didn't want to jack the secret santa thread

[googlefest1]

could the people who participated say if they recived a long and well varied lists -- i wanted to participate and created a long list but chickend out in the end fearing id get a list of hard to get items - ive read though the secret santa thread and many of the items would have been hard to get for me but if the lists were long and varying making it easy to find items then mabey i wont chicken out next year

where do you find some of those items -- CT must have too many colectors becasue i never find jack - like old demo disks - toys - misc game related items - and ofcourse OLD games

[davepesc]

I didn't participate this year, but in previous years, my lists, and the lists I receive ALWAYS have contained items easily found in the store. Of course, I always include a few items I have been looking for because...you never know. But I would assume the list you got, in addition to that copy of Magicard, would include a newish PC game and a couple GH PS2 games something like that.

[Amy Rose]

Dojosky sent me a long, open ended, well thought out list, with games for about 5 different systems. It was actually a lot easier looking for games for an American than I thought, because he made the process so fun! He even said which systems he had a lot of games for and recommended not to buy for those. He was a dream :)

My main problem was glancing over last year's list again and seeing how much some people got. I was worried about disappointing him, but it turned out okay in the end. It's incredible how much some people recieved both last year and this year.

[s1lence]

I got a huge list and I guess it was helpful in finding exactly what they wanted. I made a very short but broad list (ie Complete Intellivision games) myself knowing that dupes where a possibility. I will say that having to buy for a person in the U.K. the big list made it easy as I then knew NTSC as well as PAL was ok. I'll probably go the route of the big list next year.

[RJ]

Well, this year I received a list that wouldve been around 9 (!!!) pages long had I printed it out on my computer. Much of it was import games I had no intention of tracking down (more on that later), so after greatly editing the list, it came down to 4 pages. I pinpointed those items I had in my collection & other items I had a chance to find/get. I ended up sending a couple items I got rather easily (& once had been in my possession). No one said you have to go overboard in sending your SS pkg, although that is subjective (what may be a lot to someone may be a disappointment to another). I've received a sizeable gift, & got a single game other times, & I'm just happy to have taken part.

My personal list had just 10-12 items on it, but none seemed too hard to find IMO (all US/common items, though I got word my SS needed more ideas/info, which worried me...but I like what I got! :D

Last year, in a haphazard, not very well run (they didnt even do it this year) SS, I got a hard list to shop for, & when I requested more/better info, I got a similar list in return (he even REPEATED some items from the first difficult list!) I visited literally every game store I know in my area searching for something...ANYTHING. I finally found a rather expensive LOOSE cart I sent for lack of finding anything else. (A store clerk told me lots of the items I was looking for were rare/hard to find!)

& what PO'ed me the most was, I never got a proper thank-you. Our SS were never revealed; we just said "thanks" to no one in particular, I guess hoping our SS would see it. I never did. :(

Then afterward there was a big misunderstanding, which made me decide I wouldnt participate again.

[PapaStu]

The list I recieved this year was full of pretty easy to get stuff. I got some of what I gave from ebay, and if I wanted to I could have walked into Best Buy to get most of what was on my list.

The list I sent out was big, however super open ended. I just asked for any game I didnt have for about 5 systems. Leaving it really open to my SS to choose something with out feeling hindered or pressured into getting me some gazillion dollar game.

[Vectorman0]

There is less than jack shit where I live in CT. I know, it sucks big time. I don't know why it is so dry around here, but I too am fed up with it.

[rick weis]

the person i got something for had a list of everything he owned! so all i had to do was figure out what he did not have. he collects for almost every system but he mostly wanted something for NES/vectrex/VB.

i had 2 games that was not on his list (vectrex/VB) and threw in a bunch of NES items and modern game systems demos. everything was from my trade bait. :) only thing that cost me was shipping.

as to my list i sent out, covered about 7-8 systems (some only 1-2 games) while other 5-15 games. and just incase those were too hard, i included hollywood video and starbucks gift cards.

Rick

[Sothy]

I just made a list of systems I collect for. Tried to make it easy to pick things.

If someones gonna be all anal retentive with their list or only collect sealed AES games or some shit dont think they need to play.

Id rather get a smattering of different stuff instead of like just 1 specific game they had to go out and buy. More fun that way even if you get a dupe.

I made out pretty good and I think my dude did too.

[punkoffgirl]

Last year, in a haphazard, not very well run (they didnt even do it this year) SS, I got a hard list to shop for, & when I requested more/better info, I got a similar list in return (he even REPEATED some items from the first difficult list!) I visited literally every game store I know in my area searching for something...ANYTHING. I finally found a rather expensive LOOSE cart I sent for lack of finding anything else. (A store clerk told me lots of the items I was looking for were rare/hard to find!)

& what PO'ed me the most was, I never got a proper thank-you. Our SS were never revealed; we just said "thanks" to no one in particular, I guess hoping our SS would see it. I never did. :(

Then afterward there was a big misunderstanding, which made me decide I wouldnt participate again.

You mean on another site?

[suppafly]

I didnt have any trouble...the list I received had many items available on amazon.com so I bought one item there!

[Aussie2B]

I got a fair sized list with several titles for lots of different systems, most of which were relatively common, so I had no problems at all. I had to do all my shopping through eBay, but that's because I don't have many dupes around, not because it was a hard list.

As for my own list, I think I made it very easy by just linking to a list of all the games I own and saying I'd take any game for the systems I own. Then I narrowed it down by saying I prefer Japanese-developed games and stated my favorite genres so I would hopefully end up with something I'd enjoy playing. And I said what states of complete-ness I prefer my games to be for each platform. That's about it.

[cowmando6]

I live in CT. I dont have much trouble finding ordinary common stuff like Genesis and Nintendo, but even an a stray 2600 cart is hard to find. Hell, I have easier time finding 3DO stuff than Atari stuff. Lots of people I come in contact with that do have an Atari or anything like that always want top dollar for it...so I sometimes pass on stuff I see.

[Rogmeister]

I tried to make my list as detailed as possible and I didn't list (as far as I know) anything in the rare department. That stuff doesn't really interest me much anyway. The list I got wasn't too easy because he mainly wanted one system which I've never collected myself so I had to go out and buy a few things, though I didn't really have much trouble once I got into it.

If you decide not to take part for fear of what you may or may not have to look for, I think you could be missing out on a lot of fun. During this year's exchange, Jaime asked that anyone having problem with their lists let her know and she'd ask whoever you were paired with to supply more (hopefully easier to find) suggestions.

[Goblin]

This year I had a little difficulty finding the right thing, since the list I got was all really obscure asian import stuff where the shipping time and cost was going to be too great. A follow up through Jamie gave me a little more to go on, and in the end I managed to go out and buy something, and then I pulled some other things from my collection. Typically when I write a list I may put some random or harder to find things on it, but then I also make sure to add a few easy things too. The type of things that can be found used in any EB. I tend to add some wording like, "if you get stuck I also collect for x, y, and z" This gives the SS an out in case they don't have the resources that some do.

While it is about giving, it is also about getting too. Don't make your SS's job too difficult that way the hurt feelings when you don't what you want are reduced.

[RJ]

You mean on another site?

Yeah...I shouldve been more clear on that point.

Nothing but good SS experiences here at DP!

[qbertandernie]

my list had every game i dont have for about 12 systems. easy to find, easy to buy.

[googlefest1]

if this site and SS is around next year ill think twice about not participateing - thanks guys for your experiences

i guess my biggest fear was gettiing some member in uzbekizstan or some difficult country (since i was going to say i was available for the foreign exchange program hopeing to also get paired with someone in the UK )

[McBacon]

I don't think I'll ever be able to play, as the whole NTSC/PAL gap is annoying :(

[icbrkr]

I don't think I'll ever be able to play, as the whole NTSC/PAL gap is annoying :(

Not necessarily true :) If you collect for the Jaguar, INTV, Colecovision, SMS, any handhelds, you don't need to worry bout it since it doesn't matter. You could also throw in CD32 stuff since most of it works fine in the US too.