Ed Mack Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 I just have to say that I really do appreciate all the support. The kids appreciate all the support. The teachers appreciate all the support. I have been humbled by all of the support. As for the "charitable" write off, the school is a legit 501c(3). I don't know if it is tax deductible nor do I really give a crap. I don't roll that way. If I donate or enter a raffle, I could care less if it is a write off. I doubt many of you care as well. It's a great raffle, with kick butt prizes, write off or not. To a those of you who are questioning Jeff and I...don't ruin a good thing. As for me "having all this info" and it being "scary,"...Give me a break and think about it before you post something inflammatory. It's run by an independent organization. I don't even have the breakdown of who bought what. I figured that out by buying tickets. If you don't want to donate, don't. You don't have to come up with some paranoid BS as an excuse not to donate. Sorry for my tone, I am tired of being politically correct. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy vd M. Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 On a happier note, congratulations on raising $50,000 (no less than one quarter of the total goal!) Oh hmm... well... get ONE more then The school community must be baffled by these results and at the same time very motivated to raise the remainder. If two people can get 1/4, the rest is bound to follow! Still 19 hours to go. In case you're unsure whether to get (a few more) tickets and if so, which are probably wise choices I refer to my hereunder post. 11 hours ago, Roy vd M. said: So this being a Lego investment forum and all, I thought it might be a good idea to write a small post about which raffle tickets to purchase, with only a few hours to go before this set of opportunities becomes a retired product*. There are 11 lots in total. Here's an overview + value** + my thoughts + rating. 1. Death Star (10188). Value: $530. Hoarded from day one, though one of the best opportunities of the first wave. Rating: 6/10. 2. UCS R2-D2 (10225). Value: $350. Hoarded from day one. Rating: 4/10. 3. Case of minifigures, probably including Mr Gold (71001). Value: $615 (or more, if Mr Gold is included). Bit hoarded maybe but many people aren't aware of the value (including me before Ed informed me). So rating: 8/10. 4. Haunted House (10228). Value: $385. Hoarded because of sentimental value I think. Rating: 5/10. 5. Town Hall (10224). Value: $500. Second wave, which is good. Nice value. Rating: 8/10. 6. Grand Emporium (10211) & Parisian Restaurant (10243). $425. Third wave, which is better. Nice sets. Rating: 7/10. 7. Mystery box 5000+ pieces. Value: probably $400-$1,000. Probably not too many raffle tickets sold for this one. You don't know what you're going to get but it certainly isn't going to be bad with that many pieces. Rating: 8/10. 8. Create a bundle 5000+ pieces. Value: probably $500-$1,000. You get to pick them yourself... honestly? This is a must have. One of the latest additions to the raffle, many people who first bought their tickets weeks before probably didn't notice this or didn't get the tickets. Rating: 9/10. 9. Tumbler (76023) & Arkhan Asylum Breakout (10937). Value: $530. This is a very good value for a lot overlooked by most Brickpickers, probably. Rating: 8/10. 10. Brickpicker bundle: 11 desirable sets. Value: $935. Yes you read that right, I added all values and this turns out to be by far the most valuable lot (that we know the value of). It was also one of the last added. So this is, for me, easily the lot that is best worth getting. Get it now... while you still can. Rating: 10/10. 11. Friends bundle: 10 Friends sets plus 1 ideas set. Value: $260. Not unexpectedly, the least value lot. Few raffle tickets sold for this one, probably. Because it's the last added to the raffle and because of the value. So still not bad for your $10. Chances of winning this are of course relatively good. Rating: 5/10. Conclusions (from worst to best): - Lot 2 is probably not the right choice at this point in time (value 4/10). - Lots 4 and 11 I also wouldn't try, unless you really want that Haunted House or are a friends' friend (value 5/10). - Lots 1 looks okay (value 6/10). - Lot 6 is a very understandable choice (value 7/10). - Lots 3, 5, 7 and 9 are probably rather overlooked and have high values. Much recommended (value 8/10). - Lot 8 is a must-have. Get a few of those tickets or you'll regret it later. - Lot 10 is, in my view, the best of the bunch. Get as many tickets as you can while you can. This is a winner! Guess I'm going to get myself another ticket for lot 10. *The tone of this post is not to be taken too seriously, was however written with respect for the good cause and its contents are in principle true and useful. The use of terms as 'retired' and 'hoarded' is intended as playful and should not be interpreted as businesslike or disrespectful. ** For the value I took a look at Brickpicker's price guide + current listings. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Mack Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 Roy van den Munckhof has put us over $50,000!!! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Mack Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 Great job everyone...now onto $60,000! We have almost a full day left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISO8T0 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Congrats on hitting $50k. Now I'm in for 14 more tickets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinner41 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) 2 hours ago, Jeff Mack said: Personally I am taking major offense to this. Ed and I do not have access to anyone's info It wasn't meant as offense, and I am sorry if it sounded as one. What I wanted to say is that I don't know what of all the information rally.com gets is given to the ones holding the rallies. I doubt they would give more than the email addresses and names, but even if so, it would not be your fault and nothing to take offense at. All I wanted to say that people do get nervous whenever they have to give a lot of their info, and they should - and they don't always want to do research to make sure everything is ok, especially not when donating. I wonder why rally.com requires so much, and I suspect as you, that his has something to do with the IRS and their non-profit (?) status. Maybe that is why they do not (cannot?) accept paypal. As I said, I did give in even before my post, and I hope the same was true for a lot of others. It would just have been nice (from the side of rally.com, not yours), if giving would be possible in a little more anonymous way. It might just mean more donations. I am truly sorry, I didn't want to offend anyone. And hey - let's party: $50k + $1! This is almost unbelievable! Edited January 31, 2016 by dinner41 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Mack Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 20 minutes ago, dinner41 said: It wasn't meant as offense, and I am sorry if it sounded as one. What I wanted to say is that I don't know what of all the information rally.com gets is given to the ones holding the rallies. I doubt they would give more than the email addresses and names, but even if so, it would not be your fault and nothing to take offense at. All I wanted to say that people do get nervous whenever they have to give a lot of their info, and they should - and they don't always want to do research to make sure everything is ok, especially not when donating. I wonder why rally.com requires so much, and I suspect as you, that his has something to do with the IRS and their non-profit (?) status. Maybe that is why they do not (cannot?) accept paypal. As I said, I did give in even before my post, and I hope the same was true for a lot of others. It would just have been nice (from the side of rally.com, not yours), if giving would be possible in a little more anonymous way. It might just mean more donations. I am truly sorry, I didn't want to offend anyone. And hey - let's party: $50k + $1! This is almost unbelievable! As I have mentioned several times, PayPal does not accept "raffle" payments. They will accept direct donations and Rallyup.com does use PayPal with their many other charity programs: auctions, crowdfunding, pledges, sales, etc...It is an issue with PayPal, not Rallyup.com. I wish they had PayPal. They do not. But as I have done many times already, I will use my credit card to buy people tickets if they send me the money to my PayPal account. I do this at a cost to myself. I pay the PayPal fee, so I take a hit, but that is OK...I'm good with it. Feel free to use me as a conduit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sfcommando14 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 In true procrastinator fashion, I finally donated. Good luck everyone, but more importantly congratulations to the kids this money will help! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banshee3 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Am I the only one who thinks that the reminder email, announcement tag and this thread title should all be updated with the "retiring soon" tag? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaisonline Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 About 102 likes / $102 dollars in nearly 2 days. The % of likes have slowed down drastically. Please click the post below and LIKE it (not this specific post). A simple click and more money is put toward a great cause. Please also donate anything to St Paul's Parochial School if not already. ONLY 90 minutes left for my I'm pleading for more Likes in my original post below 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpinemaps Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 3 hours ago, Ed Mack said: I don't know if it is tax deductible nor do I really give a crap I agree with you. While I doubt anyone can have enough tax deductions, if you can't occasionally look past the "I must find the tax deduction in everything I do" the you're leading a sad life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxman Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 In for another ticket this morning. Let's do this!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drmirage Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Another round of for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogi Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 i was sceptical first, but sounds very honest to me. also, i wanna say thank you for this wonderful website! glad i can give some:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flanagan Bros Inc Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Well, I caved and donated a bit more, payday was last Friday, so I've got a little extra extra cash. Here's hoping we make it to at least $55,000...Maybe even $60,000! My bank account isn't too happy, but I like to think of it as an investment into the students, teachers, and staff at Saint Paul's and the community in Burlington . . . And those kinds of investments really are the best kind. Money is just little slips of paper with value attached to it, and while helping individuals, families, and communities thrive may sometimes seem small, it's those little things that help to change the world—As Mother Teresa said: "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." Ed and Jeff both obviously put a lot work into the things that matter most to them.That's evidenced by both their involvement with Saint Paul's and the amount they invest into BrickPicker. Quite simply, it's inspiring. On a side not: Anyone have website design experience they could offer to update Saint Paul's website? It's a little outdated and having a strong online presence can really help draw attention to an organization. I know because I voluntarily help manage the online components of a small, local Taekwondo place at it's astounding the amount of extra attention, inquiries, and students we've managed to draw in since we've updated our website and stepped up or online activity. Sadly, though, I'm not familiar with the exactitudes of website design. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaisonline Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Thanks to those 106 members that liked the post below to continue supporting this wonderful cause. The $110 donation was just posted. On January 29, 2016 at 0:21 PM, jaisonline said: @Mos_Eisley "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". i would like to totally rip-off Mos' great idea of likes. This is a good cause so I don't think Mos will mind plus he's far more original than me when it comes to ideas like this. In addition to already donating 2 SW TFA sets along with a small donation, my wife and i will like to give even more by engaging other Brickpicker members. *** For each LIKE this post gets, we will donate $1 per by purchasing fundraiser tickets. No limit of likes. *** The cutoff time for my likes is Sunday @ 12:00 PM EST. note: I think we can get 500 likes with this post alone! Lets work together make it happen. Mos' post can be found below. More info = https://rallyup.com/stpaul-2016/ ----- @Ed Mack @Jeff Mack 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravenb99 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 5 hours ago, Ed Mack said: Roy van den Munckhof has put us over $50,000!!! Bold Arrow has already logged this for the 2016 BF Trivia contest. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bricker123 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Another procrastinator here. Just purchased a few ticket before I forget. Thank you Jeff/Ed and all the other great moderators and contributors to the site! Go St. Paul! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfiepops Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Same here and glad I did before remorse and regret set in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huskers1236 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 It seems that the horde knows no bounds. Whether it be gobbling up the last Tumblers, or getting into a raffle, there's nothing like waiting until the last minute. I think this thing has gained more support in the last 12 hours than the first 2 weeks. I almost felt bad for Ed/Jeff in the beginning because this thing really wasn't taking off and showing real lack of support, but the last week or so has been truly inspirational and a true testament to this group. Hopefully the rest of the parents/faculty at the school are doing 10% of what this group and its creators have done. If so, the school should be in good shape. Hopefully enough is gained that they don't have to go through this year after year. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emielvk Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 It is going berserk hahaha just added a few more tickets as well ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Briggs Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 1 hour ago, Huskers1236 said: It seems that the horde knows no bounds. Whether it be gobbling up the last Tumblers, or getting into a raffle, there's nothing like waiting until the last minute. I think this thing has gained more support in the last 12 hours than the first 2 weeks. I almost felt bad for Ed/Jeff in the beginning because this thing really wasn't taking off and showing real lack of support, but the last week or so has been truly inspirational and a true testament to this group. Hopefully the rest of the parents/faculty at the school are doing 10% of what this group and its creators have done. If so, the school should be in good shape. Hopefully enough is gained that they don't have to go through this year after year. In hindsight it seems only logical. Just compare the raffle to a LEGO set. Who would buy a set on release day (with no intention of building it) when one exactly knows the exact "sold out"-date, no discounts are being offered in the meantime, quick-flipping isn't an option and buying limits are not applied at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Mack Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 The Horde does have a heart(s)... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboJet Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 In for a couple tickets. It's cool that the receipt shows you the total number of tickets sold for the prize pack so far. Will have to be pretty lucky to win! Good luck all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legodelorean Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) OK guys, I know this isn't the appropriate thread to post this to, but I searched all over and couldn't find the topic. Do you guys know if for the fundraiser they except PayPal? Mods, please move this to the appropriate location if there is one. Edited January 31, 2016 by exciter1 Moved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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