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Post Info TOPIC: What's Your Halloween Giveaway Strategy?
garougal


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What's Your Halloween Giveaway Strategy?
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by Chris Higgins - October 26, 2007 - 10:35 AM


Trick or Treat

Although I havent gone trick-or-treating for almost two decades, I still remember the greedy delight I took in collecting, cataloging, and ultimately binging on Halloween candy each year. Now that Im officially some sort of grownup, I feel its important to consider my Halloween Giveaway Strategy in other words, fit myself into the landscape of treat givers that I remember from back in the day.


These are the archetypes I remember:


The One Piece of Candy Per Kid Rule (aka The Walter Sobchak There Are Rules Approach). This method generally involves a big bowl of fun size goodies monitored by a stern taskmaster. Each child follows the universally agreed-upon process of saying trick or treat? and his or her hand is allowed to grasp a single treat from the bowl. Any child attempting multiple treats is immediately disciplined/shamed.


The Monty Hall Mom. These folks generally go for a bit more costume-related chat, then offer a handful of candy, which makes it a game of skill for kids with little hands. Strategy is key using a scooping method can yield more candy than closing your fist around the goodies.


The Absentee Landlord (aka the Leave Me Alone Family). These people leave a tray of stuff by their front door, sometimes with some lame rule (like take only one, please!) on a sign. Because of the inherent greed issues here (see: tragedy of the commons), the goodies are usually apples or something equally disappointing.


I Got a Rock

The Fruit Peddler. I really wish there was some kind of hobo code for kids to identify these houses. At best, you get an apple, tangerine, or box of raisins. At worst, you get a weird lecture about how fruit is better than candy. (On the bright side, when you grow up youll sort of understand. But youll never forgive.)


Heres a Nickel, Go Buy Yourself a Clue. These people give you money in pitiably small quantities. Perhaps theyre hoping youll start a college fund. In my day the going rate was a nickel. Do kids get quarters now?


The Slightly Unsettling Proselytizer. I only encountered this once, when trick-or-treating in a fancy neighborhood in Sarasota, Florida but it has stuck with me. My fellow trick-or-treaters and I were greeted at the door by a smiley couple who gave us full-sized candy bars with Jack Chick tracts wrapped around them.


The Im Totally Not Home Guy. Dude, we see that your TV is on in your otherwise darkened housecouldnt you just leave some candy by the door?!

laughing.gif



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ghostdancer


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The author must've lived in my neighborhood when I was a kid. laughing.gif And he's lucky he got a whole, shiny nickel; all I ever got was a penny or two wrapped up in a small piece of orange tissue paper.  hmm  There was one older lady though that used to give us a can of pop every year; I can't remember if it was Shasta or Fanta.  We thought that was pretty cool.  smile 

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confuzzed


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I generally let the kids pick what they want out of the bowl and I try to have a good variety. YOu have to have the chocolate based candy as well as the straight sugar. Since I don't seem to get too many kids, I usually let them have two treats.

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MzHartz


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My neighborhood as a kid ROCKED on Halloween. Hm, I think I'll draw a map and do a blog post about it, since I could ramble on for a while.

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MzHartz


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Oh, and personally, we don't really get any kids, so I give away full sized Hershey's bars.

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disco strangler


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When I was a kid (and a teenager ashamed.gif), I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Halloween! Bringing home to loot, then trying to skillfully barter with my younger brother for the good stuff! One house gave out pencils every stinkin' year! And not cool Halloween pencils -- just your basic yellow #2 weirdface.gif There was this mean lady that lived a couple doors down who everyone was scared of, so for years we avoided her house, but one Halloween, on a dare, my brother went to her house and she handed out handfulls of CHOCOLATE BARS! Holy Moly! It was like he struck gold! Of cousre, the skeptic that I am, I made him check several of them for razor blades and pins when we got home... Then when it was determinded that they were good, serious trading commenced!

When I lived in town, we used to do the mix bowl, and let the kids pick a couple treats out of the bowl. Now that we live out in the sticks, we don't have any kids come around. And I take Isaac to the downtown trick-or-treat that the merchants put on... hmm.gif

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Mad Mema


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I'm the 'Monty Hall' type. I buy tons of candy and hand it out by the handfull.

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MzHartz


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If anyone's interested, I posted my old trick-or-treating route map on my blog.

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CP


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I love Halloween, but we hardly get any kids, so those that come get TONS. I live at the top of a cul-de-sac and I have absentee neighbors so it looks to dark to come on down.

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confuzzed


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Everybody to CP's house for candy and massages! (Just remember to bring a bottle of Jack Daniels.)

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CP


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YES!!!! Candy, soothing massage and Jack. Does it get any better?

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confuzzed


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Just as long as you light some candles too. nod.gif

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CP


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I do real candles. Most massage therapists now use the plug in kind and oil scent. I use candles and real oil, like peppermint for invigorating, jasmine and lavendar for soothing, tea tree for healing. Don't get me started, I have over 25 essential oils and custom blend the massage oil for the customer with my aromatherapy bible.

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Mad Mema


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Sounds like I should be heading there. smile.gif

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Jeremy Riggs


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I'm the Im Totally Not Home Guy.

Seems like Trick or Treat hours are always during a Packer game and I'll be damned if I'm gonna get up every 30 seconds to give some kid some candy. angered.gif

I used put a sign on the door that says "Sorry, no candy" and go to my Dad's house to watch the game with him (when he was alive).

Now I just stay home and watch the game, but I still put the sign up!

I'm a grumpy old man at the age of 40 biggrin.gif

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MzHartz


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Jeremy Riggs wrote:

I'm the Im Totally Not Home Guy.

Seems like Trick or Treat hours are always during a Packer game and I'll be damned if I'm gonna get up every 30 seconds to give some kid some candy. angered.gif

I used put a sign on the door that says "Sorry, no candy" and go to my Dad's house to watch the game with him (when he was alive).

Now I just stay home and watch the game, but I still put the sign up!

I'm a grumpy old man at the age of 40 biggrin.gif


Now you're making a Bear's fan look like a better person, at least they give out candy.

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Jeremy Riggs


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Ouch. That was hitting below the belt MZ.

I guess I better start handing out candy hmm.gif

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Dylan


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Riggs, the Packers play the Colts this week...I am sure Mz was just trying to jinx you from cheering for the Pack.  You just focus on the game buddy.  You can also take solace in the fact you arent giving some kid tooth decay.  You can always watch the game here buddy! wink

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Mad Mema


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Ah come on, JR... hand out some candy. Don't be the grumpy guy! Trick or Treating is one of the last few really cool things about being a kid anymore.

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MzHartz


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Well lookee there, the Colts do play the Packers this week. ;)

Really, though, think of the poor little trick or treaters! Couldn't you just hire one to hand out the rest of the candy? You could pay them in candy even!

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Dylan


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Any friendly wagers Mz?  biggrin

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MzHartz


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Sure! Send me a bottle of a local wine if (when) the Colts win, and I'll wager a 6 pack of Upland beer (local brewery) if the Packers win. How's that sound?

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Dylan


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I am not a big beer drinker Mz.  I can send a local wine if you want, but how about this?
 We are both readers...why dont we say a book from a used book store we think the other might like?  Or ...we could each suggest a title.  smile

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MzHartz


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Sorry, I guess I'm just used to all the other beer-drinking Packers fans around here. (I'll extend the wine/beer wager to another Packer fan, if another's interested.)

I like the book idea. The loser sends the winner a book. Deal? (Suggest a title? Don't we already do that?)

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Dylan


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Works for me Mz. smile

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MzHartz


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Darnit, I should know not to wager. I always end of jinxing my team.

So, I must get a book on it's way to you. Have you read Marley and Me? If not, I think you'd enjoy it.

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Dylan


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I have it already Mz.  I tell ya what...Buy a book you want to read and consider it a gift from me. 

The Colts are a good team.  They just caught the Packers on the wrong day.
Manning is one of my favorite players and Tony Dungy is a class act.  They'll be back. smile

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MzHartz


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Nope, I still owe you a book at any rate (but you'll have to PM me your address). I have enough in my pile to read as it is. I've got 2 more books in the Dark Tower series, the last Twilight novel, and the 3rd Eragon novel is out. Plus, I imagine I won't be doing a lot of reading next month as it is now.

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Dylan


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Tell you what...if you decide to write your story, send me an autographed copy.

Is that cool? smile

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ghostdancer


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While you guys are talking books, what kind of books do you enjoy reading Dylan?  Have any favorite authors?  Just curious; I'm a huge lover of books and do a lot of reading in my spare time. smile

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