Do you think that school pictures are too expensive?

Question

We just got our Spring Picture (yes, we have two pictures taken every school year; fall and spring) packages back. They take the pictures first, then send home the package with a price list, expecting you to send your payment back to the school. This year the package of five sheets is $45.00! I can go to Sears and get a similar package for less than $10.00! With two kids there is no way I can afford $95.00 for pictures. Do you all think that this is way too expensive?

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

Too expensive. In our school, the only time we get and pay for pictures is when we get a yearbook and an I.D. Sometimes at big events.

Answer 3

yes, the quality of the pictures are usually good but the price is horrible for the quantity. i didnt get pics this year from my daughters school. they are doing this new thing this year where you have to pay for the pics first and im just not going to do that when i can take her to the walmart portrait studio for a fraction of the price and get a dozen more pics.

Answer 4

My kids just took there Spring Pictures. For the best package it is $20.00 and then the class photo which is $6.50. I have two kids in school so I buy two packages and I spent $26.50 on each kid. But the price isn't that big of a deal if they added some more pictures in there and the Spring background is ugh.... they also take pictures twice a year and I got to say the Beginning of the year background is way better. But I love pictures of my Babies ..

Answer 5

YES!!  And...our school does fall pictures & spring ones....Totally ridiculous!!

Answer 6

Yes!!!  And the pictures are not the best!!!  They don't care how the child looks.  I use to work for sears portrait and we took the time to pose the children and offered a variety of poses.  You could get six differen poses for what you are paying for the price of one.  It doesn't matter where the picture comes from, as long as you have that memory.  The only picture I buy from the school is the class picture, and that's only so my son can have a memory of that year.

Answer 7

Yes, but i have a tip

Just get one pic of each kid

Bring to a store and order copies

Answer 8

Yes, I think school pictures are way too expensive.  So are sport team/dance team pictures.  They don't turn out well anyway.  I never buy them, but I'll try to buy just the class/team picture.

Answer 9

I think they are. I usually pass on the school pictures and go to Wally world or Sears. I may shell out the $15 for the class picture though. School pictures are extreme. And they usually don't look very good either. At least with Sears you can tell the photographer exactly what you're looking for and pay so much less.

Answer 10

Yes, it is way too expensive.  Take them to Wal-Mart.  They have the best prices.  That's where I get all my kids' pics made.

Answer 11

I agree and I think the worst part is that you don't get to see the pictures before you buy them!  So if they end up sucking, you paid $45 for crappy pictures!

Answer 12

It's a real pain. I think the reason two sets (fall and spring) are taken is that the school probably gets money for letting the photographers come in, so they use it as a fundraiser.

If you want maybe you could buy one sheet for each kid. I mean how many shots of the same pic do you need? You're probably not going to send them out to relatives. Besides grandparents maybe, who else is that overly interested?

I agree they are way too expensive.

Answer 13

I agree in the UK i have just had to pay £30 a lot put it this way if you worked 1hr min u culdnt get paied is £5:60 ish

Answer 14

Ditto to three reasons for living.  Besides I think they do a good job.  If you don't like the pics, don't buy them.  Also, I think you did your parental duty in fall so you don't have to feel obliged. Weren't fall pics way cheaper for you, too?  Here they were $40 for spring but, like, $25 for a  more sheets in fall.

Answer 15

We never buy school pictures. We have our own cameras, professional ones.

Answer 16

I totally agree, they are outrageous.  We have to pay for our fall pics on the day they are taken.  We get to see our spring pics before we purchase them.  This year I decided to buy one of the smaller packages for fall.  These wre probably the best school pics ever, but I hated to pay the outrageous amount to reorder.  I think the reorders were more expensive than the original pics -- $18.00 for an 8x10!

Answer 17

I do think it is a scam. They are too expensive and usually do not come out as good as other places that are much cheaper . Some Photography shops do not cost any more than the school one. I would have my own taken. I bet they would come out better and less expensive.

Most parents buy them because they feel obligated to but in many cases the student nor the parents likes the pictures. If I were going to pay that much,, I would go to a professional. They really are not that high.

If you have a "Glamor Shots" nearby, you would be better off to go there. Their pictures always come out good. You do not have to wear their clothing. Bring something of you own you like on yourself. Or bring a couple of outfits.

If you are having your Senior Pictures taken with your cap and gown, I would definitely go to a professional to have them done.

Answer 18

Wow. That's...a fortune. Our school system gets this crappy job and its cheap but one year the kids all came out of school looking at the picture and the blue in the background made the hair in the pictures BLUE! We only get them in the fall. But I mean you probably get professionals. Not blue hair freaks!

Answer 19

i do but i always find it hard to say no to pics of the kiddos... i know they are just going to throw them away and that upsets me really bad. i see where you are coming from though!

Answer 20

For my children's school pics. are less than that but not by much. In my opinion that is expensive.