GBCN MM Holiday Gift Exchange

[vtdiamond]

I don't have much to do today so thought I would kick off the Gift Exchange sign ups today!

Here are my thoughts as far as guidelines for the exchange, let me know your thoughts if you think something should be changed.

• Deadline to sign up for the exchange will be Thursday, Nov. 14th.

• Names will be drawn for the exchange on Friday, Nov. 15th.
  
• Deadline to send out gifts will be Saturday, Dec. 14th.
  
• Spending limit for gifts will be $25 (not including shipping costs).
  
• Posters must have a minimum of 500 posts to participate. (Exceptions will be made for regulars who have switched screen names).
  
• Gift Exchange will be run through Elfster - addresses are kept private except to who has selected you.
• Due date for gifts to arrive, before people are outed will be 12/21?
  

[vanillacourage]

500 posts seems high. 
Exchange should be run through Elfster for anonymity.
There should be a deadline for receipt of gift or else you'll be outed a la JLM.  ::rubs hands with glee::

[vtdiamond]

Oct 23, 2013 8:55:23 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

500 posts seems high. 
Exchange should be run through Elfster for anonymity.
There should be a deadline for receipt of gift or else you'll be outed a la JLM.  ::rubs hands with glee::

We did a poll the other day and the masses voted for there to be a 500 post limit.

Yes, it would be through Elfster, I will add that.

If 12/14 is the deadline to get them out what makes sense for a due date?  12/21??

[pugz]

yeah I think having a day it is expected to arrive is good, people can always get 2 day priority shipping if they are running late.

[chikastuff]

posting to get closer to 500

[Poeticxpassion]

I am doing the same thing chikastuff!

[sometimesrunner]

How do we sign up? By commenting on this post?

[vtdiamond]

Oct 23, 2013 10:13:51 GMT -5 sometimesrunner said:

How do we sign up? By commenting on this post?

I wanted to make sure everyone was ok with the rules first before starting sign-ups.  I'll create a new post and pm people the link to sign up.

[changedname]

I want to have the matching earlier - that is the best bit!

Also, can people opt out if they don't want to ship cross border? I'm in Canada and some people might not want to be matched with canadians. I think there is some way to do it on elfster.

[Deleted]

Oct 23, 2013 10:25:57 GMT -5 changedname said:

I want to have the matching earlier - that is the best bit!

Also, can people opt out if they don't want to ship cross border? I'm in Canada and some people might not want to be matched with canadians. I think there is some way to do it on elfster.

Is it a lot more expensive?

I think someone mentioned putting a few things that are available on Amazon on wishlists, so if you get someone from Canada (or you're Canadian and get someone in the US) you can just go that route. Of course, if they just raised their free shipping limit that might not be as much of a viable option. Can you ship across the border with Prime? Maybe this is too complicated lol.

I personally would pay a few extra dollars to ship to Canada but I don't know if it's just a few?

[changedname]

Oct 23, 2013 10:30:08 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

Oct 23, 2013 10:25:57 GMT -5 changedname said:

I want to have the matching earlier - that is the best bit!

Also, can people opt out if they don't want to ship cross border? I'm in Canada and some people might not want to be matched with canadians. I think there is some way to do it on elfster.

Is it a lot more expensive?

I think someone mentioned putting a few things that are available on Amazon on wishlists, so if you get someone from Canada (or you're Canadian and get someone in the US) you can just go that route. Of course, if they just raised their free shipping limit that might not be as much of a viable option. Can you ship across the border with Prime? Maybe this is too complicated lol.

I personally would pay a few extra dollars to ship to Canada but I don't know if it's just a few?

yes, you could ship from amazon.ca and the limit as of right now is still $25. If I get an american, I will most likely do amazon or some other online thing but I also don't mind spending a bit extra to ship to the USA.

it is not that much more (actually it is more for us to ship to you).

[vtdiamond]

There is a way in Elfster to restrict people from getting paired with certain people, I could do that if someone does not want to have to ship to Canada.

[Poeticxpassion]

Yes, thank you for organizing, vtdiamond. I hope I can post enough to participate.

[cjeanette]

Oct 23, 2013 10:25:57 GMT -5 changedname said:

I want to have the matching earlier - that is the best bit!

Also, can people opt out if they don't want to ship cross border? I'm in Canada and some people might not want to be matched with canadians. I think there is some way to do it on elfster.

There is a way to manually keep people from paired up in elfster.

I personally don't have a problem shipping anywhere.

[womet]

I'd be happy to ship to a Canadian.

[mrsfarmer]

Oct 23, 2013 11:14:40 GMT -5 Poeticxpassion said:

Yes, thank you for organizing, vtdiamond. I hope I can post enough to participate.

I will quote you so you can respond to get the count up.  Create a post with what you want for the holidays - one gift in each post?

[explorer2001]

Put me on the list to pm the sign.up to. I'll be traveling for work.during the sign up window and I don't want to miss it. Thanks for coordinating.

[alleinesein]

I would give people at least 10 days after the deadline to receive a gift. Shipping stuff around the holidays is a PITA and you never know when there will be a nasty weather issue on the east coast that could snarl up air traffic for a few days.

I send my elf a message when I send out their package so that they know to be on the lookout for it.

Im cool with shipping to Canada or anywhere else in the world

[chikastuff]

Oct 23, 2013 11:54:00 GMT -5 mrsfarmer said:

Oct 23, 2013 11:14:40 GMT -5 Poeticxpassion said:

Yes, thank you for organizing, vtdiamond. I hope I can post enough to participate.

I will quote you so you can respond to get the count up.  Create a post with what you want for the holidays - one gift in each post?

I like your style

[chikastuff]

So I have 17 posts to go...now 16. I would like to participate

[les]

I don't know if I will end up participating, but thanks for organizing, vtdiamond!

Hanukkah occurring with Thanksgiving this year is messing up the normal holiday season flow for me.

[chikastuff]

And I like the likes...makes me feel like ya'll want me in the group! You like me, you REALLY LIKE ME!!!!!!!

[LoveTrains]

Thanks for organizing vtdiamond.

I don't know if you want to bend the rules on post counts for those that have just recently gotten new screen names, like lasagnasshole or les.

[vtdiamond]

Yup any regulars who have new screen names could be exempt from the 500 post minimum.

I know who les is but not sure I know who @lasagnasshole is, can someone fill me in!?!

[liveintheville]

Oct 23, 2013 12:15:37 GMT -5 les said:

I don't know if I will end up participating, but thanks for organizing, vtdiamond!

Hanukkah occurring with Thanksgiving this year is messing up the normal holiday season flow for me.

I agree. 

[cajunmom]

I want to participate, too. I'd be willing to ship anywhere.

[les]

Oct 23, 2013 12:28:44 GMT -5 @applesauce said:

Oct 23, 2013 12:24:38 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

Thanks for organizing vtdiamond.

I don't know if you want to bend the rules on post counts for those that have just recently gotten new screen names, like lasagnasshole or les.

In the poll post, I think she said people who changed names could still be included.

ETA: But who are those posters? I need to keep up better around here,

I was fuddyduddy. I put my former screen name in my signature to reduce confusion, but app users are unable to view it.

[kathybela]

I had been thinking about participating this year but my post count is too low - oh well, maybe by next year I'll have enough   (although it's taken me 1 1/2 years to hit 250 posts so maybe not!!)

[womet]

Oct 23, 2013 12:30:53 GMT -5 vtdiamond said:

Yup any regulars who have new screen names could be exempt from the 500 post minimum.

I know who les is but not sure I know who @lasagnasshole is, can someone fill me in!?!

It's angryharpy. Check out the thread on PW's lasagna for more info.

[vtdiamond]

Oct 23, 2013 12:35:18 GMT -5 womet said:

Oct 23, 2013 12:30:53 GMT -5 vtdiamond said:

Yup any regulars who have new screen names could be exempt from the 500 post minimum.

I know who les is but not sure I know who @lasagnasshole is, can someone fill me in!?!

It's angryharpy. Check out the thread on PW's lasagna for more info.

Ahhh, that was my guess! Thanks for filling me in!