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Pinny forum Secret Santa 2015! Secret Santa is live! May the gifting commence.

purevalpureval Somersworth, NH Registered User regular
edited November 2015 in Pinny Arcade
The pumpkins are molding, the leaves are gone and my car windows are covered with frost every morning. That can only mean one thing...it is once again time for the Pinny Forum Secret Santa! For you veterans not much has changed from last year. For any rookies out there (welcome!) let me explain what is going on.

Everyone has until November 18th to sign up. On the 19th grgemonkey will work his magic and everyone signed up will be paired up with one other Pinny person. Your mission? To stalk (the good kind, no creepy stuff please) and procure for them the ultimate present. You will then mail said present to your Santee. Meanwhile, someone else will be stalking you and sending you a present as well. We did it last year and it was a ton of fun.

I am sure you have a few questions and I will try to answer them all here.
Q. What do I need to participate?
A. A few things. A Pinnypals.com account is required, simply because we use the website's magic to do all the pairings and back end thingies. You will need to have registered an account on this forum before October 29th of 2015 and have several substantive posts. Frequent posts in either of the chat apps will be acceptable. This is to make sure that no one tries to sneak in for a free gift.

Q. I don't celebrate Christmas, can I still join?
A. Of course. As long as you can give and receive gifts, you are in. Secret Santa is the term I am used to, feel free to call it whatever you like.

Q. I can not afford to ship over seas, can I still join?
A. Yes. Last year people were paired with only their own country, which made it feel rather insular. This year we have added a check box to the application. If you are willing to ship overseas make sure you check it. This way we can get a little more variety, but not exclude anyone.

Q. I have multiples of every pin ever made. Am I going to get stuck with more fodder?
A. No. You can request not to get pins when making your wishlist.

Q. I have a food allergy and/or some shipping carriers can not find my house. What can I do?
A. There is a special instructions section of the application. Make sure you list any food allergies or strong dislikes in there, as well as any pertinent information.

Q. How much should I spend on the gift? Is it okay to use Amazon to ship it? Are handmade gifts cool?
A. The suggested amount is $30 (US please adjust to your own countries money), but it is not a strict amount. Don't send someone a ketchup packet, but don't send them the crown jewels either. Amazon Prime or other websites are perfectly acceptable. Handmade gifts are more than welcome.

Q. I have no clue who this person is. How am I supposed to get them a gift?
A. Spend some time. Check out their Twitter accounts. Try to find them in the Slack chat and see what they talk about. Maybe they will mention how much they love Star Wars. Or that skunks are their favorite animal. Or that they are huge fans of roller derby. Listen and pay attention. Check out their Pinny Pals lanyard and see if you have any pins they are missing. Be creative.

Q. I really want to take part, but I am shy and don't post much. Can I take part still?
A. Maybe. PM me or @juicesir and we will discuss it. You may need someone trust worthy to vouch for you.

Q. Do I need to pay for tracking and/or insurance?
A. I will not require it, but will strongly recommend it. If your package gets lost (which did happen last year sadly) you will want to give me as much evidence as you can to prove you sent your gift. A tracking number is your best friend in this case.

Q. Can I see what last year's was like so I can use it as a basis?
A. https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/194160/pinny-forum-secret-santa-signups-picture-thread/p1

The rules:
1. Put your pal before everyone else. Make sure you send their gift as early as possible. The holiday time period wrecks havoc on shipping companies, don't wait until the last second.
2. All pairings will be random. Sorry, but we can not take requests for (or to avoid) specific people.
3. All gifts should be received by Jan 19th, 2016. This should give plenty of time for everyone to send and shipping companies to work their magic. If your present does not make it before this date you risk not being invited back next year and the mods coming after you. If something goes horribly wrong and your gift will be late PM me ASAP.
4. No NSFW or trolling gifts. Be excellent to each other.
5. Make sure to include your forum handle and Pinny on the outside of the package you send. This will allow people who are part of multiple exchanges to keep track and know who to thank.
7. Make sure to fill in the wish list section carefully. Please include your shirt size, any particular allergies/dislikes, your Steam handle/NNID/etc if applicable. If you wish (or do not wish) to receive pins please write it in this section.
8. Once you receive your gift you must open it immediately and post a picture of it in this thread and a thank you. Failure to post timely manor will mean you will not be invited back next year. This rule is so we can avoid hounding a giver who did everything properly. I have been on the wrong end of this before and it is not fun.
9. We realize that not everyone can afford an extravagant gift, but please do not be a Scrooge (pre-visit). Don't send someone a package of pin backs.
9. Please do not complain if you give more than you get.
10. Have fun!
11. Please don't blab about who you have. Remember this is a SECRET Santa.
12. Have fun!

On the off chance that something goes world shattering wrong and someone does not receive their present, I will once again be looking for a team of Angels to send gifts out as quick as possible. If you are willing please PM and let me know. Angels will receive a pair of wings on their Pinny Pals page as a thank you.

Use this thread for any discussion and to post pictures once presents start arriving.

Any other questions? Feel free to post it here or PM us.

Have you read everything? All set to sign up? Then go to https://pinnypals.com/secretsanta.php and sign up.

https://pinnypals.com/pals/pureval
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