nicoga3000
Saint Nic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's that time of year again!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saint Nic here bringing you the annual GAF Secret Santa! I'm excited to get this underway and host my 5th Secret Santa here! There was a little miscommunication, and I was under the impression that someone else was going to take the reigns this year. But fear not! I am here and ready to roll!
The Google Doc system has been abolished this year. There were too many issues that surfaced and too much book keeping to make it worth my time. Instead, we are going to go SUPER traditional. Details below!
This year is a bit different from last. Instead of filling out forms, we're going back to the basics. You simply need to post in this thread that you are going to be participating, PM me some info, and that's it!
If you don't post in this thread, you will not be allowed to participate.
With regards to what you need to PM me, please follow the below template!
- GAF username
- Country
- Yes/No International Shipping
- Mailing address EXACTLY as it would appear on your package
Make sure to title your message something with the Secret Santa 2016 in it.
Also, when it comes to international shipping, I cannot make promises or accommodate requests. For GAF members in lesser represented countries, note that you may not be able to participate if you select No. Also, I can not work with a "Yes, but only to EU" or "Yes, but not to USA". It's all or nothing folks.
If there's a conflict, I'll PM you.
GAF SS has always been an honor system experience. There's nothing I nor anyone can do to encourage otherwise. You can read my posts in previous threads, but when someone doesn't provide a gift or doesn't participate as intended, it really breaks my heart. I feel the disappointment just as much as the member that got shafted. I feel PERSONALLY responsible for everyone involved. If I could send everyone gifts myself, I would. But I can't. So please understand that signing up to participate should be something you are proud and honored to do.
The election just happened. It's a scary time for a number of reasons. As a result, please be cautious with your posting! Banned members make the Secret Santa super difficult to run!
In order to participate, you simply need to be a full member OR be a junior with at least 200 posts by the cutoff date.
Gift should be wrapped in some fashion. If you're sending just a box, indicate on the box that it's a SS gift so that your Tiny Tim can opt to open it when they receive it or wait until the holiday.
There is not going to be any leniency this year on dates. None at all.
Last year, I requested additional forms of contact juuuust in case you were banned. Turns out that this did not help. People who were dodging simple dodged my emails, too. Silly rascals. So instead, don't worry about additional forms of contact. Just bookmark this thread. If I need help contacting someone, I'll post in the thread and see if someone can assist me that way.
Maybe the most important rule:
There is a $25 gift minimum (before shipping). Do not participate if you cannot afford this.
The question always comes up about Amazon, eBay, etsy, etc. Yes, those are totally fine. In fact, sometimes someone posts an Amazon Wishlist or a very specific item that they have had their eyes on. In those cases, I have felt that sending those items directly from one of those retailers is perfectly acceptable. They even have a gift option. However, I do encourage (but do not require) that you send a hand written card or something to show that some thought and care went into your gift!
Digital goods are also acceptable. But if someone doesn't play games on Steam or has 500+ games, please make sure you do your homework. Some folks here ask for Steam games or whatever - that's wonderful! If you are one of those people, please make it very clear what games you are interested in (or provide a link to your profile).
Handmade goods are priceless. So if you choose to go that route, keep in mind the minimum. No, you don't need to throw cash in the gift. But know that if you were to make someone a Popsicle stick cross with some yarn on it like this:
It's probably not going to be perceived as a gift worth the minimum dollar amount. Be smart and courteous and think to yourself, "Is this a gift I would want to receive from my Secret Santa?"
Given the time constraints we have this year, the dates are a bit later than last year. I want to give people just over 2 weeks to join. From there, I need a week to send out matches. Once that's done, you've got 2 weeks (plus the weekend) to shop for your gift. And of course, I'm allowing well over a month to post pictures and proof of receipt of your gift.
I wanted to try and hit Black Friday here in the states, but let's be real - the sales have been pretty terrible the past few years. That paired with Amazon, Slickdeals, eBay, etc., means you can find great gifts for great prices at nearly any point during the holiday season.
- Signups close on November 27th, 2016.
- Matches should go out by December 2nd, 2016
- You must ship your gift by December 18th, 2016
- Please attempt to post a picture of your gift by January 31, 2017
Shipping has always been a weird situation. I would prefer that you PM me tracking. I know that this doesn't always happen. In fact, the past few years have shown that barely half send me their actual tracking info per my request. Having said that, I still do request that you PM me tracking.
When you do, PM me the tracking number with carrier name, as well as the name of your Tiny Tim.
Note that by selecting to do international shipping, you are committing to the cost associated with it. The cost to ship your gift is NOT to be included with the $25 minimum.
International shipping is expensive. Keep that in mind.
GAF SS is a lot of fun. But it's also incredibly draining on my soul. There's nothing worse than seeing someone send a great gift and get nothing in return. I also hate seeing people get gifts that are clearly done with zero thought. It's honestly heartbreaking to me. I feel SO responsible for those involved, even though I do not participate myself. My job is to make sure everyone has a wonderful time doing this, and that has proven to be very difficult in the past 4 years. But do note that I take EVERY issue that comes up very seriously. Even if I am not able to fix it, I honestly do try very hard to.
As with the past few years now, I'm always accepting help to PM matches or act as intermediaries! I have opted to never play the intermediary role as I have enough going on already. But someone has always been a trooper and taken on that task (Soka <3). If someone wants to help, please PM me and we'll see what we can work out. I'll have a spot at the bottom of this post to list helpers and other folks you guys can PM.
If you have comments, questions, concerns, or ideas on how to improve this thread or the Secret Santa experience, please post them in the thread or PM me. I will do what I can to get things answered in a timely fashion.
One other note...I'm going to be VERY public and vocal this year about people breaking the rules. If you have missed a deadline or something, you will be called out for everyone in this thread to see!
Please note that my inbox fills up during this event. I miss PM's or sometimes forget to respond. Do not hesitate to ping me again if it's been a day or two and you need a response. I take no offense to this and actually appreciate the reminders so that I don't fall behind!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I enjoy my role as Saint Nic more than any gift. So I have decided to not participate in the gift exchange portion for the 4th year in a row. I have a wonderful time arranging this and seeing all the happy Tiny Tim's post their gifts.
Last year, I told those who PM'd me about sending me stuff that I would graciously accept Christmas cards to show your gratitude. I don't need "stuff". I love seeing everyone else enjoy this. So, if you'd like to send me, my wife, and our two puppies a Christmas card, I would be more than happy to provide you with my address. I received a bunch of amazing hand written cards last year, as well as some delicious chocolates and an AMAZING drawing from Winterfang. That being said, I expect NOTHING, so do not feel like you have to send me a card. I really do just love doing this.
Thanks everyone, and Merry Christmas! Be good to one another.
