We used to hold a garage sale exactly like mom2elmos described (using the school parking lot). We mostly sold the space and concessions.
Some years the PTO would also have a slot, but that takes more volunteers to get the donations, tag everything, and manage the space.
One more thing - we'd arrange for Goodwill or Salvation Army to bring truck the night before. They'd park it furthest back in the lot and come unlock it that morning. We'd place the PTO slot next to it.
Being as we were hosting the sale, we - of course - would stay until the very end. But some would wrap up earlier. If they had leftovers they didn't want to a haul away, they could donate them to the PTO space (tax deductable). At the very end of the sale, everyone who wanted to - and ALL the PTO leftovers - would be loaded into the truck. Easy, nothing to haul away, tax deductible reciepts avialable. That part was very popular!
Have you tried eScrip? our band parents love this one cause you don't have to buy or sell anything. Just register their grocery cards and shop. you can find out more at www.escrip.com
Our school just raffled off a pair of Red Sox vs. Yankee tickets (donated by parents who have season tickets). We have 126 students and sold tickets for $5 each. We raised $6,200 and the kids went wild. They loved it!
HI, I am new to the forum and am currently on our PTO board, we are trying something totally new for us for our spring fundraiser. We are raffling off a Riding Lawn Mower. I got a local hardware store to get us one at cost, which is costing us $1000. We are selling the tickets for $5 each, we only need to sell 200 to break even! We have over 700 students in our school, I am hoping to at least sell 600, which means we make $2,000.Since it is our first time doing this, it might be more than 600! I think last year on our spring catalog fundraiser we only made $1500. I am excited to be trying this and think it will be a big hit! I am making packets with 10 tickets in each for each student to sell. So, we have the potential to make big money. We do have to get a permit from the local sheriff's office to do it since it is kind of "lottery like". We are having the drawing at our PTO/teacher night on March 23rd and the lawn mower will be present!
I try to post back and let you know how well it does.
How about (space permitting) you allow crafters or business owners to come to advertise. If you have the space available you could set all the Non flea market people in a different section, but this way you wouldn't loose the $10 space sale. I think this is a great idea and think it would go over very well.
