Hosting and Participating In Swaps/Updated

Ruth Ann Landry

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by Ruth Ann Landry »

A year or so ago, I swapped items with a CSer in Washington state...she got mine within a couple days...i waited and waited and she assured me she sent hers out...i believed her, of course, and said not to worry about it....would you believe that envelope...and it was a regular business envie... arrived about 5 months later? and yep, the postmark was in Dec, just as she said....no explication of where it had been along the way....I never realized how much mail goes missing until I got involved with this board and so many swaps....it's amazing how much mail is lost along the way
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tlscrap
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Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by tlscrap »

Ruth Ann Landry wrote:A year or so ago, I swapped items with a CSer in Washington state...she got mine within a couple days...i waited and waited and she assured me she sent hers out...i believed her, of course, and said not to worry about it....would you believe that envelope...and it was a regular business envie... arrived about 5 months later? and yep, the postmark was in Dec, just as she said....no explication of where it had been along the way....I never realized how much mail goes missing until I got involved with this board and so many swaps....it's amazing how much mail is lost along the way
Remember the PostWoman who was just arrested for hiding mail in her basement, that's probably where it was Ruth Ann!
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Theresa Lee
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ClareH

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by ClareH »

This has been an interesting thread to read. I"ve never been a hostess but have participated in a few swaps. I totally agree with Ruth Ann and her deadline - my only thought is why do hostesses have a deadline so far out? I figure if I can't do a swap in the next week or two, what makes me think I"ll be able to do it in a month? so as a participant, if I can't do it in the next two weeks because my life is too busy, then I"m not going to join the swap. I want to do it right away and mail it out.
Ruth Ann Landry

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by Ruth Ann Landry »

Theresa i didn't think of that...and I posted that comment!!!!
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tlscrap
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Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by tlscrap »

Ruth Ann Landry wrote:Theresa i didn't think of that...and I posted that comment!!!!
Now that's hilarious! hehehehe!
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Theresa Lee
Painesville, Ohio
Hasmom99

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by Hasmom99 »

I don't have a solution, as I have never hosted a swap, however, I always try to send an extra for the hostess - mainly as a thank you, but also with the thought that an extra could help if someone else's goes missing. I have tried to follow Ruth Ann's notion of the deadline being the date that the hostess should receive my stuff. And, as others pointed out, I try to send most of my swaps with delivery confirmation. I think it costs 75 cents now, but is well worth it - I can see online when my item was delivered. And even though the USPS does not guarantee delivery or guarantee an arrival date with delivery confirmation, every time I pay my 75 cents, the item gets there - and quickly. I guess that does not help on the return journey, but I highly recommend it.
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EDelValle
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Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by EDelValle »

For several years my company would do
a bulk mailing in December to thank people
for using our service. We would pick up
mail bags at the depot because the envelopes
had to be sorted and bagged in order to
get a reduced postal rate and you would be
surprised at what we found in the"empty" bags
we were given. One year there was a perscription by mail
envelope, over 2 months old stuck in the folds of
the bag. i think the bags just get untied and then
the contents dumped, but the bags themselves have
things inside that mail can get stuck on and not come
out with the rest of the contents. And it looked like
the bags don't get used very frequently otherwise
someone else would have found a lot of the mail
that we found in the bags. Items with tracking numbers
are handled differently, my mailman let me know that
when he reccommended using delivery confirmation
even on media mail. It seems to get delivered faster, too
Be Yourself, Everyone else is taken

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pamcook
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Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by pamcook »

I would vote to let the hostess set the rules - but ask that all hostesses stick to their own rules.
I prefer due dates that are sooner rather than later so I don't forget them :oops:
I don't like it when hostesses keep postponing and postponing due dates for one or two people but sometimes it just makes sense for emergencies.
Swaps are something I do for fun.
If the swap is a project that requires an extraordinary amount of skill/talent, I would probably choose who I wanted to particpate and handle it off-site.

Just my random thoughts this morning - oh - I did want to say that I think our hostesses go above and beyond and I always appreciate the amount of time it takes to host a swap!
Pam Cook #48
Cathy

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by Cathy »

Yesterday when I mailed out the 20 something envelopes for the Christmas Letter swap I my stomach was in a knot - every envelope that the postmaster checked for postage I said a little prayer, "Please don't get lost"................
I think there are great ideas here. I think the hostess should offer the participant the option to have their swap mailed back with a delivery confirmation (provided they sent the extra postage to cover it). Posters are correct here - The P.O. does handle the delivery confirmation mail different than regular mail. Not only does it arrive, but it arrives quicker. So if it's a swap that means the world to you, .75 cents is nothing!
And I do think the deadlines should be the firm deadline.
With this swap I just completed, I had four different groups of 9 participants which encompassed a lot of participants. At the time of the deadline; I was still waiting on 8 different sets of atc's. That's a lot of tardiness.
I'm really happy with this thread - it's given me lots of good advice and ideas as a hostess and as a participant.
Thanks,
Cathy:)
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Paula
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Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by Paula »

Thanks Pam for reminding all of us that they indeed do a great job. I certainly appreciate every bit of effort and time that the hostess puts into each and every swap. It must not be easy, having to deal with that many "women" at the same time :tomato:

Again, thanks to all that host :happywave: :happywave: :happywave:

Paula






pamcook wrote:I would vote to let the hostess set the rules - but ask that all hostesses stick to their own rules.
I prefer due dates that are sooner rather than later so I don't forget them :oops:
I don't like it when hostesses keep postponing and postponing due dates for one or two people but sometimes it just makes sense for emergencies.
Swaps are something I do for fun.
If the swap is a project that requires an extraordinary amount of skill/talent, I would probably choose who I wanted to particpate and handle it off-site.

Just my random thoughts this morning - oh - I did want to say that I think our hostesses go above and beyond and I always appreciate the amount of time it takes to host a swap!
ErinW-N

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by ErinW-N »

I know that I have been the delay in several swaps and therefore:

I promise to be more thoughtful of my fellow swappers and I will only sign up if I can quickly complete the project and have it mailed on time :) :happy94: love you gals!
Luanne

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by Luanne »

Interesting topic.

I personally have flaked a lot this year, and apologize to every hostess! As a hostess, I really like it if someone send me a note saying: I need to drop out. I don't care if it's the day it's due, as long as I don't get asked for an extension, then have to wait a few weeks! That pisses me off.

A great part about swaps is getting the really cool stuff in the mail! I also don't like it when people send poorly made things, that's just not fair. I do understand if someone is new, and they get a HUGE PASS! As long as I can tell they did their best work, I'm thrilled to have new people joining. That is afterall how we learn, from others, and to see and touch and feel up close all the better.

A good rule of thumb is not to over commit. This group is incredibly active in swaps! Which I have to say is fantastic!!! Many groups only have one brave hostess, begging for others to host. We are fighting over each other to get our names attached to the coolest swaps, lol. BUT, don't over-do it. I have overdone it this year, as I mentioned before. Hopefully I am up to date.

As a hostess, I suggest you make your rules clear. I suggest you do not make groups until the packages are in front of you. that will save you time making up for flaky participants. I also suggest you swap round robin style, so no two people get the same stuff...pm me if you want specific details how to do this, it's absolutely the way to go. What to do if someone flakes....that's tough. I think it's up to each individual hostess how to handle it. As for postage, I sometimes get extra from people saying "Please use this if you need extra for someone" and I have used it. Other times I have had to pay myself for their stuff. In that case, I attach a note saying please send more postage next time.

As a participant, notify your hostess if you have to flake...she won't care. do your best, and read all the rules.
flojo

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by flojo »

I think the deadline should be worded as "postmarked by." That way if yours is late, then when the hostess gets it she can look at that postmark date and if it is after that "postmarked by" date, then return it to sender. My reasoning is that I have no idea how long it takes to get from here to other states. If I am in Florida and the hostess is in North Carolina for instance, I may think it will get there in just a couple of days, and it may not.

Also, I have participated in two swaps where you send directly to the others and both times I never got all of them. One was the color/number swap where there were supposed to be 9 and I only received 4 back. The other was the 12 days of Christmas which I am still missing two days. How am I supposed to do anything with them if there are numbers/days missing?

Also, I like it when the hostess posts the list of participants showing which ones she has received so far. I can just look at that and know mine made it.

I totally forgot to enclose the SASE on one swap I was in and after I realized it, I notified the hostess and asked if she wanted me to send the postage and the return envelope separately and she said no don't worry about it.

Whatever Luanne's system is, it sure does work.

Just my thoughts.
cnedaria

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by cnedaria »

flojo wrote:Whatever Luanne's system is, it sure does work.
Maybe we're all just so scared of what she'd do to us if we didn't reply in time... :twisted:
flojo

Re: Hosting and Participating In Swaps

Post by flojo »

cnedaria wrote:
flojo wrote:Whatever Luanne's system is, it sure does work.
Maybe we're all just so scared of what she'd do to us if we didn't reply in time... :twisted:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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