My kids loved the junk I picked out!
Written: Oct 20 '09 (Updated Oct 20 '09)
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I had a random thought while planning for Halloween this year. We usually do treat bags for the neighbors with novelty items inside. The items were very expensive in the store last year so I thought I would check online for something less expensive. I was familiar with Oriental Trading so visited their site first.
PRODUCT / SELECTION
It was very difficult to find things on the website. I searched for Halloween and found a small selection, but if I searched for topics like spooky, skulls, glow in the dark, etc. I found a lot more products that peeked my interest.
I spent a lot more time on the website than I intended to because I kept searching for different keywords in hopes of finding something I couldn't live without.
In addition to Halloween supplies, I also ordered some Christmas gift bags and some crafts for my kids to do.
I was also excited about some other products that I will be returning to purchase later in the year for crafts that would make great gifts. I loved the option to personalize some things like pencils and bags, etc. for a reasonable price without needing to buy a large quantity. For instance, I can get a pack of 12 pencils personalized for $5.99.
BIRTHDAY FUN
Having shopped for birthday decorations and favors at the local stores just last month, it's definitely cheaper to buy all of the stuff at Oriental Trading. There are suggestions displayed at the bottom of the site for similar items of interest. I searched by theme and all of the matching things came up for one stop shopping. I think the Oriental Trading has a better selection of items for a themed birthday party than can be found at a local store. I am also pleased that I don't have to worry about key matching items being out of stock like they seem to be when I shop the local stores.
PRODUCT REVIEWS
I hesitate to buy novelty items without touching them first because you just never know how junky they really are over the Internet. I really appreciate that they put a customer rating system on this site. Customers who buy the items can log on after their purchase and write a one line sentence about the product. This was very influential in my purchase. For instance, I was able to see from previous customers that the craft I picked was gift-quality like I wanted. I also learned that it was easy enough for a child my daughter's age. I think nearly every product that I purchased had been rated a couple of times by a customer.
PRICING
I feel like the prices were reasonable. I found a few off-season items on on sale marked down 50%. I was happy with the quality of the items, for the price. The little trinkets were basically one time use items which served my purpose.
THE ORDER
There was a coupon on the main page to use at checkout, but I brought my own coupon from another website that gave me a discount and free shipping. I was tickled about that.
After I placed my order I received my confirmation that my order had been placed (and another coupon to use). It only took about 1 hour to be added to the email spam list. I have received tons of advertising so far which is very annoying. Gettng off of the spam list is not as easy as getting on it!
DELIVERY
I received the products that I ordered within a week of placing the order. The items came in a box that had the Oriental Trading logo on it. The items that I ordered were compressed, each in a clear bag of their own.
OVERALL
It's a nice site for birthday favors and holiday trinkets. The price was reasonable, coupon codes are abundant, and shipping is fast. It took a long time to find things on the site, but I did love the customer feedback to weed out the junk.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Trinkets for Halloween and Holidays
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Epinions.com ID:
xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
Reviews written: 542
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Be a coffee-drinking individual - espresso yourself!
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