# I want to do a white elephant swap... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 4, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573 "2001-06-04T20:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/1 "2001-06-04T20:55:33Z")
… but I’m too lazy (not to mention too disorganized) to volunteer to actually coordinate this. The idea is, you sign up and are assigned someone else. You pack up some piece of crap you don’t use or need (that coconut-shell lamp; the negligee that’s three sizes too small; the sno-cone machine your kid is tired of) and you pack it up and ship it off as a hilarious surprise to the victim. In the meantime, some other participant on the SDMB was given your name, and they are lovingly packing up that ceramic light-up dolphin sculpture to send your way. This has no purpose except to generate laughs and mail. Maybe I’m just desperate for a package. I’d also like to see what you freaks come up with to inflict on each other–admitting of course that this stuff was at one time in _your_ house. The rules would have to be something like you can’t buy it–it has to be something you have; and it has to work (if it has moving parts, they should move; etc.) Is this too stupid for words? Or do we have any takers? Including someone trustworthy to collect participants and make pairs (and then send out addresses)? ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2001, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/2 "2001-06-04T21:18:35Z")
:: looks around the house that she’s in the midst of cleaning and the pile of Stuff To Get Rid Of :: OH, I’m game! But I don’t really have the time to organize it either. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/3 "2001-06-04T21:34:00Z")
I’m in. I’ll also offer up my services as “Coordinator.” Anyone that wants in, drop me an email at **[thinkSWAP@hotmail.com](mailto:thinkSWAP@hotmail.com)** with your name (and Doper name, for clarity) and an address to trade off with someone, kinda like the _Secret Santa_ thing we did this year (which was an amazing success, I believe.) No need to tell me what you’re going to send, just pass me your add’y and I’ll set things up from there. 'Course, if it’s really good stuff and you want to tell me about it, go right ahead and I’ll make sure you send it to me…uh…to a Doper I think will really appreciate the item, that is 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/4 "2001-06-05T01:13:29Z")
hhhhmmmm, sounds interesting. i’ve got a basement that needs some clearing out. ---
**Author:** ![Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fairy_Princess_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/5 "2001-06-05T01:16:14Z")
Hey I’m game, lots of stuff that my parents are begging me to get rid of _evil smile_ Kitty ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/6 "2001-06-05T01:58:52Z")
Count me in as well, but whatever you do, don’t give me \*\ ***Fairy Princess Kitty**! We live 8 blocks apart. ---
**Author:** ![Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison_s_Lament)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/7 "2001-06-05T04:10:29Z")
So, who wants to be the lucky person to pay the postage to China? Hello? _silence_ ☹ — G. Raven ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/8 "2001-06-05T13:03:14Z")
OK, I’m in. This could be fun! Do we tell who we are when we send it, or what we got, or who we got it from, or anything like that? ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/9 "2001-06-05T13:18:53Z")
Have I told the board lately how much I love thinksnow? Looks, sense of humor, marine corp background and a generous spirit of voluntarism too. ralfcoder, that’s a big “hell yes.” While I don’t think you’d wish to post your item before the recipient got it, I think the best part of this while business would be people posting what they got after the fact. It might be helpful of the sender would enclose a wee note describing where they acquired the lovely item themselves. I don’t think this needs to be “secret” (I mean, you don’t have to leave off any identifying information on the package to leave the lucky donee wondering). ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/10 "2001-06-05T13:28:01Z")
Thanks, Cranky! ::Ralf goes off to the basement, gleefully turning over boxes of junk, looking for fun stuff to mail off:: ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/11 "2001-06-05T13:37:25Z")
I have some interesting junk–er, I mean things–to pass on! Email coming your way, thinksnow. (I don’t care if I have to pay postage to China, I’ll just pick something really light!) ---
**Author:** ![Bubble\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@Bubble\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bubble_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/12 "2001-06-05T13:39:01Z")
This sounds fun! I have a couple of closets that need to be cleaned out so what the heck. I’m in. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/13 "2001-06-05T14:28:04Z")
Ooh! Count me in! Email coming your way, thinksnow. But you and I live pretty much side by side, too. So if I can have someone else, it’d be greatly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Wicked\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wicked\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wicked_Blue)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/14 "2001-06-05T14:37:49Z")
Oh, this sounds like fun…count me in! **thinks** , email is on it’s way 🙂 Rose ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/15 "2001-06-05T15:22:21Z")
Woo hoo! Free stuff in the mail! What could be better? I’m in. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/16 "2001-06-05T15:32:09Z")
Count me in. E-mail’s on the way. ---
**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/17 "2001-06-05T16:45:51Z")
I’m game. Sending an email. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/18 "2001-06-05T17:08:26Z")
I’ll play. We’ve not been in our house a year yet, and there are still boxes that need to be unpacked - untold treasures lie in wait… ---
**Author:** ![Zappo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b3f665/32.png) [@Zappo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zappo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/19 "2001-06-05T17:17:37Z")
Count me in! I’m sure I can find some piece of cra. . .er, really neat and unique item that somebody on the SDMB would love to have for their own. And my parents will stop yelling about the stuff that I haven’t moved out of their basement yet. Hey, everybody wins! 😃 Yer pal, Zappo ---
**Author:** ![AmericanWarMachine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e495f1/32.png) [@AmericanWarMachine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanWarMachine)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573/20 "2001-06-05T17:32:05Z")
Email sent! Awsome idea. (muuuuhaaaahhaaaahaaaaa) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-do-a-white-elephant-swap/67573.md?page=2)