# The Straight Dope Secret Santa 2004 Exchange! New, with Improvements! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2004, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269 "2004-11-23T14:10:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/281 "2004-12-09T16:50:14Z")
I have to go out of town this weekend, but I’ll get it bought and sent off before next weekend. My donation is going to my local humane society. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/282 "2004-12-09T16:53:35Z")
Whilst I did not participate in the exchange I couldn’t decide which one of you dopers I liked best. I am donating my money to a community emergecy food fund. ---
**Author:** ![Tio\_Gringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Tio\_Gringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tio_Gringo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/283 "2004-12-09T17:06:59Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Whilst I did not participate in the exchange I couldn’t decide which one of you dopers I liked best. I am donating my money to a community emergecy food fund. You did _not_ participate!? This is an outrage! Shirley, I hear by DEMAND (well, respectably suggest) that you IMMEDIATLY submit your address to your fellow Dopers so we may lavish you with chocolate and assorted trinkets. Who will join with me to correct this brazen miscarriage of justice? ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/284 "2004-12-09T17:16:48Z")
International dopers-note this. It is _damn_ annoying. I had an international Secret Santa and when I posted I had to fill out a customs declaration specifying not only the value of the gift,but its EXACT description. Not just ‘small gift’ but a detailed account–eg ‘trinket box’ or ‘2 men’s handkerchiefs’. If you don’t do it at best it will be opened and may arrive late,at worst it won’t be accepted ☹ Grrrrr ---
**Author:** ![Tio\_Gringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Tio\_Gringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tio_Gringo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/285 "2004-12-09T17:35:44Z")
**Iceland\_Blue** , I don’t do much international mailing, but I work for the Postal Service, so I see _lots_ of packages going overseas. Very often, when something is a gift, it says “Gift” on the declaration part of the form (along with the approximate value, of course). Of couse, some window clerks give a new meaning to the word, anal. FWIW, here is the postal site dealing with customs forms: [http://www.usps.com/global/customs.htm](http://www.usps.com/global/customs.htm) I hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/286 "2004-12-09T17:37:20Z")
I’ve found the perfect gift, now just waiting till I have enough money to order it. It’s so cool I’m going to buy myself the same thing next month. ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/287 "2004-12-09T17:39:54Z")
It’d be cool after Christmas to share whatever we received (and if anyone didn’t get theirs,we can publicly name and shame their sender :)) ---
**Author:** ![Kuizelemartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19b73/32.png) [@Kuizelemartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuizelemartz)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/288 "2004-12-09T17:47:51Z")
I was even thinking in the beginning shirley could provide us all with her address so we could send her a HAPPY HOLIDAY sort of card. If we say we might send her gifts, she’ll get all weirded out thinking she’d get like 50 things. I promise I won’t send any real gift, but it would be nice to send a card. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/289 "2004-12-09T19:06:57Z")
Oh, I had to send something internationally too, and the lady said I could put “Secret Santa gift”. Anyway, mine went out today. Since it went to…whoa, almost gave away the location…since it went abroad, they said seven business days. SO that puts us at…wow. December 20th. Here’s hoping it gets there on the 17th, if we’re lucky! ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/290 "2004-12-09T19:11:05Z")
Bought mine for my recipient, going out to the post tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/291 "2004-12-09T19:17:52Z")
So what’s the deal with opening the packages? Do we do it when we recieve it? Do we open them on Christmas? Do we pick a date, and all do it together in a new thread? ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/292 "2004-12-09T19:23:15Z")
Ok I sent my santa gift - but it is heading from the US to Canada. I drove the postman nuts with “I want to be sure there won’t be any problems getting this sent the very first time” and did have to list the contents on the customs form. I hope my giftee is happy when he gets my gift. I thought it was cool. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/293 "2004-12-09T19:24:16Z")
Mine is going to go under the tree when I get it. Waiting till Christmas morning. When my person gets theirs, though, I don’t care if they rip into it like a crazed weasel as soon as the mailman leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/294 "2004-12-09T19:36:17Z")
I was going to do the crazed weasel thing, followed by the “snuffling in the bag like a lost hedgehog”\* thing, but maybe I’ll wait. - Yay! I got to use this phrase! For those of you wondering where I got it, it’s from the thread entitled “What’s your crack?” In IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Kuizelemartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19b73/32.png) [@Kuizelemartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuizelemartz)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/295 "2004-12-09T19:56:59Z")
I’m probably gonna wait until Chirstmas Eve to open mine unless we set up something different. Would be fun to open presents at a certain time, seems like at least a few of us could do this and post while we open. Pretty sure I’m getting only one or two presents this year, so I need to save my secret santa gift for closer to the real day. Ya, I was a bad girl this year. Did ya get your present already **MrFantsyPants**? Anyone else receive their present yet? ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/296 "2004-12-09T21:04:00Z")
I did, although it remains unopened. I just got back from the post office, where I was told I need the recipient’s phone number to send chocolate! Off to look up his email… ---
**Author:** ![Frankenbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c0e974/32.png) [@Frankenbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankenbear)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/297 "2004-12-10T00:14:19Z")
I sent my package a couple of days ago but I forgot to post about it. My giftee should get it next week. I wrapped everything except for a few little items that way he/she can have some of it immediately and put the rest under the tree or open it all as soon as the box arrives. Either way is fine with me. I sent a card too but signed it Secret Santa. I decided to torment my giftee for awhile before confessing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/298 "2004-12-10T00:36:53Z")
> [@Ravenous Lady](#): > > I was even thinking in the beginning shirley could provide us all with her address so we could send her a HAPPY HOLIDAY sort of card. > > If we say we might send her gifts, she’ll get all weirded out thinking she’d get like 50 things. I promise I won’t send any real gift, but it would be nice to send a card. I don’t think I can get any weird than I am. I’ve read weird saturation point. **Ravenous Lady** HAH! If you think I will cave in and supply my address just so I can receive the Canned Vienna Sausage Special, you have another thing coming. 🙂 There are enough cocktail weenies around this place as it is. Oh, and my address is: 147¾ ² Ducks Quack Echo DriveParkway Fancy Pants Trailer Villa Trailer #.01 Dæd Ho®se, AK ¥48765 Elbonia. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/299 "2004-12-10T00:38:03Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > I don’t think I can get any weird than I am. I’ve read weird saturation point. **Reached…reached…** ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269/300 "2004-12-10T02:11:31Z")
I know I have Shirley’s address somewhere _nyaaah nyaah_ Where did I put that paper from the white elephant exchange… Hmmm… this could take a while… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-secret-santa-2004-exchange-new-with-improvements/276269.md?page=16)