How will my order be shipped?

We do sell our products at wholesale prices to retailers in possession of a valid Resellers Permit. See our Wholesale and Custom Orders page for more information on wholesale prices and availability. We do not offer quantity discounts to retail customers wishing to purchase either a large quantity of a single product, or many different products of mixed design. We do however offer a number of our cracker designs in bulk packs of 50 crackers per design at savings of up to 20% per cracker. Please see our Bulk Cracker listings for pricing and availability.

If I place an order today, when will I receive it?

We are able to process and ship most orders the same day they are received if the order arrives in our system before 7 pm Eastern Standard Time. Once shipped, the timing of the delivery of your order depends on the method of shipment you selected. Non-expedited shipments will generally be delivered within 4-8 days from the time the order was confirmed. Shorter delivery times are available for expedited shipments. The estimated transit time for all forms of shipping are given in numbers of business days for the Shipping Option that you select from during Checkout. Business days are Monday through Friday, and do not include Saturday, Sunday or holidays. For orders of custom-made crackers and backorder products we will arrange an approximate date of delivery with you based on the details of the order. Many custom orders can be delivered in 10-14 days, but longer delivery times are often required for orders involving special materials. We will notify customers by telephone or email of any significant delays that we are able to predict in our advertised or individually quoted delivery times.

What do I do if the items I received in my shipment are not what I ordered?

If you received an incomplete or incorrect order (e.g. you did not receive an item you ordered or you received products you did not order) please contact us as soon as possible and we will do our best to correct the situation.

After my order is submitted, can I make changes to it or cancel it?

The majority of our orders are shipped the same day the order is placed, sometimes within several hours of it being received. If you contact us prior to your order being shipped we will be able to modify or cancel your order. A separate charge or refund will accompany all such transactions. If your order is shipped prior to us hearing from you it is still possible for your order to be altered or cancelled, but you will be responsible for returning any unwanted products and will not receive credit for these items until they arrive back at our facility. Customers will not receive credit for returned products that are damaged even if the damage occurred in the return shipment. If you do not agree with the above conditions regarding changed or cancelled orders, PLEASE DO NOT PLACE YOUR ORDER. We strongly suggest you take the time to carefully review your order before clicking the “Place Order” button. Make sure you have selected the correct shipping method, the correct “Ship To” address and have confirmed you want the items (check styles, quantities and colors) in your shopping cart. Failure to do so is the primary cause of incorrect and undeliverable orders.

Do you charge sales tax?

We charge sales tax only for orders shipped within the State of Washington.

How can I check the status of my order?

When you place an order you will immediate see an order received screen with details of the order and your customer information. You will also receive a confirmation email with the same information stating that your order has been received and is now being processed. When your order is shipped you will receive a second email changing the order status from “PROCESSING” to “SHIPPED”. This email will also provide a tracking number for your shipment. Please note that the order status emails we send are in an HTML format. Since some Internet Service Providers automatically filter out email that is sent with HTML code, the order status emails we send you might automatically get sent to a spam or trash folder. If you received your original Olde English Crackers account setup email (which is a text only email) but are not receiving any of the order status update emails, the problem is probably with your email account setup. You can attempt to change your email spam filter settings to make sure the emails we are sending are not getting filtered or deleted, or you can look in you email spam or deleted messages folder to see if our emails are located there. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to assist you further in this regard. Alternatively you can check the status of an order at any time by logging into your Olde English Crackers online account to see the exact same information that is being sent to your email address. Click Here to log into your account now. Finally, if you’ve already logged into your account as directed above and are still concerned that your order may not have been processed properly or is delayed in some way, please contact us and we will research the issue for you. Be sure to include the name under which the order was placed as well as the date. If you know your order number, be sure to include that information as well.

How can I track my order?

Once we ship your order you will receive an email from us which includes a tracking number and a link to the carrier’s website (if available) where you can track your shipment. Most of our orders are shipped via UPS and USPS which do provide tracking capabilities. To be certain that you receive this information, please make sure you enter a valid email address when you place your order. If you are not receiving order status updates via email, see the possible reasons for this under the question, “How do I check the status of my order?” If you did not receive a tracking number with your the Shipping Confirmation of your order, or you received an invalid tracking number, or for any other reason you are unable to track your order, please contact us and we will track your order for you. Please be sure to include your name, order number, and preferred method of contact on the form provided. We will respond to your request within 24 hours of your submission.

I received a partial shipment. What do I do?

Please contact us with the details of what is missing from your order and we will do our best to get the missing items to you in a timely manner and at no addition cost to you. Please be sure to include your name, order number, and preferred method of contact on the form provided. We will respond to your request within 24 hours of your submission.

My shipment was returned to you. What can I do?

If your shipment is being returned to us, regardless of the reason, and you still wish to receive the ordered products, the fastest way to receive these items is to place a second order. If the original order was shipped to the address provided by you on the order form and for whatever reason that shipment was returned to us (e.g. you accidentally typed in an incorrect ship to address, someone mistakenly refused it, or you were away on all attempts to receive the delivery), we will refund the cost of any undamaged products once the shipment arrives back at our facility. Since this typically can take two weeks or more, the fastest way for you to get the products you want is to place a new order. If your returned shipment was a result of a mistake made by our shipping unit or the carrier we used to get your order to you, then we will also refund the shipping cost of the original order.

I received my shipment but one or more of the items is broken or missing. What do I do?

If one or more of the items in your order is missing or broken, please contact us with the details of what is wrong with your order and we will do our best to resolve the issue in a timely manner and at no addition cost to you. Claims made for missing or broken products must reach us within 15 days of receipt of your order.

How do I know if my order has been received by you?

The most reliable way to check to see if your order has been received is to log into your Olde English Crackers online account. To do this simply click on the “MY ACCOUNT” icon found in the top right hand corner of every page on our website and enter your email address and password.. Once logged in you will be taken to the page in your account that shows the orders you have placed with us. If we have received an order from you, it will appear here. To see the specifics of any order, click on the “VIEW” link next to the order and you will see the order details and status. Another means by which to determine if your order has been received by us is to check your email. Each time your order status changes, we generate an email which is sent directly from our servers to the email account you gave us when setting up your account. If you are not receiving order status updates from us via email it is likely that your Internet Service Provider is blocking or deleting what they consider is an unwanted email through the employment of a SPAM or Junk Email Filter. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about this other than to make our customers aware of this likely situation. Some Internet Service Providers allow you to determine how your email messages are filtered but others such as AOL are particularly difficult in this regard. If you use one of these Internet Service Providers for your email it is likely that this is the reason you are not receiving order status updates from us. This is why we always recommend customers access their online account with us to check an order’s status. Click Here if you’d like to log into your account now.

How do I determine which shipping method to choose so my order will arrive in time?

All of our orders are shipped from our facility located in Bellingham, Washington. When you select a Shipping Method from the available options during Checkout, the estimated transit times are given for each option in business days. These are the number of days from our facility to you from the time we receive your order. Although these transit times are only estimates and we do not guarantee most delivery times (see Delivery Date Failures), we have found that the carriers we use are able to delivery most shipments within the number of days listed for each of our shipping options

I received an email confirming my order has been received and is being processed. When can I expect to receive a tracking number indicating my order was shipped?

Tracking numbers are posted to your online account and an email is sent once we have received confirmation from the shipper that your package has been sent. These tracking numbers and emails are typically posted late each evening or early the following morning once the package has been ship. Please be aware that slight delays in posting of tracking numbers sometimes occur during our busy months of October through December.

Is the product picture on your website exactly the same as item that I will receive?

We make every effort to provide our customers with products that look the same as the images displayed on our website pages. However please keep in mind that photographs have a difficult time showing exact colors and that the actual color of a product may vary slightly from what is shown in one of our website images. We work hard to update our website descriptions and images as soon as we aware of noticeable variations in our products that customers may find unacceptable. Also please be aware that some of the images of our cracker contents are used to show customers the type of item they will be receiving inside their crackers and not necessarily the exact gift contents of the crackers. Our Product Descriptions will inform you if the contents of our crackers may vary from what is displayed in the contents image. If this the case please be assured that all contents used will be similar in type and value, as we are always adding new and interesting items to our gift lines.

How do I know if an item is available on your website?

Our website displays the most current information available on every product. This means that if you see an item on our website and there is an “Add to Cart” button displayed for the item, this item is in stock and available to be purchased. If an item is out of stock or otherwise unavailable, the Product Listings and Product Description will display a green “Out of Stock”symbol . In addition a red “Out of Stock” notice will appear in place of the “Add to Cart” button in the Product Description which prevents the item from being placed in your shopping cart. If for some reason a product goes out of stock between the time you place your order and the time the order is filled at our warehouse, we will contact you as soon as possible by phone or Email to see how we can resolve the situation.

If an item is out of stock, when will it be back in stock?

Although we make every effort to maintain reasonable stocks of our products, we occasionally run out of stock on some items – particularly with popular products and close to the holiday season. Unfortunately we unable to restock many of these items during our busy season which stretches from October through December. If you would like to check on when a particular product will be back in stock, please phone or Email us and we will do our best provide you with a restocking date.

How do I know what price I will be charged for a particular product?

When you are shopping on our website the current price of a product will be clearly displayed in a green price tag at the top left corner of each product description. This is the price you will be charged when you add the product to your shopping cart and proceed to checkout. If you think there is a mistake with a price you see on a particular item or if there is a discrepancy between a products price on different pages of the website, please email us the item number (Click Here to Send Us an Email) along with a brief description of what you think the pricing error is and we will investigate.

How are your sale prices established and do the ever change?

All of our product prices are reduced from what we consider the be the average price of that product in the current retail market. It is not uncommon for some of our products to be listed for up to 30% off the average price you would pay in a retail storefront. The regular price and our sale price are clearly shown for each product. Prices on our website do change from time to time depending on the products current cost basis, the particular discount we apply that product, and whether or not any additional discount is applied to a product that for example is placed on clearance or receives an extra promotional discount. You will always be charged the current price of a particular product. Prices of our website that are posted previous and subsequent to you placing your order are not available to the customer.

Can I make a purchase for someone else?

Yes. You will be offered the option to ship to an address that is different from your billing address during the checkout process.

Can I place my order over the phone?

Yes, customers can place phone orders by calling Customer Services at 877-606-2972. We are not able to accept international orders. Only Visa and Mastercard payments can be accepted for phone orders. Other forms of payment are only available to customers ordering online.

Do you have a printed catalog you can mail to me?

Sorry, but we do not maintain a printed catalog. The main reason for this is that our product line changes so drastically from season to season that the catalog would essentially be out-of-date by the time it was printed. It is simply not practical or economically feasible to maintain a printed catalog. We prefer to pass the savings in cost onto our customers in the form of lower product prices when they shop online with us. An important advantage of having our inventory online is that it can be kept current. If there is a price or style change with a product we are able to let our online customers know this within minutes. More importantly with an online catalog, our inventory database is instantly searchable by anyone from anywhere in country who has access to a computer and the internet.

Do you sell wholesale or otherwise offer quantity discounts?

We do sell our products at wholesale prices to retailers in possession of a valid Resellers Permit. See our Wholesale and Custom Orders page for more information on wholesale prices and availability. We do not offer quantity discounts to retail customers wishing to purchase either a large quantity of a single product, or many different products of mixed design. We do however offer a number of our cracker designs in bulk packs of 50 crackers per design at savings of up to 20% per cracker. Please see our Bulk Cracker listings for pricing and availability.

What is a Party Cracker?

“Crackers” are decorative party favors widely used in Great Britain to celebrate a variety of special occasions and festive events. They consist of a beautifully wrapped and decorated cardboard cylinder containing a paper crown (tissue party hat), a motto (British joke or riddle), a snap (popping device), and a small gift or novelty item. At dinners and parties, crackers are used to decorate individual place settings and are usually opened prior to serving the meal or refreshments. The pulling of crackers and donning of the party hats creates a relaxed, festive atmosphere certain to get any party function off the ground. Crackers provide a colorful and exciting start to any celebration, and also present each guest with a gift by which to remember the days events. At Christmas, crackers make great tree ornaments, stocking stuffers, and welcoming gifts for visiting friends and relatives. They can also be used as invitations, promotional gifts, an advertising medium, shower and wedding favors, and individualized gifts for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

What is the origin of the Party Cracker?

Crackers have been a traditional part of British Christmas festivities and other celebrations since Victorian times and are greatly enjoyed by children and adults alike. They were invented in the mid-1840’s by a London pastry cook named Tom Smith, who came upon the idea while on a trip to Paris where he witnessed the French holiday custom of wrapping sugared almonds and other sweets in a twist of colored paper. Smith included a romantic message in his early crackers which he marketed in Britain as “Kiss Mottos”. However the product enjoyed only limited success until Smith devised a way to make the cracker “pop” when pulled apart (see below) .

What is the device that makes the Cracker “pop” and is it dangerous?

The popping sound that crackers make when they are pulled is produced by a device called a “Cracker Snap.” The “snap” consists of two narrow pieces of thin cardboard that are treated with a small amount of aggregate material at one end and joined together with the treated areas overlapping. When the free ends of the “snap” are pulled, the treated areas rub across each other producing a small, friction-activated pop or crack. “Cracker snaps” are not dangerous in any way as long as they are used inside crackers as intended. They should not be used on their own as noisemakers, or employed in the construction of other craft items.

How do you open Crackers?

Crackers are usually shared between two individuals, one pulling on each end. With the ends firmly gripped, the cracker is slowly pulled apart using steady pressure and a twisting motion. This will usually tear the cracker open along one of the gathers and activate the “cracker snap” producing a small **BANG**. To ensure that the cracker pops, we recommend that the thumb and fore-finger are used to pin the “snap” against the inside wall of the cracker end while pulling apart. A set of instructions describing the technique for pulling crackers is included in each box of our crackers.

What type of things are found inside of Party Crackers?

Our party crackers contain a paper crown (folded tissue party hat), a motto (British joke or riddle), the “cracker snap,” and a small gift or novelty item. We offer a variety of gift types in our crackers, ranging from noisemakers and other party novelties to more specialized items such as miniature Christmas ornaments, flowering seed packets, and fine Belgian chocolate. Olde English Crackers strives to source quality products for it’s crackers and is well established as the country’s leading manufacturer of quality crackers. A photograph showing the type of gifts found in each of our filled crackers accompanies the Product Description of every cracker we sell. If gift contents is your primary shopping criteria when looking for the perfect Christmas cracker, we suggest that start you shopping on our Shop by Gift Contents page.

Can I order crackers that I fill myself?

All of our stock and custom-designed crackers can be supplied with one end unfinished, which allows the customer to fill the crackers with his/her own gifts. Our fill your own crackers are supplied fully assembled with the ribbon tie securing one end loosely attached. This allows the cracker to be opened, filled with one or more items, and the ribbon reattached to close and finish the cracker. The alternative to filling your own crackers is to send us your gifts and/or messages and we will fill these items into your crackers for a nominal fee. Some of our standard cracker designs are available in a fill-your-own version in boxed sets of 6 crackers and bulk boxes of 50 crackers. All other stock designs can be custom ordered in a fill-your-own version.

How do I order custom-designed crackers?

You will need to call us at 877-606-2972 or send us an Email to discuss your ideas for a custom cracker. If we are able to meet your specifications a price can be determined at that time and an estimated date for delivery.

What features of the cracker design can be customized?

Because the outer covering of the cracker is composed of Gift Wrapping Paper, we are able to offer our customers an extensive selection of printed papers and solid color wrappings for the construction of their custom-designed crackers. The exterior of the cracker can be further customized by the application of custom-printed labels and/or various decorative elements such as satin ribbon bows, silk flowers, and/or colored satin leaves.

Can the gift contents of the Cracker be customized?

We will gladly source unique gift and novelty items for our customers and provide price quotes on custom-designed crackers incorporating such items. We will also be happy to fill customer- supplied gifts and/or messages into our crackers, as long as these items do not pose any danger to our workers or the customer and his/her party guests. All customer-supplied gifts must be able to fit inside a cylinder measuring 2 inches in diameter by 3.5 inches in length.

Is there a minimum order for custom-designed crackers?

We have a minimum order of 24 crackers for custom orders made from in stock materials. Minimums for orders involving special order papers, decorations, and gifts vary considerably depending on the items requested, but can be as low as 50-100 crackers.

How far in advance should I place my order for custom Party Crackers?

Orders for custom crackers should be placed at least four weeks prior to the event date to assure that the order can be worked into our production schedule. Order quantity can usually be adjusted after the initial order is placed, sometimes to within several days of the delivery date, should the guest count for your event change. However, it is usually not possible to revise the order quantity for custom orders that involve special materials and/or gifts, once these items have been ordered.

What are Christmas Crackers? | Crackers | Party Favors

What are Christmas crackers?

Christmas crackers are a type of party favor used primarily in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries to celebrate Christmas and other special occasions and festive events. They consist of a wrapped and decorated cardboard cylinder and very much resemble a large candy twist. Crackers typically contain a paper crown (tissue party hat), a motto (joke or riddle), a snap (friction activated popping device), and a small gift or novelty item. Crackers are often used to decorate individual place settings and are usually opened prior to serving a food course. Crackers provide a colorful and exciting start to any celebration, and also present each guest with a gift by which to remember the days events.

What are Christmas Crackers?

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