The question - in red above - is very valid and I wish I had an answer to it. Maybe someone will come up with something.

I think you are doing a splendid job of planning - since this is your brain child, I agree 100% that there should be a list and people need to take turns.

Just a thought prices are going up in May for shipping. :)

If it stretches out several months and the Giver "A" loses interest in keeping up with the treasure rally and decides to step out, with the original intention of "generosity" and commitment s/he had made in mind, hopefully, Giver "A" will consider physically passing the item(s) submitted to the organizer and/or other YT member participating in this living in the same town to hang on to if Giver/Member "B" is okay with absorbing the shipping cost of sending it out to the next Taker who chooses that item? And perhaps, the organizer or Giver B can update on the catalog stating that Giver B now holds the item (and may set different shipping restrictions upon that item if Giver A originally had not). We may then count Giver A as having dropped out of the rally UNLESS there is an understanding between Giver A and Giver B (and/or with the organizer) that Giver B or the organizer is only "helping" Giver A for the time being while Giver A is still participating (awaiting his/her turn to "take" and maybe "give" more later / another season), but just too busy for the time being to keep up with the progress. In the event that Giver A just walks off without another word, well, that's no worse off than in a physical exchange someone walks off with the entire chest. We can then call them names, snub them on YT and throw tomatoes and slippers at them. :p But at least with a virtual chest, and a controlled number of items taken during each turn, there would be a slighter "loss" and fewer hurt feelings. The slighted "taker" can still then choose another item remaining in the great v.chest and we can just disqualify the "rotten tomato" who just took off irresponsibly from her commitment to provide the goodies. :p

Although, in the end, it shouldn't matter as much as in a normal GE about who got what and how many because in this GUGE, we just want to share with others and not necessarily expect anything back in return except a good Spring Cleaning that made someone else happy. :)

BUT since we'll all know who the naughty one was, we will know who not to invite to our sandbox again! :yelrotflm ;)

Sorry, I'm just having fun at the prospect of tossing virtual tomatoes around or throwing one at my monitor. :p

Wish I could participate...
 

I'm hopeful that by the end of the year I too will be able to add to this treasure chest! I really like the idea of a physical box being sent around, and even though you see pictures of the goodies online, it's different when you have the physical box in front of you. It sounds exciting!!
I do have a suggestion... if a physical treasure box will be sent around for the GUGE, would it be easier to send it around the US if we divide it? Example, we divide it by time zones! Assuming we have enough members in each time zone to make the GUGE interesting we start chains in each time zone. Once the treasure box makes it back to the first person in the chain it can be sent to the next time zone (either east or west, depending on what the GUGE Administrators decide), when it reaches either coasts, it'll start to work it's way back.
Let's say that we start the Pilot GUGE on the west coast (not being biast, just giving Quicksilver the honor of being one of the first ;) ) and it makes it all the way around the pacific time zone. Assuming the box will head east to the Mountain Time zone, make its way there, and then head east again. Central time, then Eastern time. When the first person of Easter time zone chain gets the box back, they then send it back to the pacific (again, I'm assuming there is such a thing as flat rate shipping no matter how far on the continental US we send it). If that works out well, maybe we can later get people to organize little chains for our friends in Canada, and overseas. They can have their own chains to help recycle their doggy clothes. It might not be the box that traveled around the world, but it's close right? Anyway, just a suggestion.

This gives me an idea that could work pretty simply, I think. You have ten days to send your item. If for some reason you don't respond, you are disqualified from the Treasure Box. BUT -- if you were out of town or something, you can get back into YT's good graces simply by sending the gift to the requestor. That person will have already selected something else and moved on, but then they get two items, no harm no foul. Since it's all in the spirit of giving and all. If someone fails to send items out promptly two or three times, then they get permanently banned from the TB, and the shame follows their family for generations.

So I feel like the rules for the virtual Treasure Box have been pretty well established. I still like the idea of mailing boxes around, but I feel like the shipping might be a show stopper. How do people feel about the size of the flat rate box getting sent around? How many outfits do you think would fit inside?

I could start a poll for interest in VTB (Virtual Treasure Box), GUGE (Gently Used Gift Exhange), or both....

This is a GREAT idea....time zone shipping!!! I looked online and it said for the largest box...it was 10.35....flat rate....however I forgot to check it out with the Post office....but if it is indeed only 10.35 That doesn't sound like so much too me....:)

Wabbit, how big was that box, and how many clothes do you think could go in it?

If I'm looking at the right box...its' 12 X 12 X 5 1/2 inches...

I'd think 20 outfits could easily fit inside it....maybe more...and I'm not sure if that's the largest or not....

I'll call tomorrow or go by and make sure...I looked at the USPS website...it might be 11.95 at most I think...

I think it was up to 20lbs too...but..I'll ask to make sure!

The present cost of the flat rate box you described is $9.95. I ship them all the time :) You can fit a lot of clothes in a box that size. The large flat rate box is only slightly larger and it is $12.95. The weight limit is 70 lbs. within the USA and 20 lbs. internationally but I'm not sure if the International Flatrate is the same.

A postal rate increase will go into effect sometime in Mid May, but I doubt if it will be a significant increase.

Great idea! Count us in!
 

Sounds great! We would love to participate!

Years ago I participated in another forum which allowed "trades". You posted the items you had available for trade, sometimes a wish list of items you were looking for and people responded. Each person was responsible for shipping out their items on a specific day agreeable to both.

I know I am going to take some heat for this and I haven't finished reading all the posts but....... If someone can't afford the whole $25.00 for the GUGE then how will they be able to afford mailings? I think it is asking Admin a bit too much to ask for a discounted membership. They set one price and it should remain. Now if you want to take membership off the requirements and make it a donation of $15.00 to YT with no strings attached the fine.

There are a lot of good ideas floating around here!

I am headed to the post office and I will check on the USPS Postal Rate Increases that will go into effect in May as far as Flat Rate boxes are concerned. I will also check on the price for the up to 20 lb. International Flat Rate. If this wonderful event takes place, I would hate to see our "Way Up Yonder" Canadian family members and our family members "across the big pond" be excluded. And let's not forget our "way down south" family members too.

I'll report back as soon as I get home.

Since we're still brainstorming, one more possible suggestion, since Yorkietalk has the "Clubs" feature, perhaps Quicksilver could make a "GUGE" Social Club. People could send her one or two items in an envelope, and be on the list to receive the treasure box. Once there were sufficient donations, she would simply put all items received and ship it off to someone else in the club. As founder of the club, Quicksilver could decide on how the next recipient is chosen, I think random is always best, but those who had contributed by mailing an item could be the first on the list to receive the box. That way, there wouldn't be any special work for admin to do or any special donations feature.

Thanks, ChattiesMom! Once we hear back from you, I'll post a poll to see if people like the idea of the physical Treasure Box or the virtual Treasure box (or both).

New USPS Postal Rates go into effect May 11, 2009
 

Ok-- I have a 1/2" thick document (41 pages) from the post office with all the new rates. Hope this information helps :)

A regular one ounce first class stamp will cost $.44

Domestic Flat Rate:
$10.35 - Small Flatrate - up to 70 lbs.
$13.95 - Large Flatrate - up to 70 lbs.

I didn't include all of the various weights only the maximum First Class rate for Canada and Mexico
$16.77 - International First Class to Canada - 4 lbs.
$26.85 - International First Class to Mexico - 4 lbs.

International Flat Rate to both Canada and Mexico with a maximum weight of 20 lbs:
$25.95 - Small Flat
$32.95 - Large Flat

I don't have the deminsions of the flat rate boxes, but you use the same boxes for dometic and international - it's just the maximum weight is different. From experience, the large flat rate boxes are not much larger than the small ones.

Thanks so much for finding this info!

If I read this right, this means that we do physcial TB for US and Canada only, correct?

Canada is not domestic shipping. It's international.

Shipping to Canada is relatively easy. You do have to fill out a custom's form CN22 and if you don't list the box as a "gift" and the contents valued under $20.00 then the reciepent of the box will have to pay HUGE CUSTOMS. It would probably be a good thing to have a list of people who would be willing to take on the extra shipping charges and paperwork to ship Internationally.

We appreciate everyone's input and enthusiasm for sharing used goods with your fellow member.

The YorkieTalk staff has discussed this idea, and we feel the idea of physically mailing a box is not appropriate for YorkieTalk. In an ideal world, and if shipping was free or members physically handed the box to one another, this might work well, but the costs of shipping, the potential value a member may get out of getting something (getting possible 1 or 2 items worth $10, adding to the box, then shipping it for $10 or more), as well as the delay in time from when the first person gets the box to when the tenth or twentieth or fortieth person gets the box, would not be ideal.

We have gotten quite a few good suggestions from members on an alternative idea to sharing/giving away/trading gently used Yorkie-related goods. Here is the thread to that:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sit...ml#post2586776

Feel free to discuss this idea in that thread, as we are closing this one. Thank you.