The Best Party Planning Supply Stores

Wednesday, March 26th

2025 Party Planning Supply Store Reviews

Oriental Trading

• 110% low price guarantee
• Ships in 1 business day
• Over 60,000 unique items
• Fantastic, unfiltered customer reviews
• 30-day return policy
• "A+” rated by the BBB

Oriental Trading proudly boasts that they're home to over 60,000 unique party planning products. They're the nation's largest direct retailer of value-priced party supplies, toys, and crafts. The company is based out of Omaha, Nebraska and has been in business for over 90 years. Oriental Trading is a well-known company that has been featured by People, HGTV Magazine, InStyle, Better Homes and Gardens, Hallmark Movie Channel, Country Living, and many other popular media outlets.

Everything and more

Oriental Trading has the full spread of party supplies. You'll get more than you bargained for when you reach their website and see how many options they have. You can start your search by sorting their inventory by supplies under $5 or supplies under $10 or buy in bulk. Other categories include seasonal party supplies, party decorations (backdrops, balloons, candles, paper lanterns, centerpieces, yard signs, and more), party tableware, candy, party favors, themed parties, occasions and events, and even apparel and accessories. Oriental Trading has everything for photo booths like props, costumes, and banners, plus a whole range of party supplies that you can customize with names and photos. That about covers it, don't you think?

Above and beyond

It's really hard to emphasize how many items you could find here to go along with your party theme. Oriental Trading makes it easy to throw a big bash without having to put in too much work. If you have the basic idea of the celebration or theme you're going with, just come look at what they have and you'll be shown plenty of new ideas for how to make it look spectacular. For kicks, we set out to find everything we could from Oriental Trading to put on a luau. Instantly we found a variety of leis, pineapple centerpieces, yard signs, surfing cardboard cutouts, tiki banners, inflatable pools, wall decor, hibiscus string lights, and so much more. In all, there were 1,311 items that matched our search. Oriental Trading goes well above and beyond matching plates and napkins. They've thought of everything you might need to decorate with detail.

Lowest prices

You might worry that since Oriental Trading is such a big name in the party supply world that their prices will be high. We didn't find that to be the case. Besides already reasonable prices, they often run sitewide sales for things like free shipping, e-gift cards if you spend a certain amount, or big percentages off of certain categories. For basic supplies like a 16-pack of napkins, you will pay around $2.30. 18 square plates are listed around $5.97 for most themes, and tablecloths are listed around $4.50. There are so many items here it's hard to say exactly how much you should expect to spend, but nothing here gave us sticker shock. Plus, Oriental Trading has a 110% price match guarantee, so if you find identical items through a competitor, you can call the company and provide them with the advertisement and they'll refund you 110% of the difference of the purchase price.

Buy more, pay more for shipping

Sometimes Oriental Trading runs deals where they'll offer free shipping to customers. Otherwise the price you'll pay for delivery depends on your order subtotal and how fast you need your items. You'll spend anywhere from $6.99 for orders under $25 to 10% of your total order if you spend over $200. This is the one and only thing we don't love about Oriental Trading. With some companies, you get better shipping costs when you spend more, but here you pay more when you buy more.

Fast shipping and 30-day returns

When you're viewing a product from Oriental Trading, you can usually zoom in on the product or see a few different pictures to get a full idea of what it's like. You'll be shown product details, specifications, and a list of other products that go along with it. If you input your zip code in the "Shipping and Returns” section, you'll be shown a date when your items should arrive with standard shipping. For non-custom orders, you can return them for a full refund as long as it's within 30 days from when the order was placed. There's a list of items that are non-returnable, including things like undergarments, makeup, candy, costumes, electrical items, personalized items, and a few others.

High ratings

Oriental Trading has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau and great reviews everywhere else. Customers are generally really happy with their service and delivery times. People agree that pricing is great, and that all items are high-quality and exactly as described. Customers are nearly always satisfied with their orders and come back over and over again to shop at Oriental Trading. We like that customers can leave reviews on their products for additional insight on how good the company and products are.

Go big with Oriental Trading

If your plans for your party started out small, expect them to be big by the time you're done shopping at Oriental Trading. Their pricing is more than reasonable and the amount of party favors, decor, costumes, toys, crafts, and cutlery here is unmatched. It's so much fun to shop at Oriental Trading and we're confident that they help people create some of the biggest and best parties. Oriental Trading has earned our highest rating.

Party City

• Save 15% with email signup
• Free shipping on orders over $59
• Same-day pickup or delivery options
• 30-day return policy
• Return in-store or via mail
• Unfiltered customer reviews

Party City is a leader in the celebration industry, with operations in over 70 countries around the world. They're the largest integrated distributor, manufacturer, and designer of retail party goods in North America. Party City is headquartered in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey with other locations throughout the Americas and Asia. Their online store hosts all of their inventory for you to browse in one convenient location.

Extensive inventory

Party City really is as their name suggests. This is a store that knows how to throw a big celebration. To give you an idea of just how many items they have, you can look at their balloons category and find 30 sub-categories with different types of balloons, balloons to celebrate milestone birthdays, holiday and occasion balloons, helium tanks and pumps, and more. You can buy plates and cutlery in every color, find photo booth props, yard decorations, serving trays, backdrops, custom big heads, centerpieces, and everything else you might dream of for a party.

Competitive pricing

When you shop at Party City, you can buy things individually or as a set. You could buy a single yard sign, but plates usually come in quantities of 10 or 20. You don't have to buy excessive amounts here, which we like, but you can get reasonable amounts of an item for a big group. If you plan to spend at least $30 at Party City, it would be worth signing up for their email list to save 15% off your total order. Overall pricing here is competitive and similar to what we've seen through other stores. You'll get 20 plates for about $4, a birthday icon yard set for $5, a 10-piece birthday icon set for your yard for $10, balloon banners for $6 - $12, and centerpieces for $7.50. You should be able to mix and match a selection of different items and come out with a reasonable cost in the end.

Hassle-free pickup or delivery

When you select an item, you'll input the quantity you want, select the color (if there is more than one option), and select your delivery preference. If you live near a Party City that has your items in-stock, you can head over to the store and pick them up after you purchase them on the website. You might even be eligible for same-day delivery if you live close by, or you can get free shipping if you spend over $59. Party City makes it easy to get your order without a hassle.

Limited seasonal item return window

You can either make returns to your local Party City or send it back through the mail. They'll accept returns and exchanges within 30 days with the original receipt. However, if you're purchasing seasonal merchandise for a holiday like Halloween, Christmas, or Easter, you have to make returns at least 7 days prior to the actual holiday. You can access printable return labels by providing your order number through the link provided on Party City's returns page.

Refer to product reviews

Party City didn't respond to one of their customer complaints through the Better Business Bureau, so their rating dropped to a "B-”. Unfortunately, their third-party reviews make this "B-” rating seem glowing. People mostly say that they've had bad in-person experiences here. From messed up graduation announcements to poor customer service, people don't love shopping at their stores. Since we're only planning to shop online, this isn't as big of a deal to us. Party City lets customers leave reviews on their products and they are actually impressively really high. Some of them have hundreds of ratings and many photos for you to browse through. If you rely on these, you shouldn't have any issues with your order.

Winning selection

Party City is known for having one of the biggest selections of items for every type of celebration. We like that you can find all the essentials for a birthday party or graduation celebration or just a backyard BBQ event here. Party City has good pricing and since they have so many locations, their delivery and returns processes are a breeze. This is one of our top choices for party planning supplies.

Zazzle

• Buy from independent creators
• Customize all your items
• 20% off your order with email signup
• Generous 30-day return policy
• Glowing customer reviews

Zazzle is the place to go to let out your inner creativity and get all the custom party decor you want. They're a marketplace that connects customers and creators to help small businesses earn money while shoppers get unique, trendy options for any occasion. When you shop online here, you can find designs created by others, add your customizations, and purchase them. The company is 17 years old and has served over 30 million customers.

Unimaginable selection

There are over 900,000 independent creators who sell their designs on Zazzle, so you can only imagine how many items there are to explore. To start, they have over a million designs (seems like an exaggeration, but there are 3,027,303 results!) for invitations. You can find any style, theme, and color scheme you can dream of and add your personal details and photo to let your guests know you're about to host the party of the year. The same goes for balloons, plates, napkins, tablecloths, backdrops, and table decor. Find the style you like and make it completely your own.

Great for some party items

Anything you can print words and pictures on, you can find at Zazzle. This includes things like mugs, clothing, pillows, baseballs, pickleball paddles, notebooks, water bottles, phone cases, and so much more. Zazzle is such a fun resource for all of this, but in reality you might not need everything at your party to be customized. That's why we suggest using Zazzle for some items like invitations, party favors, and maybe a banner or backdrop, but you could save a lot of money by buying simpler items at another highly-rated party store.

Expect to pay more

Whenever you're customizing products, you're going to spend more money. So before you do anything else, it would be worth signing up for Zazzle's email list to save 20% off your first order. This could take hundreds off your order if you go all out here. If you want to buy custom plates, rather than buying a pack of 20 for $3 somewhere else, plan on spending at least $1 - $2 per plate here. You can get a pack of 50 napkins for $40 here, but that would cost just a few dollars somewhere else. It's easy to let your budget get out of hand when you're adding your own details to everything you buy, so keep that in mind.

Notice shipping timeframes

When you view something you want to customize from Zazzle, pay attention to the estimated arrival window of the items. This will help you make sure you get everything you need in time for your party. Each item may differ a bit as far as how long manufacturing and shipping will take, so it could be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The cost of shipping is calculated at checkout and will depend on your order total, where it's shipping from, and your zip code.

Generous with returns

Usually when you're purchasing custom items, you aren't able to return them at all. With Zazzle, they stand behind their items 100%, so if you're not happy with your order, you can send it back for an exchange, credit, or refund within 30 days of receipt. You'll be responsible for the cost of return shipping if there is no damage or other issue with the order. To make a return, contact customer support through their website and initiate the request and they'll guide you from there. We're really impressed with this return policy, so it earned them some extra points in our book.

Huge base of loyal customers

Zazzle has an unimpressive score with the Better Business Bureau. With just a "D-”, we were a little concerned at first. However, there are a lot of factors that play into these ratings and sometimes we don't weigh them heavily once we realize why they've ranked the way they do. In this case, Zazzle didn't respond to 12 complaints on their BBB profile. Considering they have over 1,600 reviews on this site from customers with an overall rating of 4.68/5, the 12 unanswered complaints don't seem like as big of a deal. Anywhere you look, you'll find an overwhelming amount of glowing reviews from buyers who have shopped through Zazzle. People truly love this company because of their customer support, selection, promptness in fulfilling orders, and connection to small businesses.

A fun add-on

Zazzle is a great place to turn for what we would call "add-on” products. These are extra things you spend a bit more money on that give the perfect, personal touch you're going for at your party. You might not want to get everything here or be able to find every type of party decor anyway. Zazzle is a fantastic store and we highly recommend browsing their massive selection, even if it's just for fun. You can get really creative here, so for something like a graduation or retirement, it would be fun to put a big picture of the guest of honor on a balloon or make them a custom mug to honor the milestone. We like Zazzle a lot and rank them highly among other party planning supply shops.

Party Expert

• Woman-owned
• Unlock 15% off your purchase of $30 or more with email signup
• 30-day return policy
• Carbon-neutral shipping
• Unfiltered testimonials
• "A” Better Business Bureau rating

Based out of Canada, Party Expert is a top destination for party accessories, costumes, and a huge selection of helium balloons. They are constantly rotating and changing their inventory to keep up with the latest trends and popular party themes. Party Expert is woman-owned and celebrates not only big events, but the spirit of empowerment, family, and entrepreneurial excellence. Their expertise spans categories like balloons, party supplies, birthday products, toys, games, costumes and accessories, and holiday items.

Plenty of options

Party Expert is one of those stores that has such an extensive list of products, it's hard to know where to begin. If you're throwing a birthday party, you can browse by theme, milestone age, or essentials like cake decorating products, garlands, banners, party games, favors, and bags. They've got an impressive collection of themes to make your life easier too. Whether your kid is into the newest, most popular Disney movie, dinosaurs, unicorns, sports, princesses, or video games, Party Expert has you completely covered with all the items you'd need to deck out a party. For party favors, you've got almost 4,000 options to choose from. And all of this is just the beginning.

Go all out

For adults planning a birthday party, graduation, or a just-for-fun bash, there are lists of themes you can choose from. Party Expert also has great decor for a gender reveal party, baby shower, wedding, Mother's/Father's Day, retirement parties, or religious gatherings. This store has lighted signs, door decor, confetti, table decorations, backdrops, cutlery, serving trays and bowls, gift wrap, and even fireworks, smoke bombs, and party noisemakers. You can really go all out with Party Expert.

Fair prices

Since Party Expert is based out of Canada, make sure you view their website in USD to know how much you might spend here. Some of the most basic party supplies include plates, cups, and napkins, so we like to check out prices on these as well as some other fun products. A lot of Party Expert's plates come in 8 packs for about $3.89. Larger plates, or those made of more heavy-duty materials can be as much as $13 per pack. This might be a tad more expensive than we've seen elsewhere, but not enough to dissuade us from shopping here. You can get 15 latex balloons for $1.94, 50 tealight candles for $14.95, 12 large confetti poppers for $3.89, or a big backdrop banner for $11.04. Prices vary based on the item you're buying, the quantity, and the quality too. Overall we feel like you can get quite a few things from Party Expert without breaking the bank. If you sign up for their emails, they'll give you a code for 15% off your first purchase of $30 or more too.

Shipping calculated at checkout

Every product listed on Party Expert's website has an estimated delivery date with it. You'll see when your item will arrive if you go with standard shipping and how soon it will arrive if you upgrade to expedited shipping. All you have to do is add your zip code to see delivery windows on each page. Shipping costs are calculated at checkout based on your order total and the weight, dimensions, and destination of your items.

Restocking fees

Since party planning is always kind of a guessing game as far as how many guests might show up or how much food to prepare, it's nice to know that if you have extras of anything that remains unused and unopened, you can return it to Party Expert within 30 days. The only downside of Party Expert's return policy is that you're responsible for the shipping and they'll deduct a 10% restocking fee as well. So although you can send extra supplies back, you won't get a full refund.

Happy testimonials

Party Expert has an "A” rating from the Better Business Bureau. They don't have a lot of third-party reviews, which is disappointing. They let customers leave feedback on their items, but most of them haven't had any yet. However, if you scroll to their "Ratings and Reviews” page, you'll be able to read over 2,470 testimonials. Most of them are very positive, but some have criticisms that are insightful to read. Overall the company scores a 4.6 out of 5 star rating, which is great. It appears that a lot of people have shopped at Party Expert and are pleased with their experience.

Only one hesitation

Party Expert has an impressive number of party themes that makes shopping online so much easier. Their pricing is fair and their website makes it easy to navigate and sort their thousands of products. We have no doubt that this would be a reliable resource when it comes to planning a big celebration. The one and only concern we have with shopping here is the possible cost of return shipping to Canada and the 10% restocking fee if you have to make returns. Otherwise we're happy with this company and they've earned high rating from us.

Ultimate Party Superstore

• 15% off your first order over $30 when you subscribe to texts
• Free standard shipping on orders over $59
• 30-day return policy
• High customer reviews
• "A+” Better Business Bureau rating

Ultimate Party Superstore began as a single storefront in the Greater Nashville area in 2008. The owners, John and Michelle Fuqua, exclusively sold party supplies and balloons in their store and then expanded into wedding products and event rentals like tables, chairs, and concessions. Fast forward to today and Ultimate Party Superstore has over 17,000 square feet of retail and warehouse space to provide all the party items their customers need.

Selection for every occasion

If you're in the market for party supplies to throw a 4th of July party, Christmas event, milestone birthday party, or a poolside get-together, Ultimate Party Superstore caters to you. When you search a specific theme, you'll find tons of fun decor to go along with it like tablecloths, balloon arch kits, plates, napkins, favor bags, candles, straws, paper plates and cups, and more. Some themes have more items than others, so you can take what you find in the category and add to it by browsing their streamers, doorway curtains, photo booth props, stickers, serveware, and other items.

Hit and miss inventory

There are a few categories of products that Ultimate Party doesn't have, like yard signs or custom options for banners, tableware, or cards. They don't have invitations of any kind or things like tea lights like we've seen elsewhere. If you want decor for an 18th birthday party, there is only a single balloon to fit your search. But if you're going for 50th birthday decor, there are lots more options like crowns, streamers, party hats, balloons, backdrops, and more. It really is hit and miss as far as what exactly you will be looking for. However, overall this company does have a lot of the basics.

Consider a costume

If you want to go all out for your party and get in costume, Ultimate Party Superstore has a whole category for this. It will mostly come in handy during Halloween, but they have adult and children's costumes you can browse. There is also a big selection of accessories like wigs, masks, makeup, capes, wings, and tutus. If your little girl is having a mermaid party, you might consider getting her a mermaid costume to wear to it. Sometimes costumes can help take your theme to a whole new level.

Comparable pricing

The pricing on all the party supplies from Ultimate Party is comparable to what we've seen elsewhere. You can get 50 plain, large dinner plates for $8.99, fun doorway curtains for $7.99, or a 12 count of favor boxes for $4.99. Party supplies aren't really sold in big sets here unless it is something like plates or bags, so for the most part you'll be purchasing decor item by item. If you subscribe to text messages from the company, they'll send you a code for 15% off your purchase, which helps you save a bit. Shipping is calculated at checkout and depends on how much you're spending. If your total goes over $59, shipping is free.

30-day returns, excluding Halloween purchases

The return policy at Ultimate Party Superstore is pretty standard. If you change your mind about your products or don't need them anymore, you can send them back within 30 days from when you received them for a full refund. They must be in their original packaging and unused. The only exception to this policy is Halloween sales. Anything in that category is final sale here.

Local rentals

Something that sets Ultimate Party Superstore apart and makes them popular in their area is their party rentals. You can get things like dance floors, bounce houses, games, inflatables, china lighting, tents, and bars. Unfortunately this is only available to people right around the Nashville area, so if you happen to live nearby, this might be one of the best reasons to shop with Ultimate Party Superstore and it seems to be their bread and butter.

Customer praises

Ultimate Party doesn't have reviews on their products like some other stores do. They have an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau and third-party reviews are overall really good. Locals seem to really love this place and say they do a lot to be rooted in the community. People are happy with the selection and quality of products too. And thankfully, shoppers also have great things to say about the customer service here, so we trust that they'll help you out with questions or concerns if they arise.

Give them a try

Ultimate Party Superstore may be a great option for you if they have a good selection of supplies for the party theme you're going for. If you just need basics like colored tablecloths, fun colorful wall and room decor, and other essentials, don't hesitate to check out what they have here. If you're dead set on finding everything to match a superhero-themed party, however, you might have to shop a couple of other places too. See if Ultimate Party Superstore has what you need because they're reliable and affordable. However, they haven't quite earned one of our highest ratings.

For Your Party

• Save 10% with email signup
• Small female-led and founded business
• 15-day returns on non-personalized items
• Customize your own party decor
• Unfiltered customer reviews

For Your Party was launched in 2004 by founder Sari Mintz, after she experienced a series of unsatisfying online experiences trying to get everything she needed as a hostess. Here you can design high-quality personalized party supplies or choose from the company's 20,000+ designs. You may recognize some of their customers like KIA, Otherland, Malibu, Honey Jewelry Co, Nobu, and the International Women's Forum.

Shop by category

There are a few ways you can go about shopping at For Your Party. The first is to shop their wedding, napkins, matches, cups, party supplies, gift supplies, or stationery categories. Their party supplies include things like napkins, cups, barware, signs, party decals, and custom plates. The gift supplies category has a variety of matches, gift wraps, bags, and personalized gifts. This is a good go-to section if you want to leave your guests with something memorable at the end of your wedding. With the stationery selection, you can create programs, menus, cards, or invitations all with your own name and photos on them if you choose to.

Choose your event

The other way to shop here is to shop by event. This might be the easiest place to start since you'll find a selection of matching decor and dinnerware already picked out for you. The events listed are wedding, birthday, bridal shower, engagement, graduation, bachelor & bachelorette, Bar Mitzvah & Bat Mitzvah, seasonal, kid's birthday, retirement, destination, pets, games, bowling, Barbie, and more.

Make it your own

The idea here isn't to have ready-made items that have big generic graphics pre-printed on them to all fit a single party theme. Rather, you can find things that work with your theme and color palette, and then add your own customizations. For example, in the "Kid's Birthday” category, you can browse their plates, napkins, gift bags, cups, yard signs, straw tags, and more. You can add your child's photo and name to these items to make them completely unique. Even really specific themes like "Barbie” let you add a name or date to the products.

Personalization is pricey

At the time of this review, For Your Party was celebrating 20 years in business by giving customers 20% off their order and free shipping on orders over $99. Outside of this sale, they offer 10% off when you sign up for their email list. You'll want to save wherever you can here since it's a lot more expensive than your typical party supply store. The customization aspect of For Your Party makes this a pricier choice. We looked at designing "Retro Wedding Names Napkins” where we could add two names (ideally for a wedding), select the color we wanted, and choose the imprint foil color. They wanted us to buy a minimum of 100 napkins and the cost was $64. Another product we designed was their "Simple Initials Match” with two lines on the front and back of the match pack, plus the option to choose a box color and foil color. For 50 of these, the cost was $71.50. If you were customizing all the dinnerware and accessories for a party here, you'd easily be spending hundreds of dollars. Plus, keep in mind that the prices we were shown were with the 20% off discount that the company was offering temporarily.

Unclear shipping costs

The cost of shipping will depend entirely on what you're purchasing and how much of it. On their shipping page, the company says that "from time to time For Your Party offers free standard shipping on domestic orders within the U.S.” There are no prices for shipping listed on the product pages, so you'll have to customize your order and go to checkout to see what the cost will be. We really dislike this.

No returns on customized items

Since you're customizing most items from For Your Party, your purchase will be non-returnable. If you purchase anything that is unprinted or non-personalized, it is returnable under certain conditions. They need to be returned in unused and undamaged condition within 15 days to receive a refund. However, the catch with this is that a 15% restocking fee or $10 fee (whichever is greater) is applied to all returns. In short, just don't plan on getting your money back once you place an order here.

Positive customer reviews

For Your Party doesn't have the best rating from the Better Business Bureau, with just a "B-” grade. However, since this rating is just based on their failure to respond to one customer complaint, we won't let this weigh too heavily on the score we give them. Many of the products have honest customer reviews and we found these to be overwhelmingly positive. People commented on the quality and said that the finished product turned out exactly as it looked online.

Unique but not always reasonable

If you want to take your party to the next level and have the budget for it, For Your Party is a fun place to look. They don't have wild, colorful products that take no effort to purchase and match with your theme, but they make it so your party can be completely personalized. This is a unique choice for party supplies, but not the most reasonable for every occasion, so For Your Party has earned an average rating from us.

Discount Party Supplies

• Free 2-day delivery on all orders
• Selection of decor for common party themes
• High customer ratings
• 30-day refund policy
• Company donates party supplies to foster families

Discount Party Supplies originated in 2009 and is a small business that's owned and operated out of the United States. They're based out of Jackson, Michigan. The company boasts that they've served over 6.5 million kids, had their products used at over 500,000 parties, and they've donated 14,526 parties to foster families. Their goal is to offer beautiful party designs without the headache of shopping store-to-store.

Small selection of basic themes

The main categories you can choose from at Discount Party Supplies are birthday parties, themes and sports, gifts, and party supplies. We noticed right away that they carry typical themes, but nothing really out of the ordinary, and there isn't much to choose from. For birthdays you'll find things like dolphin, firefighter, horse, Lego, safari, superhero, or tractor. In total there are 18 themes for birthdays. There are also 18 themes for the "themes and sports” category including things like 90s party, camping, candy, donut, soccer, and zebra stripes. They have a small selection of table covers and cupcake stands that could match the theme you've chosen if it's available.

Not much by way of gifts and decor

We hoped to see more from the "Gifts and Decorations” category that went with all the themes or that would make good party favors. Instead there is a selection of decorative boxes like travel luggage, video game chests, safari animal chests, and treasure chests. It could come in handy for a splash of decor for certain parties, but it was nothing to get excited about.

Fast, free shipping

On a positive note, if you've procrastinated a bit on getting everything you need for the event you're throwing, Discount Party Supplies isn't a bad place to turn to. They offer free 2-day delivery on all orders, so you'll get your items quickly. If you can make one of the themes work that they've got here, you might be in luck.

Limited variety

When you select a theme from Discount Party Supplies, you're shown all the decor that you can purchase with it. For the sake of this review, we looked at karate decor and found that you could buy a pack of plates, napkins, and utensils for 16 guests priced at $17.99 and a 3-pack of karate party table covers for $11.99. There wasn't anything else to choose from. However, when we looked at the monster-themed items, there was a bit more. There was a deluxe party package for 16 people that included a banner, tablecloths, balloons, plates, napkins, cups, and utensils for $29.99. There was a more basic package without the balloons, tablecloths, and banner for $21.99. The 2-pack of tablecloths was sold individually for $11.99 or plates and napkins for $`14.99.

30-day return policy

If your party supplies are unopened and you need to return them for any reason, Discount Party Supplies will allow this within 30 days of purchase. They won't cover return shipping, so you will need to pay for it. Sometimes it's hard to estimate how many guests will appear at your event, so if you end up with too much of something, it's good to know you have the option to get most of your money back on it if needed.

High customer satisfaction

Discount Party Supplies is not rated by the Better Business Bureau. However, they do let customers leave reviews on their items. Some don't have any, but in the case of the karate party supplies, there were 15 reviews on the pack of napkins, plates, and utensils, all of which were 5 out of 5 stars. If they have what you need here, we have no doubt that you'll receive what you see online and it will be exactly as expected.

Unimpressive inventory

Overall Discount Party Supplies isn't one of our favorite choices since their selection is so small. We'd like to see a variety of decor outside of just tablecloths, plates, and utensils. If you're throwing a small party for little kids who just want a superhero-themed party, you can get a few, cheap things here. But don't expect to be able to decorate for a full-blown party. Discount Party Supplies has earned one of our lower ratings.

Paper Mart

• Same-day shipping available
• Save on bulk orders
• 15% off first order with email signup
• 30-day returns
• Very positive customer reviews

Paper Mart's roots trace clear back to 1921 out of a Los Angeles garage. Now they are the largest discount packaging supply company in the United States. Their core values include providing exceptional products at amazing prices, ensuring everyone has an outstanding shopping experience, and supporting their local community through sponsorships and collaborations. Paper Mart has you covered with boxes, bags, ribbons and bows, tissue, shipping supplies, food crafts, and party supplies.

No themed party supplies

For basic party supplies, you can browse Paper Mart's selection of decorations, centerpieces, favor bags, tableware, and favor boxes. Other categories include boxes, bags, ribbons, gift wrap, tissue, containers, shipping supplies, food, crafts, and party and occasions. For major holidays throughout the year like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, New Year's Eve, or St. Patrick's Day, you can instantly find everything to wrap presents, send guests with party favors, decorate the tree, and more. What you won't really find is themed tableware to match a certain holiday or decor specific to the type of party you're having. Paper Mart specializes in packaging, so you'll mostly find things to help you box items, wrap gifts, or put goodies in bags.

Forget decor

As far as decorations go, Paper Mart only has a few options. There are some multi-colored spiral fans, tissue paper pom-poms, and honeycomb tissue paper balls. Centerpieces include things like butterflies or birds, rhinestones, marbles, or gems. Tableware likewise has a dismal selection with mostly plain black and white plates made of different materials, small food trays, and hot cups. Nothing is cute or exciting-looking. Forget about finding balloons here or banners or yard signs or anything else you could use to spruce up your party decor. That's just not Paper Mart's bread and butter.

Focus on bulk

If you sign up for their emails, you can unlock 15% off your first order from Paper Mart. People who are shopping here are often buying in bulk, which is why the two options for square fiber plates have either 250 or 500 in a case depending on the size. Plates are as cheap as $0.12 or $0.24 each when you buy this many, but it could be overkill for a lot of parties. Some items can be purchased alone like tablecloths for $1.57 or pom-pom balls for $1.40.

Varying shipping costs

The cost of shipping will depend on where you live and your order total. We went through the checkout with just some party decor and centerpieces and found that the cheapest option was $9.58 for FedEx ground shipping. Paper Mart boasts that they have overnight delivery, but the cost for this is $77.69, so it's nothing to get excited about.

30-day returns

Most product returns are accepted by Paper Mart within 30 days of receipt. To initiate a return, sign into your account and select the "Orders and Returns” option. They'll walk you through the process after you receive an RMA code and you can send back your products for a full refund if they're new and unused in their original packaging. Customers are responsible for the cost of return shipping.

Phenomenal customer satisfaction

The Better Business Bureau only gives Paper Mart a "C+” rating. This is due to a failure to respond to one complaint against the business. We totally want to let this slide since their third-party reviews from customers are through the roof. A few of the great things people have to say about the company are that their delivery is reliable, their customer service is always easy to work with, their inventory always takes care of what people need and then some, their products are beautiful and high-quality, and nearly every other compliment you might hope to see for a business.

Not for party planners

Unfortunately we're in the market for party supplies and Paper Mart doesn't deliver on this. You won't find items to match a fun theme or go all out with decorating a room or outdoor space for your party. Come to Paper Mart if you need gift wrap, containers, or shipping supplies. This is what they're geared towards. For party planning supplies, they've earned a low rating from us.

Private Island Party

• Free shipping on orders over $100
• Costume accessories
• 30-day return policy

Private Island Party is a novelty shop that ships their products worldwide. They specialize in costumes and accessories to fit unique events and party themes. One of their main products is bulk sunglasses along with fedoras, face masks, and other apparel. Their multi-packs make it so you can dress yourself and a group of guests with unique items to make your event more exciting and fun.

Needs a makeover

Private Island Party's website needs a major makeover. It's one of those websites that makes you question in the back of your mind whether or not your credit card information will get stolen by the end of your experience with them. There are quite a few popups and the look of their site isn't the most appealing.

Trinkets and costumes

What you'll find here is mostly trinkets and costume accessories. For example, when we selected the "UFO Party” theme, we were shown an alien mask, alien sunglasses, slime, and inflatable pool aliens. Some themes provide generic items like "Barbeque”. Here there is a variety of fedoras, cheap colorful sunglasses, sticky hand or bubble party favors, and other random things that seem to have nothing to do with a barbeque. Some other themes include gangster party, medical party, flapper party, fiesta party, mustache party, vampire party, disco party, and more. To us these aren't really "party” themes, but rather Halloween topics where you can find accessories for your costume.

Random assortment

If you were throwing a party, you'd want some of the basics like plates, napkins, cutlery, and cups. You can search for plates and you'll find 6 plain colored options you can choose from. They sell 20 plates for $2, which isn't bad. A search for cutlery yields 11 color options of plates, napkins, cutlery, and cups for 48 people. The cost for this is $96, which actually seems like a lot of money since there is nothing unique or exciting about their selection. You can further search for items like balloons or banners and see what comes up. Most items aren't theme-specific except for a few "Happy 50th Birthday” items here or there. You'll mostly get a random assortment of things.

Vague delivery times

If you spend over $100 at Private Island Party, the company will ship your order for free. To see all your shipping options, you'll need to add items to your cart and go through checkout. When we spent under $100 here, we were charged $22 for ground shipping or $12.95 for USPS 4-5 day priority shipping. Either way, it didn't show the date that our items would arrive.

Confusing return policy

You'll need to send back your unused, unopened, new products to Private Island Party within 30 days of purchase in order to qualify for a refund. Before doing this, you'll need to get a return authorization from the company by filling out their returns form and emailing it to them. The full return policy is long and actually quite confusing, so if you really want to buy something here, be sure to read through it. They mention that you cannot return fedoras for any reason and you can't return "party favor quality sunglasses” just because you don't like the quality. The company essentially says these are not high-quality sunglasses and that if you're paying such a low price, you should know this. Another confusing line they add is, "You are only able to return the products you have an issue with, not the entire order, no exceptions.” What does this mean? We don't fully trust companies that don't have clear policies.

Poor customer feedback

Private Island Party has a lousy "F” rating from the Better Business Bureau. They don't have a ton of customer reviews, but the ones we found did not fill us with confidence. Most people complained about rude or condescending customer service representatives. Some said that their orders came with products that were different from what they thought they had purchased and reported that shipping is really slow. Most customers who have left feedback about Private Island Party don't have good things to say.

Doesn't fit our needs

When we plan a party, we want a retailer that will provide us everything we need to fit our theme or go along with the holiday or event we are celebrating. Private Island Party doesn't fulfill this for us. Their website is unappealing and they mostly sell cheap knick-knacks here that don't really seem related to throwing a party. If you need an off-the-wall accessory to go along with a costume you're wearing for Halloween or a special event, it wouldn't hurt to quickly see if Private Island Party carries it. Otherwise, we wouldn't waste our time shopping here.