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It does not bother me if she states in her thread that the extra card is going to some sort of charity. Like the troops, womans shelter, ronald mcdonald house, etc. Other than that....I choose not to participate!
It doesn't bother me if it's going to some charitable purpose... but I like to send hostess gifts either personalized for that hostess, something I know they use a lot of or want. In other swaps I've joined on other boards, the hostess always participates in each group, so she gets one of each anyway, and then people can send in hostess gifts if they'd like, and most everyone who can afford to, does.
It must feel better to receive something sent out of love rather than obligation, too, I would think.
I always thought that the extra card was for the swap host for organizing the whole thing! Its alot of work and she deserves free swaps simply by hosting.
Don't bother me- I am more excited about it when the hostess participates though- like I am doing a swap now and I wanted two copies of each thing so I asked for a +1 and I participated too! Just feel like the person is willing to do the same thing she is asking others to do!
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I agree that a +1 is fair. The hostess has alot of work to do and should be rewarded for her efforts. I've never hosted myself, just because the aggravation would not be worth it to me. I've seen some pretty nasty posts by swappers toward hostesses before for things that were beyond their control. I wouldn't want to put up with that. But I'm very grateful for those brave gals that host all the fabulous swaps here on SCS. I've participated in lots of them in the past, present and, hopefully, the future!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stampinaholic
I always thought that the extra card was for the swap host for organizing the whole thing! Its alot of work and she deserves free swaps simply by hosting.
__________________ "God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good!"
My guess is that anyone who has a problem with the hostess keeping a card for herself has never hosted a swap before. It is a lot of work. First, you have to keep up with the massive emails, posts, and private messages and get everyone on the appropriate list. Then, you have to wait for the cards to come in. Rest up during this, because you are about to be swamped! Once the cards start coming in, you have to keep track of what group they were in, make sure they did the right number of cards, and notify them in some way that you received their cards. And don't even pretend that everyone will get the cards in on time, if at all. When someone skips out on you, then you are left trying to figure out what to do with a missing participant. Once you have all cards accounted for, you have to actually swap them out and package them out for mailing. This takes great patience, excellent organizational skills, a huge block of time (think hours here if it is a large swap), and a lot of space. This isn't the sort of thing you swap out on the top of your coffee table. Now you think you are done only to realize that you must now get them all in the mailing envelopes, weigh them all, deal with people who for some reason sent a metered envelope even though you asked them not to, didn't send extra postage even though you asked them to, or even worse, in my opinion, just sent you money, which means you have to stand in line at the post office to get the postage for them! Finally, when everything gets mailed out, you still have to worry about whether or not someone's mail got lost, because you know if it does (or is even delayed a bit) that it will be ALL YOUR FAULT!
So, no, I don't mind the hostess getting a "free" card from me. And I would never expect her to give it to charity. If she wanted to give to charity, she could have skipped hosting a swap and donated her time and energy to one in the first place. And if you want to donate to charity, make your own card and send it to them yourself.
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Originally Posted by bonbonstamps
My guess is that anyone who has a problem with the hostess keeping a card for herself has never hosted a swap before. It is a lot of work. First, you have to keep up with the massive emails, posts, and private messages and get everyone on the appropriate list. Then, you have to wait for the cards to come in. Rest up during this, because you are about to be swamped! Once the cards start coming in, you have to keep track of what group they were in, make sure they did the right number of cards, and notify them in some way that you received their cards. And don't even pretend that everyone will get the cards in on time, if at all. When someone skips out on you, then you are left trying to figure out what to do with a missing participant. Once you have all cards accounted for, you have to actually swap them out and package them out for mailing. This takes great patience, excellent organizational skills, a huge block of time (think hours here if it is a large swap), and a lot of space. This isn't the sort of thing you swap out on the top of your coffee table. Now you think you are done only to realize that you must now get them all in the mailing envelopes, weigh them all, deal with people who for some reason sent a metered envelope even though you asked them not to, didn't send extra postage even though you asked them to, or even worse, in my opinion, just sent you money, which means you have to stand in line at the post office to get the postage for them! Finally, when everything gets mailed out, you still have to worry about whether or not someone's mail got lost, because you know if it does (or is even delayed a bit) that it will be ALL YOUR FAULT!
So, no, I don't mind the hostess getting a "free" card from me. And I would never expect her to give it to charity. If she wanted to give to charity, she could have skipped hosting a swap and donated her time and energy to one in the first place. And if you want to donate to charity, make your own card and send it to them yourself.
My guess is that anyone who has a problem with the hostess keeping a card for herself has never hosted a swap before. It is a lot of work. First, you have to keep up with the massive emails, posts, and private messages and get everyone on the appropriate list. Then, you have to wait for the cards to come in. Rest up during this, because you are about to be swamped! Once the cards start coming in, you have to keep track of what group they were in, make sure they did the right number of cards, and notify them in some way that you received their cards. And don't even pretend that everyone will get the cards in on time, if at all. When someone skips out on you, then you are left trying to figure out what to do with a missing participant. Once you have all cards accounted for, you have to actually swap them out and package them out for mailing. This takes great patience, excellent organizational skills, a huge block of time (think hours here if it is a large swap), and a lot of space. This isn't the sort of thing you swap out on the top of your coffee table. Now you think you are done only to realize that you must now get them all in the mailing envelopes, weigh them all, deal with people who for some reason sent a metered envelope even though you asked them not to, didn't send extra postage even though you asked them to, or even worse, in my opinion, just sent you money, which means you have to stand in line at the post office to get the postage for them! Finally, when everything gets mailed out, you still have to worry about whether or not someone's mail got lost, because you know if it does (or is even delayed a bit) that it will be ALL YOUR FAULT!
So, no, I don't mind the hostess getting a "free" card from me. And I would never expect her to give it to charity. If she wanted to give to charity, she could have skipped hosting a swap and donated her time and energy to one in the first place. And if you want to donate to charity, make your own card and send it to them yourself.
I think that it's awesome what hostesses do to make sure that everyone is happy with their swaps. Someday whe I get out of this tiny apartment I will pay back by hosting! Thank you all for all of your hard work! MUCH appreciated!
I have never hosted a swap - nor do I think I ever would - but I have participated in many, many swaps. I totally respect and appreciate the hostess and all the hard work and organization involved (and I'm sure some extra costs much of the time). Why on earth would anyone go through so much trouble unless they could reap the benefits?
It doesn't bother me if the hostess asks for +1 but I do think the hostess should be doing the swap also. Swappers put a lot of hard work into the things they make and I think the hostess should be doing the same that she is asking of other people. I also think the hostess should follow the same instructions that is common in a swap (placing items in ziplock bag, labeling with name and group, sending extra postage). I have had people who hostess other swaps not follow any of these instructions in my swaps. And these are instructions they specifically post in their own swaps.
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Doesn't bother me at all. Hosting a swap - especially a large one - is a HUGE ordeal. I completely agree with the hostess getting one for herself even if she isn't a participant.
__________________ Jess Don't tell God how big the storm is, tell the storm how big your God is!
Well, I am glad to see that most of you feel the same way I do. I have been hosting a lot of swaps lately, and someone just posted last night on a swap of mine, that the reason my swap wasn't filling up was probably because I asked for the +1 and that the only hostess' benefit from hosting a swap should be to see the cards before everyone else....I completely disagree, because of all the work that is involved. Apparently that person has never hosted a swap, or she would understand how much work and time it takes.
Thank you all for your opinions!! ;)
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Originally Posted by CatLuvR
Well, I am glad to see that most of you feel the same way I do. I have been hosting a lot of swaps lately, and someone just posted last night on a swap of mine, that the reason my swap wasn't filling up was probably because I asked for the +1 and that the only hostess' benefit from hosting a swap should be to see the cards before everyone else....I completely disagree, because of all the work that is involved. Apparently that person has never hosted a swap, or she would understand how much work and time it takes.
Thank you all for your opinions!! ;)
I just started joining the swaps and love the fact that there are so many of you out there that are willing to go to all of the hard work to host the swaps. So no I don't mind at all making an extra card for the hostess, It's not like I am not getting some great stuff out of the swap. Actually, I'd make two for the hostess if they asked for it, they are the ones working so hard to get these swaps organized. To all of you that have and will host a swap THANKS FOR THE GREAT SWAPS AND ALL THE HARD WORK!!!
__________________ Autumn "This morning, I saw God, as I looked into the eyes of my 6 yr old son." Everyday is a Gift. For we walk by faith, not by sight.
I think the hostess more than deserves the plus 1 card. It is a lot of work and takes time and effort to keep all the swappers happy. I certainly have appreciated the swaps I've been in and the work the hostess has done for that swap. They can have my plus 1 anytime!!! Keep up the good work, hostesses!!!
I seldom join +1 swaps unless the hostess is joining in & doing something else with the +1s. I've hostessed +1 swaps, joined in & sent the extrras into SU for the monthly contest. Or if perhaps the +1 are made into cards & sent to the soldiers oveseas to use. I know hostessing is work, but it's not that hard.
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I don't mind one bit. I have hosted swap before and never had a problem with getting people to join because of the plus 1. It may not be "hard" work but it is stressful work and for the stress I think the hostess is entitled to that little something extra.
My guess is that anyone who has a problem with the hostess keeping a card for herself has never hosted a swap before. It is a lot of work. First, you have to keep up with the massive emails, posts, and private messages and get everyone on the appropriate list. Then, you have to wait for the cards to come in. Rest up during this, because you are about to be swamped! Once the cards start coming in, you have to keep track of what group they were in, make sure they did the right number of cards, and notify them in some way that you received their cards. And don't even pretend that everyone will get the cards in on time, if at all. When someone skips out on you, then you are left trying to figure out what to do with a missing participant. Once you have all cards accounted for, you have to actually swap them out and package them out for mailing. This takes great patience, excellent organizational skills, a huge block of time (think hours here if it is a large swap), and a lot of space. This isn't the sort of thing you swap out on the top of your coffee table. Now you think you are done only to realize that you must now get them all in the mailing envelopes, weigh them all, deal with people who for some reason sent a metered envelope even though you asked them not to, didn't send extra postage even though you asked them to, or even worse, in my opinion, just sent you money, which means you have to stand in line at the post office to get the postage for them! Finally, when everything gets mailed out, you still have to worry about whether or not someone's mail got lost, because you know if it does (or is even delayed a bit) that it will be ALL YOUR FAULT!
So, no, I don't mind the hostess getting a "free" card from me. And I would never expect her to give it to charity. If she wanted to give to charity, she could have skipped hosting a swap and donated her time and energy to one in the first place. And if you want to donate to charity, make your own card and send it to them yourself.
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I don't see any problem with it, hey I'm already making 15 - 20 cardfronts (or cards) so what is one more. So +1 is not an issue She can use my card for whatever, or keep the cardfronts in a basket for inspiration. I would like to think that maybe one of my cards from a swap gives my hostess or her friends a new idea or layout they will do on more cards. I mean the reason I like swaps is you see what everyone else is doing. We all have our own styles and its great to see the different cards.
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Originally Posted by restongal
I don't see any problem with it, hey I'm already making 15 - 20 cardfronts (or cards) so what is one more. So +1 is not an issue She can use my card for whatever, or keep the cardfronts in a basket for inspiration. I would like to think that maybe one of my cards from a swap gives my hostess or her friends a new idea or layout they will do on more cards. I mean the reason I like swaps is you see what everyone else is doing. We all have our own styles and its great to see the different cards.
I agree with you completely. What's wrong with sharing our creativity and giving the +1 card to the person that coordinated the sharing in the first place. Hopefully, my DS will grow up seeing me share and follow in my footsteps. And anyway, look at all the great ideas we get from each other!
__________________ Autumn "This morning, I saw God, as I looked into the eyes of my 6 yr old son." Everyday is a Gift. For we walk by faith, not by sight.
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Originally Posted by toodme
I REALLY despise +1s!! And yes, I've hosted swaps. If I felt I needed to have asample of each card, I've particpated in the swap.
I would imagine that the only way to please everyone, would be the people that dislike +1s should not participate in them and the people that do not mind them participate away. I have not hosted any swaps, but I am planning too in the near future and I will more than likely host a +1 swap because I belong to a group that sends cards to all of the WONDERFUL TROOPS that are currently in Iraq fighting for OUR FREEDOM and thats were my +1s will be going!!! To any of the family of these troops you and yours are in my prayers!!! God Bless our Troops!!!
__________________ Autumn "This morning, I saw God, as I looked into the eyes of my 6 yr old son." Everyday is a Gift. For we walk by faith, not by sight.
I would imagine that the only way to please everyone, would be the people that dislike +1s should not participate in them and the people that do not mind them participate away. I have not hosted any swaps, but I am planning too in the near future and I will more than likely host a +1 swap because I belong to a group that sends cards to all of the WONDERFUL TROOPS that are currently in Iraq fighting for OUR FREEDOM and thats were my +1s will be going!!! To any of the family of these troops you and yours are in my prayers!!! God Bless our Troops!!!
As I said in my post, I'm all too happy to join +1 swaps when the +1 goes to a charity or to SU! I'll be looking for your swap!
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Originally Posted by karixma
As I said in my post, I'm all too happy to join +1 swaps when the +1 goes to a charity or to SU! I'll be looking for your swap!
I'll send a shout out to you as soon as I get it put together. I have seven more workshops and 2 stamp camps to take care of this month, but I'll let you know as soon as I can.
__________________ Autumn "This morning, I saw God, as I looked into the eyes of my 6 yr old son." Everyday is a Gift. For we walk by faith, not by sight.
I am currently participating in a swap that has 6 groups of ten people. Those who are signed up for two or more groups have to do totally different cards for each group. I would never expect the hostess to do 6 different cards ( total of 60 cards) just so she can get a sample of each. That is way too much work when she has to coordinate everything in addition to this.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bonbonstamps
I am currently participating in a swap that has 6 groups of ten people. Those who are signed up for two or more groups have to do totally different cards for each group. I would never expect the hostess to do 6 different cards ( total of 60 cards) just so she can get a sample of each. That is way too much work when she has to coordinate everything in addition to this.
WOW! That would definately be way too many cards for the hostess to have to do. Sounds like a great swap though. I hope you enjoy it. I think the swaps are fun.
__________________ Autumn "This morning, I saw God, as I looked into the eyes of my 6 yr old son." Everyday is a Gift. For we walk by faith, not by sight.
I would never be so presumptuous as to diminish the work of a hostess by saying that she isn't working hard enough to "earn" the +1. Nor would I tell her what she has to do with the +1 in order to have my participation. While it is true that swaps can be as easy or as hard as the hostess makes it-the bottom line is that it IS work. It DOES take time and it CAN be stressful.
I will reference the non-convention goers swaps for this. I signed up for 5 of them and I daresay that none of those 5 went smoothly-through NO fault of the hostesses. Why SHOULDN'T they get the +1 for all that aggrevation?
Quote:
Originally Posted by stampcrazed2
I would imagine that the only way to please everyone, would be the people that dislike +1s should not participate in them and the people that do not mind them participate away.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
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Originally Posted by Catie
I would never be so presumptuous as to diminish the work of a hostess by saying that she isn't working hard enough to "earn" the +1. Nor would I tell her what she has to do with the +1 in order to have my participation. While it is true that swaps can be as easy or as hard as the hostess makes it-the bottom line is that it IS work. It DOES take time and it CAN be stressful.
I will reference the non-convention goers swaps for this. I signed up for 5 of them and I daresay that none of those 5 went smoothly-through NO fault of the hostesses. Why SHOULDN'T they get the +1 for all that aggrevation?
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Thanks! Catie!
__________________ Autumn "This morning, I saw God, as I looked into the eyes of my 6 yr old son." Everyday is a Gift. For we walk by faith, not by sight.
I don't mind the +1 at all. In fact, I think most of the swaps I've joined have been. I just wished that the total number of cards swapped would be a multiple of 4. I like to use up as much of a sheet of cardstock as I can without waste. (I know, I am totally anal! LOL!) :p
Do you mind the +1 when doing a SWAP?
