Class Store Changed My Life

Okay-a bit of an exaggeration but a catchy title.
My bff teaches grade 4/5. Since I can remember (even before she moved to junior) she has had "Class Store." Honestly, I thought that she was nutso...so much work and chaos. However, this year I decided to follow her example and try it out with my second graders...it.was.awesomesauce.
Yes, it's a lot of work to set up. Yes, it is chaotic on Kelly-Mart day. Yes, some minor problems are going to occur. BUT the advantage of this activity far outweighs anything else.
I had mulled over doing store for quite some time so had compiled a bin (rubbermaid tote) of stuff to sell. This included everything from jelly bracelets to t-shirts (bought on clearance). After each holiday, I bought a couple clearance items. I also purchased the end of the year leftover kit from Scholastic...wowzers...for forty dollars you get A LOT of stuff.
We made duct tape wallets to keep the coins that were earned in.
As a class, we talked about what sorts of activities earned money. One rule, for example, was that a student couldn't do something kind and then ask for a quarter...that kind of thing. Mostly, money was earned for following class expectations (ie good listening at carpet time, looking after your cubby, participating, random acts of kindness). I was careful to make sure that by the end of each week everyone had earned something...sometimes this wasn't easy but I persevered :)
On Wednesdays, kids had a chance to count their earnings and "trade up." They had to be able to do this on their own. Some kids used hundreds charts, number lines, calculators, manipulatives to figure out how much money they had earned. It was very cool.
On Friday after lunch, Kelly-Mart opened for business. It was 20 minutes of happy chaos and the kids loved it.
I stored all store items in small baskets and then put the small baskets in a large, clear tote. This was then stored at school in our resource room...which I had asked permission to do ahead of time.
Class Store lasted for 6 weeks. I will be doing it again, however. It was a lot of work to set up but the results were worth it 110%.

I ran the cash register (took me back to my teens when I worked as a cashier) and kids had to have the exact money ready for me when they got to the till. I also asked kids what their change should be if they had some coming.

One of the hot ticket items at Kelly-Mart were the Incentive Coupons...**WARNING*** Lunch with the Teacher is very, very popular...

{click picture for freebie}

I downloaded this freebie from First Grade Fever, (awesomesauce blog btw) printed it out, put the printed pages into sheet protectors and VOILA an extremely popular/easy peasy prize is born.

I also like the way that There's No Place Like Second Grade has organized her coupons using a craft box. She also offers her incentives as a freebie... I may have to switch things up for next year...

{click picture for freebie}

As I've mentioned, I WILL be having Kelly-Mart again next school year. I am looping with my class so will be teaching grade 3 instead of 2, but Class Store is one of the things that both parents and students requested we do again. Time to get stocking up on incentives ;)

Does anyone else have a Class Store? How do you manage it?