Somebody pointed out www.santashopgifts.com on another forum. I'm thinking this will be a good source because of the lower than normal consignment company prices for pretty much the same stuff. A good plan would be to take the price mark-up on something you get at a lower price. This might turn that $300 into more! G/L
We do our own Santa Shop every year. We have a list of items and we ask parents to choose a few things that they are willing to donate. We have items like screw drivers, flashlights, earbuds, mirrors, makeup bags, bracelets, pencil pouches, light sabers, pet toys and treats, body wash and loofahs, and tons more! We also have teachers donate gifts that they have been given (unused) like mugs and other trinkets. We purchase items at dollar stores and on clearance to fill in what was not donated. We usually make around $3000+.
We also do the Holiday Shop like the above poster, mainly by going to the Dollar Store and we charge $1 per gift and kids can buy up to 5 gifts. We do not do it for a fundraiser, but rather as a fun math activity for the kids.
We did order some stuff from a catalogue, and honestly, it was all total crap! Small, cheap, flimsy stuff like pens, pins and bookmarks. We couldn't even sell the stuff. We had a member of our PTO that had wanted to order from the catalogues and she did, (she felt we needed items that said "mom", "dad" , "grandma" and "grandpa" on it, and she ordered about 500 of each item, granted the price was good when you order that much, but in the end it was horrible) and we were not happy about it. The kids were disappointed and we ended going to the dollar stores anyway, and buying even more stuff. So, the bottom line is, if you do order from a catalogue, make sure it is stuff you know will sell.
We run our holiday boutique as a break-even event as opposed to a fundraiser. Our past principal, now retired, used to do all the shopping at local dollar stores. We use a $1 set price which we find works well for ease of checkout and keeps things egalitarian and really about the idea of giving as opposed to the price/value of the items. In the last few years since she's retired, the PTA has taken over the shopping (I did all of last years shopping, another member did 90% of this years and I did the other 10%). Since we both happen to be retail/wholesale professionals (locally owned boutiques) we both have a strong background in wholesale and merchandising. We've begun shopping throughout the year finding sales and great items for $1 or less whenever we come across them. We also use dollar tree's website for cases of "dad" items like mini flashlights, 8-in-1 screwdrivers and that kind of thing but also to keep an eye out for higher quality close out items they might have in stock. We've never used an outside vendor and after looking at some of the options they offer, I can't see us going that route. While it's far more work the way we do it, we really do offer a pretty great selection of items that are more unique and create a really special experience for the kids. Quite honestly, as a 3rd year officer of our PTA (2 years as treasurer, currently president) it's my favorite event that we do. Certainly the retailer in me has a lot to do with that. However, watching and helping kids pick out gifts for their family members and the thought they put into their choices really reminds me why I love being part of the PTA and creating a special moment for the kids that they truly love. (That all being said, I'm seriously considering seeing if I could create a business setting these boutiques up for schools that would reflect a truly unique and quality selection that all would be at a cost of $1.00 to the kids)
