18 minutes ago, Phil B said:

Am I the only one who ROFL'ed at this? I read it as "spoke with 3 winners, one from Canada, one from Malaysia and the rest (read "1") from the US"

Everyone who entered the raffle was a winner in my book!

Sweet, I won the imperial star destroyer!  That was my hope, how awesome.  Looks like building time to come with my kids.  I'm glad the raffle was another success.

6 hours ago, djtsmith007 said:

Not to get to far off topic but how does RallyUp pick a ticket? Looking at mine over the years it's seems to always pick towards the middle of the tickets pulled. Leaving the ones at the beginning and end out. Anyone know?

Completely random....Takes seconds.  We tell them to run it, it happens within a second or so.   belljohn just won his prize by buying at the very end.  He bought the winning ticket at 11:03 PM.  

So the longer you wait to buy your ticket the higher chance you have of winning? That makes no SENSE! Because it doesn't matter if you buy your tickets on the first or last day because they are picked randomly. Right? I think I remember reading that half the winners bought their tickets on the last day. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

3 minutes ago, Saruman said:

So the longer you wait to buy your ticket the higher chance you have of winning? That makes no SENSE! Because it doesn't matter if you buy your tickets on the first or last day because they are picked randomly. Right? I think I remember reading that half the winners bought their tickets on the last day. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Well, last year, I bought tickets twice in the beginning and once at the end - and won with a ticket from the beginning (if I remember correctly).

This year I bought tickets over the period of a week. I started on Monday the 5th and finished with my last tickets 15 minutes before the end of the raffle.

Finally, I had 56 tickets, "spread" all over these 9 days and won .... the great feeling of having participated in two wonderful causes:

 

1.) support for. St. Paul !

2.) hopefully helping a fantastic "young guy" to have a great birthday !

 

I am looking forward to next year (and maybe a new strategy)

 

Once again: Happy Birthday, Ed !!!!!

45 minutes ago, Saruman said:

So the longer you wait to buy your ticket the higher chance you have of winning? That makes no SENSE! Because it doesn't matter if you buy your tickets on the first or last day because they are picked randomly. Right? I think I remember reading that half the winners bought their tickets on the last day. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

It's completely random.  It's hard to tell anything off of 30 raffle drawings.  Statistics guys can tell you more on that.  The one uber generous donor who bought $600.00 worth of tickets at 11:57PM (plus another $500 days earlier) to put us over the top won nothing...just my respect.  Hadrake is another generous person who went all out and won nothing this year, but won last year with big ticket purchases.  I have bought $3000.00 in tickets the last three years for members and myself and have won nothing.  

What gives you a better chance is buying more tickets.  Waddamon won a prize and bought early, but he also bought a ton of tickets.  He bought a similar amount last year and won nothing, but did win the secondary raffle I ran.  Hadrake won last year...Big time tickets.  belljohn the same.  These generous souls chip in hundreds and hundreds of dollars, so their chance are better.

The thing you must realize is that there have been more tickets bought in the last two weeks of each raffle than the previous month they ran.  Each raffle in 2016, 17 and 18 ran about 6 weeks, but most of the ticket sold in the last two weeks.  People procrastinate.  Two weeks ago, we had around $4000.00 contributed, but when Jeff sent out the mass emails, we had big time donations....hitting $40,000.00!!!  We always have had a strong last week and last day.  Tens of thousands have been donated on the last day alone over the past three years.  More tickets sold on a day/time...more chances to pick a winner.  Simple.  

12 minutes ago, hadrake said:

Well, last year, I bought tickets twice in the beginning and once at the end - and won with a ticket from the beginning (if I remember correctly).

This year I bought tickets over the period of a week. I started on Monday the 5th and finished with my last tickets 15 minutes before the end of the raffle.

Finally, I had 56 tickets, "spread" all over these 9 days and won .... the great feeling of having participated in two wonderful causes:

 

1.) support for. St. Paul !

2.) hopefully helping a fantastic "young guy" to have a great birthday !

 

I am looking forward to next year (and maybe a new strategy)

 

Once again: Happy Birthday, Ed !!!!!

Thank you for being so generous....

4 hours ago, Saruman said:

So the longer you wait to buy your ticket the higher chance you have of winning? That makes no SENSE! Because it doesn't matter if you buy your tickets on the first or last day because they are picked randomly. Right? I think I remember reading that half the winners bought their tickets on the last day. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

You sound pretty salty. There were 594 contributions amounting to $40,000. I don't know the total number of tickets sold, but I would imagine, we all had the exact same holds to win something. I don't know how many tickets you bought, or when, but wasn't it all for a cause? You sound like a conspiracy theorist, and there's no call for it. It's not like ed and Jeff were the winners and kept the money for themselves. Honestly, I could have taken the money I spent on tickets and bought myself a nice set, but this was for kids and it's because someone who has put a lot of work into a site that has allowed me to make money asked.

I can't wait to build ours, perfect spot for it to.  It will then force me to crack open an ssd, or buy a used one.  I'm always an investment guy first.

Didn't win, but was a fun raffle, I will for sure be back next year!!!?

 

TY!

14 hours ago, Ed Mack said:

Thank you for being so generous....

No, thank YOU (and of course Jeff) for sharing so much of your time and effort to keep up this great site across the years.

So don't listen too much to the suspicious minds. From the start, everyone who participates in a raffle has to be aware of the possible outcome of winning or loosing.

And in "our" case the special thing is that there is always a winner guaranteed - the kids!

Oh, and I did not want to bring it up again but .... welcome to the club of "The 50+" ? (had to mention it?)

24 minutes ago, thoroakenfelder said:

You sound pretty salty. There were 594 contributions amounting to $40,000. I don't know the total number of tickets sold, but I would imagine, we all had the exact same holds to win something. I don't know how many tickets you bought, or when, but wasn't it all for a cause? You sound like a conspiracy theorist, and there's no call for it. It's not like ed and Jeff were the winners and kept the money for themselves. Honestly, I could have taken the money I spent on tickets and bought myself a nice set, but this was for kids and it's because someone who has put a lot of work into a site that has allowed me to make money asked.

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound salty. I was just confused and didn't really understand because Ed said that half the winners bought the tickets that day. But now that I think long and hard about it, I realized that over 25% of the 40,000 was raised on the last day. So, it makes sense that at least 25% or more of the winners bought tickets on the last day. I did buy a few tickets but only because I don't have much money and most of the money was my profits from last year(which I don't mind). This site has helped me so I wanted to help the kids. I was just not paying attention and thinking about the winning stats and stuff. Well, I'm cleared up now and fully understand.  

2 hours ago, Saruman said:

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound salty. I was just confused and didn't really understand because Ed said that half the winners bought the tickets that day. But now that I think long and hard about it, I realized that over 25% of the 40,000 was raised on the last day. So, it makes sense that at least 25% or more of the winners bought tickets on the last day. I did buy a few tickets but only because I don't have much money and most of the money was my profits from last year(which I don't mind). This site has helped me so I wanted to help the kids. I was just not paying attention and thinking about the winning stats and stuff. Well, I'm cleared up now and fully understand.  

Thanks....I wish I would have won all of them so I wouldn't have to give away these kick ass sets!

3 hours ago, hadrake said:

No, thank YOU (and of course Jeff) for sharing so much of your time and effort to keep up this great site across the years.

So don't listen too much to the suspicious minds. From the start, everyone who participates in a raffle has to be aware of the possible outcome of winning or loosing.

And in "our" case the special thing is that there is always a winner guaranteed - the kids!

Oh, and I did not want to bring it up again but .... welcome to the club of "The 50+" (had to mention it)

Thanks for reminding me....LOL...I was just getting over it.  Well, hopefully everyone on the site who isn't there yet, will reach it one day.  Appreciate your 20s, 30s, and 40s and how good you feel!

Just wanted to let you all now that I was the winner of the Amazon GC, and that Ed has already sent the GC to me!!

I am glad that I got to donate some money to the kids, and I am thankful for all of Ed's time and effort. Off to Amazon

to buy more Lego's!!! 

12 hours ago, AztecRol said:

Just wanted to let you all now that I was the winner of the Amazon GC, and that Ed has already sent the GC to me!!

I am glad that I got to donate some money to the kids, and I am thankful for all of Ed's time and effort. Off to Amazon

to buy more Lego's!!! 

Thanks for your donation...your was easy to send...a few clicks.   Another two are being worked on now and the rest will start going out on Monday, one by one.  Unfortunately, it has been extremely busy business week for me personally since the raffle ended and I always try to ship these right and safe.  

Update...

All packages except for belljohn's 30 pound box of goodness have shipped!  

 

Update...

All packages have shipped.  I really hope everyone enjoys their prizes and bonus sets.  I look forward to seeing pictures of the sets built.  Once again, I would like to thank everyone who contributed.  It is always fun and "stressful" watching the donations come in.  I look forward to next year...I still have a ton more sets to raffle off!

 

Received my Lord of The Rings bundle raffle prize. I don't know who was more excited, my 7 year old son or me! Fantastic way to raise money for a good cause. Here's to the St. Paul School and Brickpicker! Thanks again!

31 minutes ago, southendsox said:

Received my Lord of The Rings bundle raffle prize. I don't know who was more excited, my 7 year old son or me! Fantastic way to raise money for a good cause. Here's to the St. Paul School and Brickpicker! Thanks again!

Thanks for contributing and your photo!  The LOTR lot ended up being quite a nice one!

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to a great cause and have the chance to get a great prize. You guys are awesome 

14 hours ago, Mrbigz8657 said:

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to a great cause and have the chance to get a great prize. You guys are awesome 

Thanks for the photos and generous contribution.  Two great sets right there!

I'm jealous and I still own those two.

Opened my 5000 piece box this afternoon with my daughter filming.  She is camera shy now.  I will get that uploaded soon.  Here is a still until I  am home from work.  Nice selection Ed, I have always regretted selling my last B-Wing, and I accidentally sold my last Research Institute.   I especially love the chrome trooper and the Coruscant planet. The Ewok's remind me of when my boys loved Lego, it is great to have it.  My daughter really wants the Falcon, so now I have her birthday covered.  Thanks again.

7 minutes ago, belljohn said:

Opened my 5000 piece box this afternoon with my daughter filming.  She is camera shy now.  I will get that uploaded soon.  Here is a still until I  am home from work.  Nice selection Ed, I have always regretted selling my last B-Wing, and I accidentally sold my last Research Institute.   I especially love the chrome trooper and the Coruscant planet. The Ewok's remind me of when my boys loved Lego, it is great to have it.  My daughter really wants the Falcon, so now I have her birthday covered.  Thanks again.

I'm glad it made it there in one piece.  It was hard to come up with a set selection for you.  You seemed to have all the major sets.  Thanks for the photo and as always...very generous donation and contributions!