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I’ve been thinking a lot about swaps lately. In part because I have five in the wings (three formal, two who don’t know a package is coming) and part because one is lost. Ok, not ‘lost’ in the truest sense…maybe unaccounted for is fairer. The recipient has not indicated if it was received, and while it had a long way to go (Australia) it has had more than enough time to get there. Worse one of the items in it is something I rescued from my grandmother’s house. I hemmed and hawed over including it and decided in the end that it was just perfect for my partner and it really needed to live with her. Now, I’ve no clue where it is and I gotta tell ya I’m bummed.
I actually feel worse than I did when I was flaked on. Not that I like receiving nothing, I don’t, but I’m more about the sending than the receiving. I am very serious about what I send…and very critical of it as well. I have some very specific rules I follow for swaps, and though I don’t expect anyone else to do things the way I do, I can always tell when an effort has been made and it’s those swaps I appreciate most. Admittedly I’m a little spoiled. My participation with the now defunct ‘Tribe’ far outshone my SwapBot experiences. Luckily my good swapping habits have gotten me invited into two private groups. Most of the people that participate in the private groups are also very serious about swapping … which brings me back to why I’m bummed. The ‘lost’ swap was part of a private group swap and I guess I just expected more courtesy.
For the curious…here are my rules for swapping.
Sending rules…
1. Always read and re-read the swap requirements. The same rule applies to your partner’s profile or blog or wherever you are getting your swap information.
2. Send a little “Hi, how are you?” card to introduce yourself prior to the actual swap. Yes, I really do this. In my opinion it’s nice to know your partner is really out there…besides who doesn’t like to get a card in the mail?
3. Ship only what you’d like to receive. Second hand and re-gifting are fine as long as it matches your partner’s likes and dislikes, but never send junk.
4. Always include a note and always include the name of the swap the package is for.
5. Whenever possible ship so that the package arrives by the swap end date. Since I’m a procrastinator I don’t always make this one, but by treating swaps as though they are due a week or so prior to the actual due date I’m never late.
6. Let your partner know when the package ships and what day(s) they can expect it. Again, it’s nice to know the person sending to you is really out there.
7. If your group requires you to post photos of what you sent (mine do) don’t post them until you know the package is received. I think it spoils the surprise.
8. Always thank your partner for your rating.
Receiving rules…
1. Rate your partner as soon as the package is received. Even if you can’t post the photo right away rating takes two seconds, and lets them know the package arrived safely. I always leave a comment with the rating…never just a number. Even when I’ve had to leave a poor rating, I try to make the comment as non-accusatory as possible.
2. Rate fairly. Ok, so it isn’t my favorite color or the craftsman ship sucks but did the person meet the date requirements? Did they try? If so that’s a good rating, even if I don’t like what arrived…it’s not about getting stuff anyway.
3. Post a photo as soon as you can. Face it; everyone likes to see their stuff on line.
4. Thank you partner. Sometimes I do this in the rating comments; sometimes by email and sometimes snail mail…it’s all according to my mood.
I even have a flaking rule. If I get flaked on, I never ever ask for an angel. I let the hostess know and I rate the flaker accordingly. I don’t expect the hostess to angel or to find me one, but she does need to know who flakes so she can protect herself in future swaps. Some hostesses ask other swap participants if they’d like to angel. Some place requests on the forums. I have no problem with either thing – in fact I angel when ever I can (I told you, I like the sending part better anyway). But, I don’t understand the members who post on the forum that they were flaked on, and that they need an angel. Getting flaked on is just a hazard of the hobby. It sucks, but it doesn’t make you automatically entitled to anything.
Like I’ve already said, I don’t expect anyone to follow my rules. I realize that I’m a tad too serious about the whole thing, but to me that’s part of the commitment of signing up for a swap. That’s why I only do a few at a time; if I signed up for twenty or more swaps like some folks do I’d never be able to keep it all straight. Maybe that should have been rule number one…never commit to more than you can do. Swapping is probably the only place I adhere to that one – heh.