To think sodding Sell-You-Stuff parties are a work of the Devil ...

[Fecklessdizzy]

Rant Alert ...

Seething (and stinking of garlic). Just got back from Stupidly-Overpriced-Cookware demo that I wasn't going to go to on account of having a foul cold and not being interested in podding out fifty quid for a casserole dish.

The friend who was hosting the thing was panicking about no-one turning up and guilt-tripped me into coming along to make up the numbers so I sat through the demo ( think shopping channel but much, much duller ) When the demonstrator handed round the stuff she'd cooked at the end I had a nibble or two then made my excuses and started to slink off when she says " Not buying anything, then?" My mate says " Oh, Feckless isn't feeling well, I made her come " and the bloody demonstrator whips back with " Shame, lucky it didn't affect your appitite, though! "

Snarl ...

I cannot believe the prices charged by the Pampered Chef range in particular - and the two parties I went to (because I felt too guilty not too...) the women who were buying because they thought they should, when I know for a fact they were on a low income. Why? Why?

A friend of mine recently organised a lovely Christmassy party for a group of us who help out with a children's group at the local church - she'd made mince pies, lemon drizzle cake, and Nigella roasted nuts. All very festive with pretty cranberry and lemonade/ wine. Lots of candles and tinsel for decoration. Ahhh !

Would have been very pleasant but sadly slightly spoilt because she'd invited someone along who sells Christmas cards/ wrapping paper and other rather expensive Christmas related items.
So, instead of being properly about all of us meeting up for a pre-Christmas get together it was significantly hijacked by the materialistic agenda.

All done very nicely but I still think the evening would have been much better without someone trying to sell stuff
Whatever happened to good old-fashioned, no strings attached, hospitality ?

notyummy Peer pressure, they've put you in a position where you feel bad if you don't cough up ...

I'm so glad I'm not the only stingey grumpy-arse in town!

I used to be a Virgin Vie rep (was 'headhunted' at a party - not sure what it was that made her think I would be good because I was shit!). It really was a case of people being embarrassed into buying things because they felt they couldnt leave the party without getting anything. Mind you, I used to get the 'reps newsletter' every month and some of the women were making so many sales that they were getting free cars and getting to go on holidays!

I did about 4 parties, just about broke even on the demo stuff I had shelled out for, then got HORRENDOUSLY drunk at our little regional rep xmas do and promptly decided to forget about the whole Virgin Vie episode!

gramercy that is just so , not surprised as some of the school mummies behaviour can be shocking and the lengths that they go to e.g. peering in kids bookbags on playdates.

HATE these parties.

MIL held a Jamie at Home one, and I went with my Mum to boost numbers. We had to do a 'fun' quiz to start the evening , and it just got worse from there. There was a DVD on which looked the same as any of his cooking programmes and we were told we could get the recipe 'as a free extra'... I think if there's one thing the world doesn't need more of it's Jamie Oliver's recipes.

Awful.

We need some witty person to come up with the ultimate "thanks, but no thanks" next time we get an invitation to a sales party.

Any ideas?

I do just say that - Thanks for the invite, but I'd just take up space at your sales party as I wouldn't buy anything.

lucjam I don't mind that kind of thins so much - it's when you have to sit there for 45 mins with a frozen smile on your face whilse some twit waxes overly-lyrical using corny phrases from her training sessions that I cannot abide.

I'll never forget I once went to a tupperware party (I think it was tupperware anyway) and the woman spoke for about 8 minutes solid about a fucking ice cream scoop and then she passed it around the rapt not audience so we could all have a hold and 'feel the quality and the weight'.

As I remember it there was much fnarring and snorting from the unruly types at the back about 'never mind the quality feel the width' etc.

Oh Lordy, the things you think you must do for fun when you are a young Smug Married and need any excuse to get out of the house for 2 hours.

YY, Alouisee we need a haiku!

Don't look at me for a Haiku. I'm much more inclined to use some Anglo Saxon.

I went to a Jamie at home one in the summer. God it was grim. Full of expensive rubbish. The consultant was very prim, we had to watch Jamie on a dvd using crockery you could buy whilst he cooked a couple of recipes. It was embarrassing. The sales woman didn't really leave the stuff out for very long to get a good look at it. She was packing it all away as soon as she finished her spiel although to be honest it must have taken her a good half hour to clear it all down. Oh and we had an "ice breaker quiz". We all knew each other so didn't need the ice breaker. And then we had to pay 2 pounds each for a raffle ticket to win 20 pounds worth of stuff.

OMG I forgot about the RAFFLE!!!!

Oh god yes, the raffle. If anyone was ever in any doubt that they were under pressure to spend some money at these things, just try saying No out loud to the jolly fun raffle.

I do Phoenix cards just to friends and family but the local pampered chef nutter rep keeps on hassling me to join her as 'it's all selling dear'. No it flipping well isn't! I do not habitually embarrass people into buying from me, nor do people avoid me in the playground like they do you

I actually need some Phoenix card stuff but its so soft sell i don't know who to buy from anymore!

Maybe now is the time to admit, that I don't actually mind some of them....

The ones I don't mind are: Phoenix cards (reasonable prices and the bulk deals are good), blossom barn (sweet girlie bits and bobs - ideal for my children) and Glam originals (jewellery - the stuff is okay, and there's no party format to it, you just drink wine and peruse)

The ones I hate are: Pampered chef (same reasons as others have said - overpriced rubbish with too much of a hard sales push) and Usborne books (everything they sell at the parties seem to be so much cheaper at the Bookpeople!

I agree with the posters who say about the pyramid structure of Pampered Chef et al, it all seems a bit of a con to me and I can't see how the host makes any real money. I often go to these things (sometimes one or two a month) and in fact am off to one tomorrow night so now I usually have a £20 limit - and if I do this a couple of times, that £40 spent - usually on stuff that I have to later find a purpose for! So if you only get 10% commission, then your guests must really have to spend to make back the money you spend on drinks / nibbles etc....

Personally, I prefer just to have a normal party .

Hell's Seventh circle
Holds all such selling parties.
Chefs and candles?Pshaw!

Have to say I like tupperware and became a demonstrator a while ago to get the stuff at discount - but think I have OCD tendencies and like everything organised and matching! Can't stand marg tubs, ice cream tubs etc for storage! I wasn't very good at getting 'parties' and once I had done enough to keep my demo kit and had bought what I wanted, I stopped. Was fun though, for a bit. Didn't make me a fortune but that was cos I kept selling the reduced price special offers to friends rather than the expensive stuff!

As a bit of a bargain queen, didn't feel I could sell stuff I wouldn't buy myself and wasn't good value!

And I won't buy anything I can get cheaper on t'internet! Body Shop products being a major one - online discount codes and glitches are the way to go!
I stock up on the gift sets when there is a good glitch or discount (or both!)

Think the last lot of gift cubes cost me about £2 each delivered.

There are some that are ok - I like things like Phoenix cards every now and then. But there is only so many you can buy - everyone has them and are a bit samey! And books are not bad but you can get the same stuff much cheaper online nowadays, that I am surprised that people still have selling parties!

We got a note through the door. 'Hello, I'm your new neighbour from number whatever. I'm from the States and would love to get to know all my new neighbours. Come at x for wine and nibbles. By the way have a look at my lovely selection of genuine Italian bags and shoes while you are here.'

Did I go? Did I bgg*y.

Seriously could somebody tell me, if you do go to one of these 'parties', do you have to bring a bottle of wine?

Oh God. I am cringing reading this as I have promised my neighbour's daughter that I will host a candle party for her in Jan. I am seeing a group of friends tonight for a xmas meal, and I am supposed to ask them if they would like to come in January. HELP!!!

I only offered because she is at 6th form college and is tying her hand at this to earn some cash. And to be fair, I did used to like the partylite stuff but it seemed really stale when I went to her party last week.

What was I thinking of??

China - no, the hostess should provide the wine and nibbles, in return for the chance of discounts at the end of the night if she has managed to get you drunk enough to buy stuff.