Perpetual Trophies - Deposits?

[Crackerz]

I am part of a committee that runs a fair sized local show, we have 60+ classes all with perpetual trophies.

Currently we have never asked for a deposit for them, but we are starting to think that we should to encourage people to return them faster (if at all!)
Some of our trophies have been donated and are very old, one is very expensive (this one has its own insurance) and the others have been going for as long as the show so have years worth of winners engraved on them.

What is the going rate for a deposit these days?
Do you accept cheques? (i guess you could, then cash them straight away before they could be cancelled)

 

[Merlod]

We have them them fill out a returns form with the date they need to be returned by else they will be billed accordingly.

 

[Vodkagirly]

I've never won a trophy (Sob) but I would be pretty pissed off at having to pay to have it and I doubt I would have my cheque book on me. Do shows really ask for a deposit?

 

[Crackerz]

When i was a child/teen, without fail we had to leave a deposit at every show we won at, it was standard practice back then. Always got a full refund on return of an undamaged trophy each year.

We do have forms filled out before they take them, but it's hard to bill for the trophies that have high sentimental value to the show because of how long it's been going.

 

[Lanky Loll]

We have them them fill out a returns form with the date they need to be returned by else they will be billed accordingly.

This is all we've ever done as well. Although if you managed to win it 3 years running it was yours to keep but you were expected to provide the replacement

 

[jakkibag]

We usually pay a twenty pound refundable deposit for trophies, and fill in all details etc so shows know where trophies have gone, for ones like you say, that are very expensive and have their own insurance we have been awarded trophies like that at prize givings, had photos taken, then give it straight back and been presented with a small trophy to keep, we have also had lovely small glasses engraved with show and horses name in lieu of big valuable expensive trophies, we have also been presented with engraved metal plaques, which are lovely to keep. I never understand why people accept trophies if they have no intention of putting them back, it's very unfair, get your picture taken and give it back if you can't be bothered looking after it and returning it for the next winner!

 

[Kylara]

Deposit is fine. I have one that i got to keep because it was full of engraved plates and someone had bought a new one the following year, so all mine! (no space for my name though!) It currently has chicken feathers in.

It's worth doing, and worth taking full contact details for the trophy winner so that you can write/ring if they fail to return it.

 

[Crackerz]

We were considering £15 - does that sound about ok for a local show?

We take contact details including full name, address, phone number and email address. We write to everyone a month before return date, then email on/around return date if they haven't returned it. Late people get phone calls.
All trophies have tags on with return date & return details too.

I just don't know how hard it can be to return something you've probably got on display! We've just taken payment for a cup from someone that's now moved to Scotland and it got lost in the move - surely it would have been packed with other fragile items? Nevermind, at least we can cover the cost and replace it and it wasn't an old trophy.

 

[MagicMelon]

Rarely do shows in my area offer trophies anymore, when I was a kid a deposit was never required. Dont think even the agricultural shows ask for deposits in my area, might be wrong though - I havent won one for some time

 

[spacefaer]

I'm secretary of our point to point and we have some lovely old trophies. We get winners to fill in a detailed contact form and we start to chase about 6 weeks before the next meeting, the following year. We don't take deposits, but we require everyone to insure the cups themselves and so far, so good, everyone has brought them back - sometimes on the day, and sometimes they take them home again!

We did withdraw one a couple of years ago though - we had it valued and it was worth too much to risk.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I've never won a trophy (Sob) but I would be pretty pissed off at having to pay to have it and I doubt I would have my cheque book on me. Do shows really ask for a deposit?

You'd be even more pissed off if you competed at the show, won the class & then found that last years winner hadn't returned the trophy. It's happened to us & it's not good. The previous winner showed no respect for the show & we actually went to their house to reclaim the trophy.

 

[lottiepony]

We've stopped giving trophies at our riding club shows as sadly it would appear people just can't take good care of them. Such a shame but does mean one less thing to worry about!

 

[Mariposa]

In polo we've never had to take a deposit when we take home trophies ( at my level anyway!) and I've always been very diligent to return them, engraved, on time. However - I also sponsor two tournaments and two years ago the winning team didn't return one of the trophies. It took me until earlier this year to track it down, and when it was finally returned, it was literally in pieces ( how on earth they'd managed to break I don't know - and they claimed it must have been damaged in transit....). They didn't offer to replace it so I had to fork out for a new trophy and then have it all engraved with the last 5 years worth of winning teams. The end result, I won't be sponsoring the tournament again next season, which means everyone misses out.

Some people just don't take care of these things, they have no respect. At Royal Windsor you're not allowed to take the trophies home with you at all, when we won the Polo Pony class a few years ago we posed with photos at prize giving, and afterwards I toddled off to pick up the trophy for our moment of glory, but they said I could just a look at it but no more! Maybe that is the way forward!

 

[Crackerz]

I would hate for our show to no longer offer perpetual trophies to take home My childhood was spent cleaning trophies i had won and being super excited when my name was engraved on it - and trying to win it again the following year!

 

[conniegirl]

Every perpetual trophy that I've ever had I have had to pay a deposit on.
Also I would insist on some ID from the person taking the trophy, I.e a driving license or passport and take down the number of tyhe document. They are much easier to trace with some sort of ID.

I think the smallest amoutn I have had to pay has been £20. I have paid up to £60 before (the trophy was about 100 years old and crystal, believe me it went home on my lap and was hand delivered back the following year.

 

[YorksG]

Our local, quite large Agri show now insists on a deposit, as long as it is clear on the schedule then I can't see a problem, people know to take the deposit, or leave the trophy there.

 

[conniegirl]

yes do make it very clear on the front of your schedule that there is a deposit required for all cups

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

yes do make it very clear on the front of your schedule that there is a deposit required for all cups

^^ This! i've just paid £40 for a championship trophy & others are usually £15-20 ..if you dont have any money with you then take a picture & leave it there, after all you don't HAVE to take the cup home.
I also declined a trophy once as it was very fragile, i was about to move house & was terrified it would get damaged.

 

[case895]

I have declined to take a trophy before as I had nowhere to put I and didn't want the responsibility/hassle. I presume my name was engraved on it, but I never thought to check.

 

[Crackerz]

I have declined to take a trophy before as I had nowhere to put I and didn't want the responsibility/hassle. I presume my name was engraved on it, but I never thought to check.

It's normally the person who won the trophy that has to engrave it and pay for the engraving.
If someone decided not to take a trophy home of ours, it wouldn't get engraved unless they paid for it - like most shows, we don't have disposable income

 

[case895]

It's normally the person who won the trophy that has to engrave it and pay for the engraving.
If someone decided not to take a trophy home of ours, it wouldn't get engraved unless they paid for it - like most shows, we don't have disposable income

If I had known that, I would have taken a Sharpie marker pen and done it myself.