Oriental Trading Company

Full review
Most people probably remember Oriental Trading from the big catalogs that PTA mothers are constantly flipping through to find prizes for their rooms. However, I now work at a college activities office and can see why Oriental Trading has become a mainstay of most communities.

The selection is incredible. They feature plenty of decorations to help with any type of theme party, whether its a luau or zoo theme. They also have tons of party supplies, arts and crafts supplies, and novelty jewelry.

Oriental Trading is one of the best sources for arts and crafts. Their Holiday 2002 Sensational Crafts catalog featured over 350 craft projects that were under $1 each. (Crafts are packaged by units, so a 5.95 unit can make 12 crafts for example, so each project is then .50.) The crafts cover a broad range, although there are very few Hanukkah crafts and no Kwanzaa crafts.

Religious and inspirational items are also a mainstay of Oriental Trading. The catalogs have over 500 items that are appropriate for Sunday school classes or churches,such as costumes, crafts, and novelty items.

One problem with Oriental Trading is that several products are not of a very good quality. Crafts and novelty items are often pretty corny and can look cheap. Most items are okay and can be used over and over again, but its important to keep in mind that in my experience, what you pay is what you get. Some of Oriental Trading's low prices are a reflection of low quality.

One more problem with Oriental Trading is the high shipping costs. It's important to keep these in mind when you have a limited budget or are comparing prices between companies. I would suggest standard shipping, as it arrives in 2 weeks and is half the cost of the express shipping.

Overall, Oriental Trading is a great shopping experience! I will continue to use it again and again to plan great events.