Let me know what you think - Swap Idea for 2013

[Honeycomb]

I just looooooooove swaps, and I love presents - giving AND getting! Unfortunately, my birthday is always a sad thing present-wise. Maybe some of you feel the same? How awesome would it be to get a special birthday box full of pony goodies, all wrapped, and just for you and your special day!!!!

I have been thinking if this is a swap idea that can be realized. We have members sign up and provide their birthday to the swap host, and also inform the host which month they would like to have as their partner. We then put them together. Let's say, my b-day is in March, but I cannot put together a box before April. So I'd get a partner who wants to ship in April.
Still would need to work on the details.

Any other ideas?

Basically we should have at least one birthday girl/ boy for every month. It would mean that there is no shipping deadline for every member, only for one at a time. And if the boxes arrive early, the birthday person cannot open it before their birthday. 

Let me know what you think!

[karrie91]

I wouldn't mind doing this!  I take August! lol 

[Uninu]

Sounds fun! I can put together a box  any month from January to May and from October to December.

[rybett]

Dibs on July box! 

[Argentum-Zeena]

This is a great idea!
The way money is for me, I have no way to plan too far ahead Like, at the moment the farthest ahead I'm sure I'd be safe to say I could do this is January or February. By the new year I would know whether March or April would be fine also./rambling

[PaintedHooves]

I love this idea!  Birthday presents are always the best!  I'd take any month except for November (and March of course because that's my birthday month )

[Sternenstaub]

Like the idea.
There was a simulare swap at the Trading Post last year.

And we have a big birthday swap action in my forum as well.

So - I look forward to this swap!!

[Buffy]

Sounds really great :-)
Don't have a special month :-)

[little.fox]

Sounds like a really neat idea! Personally I can't plan that far in advance because of my job/income, but I'm sure this would be loads of fun for those who can!

[mercynova]

It would take a lot of work on your part checking up on people... But if you're willing then it sounds like a great idea though I have promised that I am not doing any swaps for at least six months after I've finished with the advent swap.

My only concern would be people signing up in January then having a change of circumstances by the time it comes round to their turn to send out a box... a year is a long time to keep on top of things and it would be horrible for you to have people disappear on you after a few months...

[Sarahlacewing]

Also with the new swap limit regulations, you would have that swap slot filled up for a long long time... since it isn't cleared until you get and receive your pony.  So i may inhibit people who are very active with swaps since one of the three slots would be filled with this kind of pending transaction.

[Crowning_Glory13]

I would so love this swap. I would want to take the longest time I could to get the box filled:P I only allow maybe a swap a year for me and this sounds great. It also sounds like I could take my time in finding the right things and not panic. It would be hard, as through the time many of us get ponies at sales and so forth, so doubles could happen. If its a gift once a month that is about 12 people joining...so maybe 24 can join and that would be 2 swap boxes for every month...as the reserve on the Birthday Month. Mine is in Sept.  I hope I made some sense...but I totally love this idea:)

[emery]

It would take a lot of work on your part checking up on people... But if you're willing then it sounds like a great idea though I have promised that I am not doing any swaps for at least six months after I've finished with the advent swap.

My only concern would be people signing up in January then having a change of circumstances by the time it comes round to their turn to send out a box... a year is a long time to keep on top of things and it would be horrible for you to have people disappear on you after a few months...

I have the same concerns as mercynova posted. It would be a LOT of work and commitment. Over 12 months you may have people who go missing, people who receive a gift and then disappear when it's their time to send one months later. Financial circumstances may change for people and they may not be able to follow through at the time they are required to send a present. I'm not trying to be doom and gloom but it's a lot of work to run a normal swap which only takes place over a couple of months and everyone shipping at the same time. To organize and check in with a whole group on a monthly basis and track down anyone who is not responding would be an extraordinary amount of work. You would want the person receiving in the last month to get just as nice of presents as the person who received in the very first month.

I know it can be done but just make sure you're prepared for the work it will take and also make sure that you get very good references and extra forms of communication (e-mail, Facebook, etc) from anyone who you do allow in the swap so that you'll have more than just the Arena to contact them through.

[Lorelei Redfern]

i would love this!  i  dont  really  get presents.  this  year my birthday was horrible ><   i'll do any month  but may!

but instead  of  doing  it  all year  i can see. the problem. what if  a  person signs up to do it in june and hten  cant beuae soemthing happens.?

why not  do it  monthly?

[lunar_scythe]

maybe divide it into sections?  say, if your birthday is in the spring, you have to be able to put together and mail your box before the end of spring, and so on.  That way you could divide the swap into the four seasons, each 3 months or so, and it would make it a LOT easier to keep track of.