Hi all
.
I think it's important to remember the spirit and intention of the GE - it was created for having fun, connecting to others, and for giving/receiving special little gifts for our yorkies.
The minimum to participate in the GE is $40. Years ago, the GE participants really tried to spend closely in the ballpark of whatever the current limit was...sure people went over a bit, here or there, but they generally stayed close to it. And during those GEs, we had TONS of members participating...so many people! And they had a blast.
When people start spending $100, $200, $300 or whatever - it ostensibly
locks out a huge portion of members who would like to participate. We realize it's no ones intention to lock others out, however, that
is what it does. When members read about the more recent GEs and/or see how much people are spending - there is no way they'd be comfortable participating if they want to spend around the intended limit.
I wish people would commit to a reasonable limit that more realistically allows for ALL members who are interested to participate, without feeling that their spending limits won't be "good enough".