Buy/Sell/Trade Forum

#1 rule - Please DO NOT reply to this forum post.

I just saw on "A Penny Sleeve for Your Thoughts" blog that Jon will not be hosting the blogosphere's Secret Santa this year (the same one that we here at TCDB got heavily involved in last year). As much as this saddens me, it's not surprising.

So, here I am. I heavily promoted it last year to get people involved, and since he isn't doing it there, let's just do it here. But we're going to do it with some modifications.

Since I already gave rule #1, here are the remaining rules:

2 - Send me a Private message with the subject "Secret Santa 2020" (so I can easily track these).
3 - You MUST include your name and shipping address (this will get passed along to 1 other person - your personal secret santa).
4 - Provide me a list of the card types you collect and the card types you have to send out (For example, "I collect Baseball and Hockey, I have Baseball, Hockey, Football, basketball, and a few Non-Sports to send out" - This is so I might be able to better match people - you'll see in the following why this is important).
5 - You must be able to provide your recipient with approximately $5-$10 value of cards of their collecting preference, preferably stuff from their want list. If not their want list, their collection of choice. In other Secret Santas, this would have been stuff that was purchased specifically for the recipient. Due to mail being wonky, some card sites being short-staffed and not shipping timely (for reasonable prices), and prices in general being inflated right now, let's just go to the source most of have - our extras. 

This isn't an exercise in how much (quantity or value) you can send someone, but rather in how thoughtful one can be - remember, it's the holiday spirit of giving is why we're doing this.

I will be collecting names for the next two weeks (deadline for submitting your name is 11/18/2020).

I will send out the info for each person on or before Thanksgiving Day (just in case you're heading out for shopping over the weekend and want to buy something for your recipient - again, no requirement to do so). Due to the possibility of the USPS being so overloaded during this time, I would ask that everyone try their best to have their packages sent out by Saturday 12/12/2020 at the latest.

One last reminder, this is meant to be something that is fun to do. You should enjoy sending out cards that should make someone happy. As well, you should receive some as well, but it's more the giving than receiving.

I assume you mean no replies to acknowledge your participation....otherwise I am breaking rule #1 because I have a question.

Are there any rules regarding sending the package e.g. should we not be including a return address to underline the "Secret" part. Otherwise the recipient will know who it is from.  

It will be a secret until the recipient receives the package in the mail. :) So yes, please do reveal who you are inside the package.

And you're okay for asking a very valid question here. Thank you.

A little over a day into sign ups, and we already have 20 people participating. WOW!

Thanks to everyone for joining in. There is a still time to get on board, as the saying goes, the more the merrier, and we can use all the help we can get in making this year end on a merry note.

Currently sitting at 30 participants (who have followed the instructions and sent me the info needed) with about a week to go for signing up.

I am really excited and impressed with the showing of comraderie and the spirit of giving. So to you 30 who have already signed up - you rock! For those who are on the fence about it, please join us. It's not a big financial commitment, it's simply spending a little time trying to help a fellow collector (and if you need this as incentive, you'll be getting something back from someone else). 

Edit to add:

PLEASE - follow the instructions given in my initial post. Today has been extremely frustrating as the majority of the people asking to be included are not doing this. I cannot go to each person's profile to see what you collect, what you have, in order to match you up - I need it in the message you send me. That way I have everything in one place and it won't take me until Christmas to match people up.

Deadline for submitting the requested information is in about 25 hours.

We are currently at 42 participants! That's 10 more than we had last year on the blogs! Simply incredible!

Thanks!

This is heart-warming - 49 participants (so far). About an hour left to sign up. But.....

I have to go to bed and get up earliy tomorrow (compared to normal).

So, I will extend the deadline for signing up until I am done with my "work" work (the reason for getting up early) and have the chance to check my PMs. This will be approximately 6:30 AM EST.

Due to the nature of coordination of figuring out how to match up around 50 people, I will not be able to take any late requests. I'm sorry, but that just can't happen. I'm expecting to spend a good deal of time doing the matches. I simply cannot start over with and later requests. Thanks for understanding, and most importantly, thanks for the participation.

And we got one more.

We have 50 particiapnts.

Absolutely incredible. Especially given what's going on with everything. The generosity of the members on this site is truly amazing.

The sign up period is now closed. Thanks to all 49 members who have signed up (I'm the 50th). I hope to have the partners assigned by the weekend and all notifications sent out by Tuesday. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Nice work Dan.  This sort of thing makes me paranoid so I never join.  Years ago I went to a Christmas party with mystery gifts, brought a pair of gloves, and a guy with huge hands drew my number and they didn't fit. I felt bad and gave him my own gift, and went home with nothing.  I've hated Christmas ever since.

Did he look like OJ trying them on?