#sending christmas fandom postcards all around the world

[isinuyasha-art]

[missoneminute]

Libs Fandom Secret Santa!

Welcome to the annual Libs fandom Xmas 2018! Read below, I have made a guide with lots of advice and helpful info to make sure everyone has a fun time! Read on for details!

TAKING PART? JUST READ THE BELOW GUIDE THEN PM ME YOUR NAME (ALIAS IS OK) AND EMAIL.

1. The gift budget this year is 10 pounds. You can convert this amount to your local currency with the currency converter here. This swap is about the spirit of giving, and you need not spend a fortune! You can spend more or less than this if you like, it’s up to you, all the gift should be is thoughtful (and hey a Libs theme always works too haha). It can be something you handmade, a poem, a collage, a vintage postcard, a secondhand item - anything you wish to share that perhaps has that little bit of Arcadian magic! You will be given some details of what your swapper is interested in to help you along. 

2. Keep your gift light in weight if you want to save postage costs. The heavier the gift, the higher the postage will be, and the more it will cost you to send. Keep this in mind for books especially!

3. You will be sending your parcel somewhere across the globe. It could be the same country, the same continent, or waaay over the other side of the world. Postage can be pricey and may cost more than your gift does. Please check the postage costs to the country you get are affordable for you. You can do this by checking your post office or courier’s website, calling them for costs or dropping into the post office. As a general guide, allow around 10 pounds for postage for a smallish parcel.

4. Your parcel should be sent by air mail. Sea mail (sometimes called “economy” or “surface” mail, and usually offered as a cheaper option) can take up to three months to arrive internationally and can even take several weeks to travel across Europe. Some post offices will give you the cheapest option and not inform you it’s going by sea/land, so you please check before you send.

5. Tracking on your parcel is great if you can afford it. It’s usually extra so don’t worry if you can’t. Some carriers do it for free so you may want to ask your post provider if tracking is included!

6. UK members, you can use a courier as they’re much cheaper than Royal Mail and work great. iPostparcels is a good option and you book it all online. Some European countries have other cheap couriers too like MyHermes.

7. Parcels should be sent three weeks ahead of Christmas Day. This is to ensure that everyone gets their gift before Xmas. During the months leading up to Xmas, postage is way slower, and countries far away can take 2-4 weeks to receive your mail.

8. The send date for this secret Santa swap is DECEMBER 1, so please post your parcel on or before this date. Earlier if your country is far away, ideally.

9. I kindly ask everyone involved provide me with a receipt showing proof of postage by December 2. Anyone not providing a receipt by that day will be replaced by a stand-in. That sounds harsh, but it’s super sad if someone misses out on getting their gift, so if you can’t send something, we can arrange for someone to take over and send a second gift to make sure your swapper gets one. PLEASE don’t be embarrassed if you find you can’t send your swap, we all know money is tight! Just be honest and allow time for someone else to take over so your swapper doesn’t miss out.

9. I will start a thread where we can share pictures of our gifts from December 24 and hold a little online fandom Xmas party. Please join the fun and blog a photo in the thread! It’s okay if you open it early, just take some snaps to share on our fandom Xmas party day so your swapper knows you got it! 

10. That’s it, and have fun! This is a lovely thing for our community to do, and we hope lots of you take part!

[missoneminute]

Libs Fandom Secret Santa!

Welcome to the annual Libs fandom Xmas swap! The info is a little more in depth this year, as last year sadly a few people got nothing in return or had issues with postage, so I have made a guide with lots of advise and helpful info to make sure everyone has a fun time! Read on for details!

WANT TO TAKE PART? JUST READ THE BELOW GUIDE THEN PM ME YOUR NAME (ALIAS IS OK) AND EMAIL. 

1. The gift budget this year is 5-10 pounds. You can convert this amount to your local currency with the currency converter here. This swap is about the spirit of giving, and you need not spend a fortune! You can spend more or less than this if you like, it’s up to you, all the gift has to be is thoughtful (and hey a Libs theme always works too haha). It can be something you handmade, a poem, a collage, a vintage postcard, a secondhand item - anything you wish to share that perhaps has that little bit of Arcadian magic! 

2. Keep your gift light in weight if you want to save postage costs. The heavier the gift, the higher the postage will be, and the more it will cost you to send. Keep this in mind for books especially!

3. You will be sending your parcel somewhere across the globe. It could be the same country, the same continent, or waaay over the other side of the world. Postage can be pricey and may cost more than your gift does. Please check the postage costs to the country you get is affordable for you. You can do this by checking your post office or courier’s website, calling them for costs or dropping into the post office. As a general guide, allow around 10 pounds for postage for a small parcel. 

4. Your parcel should be sent by air mail. Sea mail (sometimes called “economy” or “surface” mail, and usually offered as a cheaper option) can take up to three months to arrive internationally and can even take several weeks to travel across Europe. Some post offices will give you the cheapest option and not inform you it’s going by sea/land, so you may want to check before you send. 

5. Tracking on your parcel is great if you can afford it. It’s usually extra so don’t worry if you can’t. Some carriers do it for free so you may want to ask your post provider if tracking is included! 

6. UK members, you can use a courier as they’re much cheaper than Royal Mail and work great. iPostparcels is a good option and you book it all online. Some European countries have other cheap couriers too like MyHermes. 

7. Parcels should be sent one month ahead of Christmas Day. This is to ensure that everyone gets their gift before Xmas. During the months leading to Xmas, postage is way slower, and countries far away can take 2-4 weeks to receive your mail. 

8. The send date for this secret Santa swap is November 25, so please post your parcel on or before this date.

9. I kindly ask everyone involved provide me with a receipt showing proof of postage by November 26. Anyone not providing a receipt by that day will be considered to no longer be taking part. That sounds harsh, but it’s super sad if someone misses out on getting their gift, so if you can’t send something, we can arrange for someone to take over and send a second gift to make sure your swapper gets one. Don’t be embarrassed if you find you can’t send your swap, we all know money is tight! Just be honest and allow time for someone else to take over so your swapper doesn’t miss out. 

9. We are all going to open and share pictures of our gifts on December 25 and hold a little online fandom Xmas party. Please join the fun and blog a photo on that day! It’s okay if you open it early, just take some snaps to share on our fandom Xmas party day so your swapper knows you got it!

10. That’s it, and have fun! This is a lovely thing for our community to do, and we hope lots of you take part!

WANT TO TAKE PART? JUST PM ME YOUR NAME (ALIAS IS OK BUT YOU MAY NEED A REAL NAME FOR POSTAL DELIVERY) AND EMAIL.