I'm wondering if the 'gifts' have a suggested value or number or??? It sounds like people are getting quite a number of items per package but for those of us who have never been involved it is not completely clear. I think if the expectations are clear at the onset there would be no disappointed people nor misunderstandings.
I guess I'm the one to step in here. The expectations are detailed in the rules and procedures that go to the list at the start of each round. The basic idea is a mystery gift each month. It is NOT supposed to be really expensive, but should be interesting, usable, or just fun.
Here is part of the quote that went out:
The gifts are supposed to be tokens of friendship, not expensive items. Favorite things to send are candy, chocolate, tea, bobbins, thread, regional specialties, pin cushions, small pieces of lace or bookmarks, notecards, pictures of yourself and/or your lace projects,etc. Anything you like will probably be liked by your Secret Pal.
If someone pushed me for a value, I would suggest about $10 USD. Remember there's postage added to that. I know some packages go way over that amount, but it is not required. It all started with the idea of a single item -- not a flood of things. Along with the cost of participating, there is also a time commitment. The packages must be prepared each month, and taken somewhere to mail. Over the years, I've gotten the impression that the time commitment was more of a problem than the cost of the items to most of the SP's.
It can be a challenge to find small, lightweight, interesting items that can pack and ship without breaking. When I was a Pal, I had as much fun collecting the things as I did receiving packages.
Happy lacing, Alice in Oregon Secret Pal Coordinator
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