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
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
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?
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!
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
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
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
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
amex gift cards
weekend getaways
appliances
broadway or sports tickets
among my favorites
Also wrapped a stroller, baby swing and Your Baby Can Read set.
Countdown has begun!!!
toaster ovens, blenders, chopper, food processor, coffee pots, griddles, that kind of stuff.
pots and pans are nice, baking sheets too.
Elizabeth
http://givingnetwork.bravehost.com/index.html
lottery tree
flatscreen TV
kindle or nook
bottle of wine
kids board games package
keurig
food blender
juicer
Looking forward to the tricky tray!
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
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 :)
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!!!
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.
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!!!!
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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)
~julie
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.
342 is A LOT of baskets....
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
E-mail me at lcmtrickytray@lcmohr.com for more information.
And good luck, everyone!
Linda
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.
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
Happy New Year!
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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'
There seems to be a trend that events get posted after the presale dates have passed.
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!
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!
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!
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
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
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!
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.
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!
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
Thanks for renovating
Thanks
Mr. Tricky Tray
Thanks-Close to Home Rescue & Sanctuary- doggiedogrescue@aol.com
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..
Have any of you ever encounted the same problem and how did you handle it?
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.
this is the list of auction items
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Duplicate numbers does not necessarily mean cheating!
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!
Wow...please give us a heads up...who is this or what does he or she look like?
Committees need to realize they have to enforce rules. After the fact, you can't even call the cops for help.
http://givingnetwork.bravesites.com/
Hope to see you all there!
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.
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!
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.
Mr. Tricky Tray
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!
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.
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.
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?
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/
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)
Oh it was the sussex county charter school one. Never will I attend again.
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.
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.
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.
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