Vegan Treat Exchange for Fall 09!

[rabid_child]

Hey Veggieboarders! Now that we've reached about the halfway mark for summer, I thought we should start planning another treat exchange for early fall to space it out well between now and the Christmas Secret Santa Exchange.

First and foremost -- is there an interest in another treat exchange at this time?

Second... I'm proposing new rules to help reduce send fails.

In order to participate, members would have to meet ONE of the following requirements:
* You have at least 500 posts and have been a member for 6 months
* You have participated in a past swap and sent your package ("grandfathered" in)
* You have a member who meets one of the other requirements who is willing to "sponsor you" for the swap (more on this in a moment)

Sponsoring:
If you do not meet the post requirement or the "grandfathering" requirement, you can still participate if you have a member friend who is willing to sponsor your swap participation. This member must meet one of the other requirements for participation. This person's job is to make you accountable for sending your package on time, and if you fail to send your package, that person is responsible for sending a package to your recipient.

Third: Instead of having a receive and open date, I'm proposing instead we have a SEND date. Regardless of where you are sending to/from, your package must be posted on a certain date. This is going to make it so people can be reminded to send their package, and they know exactly how much time they have to get things together. The downside of this (if one sees it that way) is that not everyone will open on the same day. People would open and post whenever their package is received. People requesting international partners will likely have to wait longer for their box. On the other hand, it would probably extend the fun as we will have a trickle of pictures coming in for a while.

So, let me know if you guys are interested in swapping again, and what you think of the new proposed rules. I'd rather organize one before the summer is over and the semester starts again because things start to get crazy again then!

[Earthling]

I'd love to take part! I haven't participated before but the rules sound good to me.

I live in the UK, but I'll ship anywhere.

[isowish]

I'd quite enjoy this I think, but it depends what the 'price range' is or whatever :)

[rabid_child]

I'd quite enjoy this I think, but it depends what the 'price range' is or whatever :)

It's been $25 in the past.

[nontoxicglue]

Awwwww...man. I would love to do this soooo badly. Would anyone sponsor me? :baby:

[born2shoplc]

I'd be interested in doing it. I've enjoyed the exchanges in the past.

I've done 2 before. Good thing because I tend to lurk a lot instead of posting.

[ReaganNC]

I'm in! I'm in! I've done 2 exchanges, and I loved it! Hey, I qualify all around! Yay!

[MrFalafel]

Yeah count me in. Now I know to choose lighter stuff and that it takes up to 8 weeks to ship to the USA I should do it a little better :D

[rabid_child]

Yeah count me in. Now I know to choose lighter stuff and that it takes up to 8 weeks to ship to the USA I should do it a little better :D

Doing it with a mail by instead of receive by date should help some with the shipping time thing. If people want international partners, that's just part of the deal. I WILL recommend everyone get tracking numbers, however, in case things are taking the really slow boat, one can prove that their box shipped.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

I could do it this time!! Woo!

And I think the rules are great. Sad to have to have them, sadder yet to not receive a package.

And many other forums have MUCH stricter guidelines when it comes to "exchanges".

For those who don't "make the cut" PLEASE STICK AROUND! Your turn will come!! It's not "You haven't been here long enough to be included in the "IN-CROWDS" fun" or "You're new so we don't trust you" but I think people do want to know; have you stuck around long enough, and consistently enough to appear reliable and responsible AND knowledgeable enough to be able to choose appropriate items/ingredients? Exchanges also involve a LOT of commitment and money and time, which is easy to forget when people ask to "join in", as well as trust that some stranger on the internet is safe to hand your address over to..

Also, it's nice to BE "rewarded", as it were, for the time a person puts in to staying around the boards and letting people get to know you, I think.

Also, I think an exchange means more, and is more fun for the participants when you actually exchange with others on the board whom you have developed a "relationship" with over time, you know something about them and their (online anyway) personality.

^^^Just some thoughts that I actually "borrowed" from another online forum that I exchange gifts on...

[Mrs. Skittles]

Would anyone sponser me?

I would LOVE to participate and try some new foods. :)

I would be forever grateful.

I have enough posts, but I have not been here long enough. :(

[rabid_child]

Would anyone sponser me?

I would LOVE to participate and try some new foods. :)

I would be forever grateful.

I have enough posts, but I have not been here long enough. :(

You're close enough to the 6 month cut off by the time the stuff will be sent. You're fine.


I could do it this time!! Woo!

And I think the rules are great. Sad to have to have them, sadder yet to not receive a package.

And many other forums have MUCH stricter guidelines when it comes to "exchanges".

For those who don't "make the cut" PLEASE STICK AROUND! Your turn will come!! It's not "You haven't been here long enough to be included in the "IN-CROWDS" fun" or "You're new so we don't trust you" but I think people do want to know; have you stuck around long enough, and consistently enough to appear reliable and responsible AND knowledgeable enough to be able to choose appropriate items/ingredients? Exchanges also involve a LOT of commitment and money and time, which is easy to forget when people ask to "join in", as well as trust that some stranger on the internet is safe to hand your address over to..

Also, it's nice to BE "rewarded", as it were, for the time a person puts in to staying around the boards and letting people get to know you, I think.

Also, I think an exchange means more, and is more fun for the participants when you actually exchange with others on the board whom you have developed a "relationship" with over time, you know something about them and their (online anyway) personality.

^^^Just some thoughts that I actually "borrowed" from another online forum that I exchange gifts on...

Those rules are actually a lot less strict than I've seen elsewhere. I got a lot of feedback from people after the last exchange, and so I tried
to incorporate it into the rules. I'll offer more guidelines when the actual sign up goes up as well. The majority of people who participate do what they're supposed to and do a good job. I offered the sponsoring option to give the new folks an opportunity to participate without the responsibility
for them falling on me :) If someone else feels they can vouch for them and are willing to work on backup, GREAT!

ETA: I'm still taking feedback! There's a thread with some questions in the forum here. Anyone can still give me feedback on any of the past exchanges and any suggestions for the rules or guidelines.

[Mrs. Skittles]

You're close enough to the 6 month cut off by the time the stuff will be sent. You're fine.

Woot!!!!!

Thank you! :)

[Cedre]

I'd like to participate, but I was so un-impressed with the package I got last time (which was last year) that it really bumbed me out and have ever since not been excited about it enough to want to do it again. But I think it was my own fault....I put so much effort into the package I sent out that I guess I was expecting the same. I guess I shouldn't complain, cuz at least I got a package!
I need some cheers and screams and whoots to get excited about this again ;)

[ellabella89]

Oh my gosh I would absolutely LOVE to be a part of this! I only joined a few days ago though :( Would anyone want to sponsor me? I promise I'm super, super reliable! Ahhh I want to do this SO badly.

[IamJen]

I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of the sponsoring idea (sorry newbies), in that many many MANY people join VB and then disappear days/weeks later...far more than those who choose to stay. Last time around though, there were two or three newbies that exchanged amongst themselves. I just see that we have lots of kind VBers, willing to sponsor others, and a disaster looming. Mmyeah. If you're that excited about an exchange...stick around 2-3 months and there will be another one.

And..was there not a send date last time? Each Secret Santa, and the exchanges ED organized have all had "mail by" dates. The idea was that people just didn't post about what they'd received until a certain date.

Yay!

[rabid_child]

I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of the sponsoring idea (sorry newbies), in that many many MANY people join VB and then disappear days/weeks later...far more than those who choose to stay. Last time around though, there were two or three newbies that exchanged amongst themselves. I just see that we have lots of kind VBers, willing to sponsor others, and a disaster looming. Mmyeah. If you're that excited about an exchange...stick around 2-3 months and there will be another one.

And..was there not a send date last time? Each Secret Santa, and the exchanges ED organized have all had "mail by" dates. The idea was that people just didn't post about what they'd received until a certain date.

Yay!

There wasn't a mail by date last time, only a receive by date. It's hard to have both though since mail travel time is so varied.

I don't really anticipate too many people volunteering to sponsor someone unless they actually know them in some greater depth than VB, as kind as people are. People were concerned that if the post/membership requirements took such a great jump up, it would leave out too many people.

[desert-dweller]

Last time around though, there were two or three newbies that exchanged amongst themselves.

I would enjoy participating...

I was one of those newbies last time around that unofficially exchanged so hopefully I am "grandfathered" this time since I have been here over 6 months but do not have 500 posts yet. It will take me a loooong time to get 500 posts, I'm kind of quiet... :)

[Semicharmed]

I realize I'm way too new for this... And though I spend a lot of time, money, and energy doing things like mailing kickass care packages overseas to troops, and do really fun homemade card swaps (got another due at the end of this month!), so I swear I'd be good and timely at it!... I know I'm too new. And that's cool. I totally understand. I'm not asking anyone to sponsor me...

BUT, I figure by the time one comes around that I AM eligible for, I'll be able to point back to this thread and say "Look! I REALLY wanted to dooooo this! I promise I'll be good at it!" And then, even when I bounce up and down like a complete nutcase so excited I could pop, you might say: "Well, look at that old thread she linked too...All right, all right, let the poor, crazy thing do it. She wanted to SO badly last time, and couldn't..."

So, happy swapping guys. I'll catch you next time. :)

[froggythefrog]

I am in!

[LyricGaia]

Drats, I'll be in next time.

[sallyomally]

:afro: Yeah baby! Count me in!

[ReaganNC]

I'd like to participate, but I was so un-impressed with the package I got last time (which was last year) that it really bumbed me out and have ever since not been excited about it enough to want to do it again. But I think it was my own fault....I put so much effort into the package I sent out that I guess I was expecting the same. I guess I shouldn't complain, cuz at least I got a package!
I need some cheers and screams and whoots to get excited about this again ;)

Ouch! I hope your sender from that exchange doesn't read this. I'm always just happy to get something I otherwise wouldn't get. I don't look at it as a "tit for tat" sort of thing. If I choose to go overboard with my package, that's my choice, but I don't expect the other person to do the same.

[Clarita Osita]

I wish I could do it! :( But I can't read labels here. I can tell if stuff is vegetarian, but not vegan. Maybe in another year or so I'll be able to read stuff. :cry:

[ellabella89]

I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of the sponsoring idea (sorry newbies), in that many many MANY people join VB and then disappear days/weeks later...far more than those who choose to stay. Last time around though, there were two or three newbies that exchanged amongst themselves. I just see that we have lots of kind VBers, willing to sponsor others, and a disaster looming. Mmyeah. If you're that excited about an exchange...stick around 2-3 months and there will be another one.

And..was there not a send date last time? Each Secret Santa, and the exchanges ED organized have all had "mail by" dates. The idea was that people just didn't post about what they'd received until a certain date.

Yay!

Haha, that's absolutely true and fair enough :) I didn't really expect anyone to sponsor me seeing as I joined what, a few days ago, and don't know anyone here outside VB. It was a major long shot, definitely. Ah well! It doesn't really matter because I am super enthusiastic about an exchange and can wait for the next one or even the one after! :vebo: