Sorry for taking over this thread with my long and numerous posts! My thoughts just keep coming in spurts.
For how many items to take and such... I'm thinking maybe for the ones who love giving, they can give as many as they want and add that to the initial compilation while that shouldn't stop them from adding more as the game progresses. However, the "takers" each only get to choose, say, 2 of each type of item at a time. Like, 2 articles of clothing (I'm just inserting a random/safe number) and maybe 2 units of toys and 2 accessories or 1 big accessory (i.e., carrier). It doesn't matter how many items they contributed, but hopefully, they contributed something at the start as a minimal of some contribution or other should be a basic requirement to participate. The real numbers should be decided upon receipt of everyone's "entries". Whereupon, the organizer can do the quick math and figure, with the assumption that no one will be adding any more to the pile during the playout, how many units can we say each person gets to choose so that when it comes to the last person in line, there will be at least one more or two more items than the maximum s/he can take out left so that even s/he has a "choice"... albeit a very limited one, nonetheless, a choice still. I have a feeling this wouldn't be a real concern since the givers will always enjoy giving more and the takers will maybe catch on to the fever and want to give some more within reason too. Since this will undoubtedly stretch over quite a period of time, there would undoubtedly be more "things" to contribute later on as our pups grow out of their things and so forth.
This also works well with participants who have younger pups. If they're not yet fullgrown, they can still participate and pick from the sizes available to them that better fit the current size of their pup by the time it reaches their turn. Some pups grow quick, some rather slow. So it's a bonus that you don't have to commit to a size until it is your turn.
So essentially, an example, but if I were, say, to put in 10 Monkey Daze suits and 10 PetFlys carriers, I mean, no matter how many "less attractive" or cheaper dollar store (they have cute clothes too, but just giving an example!) suits and carriers the first buyer decides to purchase or "cheat" with or to contribute from their own unused pile, the next person still gets a chance because this potential "cheater" can only get away with taking, say, 2 of them.