YorkieTalk Gift Exchange - Open for Suggestions!

[sarahheartmaddy]

Originally Posted by annamalyssa

I will say once more.. THANK YOU's should be MANDITORY OR YOU SHOULD BE BANNED FROM FURTHER GE's because WE DID NOT GET A THANK YOU NOR A PM OR A REPLY ON OUR OWN THANK YOU TO OURSELVES THREAD... and it hurt my feelings a great deal, seeing as I put a lot of effort and time into our package. I was very dissapointed with the way that went down for me this go round. I hope my next buddy sends at least a PM thank you.

I am so sorry that your feelings were hurt in this gift exchange. That is totally unfair and unacceptable. I think this person should not be allowing to participate in future GEs. JMO.

I appreciate everything you do on YT and Maddy loves her Auntie Adrianna! She just adores that Kwigy-bo! Sorry that you were upset.

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by admin

As our current Gift Exchange is over (with just a few packages yet to be delivered), we are now looking for suggestions and or feedback on how we can improve our future Gift Exchanges.

Here's a few ideas we have been thinking about:

- Create a maximum spending amount of $50 for the gift you send and raise the minimum spending amount to $25. If you hand-make items, it would just be the cost of the materials which would count towards the $50. If you purchase a $20 item on sale for $5, then only $5 would be counted towards your spending amount.

- Require pictures to be posted in Thank You threads.

- Require the thank you threads to be posted within two weeks of receiving the gift.

- No "complaining" or public posts of not receiving gifts allowed until after two or three weeks after the Gift Exchange deadline has passed, as there are senders who send from overseas in most GE's and those take a bit longer than domestic shipments.

Feel free to comment on our suggestions (good or bad) or write your own suggestions as well. Thank you!

I have always had a great time with the GE so I am happy with the rules the way they are myself. I do not like a maximum as i like to spoil my GE buddies and want to feel free to do so

[oopsmyhalofello]

Well here's my 2 cents worth... the rules are fine as they are, I see no reason to change them. Possibly adding in something about no posts about not receiving gifts allowed before 2weeks after the date but I don't even think that is necessary. The very first GE I was in, I didn't receive a gift from the person who had me. I'm sure I had posted about not getting it yet along with everyone else waiting still but they weren't whiny posts just passing time posts. Unfortunately 2 weeks passed and I followed the rules and pm'd admin who looked into it and was sent a gift (which I of course appreciated, very much) but it wasn't from my buddy. I have no idea who my buddy was, I did at the time but can't remember for the life of me, that's how NOT IMPORTANT it was that I hadn't received anything. I'm sure that admin took care of that member however they seen fit, but I have no idea if they were banned, if they are still members on the boards or anything... and it doesn't matter.

I too like everyone else is anxious to make sure that whomever i'm sending a gift to receives it, well guess what that is why confirmation information is so handy. If your buddy hasn't had time to pick it up, or has it but hasn't had a chance to get online to post a thank you then at least you know where it is. Needing a thank you post imediately is to much to ask, people have lives outside of YT and commitments that may get in the way of being able to be online everyday. Yes, I think Thank you's should be mandatory, wish that it actually would go without saying but some people just don't have manners apparently. More so then the thank you itself though, it is great to hear that your buddy received their gift ok.

I just realized i'm totally rambling.. sorry

[miabellaamoure]

Since I haven't ever been able to participate in the GE before, I don't know that I should be doing any suggesting except, that I hope sign ups for the next come soon!

Oh...and also, the mention of a "spending cap" is understandable...however, I would rather not see that. I myself would prefer a minimum and then the flexibility to decide what my own cap is.

If my SB spent less than I did...no problem! It's the gift that counts and my Momma raised me right...to always be a gracious receiver!

Now that I finally made all the requirements necessary to participate in the next GE, my girls (ok,I am, too!) are anxiously looking forward to the next GE!

[mimimomo]

- Create a maximum spending amount of $50 for the gift you send and raise the minimum spending amount to $25. If you hand-make items, it would just be the cost of the materials which would count towards the $50. If you purchase a $20 item on sale for $5, then only $5 would be counted towards your spending amount.
No spending limit please...I put things in our present box w/out counting the actual $ spent. It was a gift & I didn't want to put a $ amount on it.
- Require pictures to be posted in Thank You threads.
I don't think there should be a requirement to have pics posted in Thank You threads...some just simply don't know how to do it.
- Require the thank you threads to be posted within two weeks of receiving the gift.
Yes! Definitely required...we all felt bad for Adrianna & Gucci bear, but love her dearly for posting her own 'Here's what we got our buddy' thread. Love it! lol
- No "complaining" or public posts of not receiving gifts allowed until after two or three weeks after the Gift Exchange deadline has passed, as there are senders who send from overseas in most GE's and those take a bit longer than domestic shipments.
Yes...no 'complaining'...until 2 or 3 weeks after the GE deadline. Then you can spill your beans to your heart's content!!

So...Admin, when is the next sign up??

[Hollee]

I have never participated in a GE but I am super excited to. I will probably not be in the next one (aug) but hopefully in the next one.

One of the reasons I am putting it off is because, while I know that there is a 20 dollar limit, I saw that people go WAAAAY over! Which is really really cool and I want to wait until I am able to give a suitable gift (like when I begin working in the fall) that I wont be too embarassed of... And I know ppl will most likely appreciate whatever they get since they knew it was a 20 $ limit... But its kinda for my own sake... I dont want to feel like I should have done more.

So... what I am trying to say is... I think the 2 tier price section thing is a good idea. Like 25-45 and 50-100? Or something like that. Just my ideas... I cant wait til I can participate!!!

[aquinn]

We already contributed our idea of doing multiple tears, but I reread admin's original post and I'd like to add something else.

I am strongly opposed to the "If you hand-make items, it would just be the cost of the materials which would count towards the $50." part

I have never made anything besides pretty bows to include in my gift boxes, but I know a lot of people put a lot of time and effort into handmade items for the GE. I feel that only allowing the price of materials used for handmade items to count towards the value of the package/spending amount is very unfair. I think the time it takes to produce something is also very valuable, and should be counted as such. I think a much better way to do it would be to look at what the item, whether it be a handmade harness, blanket, bed, etc. would cost if purchased. I think this would be a much fairer (if that's even a word) way to assess the value of the box.

I know I value handmade items even more than store bought ones, so it doesn't make any sense to me for these items to be devalued in the exchange simply because someone took the time to make them instead of go to the store and purchase them.

Next GE buddy, Tucker says to feel free to send him a box full of lovingly hand made items!! We value them very highly!!

[QuickSilver]

Originally Posted by Hollee

I have never participated in a GE but I am super excited to. I will probably not be in the next one (aug) but hopefully in the next one.

One of the reasons I am putting it off is because, while I know that there is a 20 dollar limit, I saw that people go WAAAAY over! Which is really really cool and I want to wait until I am able to give a suitable gift (like when I begin working in the fall) that I wont be too embarassed of... And I know ppl will most likely appreciate whatever they get since they knew it was a 20 $ limit... But its kinda for my own sake... I dont want to feel like I should have done more.

So... what I am trying to say is... I think the 2 tier price section thing is a good idea. Like 25-45 and 50-100? Or something like that. Just my ideas... I cant wait til I can participate!!!

I understand where you are coming from, but I hope you'll change your mind and participate in this next one! #1: It really is not about the price of the gift, and I think most people here would be much more touched about a thoughtful, $20 gift that was handmade or personalized in some way than a more expensive one. You could wrap the gift really nicely, or research your SB's threads and get them something small that they've been looking for for a long time, or send little teaser gifts, etc etc.

#2: It's not just about the gift itself, it's about hints, guessing who your buddy is, and showing your appreciation about the gift you receive.

Is it fair to the GE and your future SB not to participate??

[mimimomo]

Originally Posted by aquinn

We already contributed our idea of doing multiple tears, but I reread admin's original post and I'd like to add something else.

I am strongly opposed to the "If you hand-make items, it would just be the cost of the materials which would count towards the $50." part

I have never made anything besides pretty bows to include in my gift boxes, but I know a lot of people put a lot of time and effort into handmade items for the GE. I feel that only allowing the price of materials used for handmade items to count towards the value of the package/spending amount is very unfair. I think the time it takes to produce something is also very valuable, and should be counted as such. I think a much better way to do it would be to look at what the item, whether it be a handmade harness, blanket, bed, etc. would cost if purchased. I think this would be a much fairer (if that's even a word) way to assess the value of the box.

I know I value handmade items even more than store bought ones, so it doesn't make any sense to me for these items to be devalued in the exchange simply because someone took the time to make them instead of go to the store and purchase them.

Next GE buddy, Tucker says to feel free to send him a box full of lovingly hand made items!! We value them very highly!!

Yes, I agree! We received a handmade quilt from our SB & it was the most beautiful gift that we've ever received. We know she put quality time into it & should be counted as such. Handmade items are far too valuable to put a monetary value on it tho!

[Wabbit]

Originally Posted by aquinn

We already contributed our idea of doing multiple tears, but I reread admin's original post and I'd like to add something else.

I am strongly opposed to the "If you hand-make items, it would just be the cost of the materials which would count towards the $50." part

I have never made anything besides pretty bows to include in my gift boxes, but I know a lot of people put a lot of time and effort into handmade items for the GE. I feel that only allowing the price of materials used for handmade items to count towards the value of the package/spending amount is very unfair. I think the time it takes to produce something is also very valuable, and should be counted as such. I think a much better way to do it would be to look at what the item, whether it be a handmade harness, blanket, bed, etc. would cost if purchased. I think this would be a much fairer (if that's even a word) way to assess the value of the box.

I know I value handmade items even more than store bought ones, so it doesn't make any sense to me for these items to be devalued in the exchange simply because someone took the time to make them instead of go to the store and purchase them.

Next GE buddy, Tucker says to feel free to send him a box full of lovingly hand made items!! We value them very highly!!

I honestly don't think anyone meant to "devalue" handmade gifts!! Yes they are MORE valuable to me than store bought items...however for some that want to spend ALOT more.....but have a CAP (spending limit)...put on the GE....then counting just cost of materials...allows them to spend more...however on the flip side.... if someone wants to value a handmade bed or quilt etc....at "fair market price' that should be up to them as well!!


I also still like the "tier" idea....not sure how others feel about it...but that gives people the option...without guilt either way..

[jc212]

Originally Posted by admin

As our current Gift Exchange is over (with just a few packages yet to be delivered), we are now looking for suggestions and or feedback on how we can improve our future Gift Exchanges.

Here's a few ideas we have been thinking about:

- Create a maximum spending amount of $50 for the gift you send and raise the minimum spending amount to $25. If you hand-make items, it would just be the cost of the materials which would count towards the $50. If you purchase a $20 item on sale for $5, then only $5 would be counted towards your spending amount. Homemade gifts have a lot of labor and love put in to them. The time and effort should also count. I think everyone in this GE spent more than $25, but monetary value is not important as long as the gift is thoughtful and from the heart.

- Require pictures to be posted in Thank You threads. I don't think it should become a hard rule.

- Require the thank you threads to be posted within two weeks of receiving the gift. Yes, please. Two weeks should be a sufficient amount of time even when really busy.

- No "complaining" or public posts of not receiving gifts allowed until after two or three weeks after the Gift Exchange deadline has passed, as there are senders who send from overseas in most GE's and those take a bit longer than domestic shipments. I concur .

Feel free to comment on our suggestions (good or bad) or write your own suggestions as well. Thank you!

I wish we received our secret buddies a little earlier. Is it possible to PM names a week before the GE? I want to make the gifts as personalized as possible but research, online orders, and customization all take more time.

[miabellaamoure]

Originally Posted by jc212

I wish we received our secret buddies a little earlier. Is it possible to PM names a week before the GE? I want to make the gifts as personalized as possible but research, online orders, and customization all take more time.

I know, I know...I've yet to be in a GE but, while reading up on it I did have this same thought, too.

So, when I do sign up for the next one...I agree that it would be great to be able to either sign up earlier or receive your SB name asap!

By the way...when does the next "sign up" become available?

[JMuedog]

Originally Posted by admin

As our current Gift Exchange is over (with just a few packages yet to be delivered), we are now looking for suggestions and or feedback on how we can improve our future Gift Exchanges.

Here's a few ideas we have been thinking about:

- Create a maximum spending amount of $50 for the gift you send and raise the minimum spending amount to $25. If you hand-make items, it would just be the cost of the materials which would count towards the $50. If you purchase a $20 item on sale for $5, then only $5 would be counted towards your spending amount.

- Require pictures to be posted in Thank You threads.

- Require the thank you threads to be posted within two weeks of receiving the gift.

- No "complaining" or public posts of not receiving gifts allowed until after two or three weeks after the Gift Exchange deadline has passed, as there are senders who send from overseas in most GE's and those take a bit longer than domestic shipments.

Feel free to comment on our suggestions (good or bad) or write your own suggestions as well. Thank you!

I don't think there should be a cap on the amount spent. I didn't even pay attention to the amount spent and made several hand made items. I just enjoyed buying for our buddy so much that I didn't even pay attention to the amount spent. I know some pretty smart shoppers that can get alot of great things for great prices so it may appear that they'd spent over the cap.

I was wondering if there is a way for overseas participants to receive their buddy's name earlier so that they are able to shop just as long as we in US. That way when they have to ship extra early to be here by the deadline they will have had the same amount of time to have shopped for their GE as we have.

[linda44]

Well what ever admin decides, Im ready.....This silly game has consumed me. Ha ha. Now everytime I go somewhere I think oh geez that would be good for my buddy box. To Hollee, my dogs love getting into packages, but honestly they wouldnt care if there was one toy or twenty. Im telling you, for them its the excitement of getting into the package (or grocery bag), and for me the excitement of preparing our box for our buddy and seeing their dog open. Please reconsider and try it.

[Gingergirlsmom]

After reading everyone's responses, I still stand by my earlier comments but would like to add this:

I think the idea of 2 tiers might work out. Of course, the higher tier could be set without a maximum spending limit, but the lower tier, might encourage those who feel that they can't justify spending $50 + shipping to join in the fun.

At this time in my life, I would belong in the lower tier. In all honesty, the sheer amount of $ spent in recent gift exchanges has been a factor in my choice not to participate. The fun would be diminished for me by knowing that my sb would not recieve as great a gift as I would most likely get. I would stress and worry and ultimately spend more than I could afford. To avoid this, I've chosen not to sign up.

I can't be the only one in this boat. As it is, even keeping it to the minimum when you add s/h you are easily spending $50. That amount can be dear.

Even so, I am not in support of a maximum as I think it could be a nightmare to manage, and would spoil the fun for those who don't care to add up the costs. But, a two-tiered system could work because anyone who wants to spend more than the lower tier could just sign up for the higher one and spend away.

To whoever thought of this...great idea!