Hobby Swap: Pesky details

[cjsmith]

Okay (she said nervously), maybe I can host this.

Timing: It didn't take much calendar-glancing to push this thing into early December at the earliest. If people are too busy at that time of year we could have it in mid-January. Opinions?

Who gets what: Any ideas on who should decide, or how the decision should be made, on who goes home with what? Suppose I did really bring my cake decorating kit, in which several people expressed interest. Who gets it? First-come-first-served, or whoever pays a monetary asking price as at some swap meets, or whoever's "really" going to do something with it, or whoever has something the original owner wants in trade, or whoever's hands are emptiest? Speaking of that last, suppose I (or anyone) brought only one item, and maybe nobody even wanted it; would it cause hard feelings if I then go home with stuff for four new hobbies?

Comments and flamewars here, and if there's no clear resolution I'll make a poll. :-)

Comments

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

*whimper*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Planning any trips to this area this winter?

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

I doubt it by December, but at some point we might need to come out there with the photo gear. ;-)

musing

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm... we could play that game they do at office christmas parties, where everyone gets a "gift" and then you have a certain number of rounds to either keep it or swap it with others, with rules on how many times it can be taken away, or whatever. That might work to help deal with the most desirable offerings, anyway. And if someone shows up without anything, I'm sure there will be other people who have at least four things to offer, so no worries there either. After the game, all bets are off, and all parties are free to swap with each other or bribe each other, or whatever works!

Re: timing, I'd go with Mid-Jan. I'm much more likely to make it to something then, since we're heading to visit my folks this x-mas season.

Re: musing

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

We're traveling this season too. Mid-Jan has potential.

Re: musing

[ambar.livejournal.com]

I'd come play! (have a bookshelf full of quilt fabric which is otherwise going nowhere --)

Re: musing

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm still very emotionally attached to my quilt fabric, so I'm not quite ready to bring it to a swap. But in my more honest moments I admit that it too is going nowhere.

(mumble quilting party...)

Re: musing

[ambar.livejournal.com]

There's a regular quilting group meeting in Palo Alto which I have sadly not gone to in quite a while (and won't what with working swing). They alternate Tuesday and Saturday nights. The core (when I was going) was solidly geek with a strong Caltech bias. See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/demolitionteam if you're curious.

Re: musing

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ooo, hmm, interesting! Geeky quilters. That sounds pretty darn good. I've sent off a request to join the group.

[jcgbigler.livejournal.com]

Rules... Rules are dangerous things. The only time you really need rules is when participants don't trust a person with authority to be fair, and they need to create a higher authority than the person whom they don't trust. So my general advice would be "If everybody trusts you, you don't need a rule. Any rule you don't need is a liability."

So how to be fair? One of the signs I've posted in my classroom says "Fair means everybody gets what they need, not everybody gets the same."

So I think the one minimal rule that will actually help you avoid conflict is that if people are unable to reach consensus, the giver has final say. Beyond that, if the people directly involved in an exchange find a way to be happy, it's best to stay out of their way.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

The only time you really need rules is when participants don't trust a person with authority to be fair, and they need to create a higher authority than the person whom they don't trust. So my general advice would be "If everybody trusts you, you don't need a rule. Any rule you don't need is a liability."

Ah, but "CJ is in authority" (if that is what is adopted) *is* a "rule" -- or at least as much of a rule as any answer to this question would be. "The giver has final say" is also a rule and a fine one. I'm looking less for a sense of thou-shalts than a consensus or a general setting of expectations, really.

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

what about long-distance participant?! i don't know that me and my yet-to-be-parted-with crafty stuff could swing a trip out there anytime soon.

*pouts*

i'm with you on the fabric. i've been hoarding fabric for ages. i'll part with my acrylic yarn (since i'm replacing it with wool and other fancy stuff), but the fabric is much harder

[dizzdvl.livejournal.com]

We should do a midwestern one!

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

i'd be up for that! i see you're in IL. i'm in Ohio, very nearish to the IN border. gotta find us more midwest people and an agreed-upon location to have it.

but i'm slowly giving things away. i've already pared down quite a bit. i'm down to a tiny bit of acrylic yarn (just whole skeins of my stnadard-issue baby blanket yarn), knitty stuff (all brand-new), stamping/scrapping stuff and sewing stuff. yes, those last two can be pared down, but but but but ... all in due time.

[dizzdvl.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...time to meet people in Indiana!

[dizzdvl.livejournal.com]

I think this is such a cool idea! I know I buy all sorts of stuff with the best intentions of doing them. I had these nifty beads without holes (aka mini pebbly things) that I used to decorate stuff. My co-worker's kid was doing the same thing so I brought them in. He tried to give me money. But the way I see it, that money is gone. I got my enjoyment out of it, and I didn't keep it up for whatever reason. His daughter will love it and that's payment enough. Just seeing the stuff used makes me happy.

I wish there was a way I could go to the party!

I'm in...

[angel-eyz.livejournal.com]

If you end up doing this, definitely count me in! Between my old hobby stuff and my mom's I've got a LOT to contribute...