'SWAP' stories

I'm entering my...4th? swap now. In the other swaps I joined I received great gifts. In the first, a Halloween swap, I found out later that a few people never got gifts, and it didn't sit right with me.

In the second, a Christmas swap, I LOVED the gifts I got! But...quite a FEW of our participants sent out great gifts, but never got anything in return. So I did my best to set up a re-gift swap for those who didn't get anything...eventually, people just stopped updating on the re-gifts, if they ever got them, sent them, liked them, and the thread died. I still HOPE that everyone there that asked for new gifts got them!

My third was a Valentine's Swap. Again, I adored the gifts I got for my doll! And my giftee not only liked her gift...but the swap organizer then commented to me that she wished she'd assigned me to myself because of what my giftee got! Every swap I enter I hope that everyone gets gifts they like, and I feel rotten if I find out people didn't get gifts. But so far, my personal experiences have been great!

 

I've dona a couple swaps. Mostly Christmas. Got burned on one. Never got my stuff.

Other than that I have gotten some wonderful things! And I hope I've done well but I know my gift tanked at least once. For the X-mas swap it was human and or doll and I sent manga which the person did not like. Err... but I tried!

I've joined another swap recently- the fantasy outfit one and I'm looking forward to making something!

Swaps are fun though! It's nice to give and to get

 

I've done x-mas card swaps and x-mas gift swaps, but in these swaps the thing that ticked me off was that you'd send something out, and your person never updated to let anyone know they'd received it. This has happened on every swap I've done. Not only does it make you look like a flake even though you followed the rules, but it kind of makes you feel like the person didn't even like the gift enough to let you know they got it. Another thing that bothers me is that a time limit is a time limit, and they're usually more than generous about the shipping deadline, yet come time to ship, there's still a huge crowd of people who haven't even gotten their things in order yet. I could understand maybe one or two people needing an extension, but five to ten is in my opinion a little overboard. The way I see it, and this is just my opinion, if you don't have the time to participate (this includes letting the one who sent you something know with a thank you or at least a heads up) then don't participate.

On a lighter note, I love the atmosphere of the swaps. It's a fun thing to do, and I like how everyone bands together to provide for those who were cheated.

 

I've joined 2 x-mas swaps (plus volunteered to send another person a gift since their partner never sent them anything), a x-mas card swap, a valentine's day swap, and my most recent one which is an Alice in Wonderland themed swap.

I've enjoyed doing every single swap but there's some things that got me angry too. I can't stand when people cannot abide by the deadline. I mean it's understandable if it is a couple of people but seriously... like half the people don't ship out their things on time. I used to ship my things via Priority or express to domestic and international because I wanted the things to get to their destination on time.

Also... I've only had 1 person post pictures of what I've sent (on my v-day swap) and only 1 person to go out of their way to tell me thank you... I felt like my partners never liked what I sent... my most recent swap partner didn't even thank me. They said the outfit was nice but never thanked me or mentioned me and promised pictures but never posted... I feel as if they spit in my face since I spent so much time and resources making something.

Swaps are fun but it really stinks seeing people not receive anything or have people that don't care about the effort someone put into their gift and not say thank you.

 

Okay, I must be dense, but would you explain just what the swap is, please?

 

For those who may not know,

A swap is when someone organizes an event where participants are grouped with each other, often randomly, to swap gifts. Person A gives person B something related to person B's doll, meanwhile person C gives person A something relating to person A's doll, person B gives person C something related to person C's doll and on and on. There is often a ship by deadline and a price limit.

 

My very first swap was waaaaaaay back before I even found out about DoA, it was through GaiaOnline and I was a complete n00b. I feel really bad because my partner sent me a little sword and I never sent them anything. But I was young and dumb and I would never do that again, I still feel aweful about it to this day.

I have participated in a few swaps since then I absolutely love them. I have done the "handmade clothing swap" in the sewing forum and have gotten some pretty neat outfits, and made some pretty awesome ones as well xD

I was a little let down by the Halloween swap last year, unfortunately, but thats the risk you take xP

Im really excited for the fantasy outfit swap though! Cant wait to get partners, and see what everyone gets

 

I only did 2 swap where we had to send items when I did not have any dolls in December 08 and 09 and it was really great > w<
I was also helping the "owner" of the second swap and I really want to do it again =D

Through that I think I participated in 2 card swaps and it was ok, but some people do not seem to understand that you have to send the card when you said you were going to participate :/

I wish there was more International swaps out there though, all the "US ONLY" (and always 2-3 at the same time too!) are really boring for those who do not want to make a new one but cannot join those already there...

Would be really great if there was 1 big thread for all the swap (make a post for US, EU, CAN, INT, etc) and have more people take care of it then 10 threads and have a lot of people not able to join because of country restriction :/
I'd totally do that if I wanted to join one at the moment....
Or take it to a blog/website and just have the discussion part here ?
Anyway... going off topic now...

 

I've been involved in quite a few swaps I've been partnered with some amazing people and am always impressed by DOA-er's creativity when it comes to gifting-from minature live christmas trees to hand painted pants to a lovely little sketch of one of my MSD boys that still hangs in his 'room.' And I always have a blast putting together gift packages for people-more fun even when the recipients post photostory openings etc.
I did get burned once early on during a Valentine's day swap which was just kind of...sad. Not so much because I didn't get a gift, but because I was so excited about sharing my experience and taking photos and didn't get to.

 

I've done 2 swaps, and whie I'm likely to try again, I've so far had bad luck with swaps. I sent my stuff all on time. Only to have a problem both times. Nothing the first time, and would have gotten nothing for the second one either (swap person failed again) but the swap coordinator stepped in and sent me stuff that time.

-Anneke

 

So I'm not the only one to get burned. I would say most of the time things work out for the best!

 

I love posting box opening photos/photostories. I dont know why more people dont, its so fun to see everything.

 

I've been in three swaps, and all three of them went really well. Some of the creativity shown towards my dolls and me was incredible. The first one I was in netted Jay Say (my Beryl) a beautiful necklace and me a pretty star dangle for my desk at work, the second one, I got a huge amount of adorable kitty type stuff for my LittleFee Pukisha Mr. Mistoffolees, and the third one, I was blown away by. I mentioned my LittleFee Ante Elf likes Spock from Star Trek. She recieved two tiny, tiny screenprinted shirts with Spock on them. It was incredible.

I do admit that sometimes I don't like when people don't say when they get the items, that kind of bugs me, but *shrugs*.

 

I did the halloween and x-mas swap too. I absolutely loved making stuff, and I always make a ton of stuff but I was really dissapointed in how so MANY people didn't get stuff for x-mas and I guess it just made me disgusted. And it does hurt when you never even get a thank you. I've made sure to thank both my swap partners and it really bugs me when people don't even bother to say they even got their package. Even though things have been smooth sailing for me, it's just kind of put swaps off for me =/

 

I think I've been in a couple swaps. I was in a swap off the board once, a long time ago and it was bad. So it took moxie for me to want to try again. I was in a Valentine's Swap when I was freshly here and it was so much fun. I don't remember what all I got, but I still have the boxers. Aiden\Kazutaka is still embarrassed about those. XD

Last year I was in a Halloween-y Swap. I got the most amazing gift. It was a chair and some books and a bottle of ink and some feathers for my bird siren Haniel. I mean, it couldn't have been more perfect and well done. It's so beautiful.

I'm in one now and I have everything together and ready for me to sew on, I just need to get my butt in gear. I also have things tagged to order. I actually love to enter these things now and don't know why I don't do it more often! They're fun, even if you don't get something in return, because you get to gather things together and make stuff and match stuff! Sometimes I even forget I'm getting something in return until it shows up and I'm like, "Oh, right! LOL."

I just enjoy handmade ones the best because of the making things for someone else. I'm always so nervous but I love to get things together, make them, and send them off in anticipation, hoping they like them. I often make too much, too. XD

 

I've been in quite a few swaps on many different groups & boards & while I've always gotten lovely gifts & tried to give nice ones, I've most often been disappointed with my swapees' lack of reaction. Many times I never got even a thank you. That's kind of turned me off a bit. I'd even rather have an email saying they hated the gift than no word at all. It makes me wonder if my partner liked the gift or what I could have done better. In fact I wouldn't even know if some had arrived if I hadn't used delivery confirmation.

I must admit that I'm often quilty of mailing a day or so late. Try my best, I often can't get things wrapped up & off to the post office in time, just too much other junk going on. Lately I've been cutting down on swaps since life has gotten so busy & my car so unreliable.