By request, we'll be holding our first Swapmeet next Saturday, and I thought it might be worth telling people in advance how it will work, in case anyone wants to plan, or complain, or avoid it altogether. We're going to structure ours much like Swapmania at Perfume Posse.
Don't know what swapping is, or you know but you've never tried it? See here.
How it will work
1. Anyone who wants to play can list up to 15 items they'd like to offer for swap. You can list full bottles, partial bottles, decants, samples, whatever you want. You might want to consider NOT swapping valuable items (see #7 below).
2. You can choose to include a wishlist if you like, or you can just wait to see what people offer you.
3. Everyone will need to list their country of residence, and tell others where they're willing to send.
4. You will have to post your email address in your comment, or have some other way for readers to contact you — one option is to list your email address at gravatar.com, and then link to your gravatar page in your user profile here (see the first comment below and click on my name for an example). Another option would be to link to a contact page at your own blog, or anywhere on the web where people can find a way to reach you.
5. To avoid an absolute tangle in the comments, I'm going to ask that all swap negotiations take place via email. So, if you see something you want, send a query or an offer via email. Nobody should reply to comments except the person who left the original comment — and they should leave a reply to let people know when items are no longer available, or if they need to clarify their original listing.
6. I will leave the comments open for a week, then I'll close the Swapmeet. If it goes well, we can make it a regular feature. If it doesn't, hey, live and learn.
And some rules
7. We will NOT be responsible (and we won't get involved) if your swap doesn't work out, nor will you be allowed to post complaints here, ever. If you'd like some sort of accountability, consider swapping at someplace like MakeupAlley. They have a token system for leaving feedback on swaps.
8. No selling, please!
9. Once both parties agree on a swap, it's bad form to back out for any reason; until that agreement is made, both parties should be free to offer their items to anyone else.
10. And obviously, you should package your items properly and mail them promptly, and you should let the other party know when their items arrive. You might want to read through items 6-10 on our swapping post.
Questions, comments, complaints?
Example — click on my name to see my gravatar listing.
Sounds great! I’ve got few things I’ll be happy to swap!
I’m looking forward to this. I participated in the most recent Swapmania, and it was a thoroughly positive experience. I got rid of several unloved bottles and got some really nice things in exchange.
Oh boy! I’m so excited! Thanks for the advance notice. I’ve had great experiences participating in Swapmania. Not only did I find homes for unloved perfume–and get new loves in return– I met some really nice people. Starting my list now.
I am looking forward to this! There are quite a few FBs in my collection that need a good home 🙂
Ohhhh!!! Looking forward to this! Will there be a reminder, or just prepare to post next Saturday?
Thanks for hosting this:))
Just prepare to post on Saturday!
Oh, boy. I’m going to be in Boise with my folks next Saturday but will definitely check in when I return, if only to see what happens. Fun.
Wow, this will be my first swap! I am preparing my list now 🙂
My first swap too. Very excited to rehome some stuff.
I havven’t swapped much before but I am trying to tidy my collection and will work on stuff this week to particpate. I actually may not want much in return right now – perhaps a swap for some future consideration? Having my husband not sigh when he looks at my dresser/bathroom counter/box under the bed/ other might well be reward enough!
You could swap for non-perfume items, if there is something else you would like. In the Perfume Posse swaps, there were people swapping for scarves, jewelry, tea, chocolate, and what not.
Sounds like fun! I don’t have much to swap right now but I always say that, and then I end up having someone actually want what I have and I get some really nice things in return! I have done Swapmania before and their format works really well, glad you are trying this out! 🙂
I’ll be away on vacation for the next couple of weeks, so won’t be able to participate. Darn! I’ve had good experiences swapping through Perfume Posse’s Swapmania. I wish you all lots of fun and happy swapping, and will look forward to the next NST Swapmeet!
When the swap begins, do we send our list here under comments or will there be a separate post for it?
There will be a new post today (sat, sep 15) and you’ll post your list as a comment under it.
And don’t forget to write where are you, where can you send and how to contact you.
Cool to just hear about this. I’ll have to think if I want to move some things along. Sometimes I think I should just move them along and NOT get anything back in swap to fill the space that has been crowded by all this damn perfume. Hahaha.