Why The Dollar Store May NOT Be The Best Place To Find Carnival Prizes...

Going to a dollar store can be a great way to find DIY Halloween costumes, discount crafts you've found on Pinterest, or even last minute birthday cards & balloons for a friend. However dollar stores tend to fall short when it comes to shopping for a school-wide, church, or other large organization carnival or festival! Read more below about why dollar stores may be too expensive for your organization's budget...

 When You Do the Math - They're Pretty Pricey!

Dollar stores (and party stores) are wonderful for many reasons. Unfortunately, they're quite... you know... expensive to use for planning a large school, church, or organization carnival. 

Here's why:

From our experience, most dollar stores tend to pack products in small packages - not bulk packaging. So even though the price is just a "1 dollar per package," you will end up purchasing many packages instead of buying a "bulk set" from a store that specializes in bulk toys and prizes. These small $1 sets will end up costing you a LOT more than if you were to purchase a larger, bulk set.

For example, when purchasing for a fundraising carnival, spending 11 cents for each toy is a fantastic savings compared to 35 cents per toy - especially when you need 1000+ small prizes for your carnival game booths!

If your goal is to make a profit with your event, you'll want to find inexpensive items at a good price. If you are planning your festival as a community outreach, you want your dollars to go as far as they possibly can. 

Carnival toys that are pennies cheap (instead of slightly less than one dollar) can be easily found online. You can find truly cost-effective items in bulk at carnival stores online. Instead of purchasing thousands of toys, prizes, and other items individually, consider taking a look at this easy solution HERE. 

You might also like:

• 4 tips to Avoid Running out of Carnival Prizes
• Please Don't Pass out Carnival Prizes Like This...
• 3 Things You Need to Know About Toddlers & Carnival Prizes

The above image shows the ping pong toss carnival game set up at a school.

 Dollar Stores Have A Smaller Selection For Your Event

Again, dollar type stores are handy for many reasons and we are not attempting to claim that they are "bad"! They have everything from candles and kitchen towels to motor oil and diapers. 

However, they simply don't provide the large selection you'll need to host a carnival or fundraising event. This does not include smaller events such as small birthday parties or a small backyard carnival with a dozen or so children invited. Dollar & party stores simply don't have the space to fit over one thousand small toy and prizes that could be used at a carnival fundraiser. 

You'll be completely out of luck if you're trying to host a large themed event, such as a Fall Festival, Beach Bash or Easter Egg Hunt. Dollar stores might have a few items for your seasonal or themed event, but lack some of the important basics like tickets, game supplies and bulk treat bags.

The above image shows carnival prizes set up outside in bright colored buckets.

But not to worry! Carnival Savers offers over 1,300+ discount prizes and carnival game supplies that you'd love to have for your next big event! We have everything from bean bags, pinwheels, wristbands & tickets, hanging flag banners, tablecloth covers, prize buckets, bulk prizes, stuffed animals and more - all at a great savings - perfect for your fundraising event! We even make carnival prize shopping EASY with our carnival prizes by price online catalog!

 Products Might Not Be Safety-Tested By a Third-Party Company!

ALL of Carnival Savers prizes, toys, and treats are safety-tested by a third-party company! Toys are tested according to the rigorous standards created by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and other applicable state and federal agencies. This ensures your carnival prizes and stuffed animals are safe for children and can be enjoyed without worry.

On the other hand, toys and prizes sold by dollar stores may not always be safety-tested by a third party. Purchasing from an online company that guarantees safety testing, such as Carnival Savers, ensures that the toys you purchase are considered to be safe, non-toxic, and not pose choking hazards.

The above image shows a child hugging a teddy bear while laying in the grass.

 Dollar Stores Do Not Offer a Guarantee on Prizes

Similarly to above, ALL of our prizes are tested for not only safety, but also to ensure that they do what they are designed to do.

We have found spin tops that don't spin, jumping frogs that don't jump and whistles that don't make a sound - those items we simply don't bother putting on our website as we know if we don't like them, you won't either.

In short, we test all of our products before putting them online for sale. Our team checks out our toys to ensure they work as promised, and we have kids try our toys to make sure they're loads of fun!

In addition, we offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee on everything we sell.

So you can be sure that if you are not delighted with an item, you can easily reach out to us via email, through our website or give us a call and we will replace or refund that item - hassle free!

The above image shows the outside of a home with an online shopping box on the front porch.

 Fast, FREE Shipping Without Driving Around Town!

In years past it made sense to drive 10 or 20 minutes (or longer) to find party & carnival supplies... to avoid high shipping costs and waiting 3 weeks for online shipping. Thankfully, this is not the case anymore! 

Why? Well, because it is easy to shop when it is convenient for you, in the comfort of your home or even on the go with your smartphone and you can have your festival or carnival supplies delivered right to your door! 

While we cannot deliver as fast as some other "online retail giants", our average delivery is just a little more than one week to your door. Our customers seem to appreciate the deep online discounts and with just a little more planning can save up to 50% compared to others on the internet.

By the way - Carnival Savers offers FREE shipping on all orders over $100! 

 However, Dollar Stores ARE Good For:

Dollar stores can be fantastic for some items needed at your carnival or festival. Check the prices of the sodas, water bottles, and cookies  - they may have a great deal running for your event.

Also, if you are in need of a few extra items for your themed Class Raffle Baskets - swing by the dollar store - you just may find a few items at a great price that fill out the basket to make it extra special! We have found some awesome deals at dollar type stores when a class basket is needing a "pop" from a cute little wagon etc.

If you or your carnival event planner is well-organized you can easily avoid overspending for prizes at your local dollar store. How? We have other articles about how to pass out carnival prizes, why you need a dedicated purchaser, and oodles of other carnival hints and tips blogposts to save you time & money.

Thank you for reading the Carnival Savers blog! Wishing you all the best with your event!