it tax fraud to deduct the cost of raffle tickets as a charitable donation.
Kim said…
With regards to advanced ticket sales at the Frelinghuysen Twp. School Tricky Tray, we were advised that you are not supposed to sell tickets prior to the event. I am not sure how everyone else seems to do it.
Anonymous said…
Kim -
Excellent! There are some lowlifes who love to get a few presale tickets so they can match them from their own stock of common colors. Most events use the same bulk purchase sheets without any unique markings and really need to have a list of specific series number tickets have been sold at the event. Whoever draws tickets has to understand that numbers outside that list are to be disqualified and not announced.
The responsibility for fairness requires a determination that each ticket drawn is not bent or marked in any way and it must be within the sequence numbers that were sold.
Many events make no effort to keep track and include odds and ends of ticket packs from prior events.
Anonymous said…
There are plenty of events but they are $40 and up just to get in!!! Horrendous!! I will NOT go to these!! Stop having dinner events!! (I will spend $25 on tickets at these events) Bring back the fun, inexpensive Tricky Trays. You will make a lot more money since the entrance fee will go to your organization. I will only pay $15 and BELOW to get in. I will spend $100 and more on tickets....do the math...
Anonymous said…
TrickyTray.com just announced Best Tricky Tray of 2011...I won't spoil it..check it out
Anonymous said…
if you want to pre sale the actual raffle tickets...send a coupon that lists what tickets the person is entitled to when they arrive....make sure to number and name ID the coupons and keep a master list in case someone tries to make a copy---maybe have handwritten info on it
Anonymous said…
I too cannot stand to see the $30+ admission for a TT. With that price, I am left with a small amount to spend on tickets, which is really what I go for, not the food. If you want to attend a great TT, Avona Elementary in Easton, PA is having one on 2/25. Admission is free, kids are welcome and tickets are really reasonable. There are great prizes and 4 special raffles that include a pair of diamond stud earrings, broadway tickets, VIP tickets to be in audience at the Wendy Williams Show and a Blackberry. You will not walk away disappointed!
Anonymous said…
Hello,
I am co-running a tricky tray for a school this year for the very first time. We are about a month from our date, and we're trying to come up with a list of jobs that need to be taken care of on the night of, so that we can ensure we have enough people working on that night. We have capacity for about 400 people, and there are 4-level prizes as well as 50/50, raffle, lottery hats, etc. Any suggestions you may have about managing on the NIGHT OF your tricky tray would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much!
Anonymous said…
Has anyone attended the St. There school Tricky Tray, Succasunna NJ? They have great prizes but was wondering about the cost, value, and how organized it is. I believe its in Novembe, annually.
Anonymous said…
Has anyone attended the St. Therese school TT, Succasunna, NJ? They have great prizes but was wondering about the cost, value and how organized it is. I believe its in November, annually. I know they allow a preview time slot to avoid long lines and to begin on time.
Louise said…
For those looking for great door prizes we always purchase items from trickyttay.com. Why not support the site that gets us all our advertising. We give away a tshirt and mug.
Anonymous said…
The turnout at the Mt Olive Middle School Event has been going down each year, almost consistent with how the ticket prices go up. Sometimes you don't even have to have other events going on to lose your supporters. Even the parents backed off attending their own event.
Event organizers should get over themselves and focus on giving people good value tickets for their money instead of charging for admission and charging for a 'seat' at a table.
Anonymous said…
I agree completely with the above comment! I am not going to those events anymore. Planners, please see what is happening, you will have a more successful fundraiser if you keep your prices low. Do not have a dinner in a catering hall, have a pasta or hero buffet in the school gym. Keep the admission fee for your organization. The catering halls make enough money from weddings and mitvahs. You will continually see a decrease in attendance if you continue to charge too much.
Anonymous said…
Along this line of thought, organizers spend a great deal of time on how much we have to pay to get in and how much it costs to reserve a table. Admission fee used to mean that only the admission ticket went into the door prize drawings -- that was the justification for extra charge.
And those organizers who think they can raise more money by increasing the ticket costs, well they need to go to some other events and get a better feel for how others are organizing and pricing tickets.
Advertise what your ticket costs are and also what your prize value range is. An $8 a sheet price is ridiculous when you have $25 value trays. There are many very successful annual events that have $50 $75 or even $100 minimum value on their regular trays ... and they sell sheets at the event for $5 with 5 for $20 or even 3/$10 deals. My group of friends are not staying home, we are using our heads and going to gracious events that offer value for our money.

The difference in purchasing just a few tickets at a good price rather than an inflated price gives us adequate gas money to drive to the better event even at todays prices.
Anonymous said…
Great point - the TT event committee seldom includes anyone who attends other than their own event. Attending your best friends event in a neighboring school does not make anyone an expert. Find a real TT goer and listen to what they say. The Sparta Alpine School had 'Free Admission'.
Regular Baskets-- Value $60-$125

Regular sheets were $5 with value pricing bundles 5/$20, 10/$35 and 15 sheets for $50. Their highest price ticket was $5 and that was also offered in value bundles.

Price reasonable and have a $10 or $20 pricing available at the event. Those wanting one more sheet will be happy to get a 'deal'
Anonymous said…
ABSOLUTELY!!!! The above 2 comments are right!!!
Anonymous said…
So - where are the events this weekend? I'm sure I remember that we had St Patricks day TT's to go to
Anonymous said…
The Hope Tricky tray is awesome. They normally have extremely generous presale prices ... but I'm not seeing any details on that. Does anyone know details?
There seems to be a trend that events get posted after the presale dates have passed.
Team Captain - Maddie's Miracle Marchers said…
Good Evening everyone,

My team is hosting the March of Dimes Tricky Tray in Easton, PA this weekend (3/25). This will be our 5th year. I read these post throughout the year to get an idea of what the best practices are and make sure we are on par with all the pros out there. If anyone attends our event and would be willing to give honest feedback I'd love to hear from you.

You can email me at didariok@yahoo.com. Hope you'll attend and go home a winner!
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
Thanks Louise & St Raphael School PTA for inviting me to your Tricky Tray last night!
Despite not winning..had a great time. Thanks for letting me draw number for door prizes you purchased from TrickyTray.com's apparel & gift shop, http://www.cafepress.com/trickytray . This helps support the site. There were so many wonderful prizes, exceptional organization & huge 50/50 that is not a suprprise they won "Best Tricky Tray of 2011" Thanks Again!
Anonymous said…
I realize this is a little past the event, but I just now had the time to comment. The Long Valley Middle School TT was not good. The large bundle price of $70 was not worth it. The trays were worth about $25 if that. There were no refreshments, i.e. cake, cookies. Honestly, if I had only known. It was always good in the past, but there is no way I will attend another one. The prizes were really very sad. Sorry.
Anonymous said…
Mr. Tricky Tray....you were used, taken advantage of....by the organizers of the St. Raphael's Tricky Tray! Just as they had hoped, you have posted here that you 'had a great time', they had 'wonderful prizes', had 'exceptional organization' and you weren't surprised that they won "Best Tricky Tray of 2011".

I live within walking distance of their location and my group has attended this event every year, except for this year. We couldn't get tickets! In their weekly church bulletin they posted in January that the PRE-SALE was going to take place in several days. I emailed them about package deals and was told two days before the PRE-SALE that tickets were not available, SOLD OUT! How can you SELL OUT before you even have the PRE-SALE?? I came to find out that "lots" of tickets were taken by the 'special people', namely the committee and some parents of the school children.

Is this what it has come to? Many people who supported this tricky tray in the past and spent a lot of money doing so, were 'not allowed' to attend this year. We helped them grow to what they have become and now are shut out! Yes, they do have a great event, but they have become big-headed and greedy. $20 admnission this year! I couldn't believe it! Plus, ticket prices were increased too. They are making it unaffordable for a lot of people.

St. Raphaels: don't bother posting your event on this site next year. You just want to build up the hype, get into the voting pool for Best of the Year, and then toss aside the people who want to attend. Invite Mr. Tricky Tray to give youselves a good name. The majority of people who frequent this website have no way of knowing just how underhanded you were this year. Louise, and your committee - be honest - admit to the people on this blog just how angry your own parishioners are about how you handled things this year!

Sorry that it's come to this!
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
Hi Everyone,

In response to above poster, First of all "I" was not used. I have been invited by this group in past when they were not "The Best Tricky Tray" Unfortunately with my work schedule it did not allow until this year. As for my statements about the event, they had the qualities that many of you look for in a tricky tray. So why would I say contrary if that is what I observed???

I know they were as surprised as "you" that they sold out so quickly and are looking into other options for next year.

Maybe you could contact them and help with ideas.

Mr Tricky Tray
Anonymous said…
Interesting situation - St Raphael probably should consider how they will handle ticket sales next year. pre - Presales are traditionally made within the organization and the remaining tickets if any are offered at Presale Events. Since they sold out, take a look at how this is phrased and maybe not even post info until they know if tickets are available.
Mr TT - If an event does not have tickets available, then perhaps they shouldn't even list the event. By default it is a private vs public event. This sounds like what happened re the previous comments. Just thinking out loud about the times we scroll thru looking for new events and finding listing after listing with the 'SOLD OUT' notices. Is there a purpose to listing a sold out event other than stroking those committee's egos? I check events fairly frequently and it is truly frustrating to see new events already sold out. Instead of deleting them, could they be trimmed down to simply when/where and the fact they are sold out? Those who print out the list would love you for deleting out all that waste of printer ink!
thanks for listening
Anonymous said…
Went to St Joe's in Metuchen on Friday night the 30th of March.
Horrible! First of all, they are now competing with St Frances. Too
many people very crowded. Not enough prizes for that many people. The callers were making mistakes the entire night and the numbers were even posted on the wall. The women were wasted! At our table there were 7 other women who drank until there was no more booze left. They were loud and obnoxius. We had a headache and had a horrible time. People were not looking at their numbers and the caller was suppose to call only 3 times and still was calling 5 and six times, ALL NIGHT THIS WENT ON! Then when one of the drunks finally realized they had a winner they yelled and a new number was called. Well the new number was not acknowledge, they gave the prize to the drunks that couldn't keep track of their tickets. Just Horrible. TO ALL OF YOU AT ST JOES, SHAME ON YOU!
Anonymous said…
to the person above, I too went to st joes. I totally agree. too many people, not enough prizes. Too expensive. People were drinking at just about every table. I saw wine, jackdaniels, wiskey bottles,
you name it. These women were smashed. thats probably why they couldn't see their numbers when they were called. Its sad to think they had to drive home too. I will check this one off my list for next year.
Anonymous said…
June is just around the corner and I hope you all start making your reservations now for our June 22nd TT with the Friends of the Dunellen Library!

I have taken many lessons from this forum and want to share our pricing with you:

Value Pack $25.00 (you save $6)

1st level sheets $4.00
2nd level sheets $6.00
Grand Prize Tickets $5.oo for (6)
50/50 tickets $1.00 each

We have some great prizes this year and a great theme with fun goody bags of candy, great desserts, and lots of fun.

Hope to see you all there!
..and great idea about TT.com stuff.
Also, anyone who comes to the event with a TT.com tshirt on will get a free sheet of lowest level tickets!!..just ask to see Analise!
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
In Response to "Interesting Situation", as I mentioned, the St. Raphael sell out was unexpected to them. The event was posted prior to sales. I have never posted a tricky tray that was already sold out. The reason I mark and keep "Sold Out" events listed is because people have referenced them and may need to re-reference for address, phone #, and other listed details, etc. in the future that have the tickets.Sometimes they also update prizes as they come in too.

For now...did you know you can select/highlight event/events and on most printers you can choose "print selection" instead of default to "print all"... saving ink.

But I have even better news and all you reading this are first to know. During mid-summer, during the tricky season lull, I will be incorporating into site an event calendar to replace the list format. It is going to be great!
Fully searchable, plus if you find an event you like, you can set an email reminder and you set the date when to remind. Plus just print out favorite events.

So be patient..changes are coming!

Mr Tricky Tray
Anonymous said…
Question for Friends of the Dunellen Library--what are the $$ level of prizes u have? Also how many prizes do u have and how many people expected to attend? Do you have a link where I could get more information--thanks
Anonymous said…
Interactive calendar sounds excellent. I would love to see the calendar archived so ... next year during the height of season, I could step back and see which locations had their event on the 3rd weekend of APR which could be very helpful when tempted to purchase presale tickets to an early posted event only to find 2 or 3 events on that date that post later that would both have been better choices.
Thanks for renovating
Anonymous said…
Are any organizers or prize winners familiar with John Beck's $400 off gift certificate for Disney 6 room House Rental at Emerald Island Resort, Kissimmee, Florida? I was curious as I have seen as prize at various events.

Thanks
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
reference to archive. The new calendar in summer will be archived, but only as we move forward. It would be an undaunting task as well as many weeks of work to archive a years past of events.

Mr. Tricky Tray
Anonymous said…
I went to a tricky tray last night that was on your "Best of 2011" list & it was aweful...First of all, I know they want to make money but filling the place so we are sitting like sardines is NOT fun. We could barely lift our arms to eat. There were too many prizes that should have been combined. I mean, who wants to pay for tickets to win a pizza pie? This was a BIG waste of time. It said it was from 5pm-11pm & we left at 11:45pm & it was still going :( It was a work/school night for one, then they had to keep "recalling" old ticket numbers because of mistakes. People need to PAY ATTENTION at these events so we arent there ALL night long wasting time. They should call a number 3 times, then MOVE ON & pick a new #. Towards the end people got so frustrated & left so nobody was claiming prizes & they were calling soooo many extra numbers. Its a shame because its a cause I believe in but I WILL NOT go to this one in the future! It seems organizations are getting a little greedy to make money & are not factoring in that people spend more money if they are happy!!!
Anonymous said…
Did anyone go to the St Michaels TT on April 20th?
Anonymous said…
Please join us this Friday 04/27 at the Riverdale Community Center for our 1st Tricky Tray. 57 Loy Ave, Riverdale, Doors open at 6pm/calling starts at 8pm- Bring your own food. sandwiches/pizza will also be available for sale. $15 includes 1 sheet of tickets. Over 130 Prizes, including, TV's, Bed & Breakfast getaway,Bike, sports tickets and signed sports memorabilia. Money raised going to pay off current vet bill.
Thanks-Close to Home Rescue & Sanctuary- doggiedogrescue@aol.com
Anonymous said…
I know the bartender that worked the St Michael event..what's up?
Anonymous said…
To ALL Tricky Tray Coordinators...now you got it!!! It's so good to see that you are NOT having your events at banquet halls. I noticed that you have kept your admission cost low and in your own facility. You are smart! Good Luck to you AND you will get a great turn-out, plus ALL of the proceeds will go to your organization. For those of you that are still charging $40 or more admission, please reconsider and you too will make more money for your organization.
Anonymous said…
issues at Mt Pleasant animal shelter TT..

the 1st one has happened before at other TTs....they sold 50/50s for $5/1 or $10/3...yet the amount of the winner couldn't have possibly come from any combination of sales...

also--the 50/50 seller/workers were the only ones that handled the tickets that were placed in the bucket...when the 1st ticket was pulled--it was ripped--and it was announced that the it couldn't be used--and blame placed on the ticket buyer.....someone--maybe me--paid for that ticket--and it was discarded due to an error on the part of the workers....and the winning amount was very high..
Anonymous said…
I have a question for those of you have had been involved in running a tricky tray in the past. We always remind our runners to check the tickets carefully. At a recent event we encountered a problem. One person insisted that she had won a basket but that it had not been delivered to her. This came 50 baskets after the one in question. She demanded that something be done to get her prize to her. However, none of the runners had come back saying that the number didn't match for any prize. The person stormed around and was very rude. My first inclination was to ask the person to leave, but we ended up giving her the cost of the prize even though I feel she was wrong.
Have any of you ever encounted the same problem and how did you handle it?
Anonymous said…
I have been at events where something went wrong and the value of the prize in question was given out of the cash proceeds. One event the committee was faced with 2 winners both having the same # ticket stub! Another time a runner dropped and broke the prize. These were cases were the right answer probably was offering cash value.

I've also been to other events where many prizes later someone 'complained' and the point was made that it was too late. Simply state that tickets are verified when prizes are delivered and if the ticket number had been wrong, it would have been recalled. Rewarding this complaint by giving them a prize or even a consolation doorprize is not right. I've been at an event where a 'loud complainer' was given a consolation door prize and people were not happy about it. If the event is run properly, the complaint is not legit and should not be rewarded. There are a few events that make a point of writing down the winning number of each prize. That way you have a written record and can verify whether they actually won a specific prize.

Runners must consistently verify every ticket. Especially if their mother, their neighbor or the principal is the winner! Consistency will protect you if anyone complains later.
Anonymous said…
Contacted St Judes in Hopatcong and the 5/19 function was not listed by them. There is NO tricky tray at this event. It is only the live auction. The link to St Jude will take you to an explanation of how the auction is carried out and a list of the 47 items they have at this point.
Anonymous said…
http://www.stjudehopatcong.org/pdf/Auction_Items.pdf

this is the list of auction items
Anonymous said…
re: claiming prize 50 prizes later...yes you should ask her to leave..and if she refuses call the police...people scam tricky trays--they bring in their own tickets--take tickets out of the containers to give themselves a better chance of winning, etc...maybe she really had the winning ticket....but it is not fair for you to have to deal with it an hour later....some places will stamp the back of all legit tickets (the claim ticket)..I have even seen a place that went through roles of tickets drawing a design across the back--so if there was any question-if the pattern didn't match up---you didn't win..
Anonymous said…
maybe you can have a worker write down the winning numbers as you go along--it could prove the 'late comer' was trying to scam you.
Anonymous said…
Just got home from a TT in Sayreville hosted by MAVIS which was very frustrating. First, my soda tasted so terrible (canned soda) and after looking at the expiration date was shocked to see that it had expired in 2008!!! The lady at the food/beverage stand was not overly concerned even when she stated that more than one person had complained about the taste. My table all checked the bottoms of the cans and all were expired! Then my sister bought tickets and when she returned to the table realized that they had shorted her a few tickets. The prize tables were so close together that it was almost impossible to get by each other and it was hard to get by the seating tables and yet there was a huge space in the middle of the room unused where they could have spread out the tables more. Okay, now as for the calling..not happy at all..when someone did not respond the caller repeated the number over and over at least 10 times and then would set the prize aside to call it again later..and then when she would call it again she'd do the same thing before actually pulling a new ticket. Someone yelled out to pull another ticket already and the caller responded "next year you come help organize and you can decide how things are done" (not nice!). The first half of the calling she had a helper mixing the tickets up but the after a break (too long) she had no shaker/mixer and she would just shuffle them a bit and pull and when some one yelled shake them up she responded "you come shake them up honey" (not nice again). This TT was not organized well and was uncomfortable. Will never attend again!!
Anonymous said…
TT last night had a smooth procedure that worked very well. They had about 6 spotters on the floor with distinctive paddles to hold up. They each had a pad and wrote down each number called. When you raised your hand the spotter closest would be there in seconds and after verifying your ticket against her written number (not her memory) she would raise the paddle to notify the runner to bring the prize. Spotter stayed with the winner until the prize was actually delivered. Meanwhile the announcer had already shifted to calling the next tray. Someone other than the announcer at the podium held the tickets for each prize waiting for completion of prize verification/deliver. The winning ticket for each prize was maintained at the stage. Only prize number and 'name' of tray was mentioned - no description.
The use of spotters absolutely moved things along beautifully. The fact that they wrote the number down before verifying reassures all attendees that the real winner is receiving the prize. All winning tickets were retained at the podium and any challenge could be calmly resolved as to who won.

This committee obviously had prepared their workers. There was not a single prize that went unclaimed. The calling was fast and professionally accomplished. There was no jeering from the floor about shaking them up or to move things along.
The announcer clearly and steadily called the numbers with no inflection on the last 2 numbers, no pausing to heighten tension and she understood that you do not shout into the mike nor turn your head away on the last 2 numbers to start looking for the winner to raise their hand.

Recently many comments and complaints have been made about problems that can happen. The answer is to delegate the various responsibilities. No one wants to sit for hours while one person dumps the bags, mixes the tickets, selects and calls the number, and then waits while the prize is delivered before then dumping out the one container of tickets and finally moving on to the next prize. You bet the crowd will start to yell.
Anonymous said…
re: MAVIS..it has potential, but I wonder if anyone from the org ever went to a TT before trying to run one...1 thing they did may be ILLEGAL..the remaining tickets were dumped before a winner was verified...so there was no way to pick from the same pool of tickets..as far as i can tell, they picked from the garbage bag of all old tickets..even people who did not bid on the prize in question.....there was no booklet listing prizes and it was hard to tell what a lot of them were...i get they may have been trying to save money by not printing up a booklet..but i would have been willing to print my own if they posted it online...they had 2 sets of 26 sheet tickets--people got confused and did not realize they were different prize levels...you were given a yellow sheet when you walked in and saw a table of blue 'extra tickets' most of the time, there is only 1 prize level for the 26 ticket sheets and people thought that the entrance sheet was for the same group as the blue tickets....the blue prized numbered into 300...not to after i bought enough extra tickets for 300 prizes did i notice numbering started at 150..some of the prize values didn't seem to be grouped right--there were 4 levels...with 1 being the lowest....a prize at the 3rd level seemed to be worth no more than $35--unless there was more to it that couldn't be seen...there was a birthday calendar 50/50 with no signage explaining it.....THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO PLACE TICKETS....there were close to 400 prizes..and only 90 minutes..AND THE ANNOUNCER CALLS--we are starting in 45 seconds---COME ON..now you have people with a sheet of tickets..and you only give a 45b second warning...you need to announce a 5 minute warning at least...it seems the low level prizes were generally about $10-25...lower value than typical, but ok if the pricing matches..but it would probably be better to group items to make each basket at least $25 if you are charging more than $25/sheet....one concern was the 26th ticket--it was excessively large..while each person got a large ticket with each sheet--it is probably illegal to have different sized tickets..with typical sheets-it is a little bigger and people let that slide--but this one was excessively large.....near the end--they suddenly announce for everyone to pull out the goody bag received at the entrance---there should have been a note to keep the goody bag for a chance at a door prize...many people trading items or otherwise emptied the bag and that had to go searching for the door prize item.

you need a list of prizes..at the very least a summary of prize levels/values/approximate number of prizes...and descriptions for the 2 upper level prizes
you need at least 3 large buckets..to keep the actual bid tickets until the winner is verified......the calling was very fast, but the prizes were out of order (they worked their way backwards at 1 point)....it would be nice if at least every 5 prizes---the prize number was announced

and as someone else said--they didn't use the dance floor at all..i have been to a TT from another org at the same location..they put the prizes on the dance floor...they had some prizes set up on chairs against a wall..without enough room for 2 people to pass by..

maybe they could have put the seats in the middle and the prizes on both sides...
I assume they got the required permit to hold a 'game of chance'

My table did win.....this TT has potential, but I suggest the organizers attend a few other TTs during the coming year..particularly ones that have been around for a number of years to see how they are run..and also familiarize them selves with the laws regarding running a game of chance.
Anonymous said…
re: MAVIS..callers comment about wanting to do it her way..its not about personal choice--its about laws and regulations..and only picking tickets from the pool that was actually bid on that prize..
Anonymous said…
TO ALL TT ORGANIZERS

TTs tend to be tight, without much room for people to walk around..it would help if you posted signs and made some announcements that would help keep the flow of traffic moving

1> RIP THE TICKETS AT YOUR SEAT (organizers can have baggies available at the ticket sale tables for people to put their tickets in)...it just doesn't dawn on people that they hold up traffic ripping 1 ticket at a time while browsing the prizes.

2> IT HELPS IF TRAFFIC FLOWS IN 1 DIRECTION---maybe put up arrows--and announce that people should try to go in numerical order so that there is not 2 way traffic trying to get past the same prizes.
Anonymous said…
numerical order means you can start at 50--but then go to #100 for example...you don't necessarily have to start at #1......and then you can go from 100..to 1..2...33....up to 50
Anonymous said…
People would appreciate knowing how many prizes are available at each level when buying their tickets. It's a common question all the ticket sellers should be able to answer.

You can order prizes anyway you want - but people would like a simple straightforward answer:
130 regular trays
75 level 2
25 level 3
and 2 grand prizes

that event has 232 prizes give or take a few last minute additions. Committees can number the small prizes from 1 up while starting numbering level 2 at 300 and level 3 at 400 and the GPs at 500 simply to distinguish the levels and still have some committee members telling people they have 502 prizes because they don't really understand the system.
The clearest is to start at 1 for each level and use a distintive color ticket. Use balloons and tablecoths to coincide so that red tickets go in the red table bins. Blue tickets in the blue table prize bins.
Anonymous said…
Just got back from Franklin School on Eliz Ave. Somerset. For $20 admission, we got 1 entrance ticket with 25 attached, 1 bottle of water, cookies from Labonbider (sp?) coffee with no real milk, just that crappy immitation cremora and tea, no lemon. It has never been this bad. Also, there was a commotion involving one of the big prizes and then the announcer got on the speaker and said it had been resolved..they go on to call the next big prize and low and behold, it was won by the woman who should have gotten the last prize..Fishy or what...Not worth the $20 admission..Lots of empty seats. Will not go back next year. What happened??????
Anonymous said…
if the woman should have gotten the last prize--why didn't she get that prize....did someone else claim it and, take the prize and run before they verified the ticket? did someone bring in fraudulent tickets? If i were running a TT and 2 people claimed the same prize and both had a 'winning ticket' I'd call the police and have them take a report....if all TTs did this--eventually the names will match up on the report...and the guilty party could be criminally charged
Anonymous said…
Seems pretty obvious to me....If there were two tickets that both matched the winning number and color then fraudulent tickets were involved. Absolutely call the police. What a disgrace that people will stoop so low.
Anonymous said…
I was at the TT at Franklin HS. Organizers, please don't offer 3-4 or 5 of the same type of gift...comedy clubs, karate classes, etc. it is very boring and appeals to a limited audience.
Anonymous said…
duplicate tickets can result from sloppy committee work. You need to have a record of what series numbers you are selling for each prize level. Any ticket drawn that is not in that series is disqualified - no fuss, no muss. When you post the sign saying 'bent or altered tickets will not be drawn' the responsibility rests on the drawer and/or announcer to man up and disqualify any altered ticket including those not in the sequence numbers you had on sale. The StillWater PTA had a stellar procedure where the ticket was drawn and handed to a verifier who either rejected it or handed it to the announcer. It was a beautiful sight watching them actually quietly redrawing tickets for several prizes because the committee was doing their job. There is no need for explanation, obviously they were enforcing the rules many committees only mouth. When you didn't win, you didn't go home with a bad taste in your mouth. The Stillwater event had a reputation and people drove many miles to attend because it was a super event: Excellent prizes, reasonable ticket prices, and fair selection of winners. It's the only event I've seen where 3 people were involved in each winner selection because the committee were tricky tray goers themselves and they wanted it done right. I've seen way too many naive workers straighten out bent tickets and call the number, select tickets not torn apart "because they must really want to win", and even those who comment how 'this is different sounding number'. People cheat if let them and are thrilled to return to your next years event. And the noncheaters quietly find another event to support instead.
If you want to be brave, call the police and report that person as fraudulently using tickets not sold by the fundraiser. This is like writing a bad check and hugely disgraceful to bilk a nonprofit. On the otherhand expect that these cheaters will stand their ground and scream right back at you that they bought the tickets from you/your helpers. They have bought some tickets and will not quietly accept censure. You need to have that list documenting what numbers you are selling.
It's very sloppy to sell left over tickets from past years. Many organizations use up these leftovers and truly have no idea that there were 50 sheets of some green series, 100 sheets of both pink and yellow all with random numbers blended in with 1000 new white ones. It saves a bit of money but creates a chaos. The sneaky committees sell these odd tickets to their members and it's amazingly easy to aim for this or that color winner knowing the prize will go to one of their own.
Committees are volunteers and as much as I'd like cheaters to be hauled away by police, it's a little much to ask of volunteers. on the otherhand, record the ticket numbers and have closed ticket containers that do not allow anyone to touch the tickets after being dropped in. Whoever selects the winning ticket needs to understand the basics and to actually disqualify when appropriate. The crowd will love you. Some events announce that this is a bent ticket or wrong color and disqualified. That only upsets the cheaters.
Recently an unscrupulous person from past events won a huge number of prizes. She is officially banned from some events and loves the small and unorganized events. Sorry to go on and on but it falls on the committees to understand and control cheating.
Anonymous said…
If the committee uses up left over tickets, it is possible that the number series duplicates the new packs purchased. Same idea - document the ticket series your committee is selling and this will be discovered before 2 hands go up legitimately claiming the same prize.
Duplicate numbers does not necessarily mean cheating!
Anonymous said…
Hey everyone!

We still have plenty of seats for next Friday's TT in Manville!

Also, please be assured that I read this blog and incorporate many of the ideas and opinions into how we run our TT. You will find the pricing fair, an abundance of prizes, and strict rules such as no bent tickets, only calling a number 3 times, and keeping track of ticket number sequences.
Some of our Prizes include: a Nook, Flat Screen TV with built in DVD player, Disney Hopper Passes, Gas BBQ Grill, Fire Pit, Picnic Portable Table, Girl and Boy Bikes, Tuscany Large Painting, Medieval Times Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, And lots and lots of gift certificates from places like Maggianos, Bone Fish Grill, Applebees, Joey's Grill, Bistro 161, Dunellen Hotel, Dunkin Donuts, Michaels Craft Store, and so much more!!

Hope to see you all there!
Anonymous said…
To the person who posted on 6/14 at 9:19am "Recently an unscrupulous person from past events won a huge number of prizes. She is officially banned from some events and loves the small and unorganized events."

Wow...please give us a heads up...who is this or what does he or she look like?
Anonymous said…
Do not put what color tickets you are using in your ad! We had someone come to our tricky tray and take tickets out of the bag so she could match them with the tickets she brought in her very large Coach handbag. She also took the sheet tickets from the previous year and had her own printed. I caught her because when she won it had the gambling permit # on it from the previous year. You must have something personal printed on all tickets. We work too hard on our charities to have people like this steal from us. Our school is in PA close to NJ. I'm sure this woman travels to NJ. Very hard to prosecute. The police officer there would not remover her from the event saying it was a PTA issue not a school issue. PTA National is telling me it's a school issue. I'm currently working with the District Attorney to see what we can do. If you need more info you can reach us at LCPTA@PTD.NET
Interesting post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.
Anonymous said…
My understanding, the nonprofit running the event is responsible for the fairness of the raffle. Tickets that are bent or not of the right number sequence are disqualified. You do not call out the number or confront the cheater --- just don't be awarding them any prizes! There are only a handful of cheaters at an event ... and not one person attending will yell at the committee for keeping things fair. No one wants prizes awarded to a cheater.
Anonymous said…
I agree - if the committee is paying attention and has workers watching the ticket bins so no one is removing other peoples tickets or pocketing prizes sitting on the tables, if they are focusing on inspecting a ticket once drawn and are prepared to quietly disqualify any and all marked tickets and those not in the correct number sequence, and lastly that every ticket stub is verified as matching the drawn number then the event should be fair.
Committees need to realize they have to enforce rules. After the fact, you can't even call the cops for help.
Anonymous said…
Just wanted to let you all know, advance admission sales are in full swing for the Giving Network Tricky Tray on Oct 27 - we have sold out the past few years, so don't miss your chance!
http://givingnetwork.bravesites.com/
Hope to see you all there!
Chris R & Chery L. said…
Hi Everyone,

Just wanted all of you to know that the Tricky Tray on Sat. August 25 for the Hudson County Animal League was a big success.

We and all the "little furry ones" want to say THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND GENEROSITY. I'm also thanking you from the Food Pantry. We asked for an item or two (in addition to the cat food) for the Pantry. Well you Tricky Tray people are the BEST! The two ladies who run the Pantry and the Dinner said that they had 110 families that Saturday and the shelves were bare, and were almost in tears when they saw what you had done. Your love of animals and care for those in need is just wonderful. Thank you for coming to our Tricky Tray, Thank you again for your generosity. Hope you had a good time and won a few gifts. Hope to see you again. Watch the site and I'll keep you posted. Have a great day.
Chris & Cheryl & Janice, from the Hudson County Animal League and the Bayonne Food Pantry.
Anonymous said…
Hi Everyone!
The Reformed Church of North Brunswick will be hosting their Tricky Tray event on October 20, 2012 at North Brunswick Twp. High School on Raider Road. The doors open at 5pm and calling begins at 6:30pm.

Advance tickets can be purchased now for $10 and include one sheet of tier 1 tickets.

Prizes include Disney passes, a 46" tv, a Coach bag and more!

Please consider coming out to the event! More information can be found at www.atreatforthesoul.org

Thanks!
Anonymous said…
Beginning to hear a real echo from the emptiness when I check the blog for comments. Go back a year in time and we had a vibrant community of TTers who shared what they won, fundraisers that were not posted, how organizers did there job at this or that event. We heard both the good and the bad and it was a learning experience for organizers to read the comments to pick up tips for smoother handling of their event. We were asked often for critiques on variety of gifts, cost of tickets et cetra ... and they listened.
Now - little or nothing. I know summer is a slow time but there have been church and 4H events that had TTs that no one has talked about. We had some family health issues and I haven't been around much. Word is there are if anything even more people showing up at fundraisers trying for big wins.
so - what's up folks? How have the events been that you attended and if you know of one that hasn't been listed out front ... how bout sharing it? We understand that it needs to be crosschecked since it isn't an official listing, but let's share
And are the cheaters still out there? The only summer event I went to, we ran into the woman who licks her tickets so they stick together and yes, she won a lot.
Anonymous said…
Headed out tonight for the first of the season tricky tray! Either Hopatcong or Blue Ridge Rescue Squad. Anybody going?
borogirl83 said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
borogirl83 said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
borogirl83 said…
https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Jersey-Tricky-Trays/409799089073807
Bergen SPCA said…
Thank you to all that turned out for our event last night. We hope you had a great time. Thank you to trickytray.com for this site and the helping get our events out!
Anonymous said…
Hi, every year I am invited to attend local TTs for a number of grade schools and churches that have their local following and are successful in their own way, but don't post their event here. If possible, it would be great if whoever knows of one would give us all a heads up. I have found that they also tend to be more affordable ticketwise, but often have more interesting gifts as well. Thanks for the feedback.
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
Thanks Nergen SPCA ! Glad I could help.

Mr. Tricky Tray
Anonymous said…
Any reports from this weekend's events?
I went to the Hopatcong Soccer one. A good number of prizes for the number of attendees and a nice variety. Prizes were squashed together on the tables, so the line was a little slow moving and the big prizes were at the beginning of the line, which is a little unusual. The calling went pretty quickly considering the number of prizes.
Nice job!
Heather said…
A request from a fellow TT'er. I am actually running the event on October 20th at North Brunswick High School for the Reformed Church of North Brunswick. We have been working very hard to bring in quality prizes and I am thrilled with the result.

Please consider coming out to the event and supporting us. Tickets can be purchased in advance and tables of 10 can be reserved until October 10th.

Anonymous said…
Attended a really fun TT last nite, and won alot. One comment to organizers...I won a really big food basket, and when I took it apart at home, I had to throw away 8 boxed and canned good items with expiration dates as old as 2008. Not only is that not good, it is also potentially dangerous to those who might have used the products and not checked the dates. PLEASE take the time to use current food products in your baskets...someone's life may depend on it.
Anonymous said…
Which TT was this? Just curious.
Anonymous said…
Attended a tricky tray this past weekend and won a 14 inch decorative vase, a mid level prize. Got it home and found a crack in it as well as many spots where the coloring on the sides had been rubbed off. Also found small shavings and debris in the bottom. Obviously not new and very disappointing. At least it wasn't expired food that could have hurt me.
Anonymous said…
WOW! For TT organizers: those of us who absolutely love to attend your events truly empathize with the need to raise funds for your cause. We know how hard you work to create a fun and efficiently run event. Please take time to be certain that potential gifts are of the same quality that you yourself would enjoy winning.
Anonymous said…
Yes - Don't blow your reputation by putting out prizes that are used, broken or out of date food. Those people will never attend another fundraiser after they go home with that kind of a bogus win. And everyone they talk to will know why 'your' event is one to avoid.
Anonymous said…
the Nov 2 Rockaway event held at the Copeland school has the wrong admission cost shown. $20 is wrong! It costs $25 to walk in the door. only if you prepurchase by Oct 10 do you get to only pay $20. This is an attrocious fee to get in to a low end event. This committee is raising money for a playground and the school has no experience setting up a TT. For $25 you get 1 sheet of tickets. They are overly impressed that it gives you 25 chances to win and well, people have to understand this is a fundraiser for them. If you hurry and get your money in, you'll save $5! And the regular tray prizes are only worth $25! Large prize tickets are 3/$20.
It appears the committee decided on the ticket prices and that is the end of it. I was doing some searches and there are several Project Graduation events that aren't listed yet. for example Mt Olives Nov 3 at the high school
I went to 5 events since August, and 4 of the 5 had trays worth a minimum of $50 and sheets were 5/$20
Only 2 of the events had an 'Admission' charge which was $10 in each case. one event you got 2 sheets, the other event we only got 1 sheet but they provided coffee/tea and a wide and plentiful array of homebaked desserts. Those events that have admission charges, often waive that charge if tickets are purchased ahead of time.
Anonymous said…
if you see someone cheating--such as licking the tickets...do you report it..not only is it cheating..it is un hygenic
Anonymous said…
licking tickets- yuck Yes report it! as mentioned, a lot of the committees and new and don't have a clue. Bent tickets, ragged torn tickets, and yes tickets that are stuck together - they are all marked and should be disqualified if drawn. No explanation required - just draw another ticket. The tickets are licked and two stuck together and dropped in the bag. The dried spit will hold them together and absolutely they are thicker than any other ticket in there. The one drawing will tend to select that thicker ticket, realize that it is 2 tickets and pull them apart. they come apart very easily and there is no residue. If the committee knows they will recognize the cheat for what it is. If you are at events with lickers or those who 'kiss' their tickets for luck - you might notice that the caller will mention how .. 'oh, it's 2 tickets' They easily pull them apart and no matter which one they pick to read out, the cheater just won another prize.
Anonymous said…
It never ceases to amaze me how people shrug and say - get over it. Look how she is stirring the tickets up and just drawing a random ticket.
They cheat because it works. A bent or curled ticket stands out in a crowd of tickets. Not being flat makes it more likely to end up in the fingers and being selected. A ticket that is thicker also is more likely to be selected, thus the sneaky use of spit to get the cheaters tickets to be double thickness yet fall apart easily with no trace in the hands of the person drawing. At small events, especially churches, a trick is to leave 2 or 3 tickets together making it a bigger target to be selected. How many have heard the announcer say - well this person really wants to win. And then tear off one of the tickets to read off the winning number.
It's been awhile since we vented about cheating issues. What bugs you? What do you want committees to watch out for? What have you seen people do that makes the tickets different?
Giving Network said…
Hello everyone!
We've had a generous donor, asking what prizes between $125 and $250 people would most like to see - so we're asking YOU! What would you like to try to win in that value category?
Thanks!

http://givingnetwork.bravesites.com/

Anonymous said…
This poll was conducted and is posted on trickytray.com for 2012.It may help you decide.

What Is Your Favorite
Tricky Tray Prize?
2012 Poll Results

iPad: 25%
40"+ Flat Screen TV: 20%
Trip/Vacations: 17%
Coach/Designer: 10%
Disney Hopper Passes: 7%
Computer/Laptop: 6%
Wines/Liquors: 4%
Keurig Coffee Brewer: 4%
Nintendo Wii/xbox: 1.5%
Outdoor Barbecue Grill: 1.5%
Patio Furniture: 1%
Other: 3%
(Basket of Kcups, Diamond Jewelry, Kindle Fire, Lottery Scratch-Offs, Gift Cards, Money Tree, iPhone, American Girl Doll, Bose, JR Cigar, Longaberger Baskets)
Giving Network said…
Thanks, anonymous, I must've missed that. Excited to see we already have many of the things listed. And now we have a great resource!
Anonymous said…
Attended a tricky tray last night and I suspect one of the serial cheaters was in attendance. Saw her and wondered how many baskets is she going to win tonight? After the first 50 trays had been called she had won at least 6-7 times. People were getting visibly annoyed and wondering what was up. Don't think the organizers had any idea what to do, if anything. How do you prove she is cheating? Just really unfortunate someone is so desperate for "stuff". Don't know what her final tally was since I left early. The irony of the situation was that the tricky tray itself was mediocre at best. At the rate she was winning she probably ended up with 25+ baskets.
Anonymous said…
I went to a t night and this is the first time I ever experirnced this hapen. The printer of the tickets had 2 sheets with the ame numbers and there was i set with 3 sheets the same... SO embrassing or the caller and the TT orgainatiuon. THe tickets were very difficult to tear apart and it was really the worst TT I eve went to .

Oh it was the sussex county charter school one. Never will I attend again.
Anonymous said…
To the person who commented about the Sussex Charter School event, I was there, too.

However, this was not the first time I experienced duplicate ticket numbers. I will say that the other time I saw it, it was also with the 4 digit tickets. Note to organizers: you are better off with the tickets they sell at the party store that have like 7 digits.

It certainly wasn't the worst tricky tray I've ever been to - prices were reasonable, prizes were decent and the snacks were good.

My only complaint was that the higher level tickets were not sold in a strip. So even though they were priced in multiples, they handed you individual tickets which were not necessarily in order, so it was difficult to organize and check your numbers.
Anonymous said…
A quick, but not so convenient answer to the duplicate ticket issue....

Write your initials on the back of EVERY one of your tickets.

It takes an extra bit of time on your part, but assures that if there are duplicate tickets, that you have the right ammunition to claim your prize without a doubt.

Hope this is helpful.
Anonymous said…
the Dennis O'brien school in Rockaway mailed out a flyer. The precost for entry ticket is $25 and the at door cost is $30. They are charging that much to get entrance to then purchase raffle tickets. When asked why so high since you don't get tickets, the response continues to be 'well this is a fundraiser, we are trying to build a playground'
Anonymous said…
Do not put initials, name, or address labels on your tickets. Those tickets are marked and the organization can be at fault. A pen or pencil leaves indentations -

one school sold tickets ahead of time to admin and teachers. The names were put on the back and it was amazing how many tickets were drawn out, and a name read out because the person drawing was aiming for those tickets. They didn't even read the numbers, just turned them over and gleefully announced the name of the winners. not an event I'd recommend any outsider go to. Seriously, do not write on your tickets. It is extremely rare that any event has duplicate tickets.
Anonymous said…
If you see someone you know to be a cheater..and you know their method..REPORT IT to the organizer so they can watch and try to catch the person.

Anonymous said…
not everyone who wins a lot is cheating...i went all out at one event and bought a lot of tickets---i'm sure some people thought i was cheating..but I wasn't......

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monkey balloons said…
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monkey balloons said…
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monkey balloons said…
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Anonymous said…
What's with all these scam/sham posts on the blog? Can't the admin remove the fake posts?
Mr. Tricky Tray said…
I am cleaning them up now even though the blog has caught alot of spam already. If it becomes a problem consistently in future, I will have to elimnate post as anonymous..but you can still post with a made up registered name that would be anonymous too. Let's see. Happy New Year to all..I should be posting voting link for best Tricky Tray of 2011 by Jan 1 also

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