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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to stop the fair committee buying all the best stuff before the thing has even started?

76 replies

holidaysoon · 01/10/2011 11:01

that's it really
it has been suggested that I help with the next school fair
TBH I was so traumatised by the last one I'm not sure I can

but please tell me what is usual?

are the committee allowed to help themselves beforehand (paying obviously) if so where does it stop?
1 thing each
£10 each
food? drink?
please tell me what's usual

OP posts:
Mishy1234 · 01/10/2011 20:47

We had the same experience with an NCT sale. Minutes before it opened the 'helpers' were walking past everyone who was queuing loading up their cars. Basically, it wasn't worth the entry fee and I've never been to one since.

marriedinwhite · 01/10/2011 20:55

I've organised a host of christmas and summer fairs. Helpers have been allowed to reserve things like cakes at the full price - a sold sticker is a great incentive for others to buy at the full price rather than wait until prices are reduced at the end of the day. For really "hot" stuff such as bicycles, nintendo, etc., we have always asked for those interested to put in a bid and then opened the envelopes at the stall with the school secretary (ours was very fair and very fierce - and unequivocably kind) auditing the results. Occasionally a bike or something great was filched for the odd poor sod from the totally dysfunctional family and when his/her eyes lit up and the 20/50p glinted it was sold firmly and with a tear in the eye (and a crafty £20 into the money bag!). Get a bit ratty about people having a go at the organisers when they have no idea at all about what really goes on behind the scenes.

pointydog · 01/10/2011 20:57

ach, it's all about raising money for the school. If you love the show-stopping cake that much, ask the baker to make one for you for a special occasion. Or ask for the recipe.

SexualHarrassmentPandaPop · 01/10/2011 21:07

YANBU OP. If the person buying the goods or a friend of theirs has priced it then they are obviously going to give themselves/their friend a good deal. That would personally take away all the good feeling from volunteering for me if I was taking things for a low price as perks and depriving the school of funds. You should volunteer because you want to help out not to get bargains at the expense of the fundraising!

KatieMiddleton · 01/10/2011 21:08

Yy auction off the good stuff. I do this for NCT and it makes 5 x as much!! Pm me if you want templates/forms.

I also volunteer at Nearly New Sales and I've never done the pre-sale. I always take the payments or can't make the sale itself. However when I have gone I have been on the till and I always see things going through the till I wish I'd spotted. I usually have a look round later when it's quiet and still find great bargains. But perhaps we have a better class of sale in Richmond Wink

fuckityfuckfuckfuck · 01/10/2011 21:10

As far as the NCT goes, in the volunteers defence the NCT themselves advertise the preshop as a perk. Ours needs almost 50 volunteers to even begin to run smoothly, that's a lot of people, mostly mums of very young dc, to give their time completely for free. Without the volunteers, the sale wouldn't happen, without the incentive there would be no volunteers

KatieMiddleton · 01/10/2011 21:15

This is not remotely relevant but I am still smarting I was too busy helping that I missed the following and the general public got them:

Phil and Ted's £25
Blue cashmere baby sweater £3

And the worst... a flipping balance bike only £40 and worth about £140 new Angry

5littleducks · 01/10/2011 21:23

YABU. You have to remember that the point of these sales is to make money and it does not matter who is paying for it.

ChippingIn · 01/10/2011 21:25

AKMD - it may not be 'fair' to poorer parents but it's no less fair than what is happening now is it? However, it would stop things being cherry picked and the NCT/school/charity would raise more money.

SexualHarrassmentPandaPop · 01/10/2011 21:26

It does matter if someone 'helping out' prices an item that would raise a lot as ridiculously cheap and denies the school the amount it would have raised!

MushroomMagee · 01/10/2011 21:38

I can really see this as a problem.

DD and I schlepped out to a nct sale today, we got there queued to get in for 20 minutes and there was bugger all left when we finally did! Literally, the rails were half empty. And the people there are so vicious! Jesus - I was nearly wrestled to the floor for the second hand hotch potch t shirt! :o
The volunteers had all piled up their items around the sides or put sold stickers on.. the nursing chair for £25, P&T for £30 and just generally much better things than there were left.

I do appreciate that without the perks you probably wouldn't get the volunteers (although I disagree that that should be the case!) but perhaps there should be some kind of limit imposed? I mean if you have 50 volunteers thats an awful lot of stuff to be taken off first isn't it. And I do think that people abuse it.

Its also probably not in the general interest of the school fayre / sale etc, we certainly won't be going back to a sale, if its only rubbish left why bother? And I think if it gets that kind of reputation then people won't bother going, and then won't buy a cake / coffee / raffle ticket either.

KatieMiddleton · 01/10/2011 21:42

You do know that anyone can volunteer at an NCT sale? No need to be a member or anything. They take any help going so it's a level playing field for first dibs. Unless you're the poor sap on the till. Not that I'm bitter or ought. Honest Wink

Clary · 01/10/2011 23:13

I am sitting here lauging to myself at the idea that as a helper allowing my helpful DC to pick something from the second-hand toy stall (and paying 50p for it or whatever we have decided to charge!) I am in some way diddling the Scout fair out of funds!

You guys must (and clearly do!) have a higher level of second-hand stuff that we do. It's as much a case of getting rid of it all at any price as letting anyone who gets in early get a bargain at the expense of fund-raising!

And no, I don't help out to bag bargains; though I did once spot and take a child's dressing table for DD as we set up the infants Christmas fair toy stall. I paid £4 for it tho which all agreed was reasonable (this was about 8 years ago).

PigletJohn · 02/10/2011 00:27

IMO it is the same as happens in some charity shops. I live in a town which used to have high-tech industries (hence well-paid people) which is now gone. So I and plenty of others still have some expensive clothes and stuff which goes to the charity shops. none of it ever appears on the rails.

So I now boycott the shops and use Freegle.

Why would anyone want to support a charity when the helpers filch all the good stuff?

PotPourri · 02/10/2011 00:36

I immediately thought of THAT thread. But yes, I agree that it's naff for all the good stuff. But on the other hand, I am the donkey that does the vast majority of the work at our school (with a very small number of others) so there is an arguement for that being a small perk, and the money is still going into the fund. And I would be too busy at the event to be swanning around looking at the stalls anyway.

Note, I have never done this, just playing devil's advocate tbh. But if there is a real issue, then you should raise it at the next PTA meeting (which is open to all parents) and suggest a solution - along the lines of a limit on the value. And where there are items that are going to be of interest to many (lego, playmobil, wii related etc) that there could be a closed auction and the highest price gets it.

flyingspaghettimonster · 02/10/2011 01:38

This thread makes me miss the school Christmas Bazaars that we used to have back in my old village college. They don't have any rummage stalls at the school events here at the kids American school. Instead, each class has a theme, and parents donate items towards that theme, for example 'games and family night' or 'gardening' and then the whole lot are made into a gift basket and everyone gets to bid on them for the duration of the fete. What bugs me then is how generous rich some of the parents are - surely it is just showing off to pay triple the price of a dinner voucher, especially as your name is written there with your donation for all the other bidders to see.

AKMD · 02/10/2011 08:15

I can see I'm failing on the 'auction is a bad idea' front :( but I'm sticking to my guns - if there is an item that a lot of people are going to be interested in, raffle it off so that everyone has a chance and you still make more than you would just selling it.

PotPourri · 02/10/2011 08:31

I agree AKMD - which is fine for new things or big things like a big cuddly toy or a Wii or whatever. But I think used items like playmobil or lego - unless absolutely gorgeous condition, as new, and with box then a raffle is a bit weird. Round us raffles are only for new things (or as new you might just about get away with if it is presented lovely)

Original poster
holidaysoon · 02/10/2011 10:55

thanks all
pointy your argument about it being a random lot of giveaways could easily be turned around though couldn't it

if it's just that then there is no need to mark it up cheaply for yourself the night before etc etc

I think at some sales people do queue up thinking they will get balance bikes etc.

I'm sure Richmond is one!

I do think the NCT is diffferent since peole are selling the stuff mainly for themselves like I say once was enough for me but I think it's 25% to NCT isn't it?

I also think a small child who has been helping/waiting for Mummy for ages spending 50p on a piece of plastic is one thing but not quite the same surely no one would begrudge that really I would however be a bit Hmm about someone selling their child a huge boxed new looking playmobil item for less than a third most people would have payed for it (and yes it was marked with their 4 year old daughters name Grin)

I had no personal interest in the cakes I have been loaned the hummingbird bakery cookbook and it's great so far, plus I'm on a diet I just think it's a shame that the showpiece went before anyone saw it

OP posts:
alemci · 02/10/2011 11:22

I am still puzzled why it is so wrong for people in charity shops to buy stuff. My grandmother used to do this. she was a pensioner and gave up her time to help so why ever not. She did not have much money so she did used to buy some of the stuff from the shop.

another friend of mine's mother is a volunteer. My friend was hard up financially and her mother used to buy things from the shop where she worked. Why is this so wrong.

I think it should be a perk of the job. they are giving up their free time and not being paid. Everything is written down in a book and a fair price is paid

AKMD · 02/10/2011 11:46

alemci I think the problem comes when volunteers take so much that the shop/event stops pulling in so many people because they know all the really lovely stuff will be gone before the general public even has a chance to get through the door. In that way, the volunteers are actually doing harm to the cause they are trying to support because no one will come in looking for a bargain, find one and spot three other things they would like. That's four things sold instead of one. If a charity shop is known for quite often having designer clothes on the racks, people will pour in and pick up other things too.

ChippingIn · 02/10/2011 12:41

AKMD - so as a 'poorer' person, you would rather buy raffle tickets than put in a bid on an auction? I don't get that, to me raffle tickets are generally 'dead' money - how many 'poorer' people would buy a raffle ticket? Although, in general I don't think it's a bad idea - maybe raffle some, auction others?

alemci · 02/10/2011 13:01

Yes i take your point AKMD but I think it is achieving a balance. IIt would be unfair if they took too much.

I am very lucky where I work as it has good charity shops as it is an affluent area. I often pick up bargains.

AKMD · 02/10/2011 13:32

I would certainly prefer to buy a raffle ticket with some chance of getting the item than to take part in an auction I have no chance of winning. Bit academic though as I don't gamble :)

ReshapeWhileDave · 02/10/2011 13:54

Yes, Holidaysoon, you're right that NCT sales are different because they are selling things on behalf of individuals and they keep 25% or 30%, depending on whether the seller helped at the sale or not. I agree with the earlier poster - we also need a good 50 people to get our NNS running and no bugger would turn up if we didn't make it worth their while. But as the OP pointed out, there's less opportunity for crookedness, since the tickets have already been written out and everything has a price. I also see nothing particularly wrong in somone who's volunteering at the NNS, keeping a look-out for a specific item that a friend wants. Surely that's just the same as picking up someone's shopping for them if they can't get out?

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