Since many have said that recipes are difficult to collect, and the book sales fall flat, and you always end up with leftovers, maybe you should try a pre-made cookbook made specifically for fundraising.

We sold the products below at our holiday fair and did very well. kids as well as teachers and parents bought several of each....

check out www.schoolmate.com and look under fundraising and then " gourmet mini cookbooks". They have LOTS of cute titles like: " busy mom's cookbook" " gifts from the kitchen" etc..

The books are hardcover, spiral bound, have an easel back for standing and are 4.5 x 6 in measurement

They sell the cookbooks for $2.50, and you sell for whatever you want- $5.00 is suggested. They come nicely wrapped in cellophane and the covers are sturdy, and well made. It is a great value, and they are timeless. ( Unlike school cookbooks, when the family moves on from the school, no one cares about the families' recipes from 3 years ago)

our best sellers from that CO were:

Busy Mom's Cookbook
Gifts from the Kitchen
Keepsake Holiday Recipes
Crockery Cooking

good luck!

We did pre order and had did good but we also ordered 100 extra and let me tell ya i still have 40 books left from 2+yrs ago. For 2 years I have been giving them away as BINGO prizes. So it is a great idea. But last year we tried something new. We made up receipts from Teacher's Appr. Luncheon. Our parents bring in their food and to the side have the receipt and name on it, we go and type it up and at end of week we give it to teachers as extra gift. And if their was any parent that wants it they can have it.

GOOD LUCK.

Some great ideas and also a little disappointing. I just assumed we would pre-sell the books like we do everything else. It sounds like many of you ordered and then sold. I think that would make me nervous. I also didn't know about filler pages but I like the idea of student quotes about cooking. That could be really cute. If I do this I have to get on it quickly. I'm going to contact the company that was reccommended and compare.
Thanks to all.
MZ

We did a cookbook sale a few years ago and our coordinator was a little zealous in the number she ordered. Once you sell them to your school families it becomes difficult to get rid of them. We had people pre-order. But once they bought them they didn't need anymore. Our coordinator got so excited about the number of pre-orders she way over ordere even more. We have begun discounting them just to try to get rid of them.

We have about 400 left. We sold for $9, $10, and $8 (to some stores who sold them for us). It made a few thousand and they still sell. Marketing them is difficult, as most parents bought them. We have to find other ways. We display them at everything we do and keep copies in the main office. Luckily, we have a little space.

Originally posted by <Ange02020>:
Cook Books = monkey on my back

SNIP

I'm not sure how many were ordered or how many were sold but, i know there's a bunch taking up room in the closet.

SNIP

Tread lightly
Andrea

Cook Books = monkey on my back

When I took charge of the PTO, the scretary and I cleaned out the PTO closet, in in the corner we found 4 cardboard boxes. Upon opening we discovered 200+ cookbooks, that we're compiled and ordered 2+ years ago.

I'm not sure how many were ordered or how many were sold but, i know there's a bunch taking up room in the closet.

Since there are no record of money (that's a whole other post/rant) I'm not sure if we even sold 10 or 100.

Tread lightly
Andrea