Etiquette for Attending a Catalog Party

I'm a Pampered Chef consultant. I honestly don't mind if people come and don't buy anything (although it's somewhat rare). I don't like to buy anything I don't want/need but I will always buy a little something at demonstrations. Even if you don't plan on buying anything, go anyway. As a consultant, sometimes I run into a guest who just needs a night out of the house. That's fine and I'm happy to maybe teach her a new foodie fun fact or cooking technique that she can bring home with her.

yes, that is why i never go to these parties either. If you really want to go, but don't want to buy anything, I would tell the hostess that you'd really like to come, but you really can't buy anything right now. If they tell you to come anyway then they know that you don't plan on it and won't be offended when you don't. And if they just say okay, then you know they expect you to buy something if you came!

It is somewhat expected that you purchase something, but it needn't be big. Buy a bottle of lube or something under$20. If the purses are expensive, don't feel like you have to buy!

I am a Tastefull Simple rep. I signed up to get out of the house on occasion - I am not a sales person!!People laugh at me because I tell them that all the time. (don't expect calls from me - if you want something, email me, etc...) I am social though and need adult conversation!!!
With that said, I also love having these parties - usually for the fact that I want to do it for a friend. At the same time, when I send out the invitations, I always tell my friends that there is never an obligation to buy, just get out of the house for some grown up time.
If you can get out and go, great. You shouldn't feel an obligation to buy. These are tough economic times. Leave your credit card and check book at home so you don't feel the need to get something either. Let your friends know when you RSVP that it's just not the time for you to buy, but, you would love to come by and say hi!

As a person who has the parties at my house - I could care less if you purchase something or not. I invited you because I thought you would enjoy spending time and participating in the event.
I've had people call me and tell me that they'd love to come, but that they couldn't purchase anything. I've told them to come on over, have some snacks, and enjoy the show. They've come and they've not felt bad that they couldn't purchase anything.
Go - have a night out.
LBC

Did it ever occur to you that perhaps you should not feel guilty for not wanting to buy anything, and just see you friends? Perhaps your "hosting" friends should feel guilty for putting you in the awkward position of asking for you to spend money under the guise of a social invitiation. I find all of these parties to be horrible social ettiquette experiments and I promptly turn down the invitiations when it is someone I know well. When it is an aquaintance, I just ignore them. It's not a party if you need to bring your checkbook.

I do not attend these parties.

The invitation alone is simply an invoice. The say you are not expected to buy but the reps usually push really hard.

I stopped going a long time ago. I'd rather just give the hostess a check and not waste my time. Time=Money for me.

As a Mary Kay consultant, I can say there is nothing wrong with going simply to have a girls' night out. I love that I can help women do that. Go, have fun, and don't feel obligated to purchase anything.

I think it's more polite to turn down the offers than go and not buy. I recently went to two Thirty-One parties and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their bags. I only buy Coach purses, so I wasn't interested in the purses, but I LOVE their totes. They have thermal totes, regular totes, fun prints, kid prints, etc. Do you have any birthdays coming up that you need a gift for? I'm not one for lotions and potions, but I do love 31 bags!!

I don't go to selling parties, because that kind of event sends my wallet straight to the emergency room at the budget hospital. It doesn't matter what my intentions are. Once I get there, I want to buy! But I don't NEED any of the products (sigh), and I do have other places for my dollars to go. So I thank the hostess sincerely for thinking of me, and decline.

But it's nice to be with friends! How about inviting your friends to your house? There are other kinds of get-togethers. If you need to have a reason, could you put together something that will be fun and raise a little money for earthquake relief in Christchurch? Or a need in your own town?

I NEVER go to these parties because, in spite of what the sellers say, you are expected to buy something. Since you don't mind and you can afford it, it is your choice. I can afford it, but dislike the entire concept of calling it a party. A party is where I invite someone over, no strings attached.

I think it depends on the host... I know that my friends and I used to throw the slumber parties 2-3 times a year, and we did it as a purely social event. Yes, it was always nice to get the credit, but we had more fun with the party itself than the hostess perks. We would even make sure to mark on the invites, 'you don't have to buy anything, just come have fun!' We usually had a good turnout too. :)

I went to a party last week for very expensive clothes. One of the girls couldnt afford them. She asked if she could take a catalog home for her aunt to look at. I thought that was a nice way to get out of buying anything. Most people arent going to follow up to see if she wants anything. They probably wont even notice.

You are perfectly in line if you decline the invite.
(I generally hate these types of things.)
I have had parties at my home where some friends didn't buy a thing and that was perfectly fine by me! I made it perfectly clear--just to come, look, eat and have a glass of wine--NO OBLIGATION!
So if you want to go--just go, but don't feel obligated.

That's precisely why I decline all such invitations. I don't want or need the products, and don't want to spend my money on them to assuage guilt for going and enjoying the food/wine offered. Besides which, I always am on edge because of feeling like I "ought" to buy something, and so I can't even enjoy my time there. It feels cheap and dirty to me.

If you need a girls night out, you can always call up a few girls and have one with no "strings" attached. But, if you can afford it and don't mind doing so, I would think it would be appropriate to buy SOMETHING if you do go. So it's up to you. Would you have fun and not be annoyed to be buying something you don't want just to spend time with your friends? If you can, then do. If you can't (I can't) then don't go.

You don't HAVE to buy anything, but it is courteous. If I don't need anything I buy something as a gift for someone else or I buy the least expensive item. With Thirty-One you could buy a key fob or a lunch tote for pretty cheap and I'm sure you could find a cheap lotion from the Pure Romance party. Just set a budget for each...say $5 or $10.

I am a consultant with Arbonne International. You should definitely go. I always tell my hostesses that my job is not to make sure everyone buys stuff they don't need, it's to educate them about our products. You may not be interested in my products, however you may know someone who #1 would love my products or #2 be interested in a business opportunity. Go and have a fun night.