) I figure starting now can't hurt since the retailers keep pushing Christmas earlier and earlier anyway... I'll save that rant for another thread, but for now we'll hit replay on the Santa Edition; it played well last year, so let's do this!For those who might be new to the game and are asking, what is a Priority Box Exchange, well, here's an example from two years ago, and here's last year's. In a nutshell, if you're like most of us you've no doubt collected stuff around the house & garage that you think, "this is pretty cool, but I know I'll never use it," and about which your wife/SO asks you, "Why do you keep that?" Consider this your opportunity to send that cool stuff on to a deserving someone else (provided that stuff will fit into a US Postal Service Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box, so no transmissions, engine blocks, valve heads, etc...)
Because Christmas is less than a month off, when you receive your package, DON'T OPEN IT RIGHT AWAY! KEEP IT SEALED UNTIL DECEMBER 25! Yeah, I know there are plenty of entries on Santa's Naughty List around here, but let's try to be good little boys (girls are welcome to play too!) and save the opening until Christmas, OK? Once you open it, be sure to post a comment to tell us what you got; photos speak volumes!
Here is the schedule...
November 27 (today) -- Registration Opens
December 9 -- Registration Closes <== <== <== <== *** NEW CLOSE DATE ***
December 18 -- Deadline For Mailing Boxes
December 25 -- Open Your Box!
Instructions:
First: Post a reply in this thread stating your willingness to be part of the exchange: send me a PM with your mailing address info, your preferences regarding X-rated content, and whether you're okay with shipping a box overseas. After registration closes on 12/9, I'll shake things up & send you the mailing address of another member who is playing along. I will also update this post with a list of the names of the players as they come in.
WARNING: If you sign um and don't send off a box, you will be outed and publicly shamed! People have been stiffed in past exchanges, and we'd rather avoid that; broken hearts on Christmas Day make Santa sad, so deadbeats need not apply! Last year's Exchange went without a hitch; let's repeat that success this year.
Second: Go to your local post office and pick up a Medium Flat Rate Box (Size: 13 5/8" x 11 7/8" x 3 3/8" or 11" x 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"; if you're the visual type, here's the link to what you need.). The cost to ship the MFRB domestically is $12.65 (a little higher than last year.) Shipping outside the US is a bit higher -- International Rate: $40.95 to Mexico/Canada; $59.95 to Australia, etc... It gets a little pricey to send internationally (FedEx or UPS both have similarly-sized boxes, and they may be less money sending internationally) so we'll play it by ear if anybody from outside the borders of the US signs up.
Third: Fill your box with some of the super-awesomely cool (or geeky or weird or strange) stuff lying around the house or garage that you no longer need. Try to make it something you would want to receive, ie: no junk. Think the Golden Rule.
Some ideas if you need inspiration:Magazines
Tools
Stickers
Posters
Books
Old jewelry
Car/BMW themed items
Toys
... the list could go on and on, but you get the idea.
Fourth: Ship the box. You have until December 17 to pack and ship your box to the person assigned to you. The Priority Mail boxes typically take two days to make it to their destination, but it doesn't hurt to give it some extra time. If anything comes up that prevents you from getting it mailed by then, let me know; we don't want anybody to get stiffed and be sad on Christmas Day.
Fifth: Wait... For your box of goodies to arrive, then wait again until December 25 to open it. It'll be just like Christmas! (oh, wait...) I suppose Christmas Eve would work too, but Christmas Morning is just so tradition, and so character-building!
Also, if the box contains certain, um... items that would be better revealed away from the eyes of spousal units or any juvenile offspring, mark the box as PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL in order to be discrete about it. Nobody needs that kind of surprise.
Ok then... Let's do this. Who's in?
Day 1 Update: 20 contestants on my list. Duke & Bob are in on the game, so I think I'll move the registration deadline up a little bit; the remote outposts will require a little more time & planning. Any others outside the continental US are more than welcome! See above for the new deadline.
Here's who is playing.
davintosh
Mike in Seattle
Duke
Brian in TN
Rich in Tupelo
oldskool
mooseheadm5
RoyW
slammin_e28
genzox
smitty
dland
Mab1957
Cactus
PhillyM5
CharleyDog
m4ximusprim3
cek
Devinder
lv600
south26
wkohler
slack
ahab
cvillebimmer
LandCruzer94
tsmall07
travisj
1st 5er
mkoepp
Spinedocab
ldsbeaker
geordi
Rather than me messing around with sending PMs to everyone, how about if each of you just PM me with your mailing address info, whether you're open to overseas shipping, and whether you're game for X-rated content or would like to keep it in the PG-13 realm.
