Raffles can be a super fun and effective way to raise money for causes or organizations. Offering prizes that get attendees excited while bringing in crucial fundraising dollars. But pulling off a successful raffle depends a lot on having compelling tickets that look professional and get people eager to try their luck.
Where can you conveniently buy quality raffle tickets near you for your next big event, fundraiser, or community cause?
The good news is there are now lots of great options for sourcing stylish, functional raffle tickets whether your needs are big or small. From local party and office supply stores to online print shops that offer fast shipping. With some savvy shopping you can find tickets that fit your budget and meet all the requirements for your upcoming raffle.
In this comprehensive guide you’ll discover the best places to buy raffle tickets near me, key features that quality tickets should have, creative ways to source tickets fast, and top tips for storing, personalizing and selling tickets. Ready to learn about easily getting awesome raffle tickets for your next school, church or charity event? Let’s dive in!
Checking Local Party and Office Stores
If you need raffle tickets quickly for an event coming up soon, starting your search for tickets locally can be a good bet. Here are some of the best nearby places to look for basic or last minute raffle tickets:
Party Supply Shops
Party supply stores catering to events often carry some standard raffle tickets that could work in a pinch. Offering multi-colored ticket stacks and small raffle ticket rolls, you likely won’t find perforated or consecutively numbered versions. But for very informal or last-minute raffles these could do the trick if ordered raffle tickets don’t arrive in time.
Office Supply Stores
Office supply shops aimed at businesses are actually a good place to check for raffle tickets, especially if you need larger quantities. Many stock basic serial-numbered ticket rolls for home and office prize drawings. You’ll also often find small ticket pads or sheets. Just double check tickets have key features like stubs and numbering.
Convenience & Specialty Stores
Some convenience, drug and specialty stores sell small packs of basic raffle tickets near registers for impulse shopper purchases. These likely won’t have special numbering but work nicely for very small informal office or neighborhood raffles.
Checking these types of local outlets probably won’t yield highly customized or elegant raffle tickets, but are worth a try for generic options you can buy quickly off the shelf without shipping wait times.
Ordering Raffle Tickets Online
For the best selection, prices and customization options, buying raffle tickets online is the way to go. Print shops and specialty vendors selling online offer fast shipping right to your door along with easy to use design tools for creating customized, embellished tickets.
Pricing & Order Minimums
Online raffle ticket sellers cater to needs both big and small. While some require large bulk orders of 1,000+ tickets, many offer smaller order minimums like 100 or 500 to accommodate tiny raffles. Prices can start under $10 dollars for basic tickets, with add-ons like full-color printing, specialty paper and rush delivery increasing costs.
Smart shopping by comparing vendor pricing and discounts can help you save. Buying larger volumes typically reduces the per unit price. And don’t forget to factor in free shipping thresholds and coupons when deciding on the right ticket numbers for your needs and budget.
Design & Customization
One of the best perks of online ordering is getting to customize raffle tickets to match your event theme, brand colors or other preferences. Look for easy to use design interfaces and templates that still give you lots of creative control.
Most vendors let you upload logos or images, select background colors/graphics and customize text fonts and sizing. Being able to preview finished designs digitally ensures tickets look perfect before printing/shipping.
Order & Shipping Speed
Online sellers should provide clear order and delivery time estimates so you can meet your event deadlines. Standard ship times run 5-7 business days but accelerated options down to 1-day rush delivery may be available for extra fees.
Key details covered should include production time from order submission to shipping, shipping transit days for your destination, plus handling potential delays on larger orders requiring extra print/finishing time. Order early, particularly for big events, to build in leeway avoiding last minute ticket panic!
Range of Ticket Types & Options
Along with offeringCOLOR raffle ticket basics like consecutive numbering and perforated stubs for easy tearing, quality online sellers give you options to further customize and enhance tickets. Nice upgrades to look for include:
Special shapes/sizes – Scalloped edges, longer stubs or oversized tickets help your raffle stand out.
Pre-printed stubs – Save effort by having key details like organization name, phone or event pre-printed on ticket stubs.
Special numbering – Go beyond standard consecutive runs to serialized letters/number patterns.
Security slits/marks – Foil seals and andere make tampering obvious.
Specialty paper – Heavier card stock or even wood-grain look paper upgrades perceived value.
With the range available print shops that sell online are definitely the best sources finding tickets matching your specific event vision and practical needs alike.
Key Features Raffle Tickets Should Have
Savvy raffle organizers should look for more than just the classic “movie tickets” look when sourcing their supplies. The right features make tickets easier for you to manage and participants more eager to buy. Must have attributes include:
Perforated Stubs
Cleanly tearing the smaller stub portion away from tickets for entry bucket inclusion is essential for smooth raffle operations. Skip plain edge tickets causing messy tearing. The micro-perforations joining stubs to tickets makeseparation simple.
Consecutive Numbering
Each purchased ticket must have a unique entry number for fair drawing odds and reliable winner determination. Consecutively numbered tickets starting at 1 simplify processes for sellers and organizers. Any custom number sequences should still offer unique values.
Spaces for Names & Contact Info
Winning ticket stubs must include space for capturing key details like participant names and phone numbers. Pre-printing name/info areas on stubs saves manually adding sticky notes while providing contact data should ticket holders leave before prize redemption.
Quality Cardstock
Flimsy paper tickets feel cheap and project amateur production. Investing in smooth, heavyweight white or colored cardstock elevated perceived event sophistication encouraging sales. Added durability also combats smudging during ticket handling/drawing.
Prioritizing these practical elements in addition to style ensures your raffle tickets not only attract interest but actually improve gamification operations before, during and even after the public drawing itself.
Comparing Ticket Rolls vs Pads
Once you’ve locked in must have ticket features, the next key sourcing decision is whether to buy longer continuous rolls or stacked loose leaf pads. Choosing the right format can optimize both ease of use at your event and cost efficiency depending on projected volumes.
Rolls
Continuous ticket rolls make sense for high volume raffles requiring 500+ tickets. Requiring less frequent reloading into dispensers, the uniform consistency also avoids differentiated handling once pads shrink. Startup waste is limited to the small leader/trailer end sections.
Bulk rolls are also generally the most economical format for high total ticket quantities. Just be sure to have secure storage keeping rolls protected and tidy both before and during events. Dispenser boxes work nicely allowing tidy access with minimal dust/dirt exposure.
Pads
For more casual raffles where selling even 100 tickets seems optimistic, stacked loose leaf pads eliminate waste from discontinued mid-roll breaks. Small numbers also let sellers manually tear pads easily without dispensers.
Varying stub/ticket sizes as each pad sheet is consumed can however annoy meticulous draw masters. So the lower overall investment still suits lower volume raffles best unless carefully managed dispensing processes are followed.
Choosing rolls or pads rightly does impact smooth selling operations. Carefully considering your volume, environmental and workflow factors helps make the best format choice.
Getting Creative to Source Raffle Tickets
Along with traditional shops and printers, getting creative with your sourcing can uncover some great raffle ticket sources. Try these out-of-the-box ideas for scoring deals on fun tickets:
Buy Discounted Event Leftovers
Check with event venues, wedding planners or even eBay for unused serialized party tickets from past galas. With some overprinting and customization these can deliver premium tickets affordably.
Repurpose Related Products
Rather than generic raffle tickets, products like bingo game cards, door prize drawings and business card raffles work nicely for some events with clever repurposing.
Print Your Own
Creating and printing fully customized raffle tickets at home or locally using template software is very doable today. Consider if investing some time offsets reasonable ticket printing costs.
Watch for Donations
Organizations like print shops and event supply companies hoping for community goodwill sometimes donate raffle ticket print jobs for causes. Doesn’t hurt to politely ask!
With some entrepreneurial thinking you can likely uncover great ways to save on sourcing the perfect raffle tickets for your needs.
Top Tips for Raffle Ticket Use & Handling
Ordering creatively designed tickets with all the right features is just the beginning. Smartly managing ticket distribution, completion, storage and display also impacts your fundraising outcomes.
Here are some proven best practices when it comes to handling tickets:
- Number tickets ahead of time when possible for quicker distribution.
- Use template software to print stubs with organization details ready to go.
- Have sellers use ink pens not pencils for legible participant details.
- Set up protected storage like lock boxes securing ticket rolls/pads during transport and between event days.
- Use secure ticket dispenser boxes to neatly present ticket rolls, avoiding bend damage and dust.
- Display example tickets at purchase points and highlight key selling details/features.
- Consider offering incentives for selling certain volumes like 10 or 25 tickets.
Taking some time to plan smart ticketing processes gives your raffle the very best chance of fundraising success!
Conclusion
Raffles can deliver tons of win-win value for organizations and participants when run properly. One key element is having compelling, functional raffle tickets convenient available. Local stores, online print vendors and even creative sourcing offer lots of ways to secure just the right ticketing for events and causes big and small.
By understanding must-have ticket features, shopping sales and discounts as able, and managing ticketing processes smoothly, organizations can make their raffles maximize returns while delivering fun. Check around early when planning and leverage available design customization online to create hype and enthusiasm with tickets that look as amazing as the prizes you offer. The right tickets can help make your raffle record-setting while lifting your organization or charity.
