Sorry to beat a dead horse but......I need crop help

Guys I apologize in advance I never really read the crop post because I usually don't go but my lss is hosting one and I have to help prepare and I have no idea what to do?

Do you all like to play games or have mini challenges that you have the day to complete?

It's going to be pretty big I need ideas for game's and activities ect. Any important tips are advice is welcome!!!!


Also we are hosting a swap, how do you all do this so it's fair? Theres always a few that don't bring but take I'm sure??? Is giving a ticket for each item they brought to swap and letting them buy items off the swap table for 1 ticket a peice rude? How do you all do it?
TIA

Most of the crops I've gone to haven't had any kind of games. They've done demonstrations.

One crop did do a lo contest -- you could enter a lo and then everyone else picked their favorite.

I've also never had one that did a crop.

I know this is probably no help but this has been my experience.

I've never been to a crop that did a swap, although I have been to ones that had flea market tables where people could sell their scrappy goodies. You put your price and name on a sticker on each item. People would write down what they bought, how much it cost, and from whom and the put the money in a shoebox on the table (that they could also make change from). At the end of the day, one of the ladies who runs the crop added it all up and doled out money to the sellers. It's an honor system that worked well for the crops I went to, but might not work well in all crowds.

I am not big on games at crops. I prefer to go there and work on my projects without those interruptions. However, if the LSS is insisting on games because some women might be interested, you could do the spell out a word game. For instance, "scrapbooking". Whomever can find items in their crop stuff that spell out the word first, wins. So, if you were playing, you'd might use scissors for the S, a cropadile for the C, a rubber stamp for the R, etc. Or you could play bingo using scrapping terms. If you want to stay more simple and quick, put a small sticker under a few chairs. Whomever is sitting in a stickered chair wins the prize.

I like demonstrations at crops, but I prefer them to be in another room so that I am not bothered by the questions and stuff if it's not something I want to do.

LMBO, because I sound like such a snooty person in my prior post. Sorry. I'm really not, I'm just intent on what I am doing. I socialize a lot, too, but that's easier because it's when I want. LOL. I'm a control freak, I admit it.

Have to admit...never been to a crop. However, mini challenges sound like a great idea to me! Everyone's goal is to get pages done, so it seems like that would help with inspiration...especially if you win some scrapping goodies in the process!

I personally don't like games; demonstations can be ok, just not too many. Depending on the item I usually just ignore it and keep working, the only time I pay attention is at fundraising crop for Easter Seals because they do a few informational talks about what they do. The only game I've ever encountered that I didn't mind was one where you were given a list of 6-8 products that if you used on any LO (or anything) and then showed the hostess you got a ticket for a drawing that was held at apecific time--that was nice because you could keep on working while you "played" the game...if you chose to play at all.

I've never been to a crop with a swap, but the last one I went to had a "Trash to Treasure" table where you could put whatever you no longer needed/wanted and anyone was free to take it. That was interesting; one gal I was with found some stuff early on, but by the time I stopped by it was a lot of "trash" (i.e. nothing I would ever consider wanting...)

I go to lots of crops and most do not have anything but the crop. a few have challenges so that you can put layouts in to possible win a prize but not many.

Never saw a swap at one, but ours almost always have a yard sale.

what about a supply scavenger hunt? people are bringing their stuff and want new gifts so find something that isn't common and if people have it in their supplies they get an extra gift?

I've gone to crops where there are games. I think it's important to structure games so that people who do not want to participate don't have to. I participate 95% of the time, but sometimes I'm just knee-deep in a project and would like to skip the game.

The swap/ticket idea sounds good. Keeping it fair is important. You're right....there are people who will take, but not give.

I love crops that do door prizes. Everyone gets a ticket, and one or two names are drawn. It's just fun, and the prizes can be modest.

At the crops I have attended no games...but she has raffles..Usually every hour she goes by and gives us a raffle ticket for each layout we completed during the hour...then pulls a ticket and we can get a gift from the gift table..Other than that I would not like games or demo's because it takes time away from actually scrapping...Time is precious do not waste it lol!

thanks for all the great suggestions I'm taking notes.....keep em coming

Aren't you lucky to have such a great resource as SB.com and these talented ladies to help with ideas for your LSS? Have fun!

• ScrappyMama6 Said:

Yes I am, I have relied on their opinions very much latley!

Are you hosting the crop...or going? I am going to my first crop at my LSS at the end of the month.

The only other "crop" (I hate that word for some reason) I have attended was actually a scrap retreat that lasted 4 days! It was a blast.

We had games like...."most blinged lo" and "most distressed" there were also prizes for the person who did the most layouts during the time (yours truly ) and also for the best overall layouts. We all went around to everyone's tables and voted on the ones we liked best.

HTH!

My LSS doesn't do games or demonstrations and everyone gets a nice goodie bag. At the weekend long one in Oct, she did a couple raffles but everyone got to pick a prize. It's all noncompetitive though. I like the raffle ticket idea for the swap so that it's fair for everyone.

• Manda_K Said:

Thanks Manda!!! Hope you enjoy your crop......There will be 4 of us hosting it btw. We are trying to get some base plans underway.....hoping to make it fun and HUGE!

A couple things from a few crops I've been too.

- A voting contest on layouts that were completed during the crop.
- A circle word puzzle using scrapbooking terms. You can create these on-line. First one done, gets a prize.

Nothing too time consuming as most folks are there to get pages completed. Good luck!

My LSS gives everyone a ticket we put our name on and then she draws two names for a prize. I think also a fun one would be to tape a number or small gift under a chair.

I'm so going to miss my LSS once they close They have held out for so long but the insurance rates went up agian.

Thanks guys.....

Yeah we are hosting this crop and trying to do new things because if they do not start to get some cash flow in soon....this will be the 4th lss to close over the years here. I have been busting my tale trying to help them reinvent the store. It's drawn a little curiousity, but we need much much more traffic.

Bummer planty!! Our LSS has added some camera equipment and classes and she will order cameras for anyone who wants one....my next big purchase! YAY!

Jenn, I hope you have fun! Sharing the hosting with 4 others should be good! Are you planning on scrapping there too?

I think a raffle or the stickers under the chair is good. You don't want to be doing too much other than getting pages done!

It makes me sad to see any small business go under.

• Manda_K Said:

Manda I plan to pack a few things and try.....we'll just see how it goes. I would love to though if I have the ooportunity. To me it soiunds as if most ppl just wanna scrap and do a few lil things, so if this is how it goes down then yeah I will def bang some pages out!

I host one at my local church and while we are still refining the process we found most people didn't want to play games so we have door prize draws instead. There is always atleast one big prize and a small prize for everyone else. If we have the numbers than we have more bigger prizes.

We do the trade/giveaway table and what I do is everyone who brings something gets first shot at the other items but it is based on how many you bring. Then when that is done we let others who didn't bring anything or others who wanted more take from whats left. If there are any leftovers people can take them back home or donate them to the two ladies who teach scrapbooking at seniors centres. We do it that way so that someone doesn't who contribute takes all the good stuff.

I have been to crops where there are too many games- it gets distracting. I would just limit it to a few at a certain time.

You could do a raffle- every layout or card earns you a ticket for the draw.

You could do a challenge sponsered by the LSS. Give everyone a piece of the same pp or ribbon and have a contest to see how creativly it was used.

I like make and takes and demos, but over in the corner.

The crops I go to always has a good karma table. You donate any stiff you don't want, and can buy items for $1. Money goes to charity.

If you are having like a set lunch time, where everyone takes a break, that would be a good time for some games.

I am looking forward to the crop here at the end of the month, I have no idea if she does games, I doubt it. It is a 3 day crop, Fri evening, Sat all day and night just about then Sunday all day. We can come and go as we please and I think she has everyone bring a snack to share...I better check that out!

I have co hosted crops and we do make and takes with passports and a game or two. The make and takes often entail learning different technicues and if you get your passport stamped for all of the make and takes then you get a prize at the end.

I go to other crops where they have games every hour. Im not fond of the every hour things.

I like crops with optional games and other activities. That way each person can choose what they want to do. The hostess just announced a rough time schedule as to when each activity would happen, then a reminder around 10 minutes before that particular activity happened.

As for the swaps, the crop I attended had optional swaps. Whoever brought the items to swap, got to participate. Those who didn't bring items to swap, did not participate. The hostess just announced each swap and we would bring our swap items to the front of the room if we were participating, and swap out at that time.