It was great reading about all your experiences! We decided to hold onto the items in the stocking and use them throughout the year as giveaways, prizes, etc., since none were holiday-related. The company we went with this year was Cady Fundraising (Candy Cane Shoppe), but we already know we won't be using them again! They messed up our re-order and at last minute we had to scramble to the dollar stores to supplement our stock. We needed more lower-priced items and they just didn't come through with them. This was one of many problems. Their register was pre-coded and we got the sign-on bonus with the stocking, but overall it just wasn't worth all the headaches. In their defense, though, I will say they made up for it by giving us a huge percent in profit. After that we felt a bit better! In the past we used Kids Corner, but many parents complained about the quality of the items. They broke easily and were at times mispackaged and by the time it was noticed, it was too late to exchange it. I doubt we will use them again, either, although they do seem to take care of their customers and make running the shop as easy as possible. Who knows what we will do next year!

We've run a Holiday Gift Shop for the last 2 years now, and tried both ways: 1) going with a company and 2) going on our own.
Bottomline, our profit was nearly the same. Guess you need to ask yourself, "Is it worth the headache to try and purchase things on my own?" Fortunately, one of the companies we dealt with while purchasing things for our store agreed to take back unopened units.
Considering our community, I think going for it on our own was a better choice. We were able to purchase things to fit the price ranges of the students much easier. Nothing was over $5.00, whereas if you utilize a gift shop company, they tend to spread the price range over a broader spectrum, leaving fewer choices in the 'ideal' price range of our students.

Well, This was the first Santa shop that I ran on my own. We had a great turn-out. You definitely learn a lot after running one of these events. We purchased over 8,000 worth of Christmas items for the kids to buy and I still had to go out before the last day and buy more... it was incredible.
I see now that I have to buy more 4 and 5 dollar items--
we sell $1-$5.00 items with ornaments also that are $1.00 each.
I've already started for next year, waiting for the stores to have great deals. I can't wait for next year's Santa Shop- Hope I feel this way next year!

This was the 2nd year we've had a Santa Shop & it was a huge success again. Both years, we hoped to break even, but we actually made a substantial profit. We don't use a company for our merchandise. We get our items at Dollar Tree (last year they gave us a discount of buy 2, get 1 free-they couldn't do it this year) & Dollar Store. I'm an Avon Representative, so I was able to get Avon jewelry & products at 50% off. We had very little merchandise left over & we can use what was left for gifts at future events. It's a lot of work, but the kids love it.

Generally your counselor should know which kids are in greater need than others. If that doesnt work I would check with every classroom teacher.
Explain the situation and let them recommend those students. The teachers see these children everyday the overhear conversations they have with eachother. They could pinpoint a few anyway.

We used Kids Korner for the first time this year and were extremely pleased. In previous years, we have gone out and purchased items at dollar stores and on clearance. We would also have parents, teachers, staff, and even some students donate hand crafted items to sell as well. We would have volunteers come in and wrap presents that the students bought. Our holiday market has always done well, but it was a lot of work and stress. This year was a breeze using Kids Korner. The register was preprogrammed and the gift bags made things run smoother and quicker. I can say without a doubt that we will be using the same company next year.