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Author Topic: Pleasant Surprise 2017  (Read 60829 times)

Offline Darknight

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Pleasant Surprise 2017
« on: October 10, 2016, 11:57:16 AM »
IT'S BACK, BABIES! LET'S DO THIS THING!

Many of you are familiar with this event, some of you might not be. It is a "Secret Santa" type event that has been running for nearly a decade on the forum. Warhammerlord-Soth has done sterling work in organizing it. In a couple of recent events, I helped him out. He and I have PM'd - we hae agreed that I should "take point" on the next Pleasant Surprise, with 'Soth supporting me.

The Pleasant Surprise has, historically, been a source of community, joy and impetus to paint. It is a good thing to have on the forum, I think.

The idea is very simple. Each participant in the Pleasant Surprise exchange gives a "Pleasant Surprise" (generally speaking this is something hobby-related, with a painted miniature or three being the most common ... but sending local candy is also considered appropriate!) to another participant. Giftees are partnered randomly with a recipient - you know who you are making for, but no-one else (especially the recipient!) does!. It is a suprise and a secret. :)

"I think that sounds like tremendous fun, DK," I hear you say via my Emperor-like psychic omniscience*. "How do I get involved and what are the relevant dates etc.?"

Glad you asked. It's super-simple. Follow these instructions if you wish to participate;

i) Reply to this thread saying something like "Hot-diggity, I am interested and I wish to participate! Sign me up, bucko!"
ii) SEND ME A PM containing the following information; your REAL NAME, your full physical mailing address, your email and (if you wish) a telephone number. This makes it easier for me to communicate with people if there are problems. I will treat your information with the utmost care and discretion. I am not going to call you in the middle of the night and ask if your refridgerator is running.
iii) Include in your PM and / or the reply to this thread if there are limitations on where you can ship a Surprise to. It may be that you can only ship within the USA, or to Continental Europe etc. This isn't a problem - just let me know!

When you have done these three simple things (which are really 2 things) you are signed up! Huzzah!

On NOVEMBER 15th or when we reach 50 participants, whichever comes first, I secretly pair each participant to a recipient. You receive the name of your target through PM. Keep it secret, keep it safe! 'Soth and I will have the full exchange list, but no-one else will.

You then should do some research on the person - check out their posts, armies they collect etc. and come up with a Pleasant Surprise for them. Something for their army is generally considered appropriate. Most often, it is painted (and frequently converted) but there are no hard and fast rules on size, extravagence or anything else. Something you would like to receive yourself if you were the receipient is the guideline.

And candy. Candy has become a tradition (do check applicable laws for shipping foodstuffs!)

When you are ready to send (and ONLY when you are ready to send) PM me for his/her adress AND IMMEDIATELY SEND THE SURPRISE ON ITS WAY. Since getting your request for the adress indicates you've done your part, the sending immediately is very important.

The deadline for delivery is July 31st (see note below for WHY I have chosen these dates). If you have not sent by this time, I will start poking you (and there will be a constantly updated list of deliveries and pendings on this thread).

General Warnings, Disclaimers etc.

If you should see someone join who has not delivered to you in the past, please PM me before I make the list.

BE WARNED : There is no way at all for me to make sure everyone gets a mini, short of asking you for money and refunding it when you send the mini. I don't want to do such a thing, because I firmly believe each of you should be capable to live up to his/her promises, and if you don't, I quite frankly think you lose more than you could ever gain by cheating yourself. Unfortunately, it has happened in past events that people, for whatever reason, did not receive anything.

Minis get lost in the mail, people disappear from the forum, etc... Disturbing as that is, the real joy in this event can be found in the giving, rather than the receiving, so if you participate you will most certainly have fun, I can guarantee you that much.Looking forward to a pleasant mini exchange..

List of Participants :

Artobans Ghost
Cannonofdoom
Captain Fearless
Commandant
Darknight
Duinila
fbjorn
Henerius
JAK
King
Kirgan
Novogord
Padre
panama
S.O.F
warhammerlord_soth
Warlord
ZeroTwentythree
Zygmund
CarolineWellwater


Note on dates chosen

Previously, the Surprise has run between Spring and ended in the Fall / Autumn. I wanted to shake that up a bit this time. I thought it might help to have selection and assignment of recipients made before the holidays and delivery before the Summer. Many people get hobby stuff / money for Christmas (and there are often sales towards the end of the year), and so this makes it easier for people to buy miniatures for the surprise. A deadline of the end of July gives seven months to make a miniature (which should be enough time) but also means the exchange is done before Summer (and the distractions of sun, surf, sand etc. hit!)

* This is a lie.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2016, 01:34:14 PM by Darknight »
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Offline Darknight

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2016, 12:12:42 PM »
(For examples of what has been done in previous years, check out these galleries http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php/topic,45747.0.html)
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Quote from: PhillyT
Everyone finds their balance between satisfaction and obsession.

Offline ZeroTwentythree

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2016, 12:39:35 PM »
I'm in!!

Er, hot diggity & stuff.

Offline Cannonofdoom

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2016, 03:25:07 PM »
I'm also in.
CannonofDoom spews his shit at me all the time and I haven't banned him.

Offline Duinila

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2016, 12:26:33 AM »
I'd be up for it~

Offline warhammerlord_soth

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2016, 06:12:59 AM »
I only let you organise it so I could enjoy this without the workload that comes with it....  :engel: :engel: :engel:


That means hot diggity doo toodeloo yahoo in case you didn't get that.
Have one  on Midaski's tab.  :::cheers:::
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Offline King

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2016, 03:18:13 PM »
I am in as well DK...I never missed one pleasant surprise and won't start now :)
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails....

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Offline Warlord

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2016, 11:06:46 AM »
I am in. Hot diggity.
Just dont give me someone who is an excellent painter, because i am not an excellent painter.
Bucko.
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Offline Kirgan

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2016, 06:18:04 PM »
I am in  :engel:
Commission Painting-PM  :)

Offline Henerius

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2016, 12:06:01 AM »
 :ph34r: reluctant...

but I am in  :engel:
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Offline S.O.F

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2016, 05:53:18 PM »
Right so "Hot-diggity, I am interested and I wish to participate! Sign me up, bucko!"
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Offline Novogord

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2016, 06:32:36 AM »
Count me in fella's!
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Offline Darknight

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #12 on: October 21, 2016, 03:25:50 PM »
Just pimping this out there - who wants in?
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Offline fbjorn

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2016, 06:58:06 AM »
Yes !! I'm in.

Offline Warlord

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #14 on: November 07, 2016, 01:27:00 AM »
Come on guys. Lets show the other communities why we are so good!
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Offline Panama

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #15 on: November 07, 2016, 04:25:49 PM »
I am in  :icon_biggrin:

Offline Darknight

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #16 on: November 10, 2016, 12:22:01 PM »
Last few days to get in on this; come on! We've had much larger participation in previous years - where are all the people? :)
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Offline ZeroTwentythree

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #17 on: November 10, 2016, 12:59:05 PM »


A smaller number is OK with me if it means a dedicated list of participants who all complete the Surprises. (Although I do like seeing a lot of great figures getting  posted!) :::cheers:::

Offline Darknight

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #18 on: November 10, 2016, 05:18:46 PM »
Just a reminder; if you haven't sent me your real name and address, please do! I must have these in order to make the match-ups (because some people can only send within their continent etc.)

Also; please let me know if there are restrictions on you sending!

ALSO! Please post in this thread with a link to your plog (if you have one) and / or some description of your army / collection / wargaming interests so people have an idea of what to get you!
« Last Edit: November 10, 2016, 06:00:28 PM by Darknight »
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Quote from: PhillyT
Everyone finds their balance between satisfaction and obsession.

Offline S.O.F

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #19 on: November 11, 2016, 12:59:41 PM »
ALSO! Please post in this thread with a link to your plog (if you have one) and / or some description of your army / collection / wargaming interests so people have an idea of what to get you!

Now where is the fun in that when you could simply write the "Darknight Guide to Stalking a Pleasant Surprise Participant".

But if you insist, here is mine don't mind all the cobwebs and dust.
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Offline Darknight

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #20 on: November 11, 2016, 01:19:20 PM »
ALSO! Please post in this thread with a link to your plog (if you have one) and / or some description of your army / collection / wargaming interests so people have an idea of what to get you!

Now where is the fun in that when you could simply write the "Darknight Guide to Stalking a Pleasant Surprise Participant".

I am actually going to do that for each participant and send a "cheat sheet" to their gifter :)
Completed Projects | History of Ophelia VII

Quote from: PhillyT
Everyone finds their balance between satisfaction and obsession.

Offline Warlord

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #21 on: November 11, 2016, 01:24:02 PM »
Not a bad idea.
Easier for some than others though.
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I hate people who don't paint their armies, hate them with all my guts. Beats me how they value other things over painting, like eating or brushing teeth.

Offline Darknight

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #22 on: November 11, 2016, 01:47:34 PM »
I am the king stalker.
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Quote from: PhillyT
Everyone finds their balance between satisfaction and obsession.

Offline Captain Fearless

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #23 on: November 12, 2016, 06:12:52 PM »
The most pleasant surprise is to find that this noble exchange continues in these dark times. The honourable ways and generous nature displayed by our forebears here inspired me to join this forum some years ago, and it does my heart good to see these values upheld. I will gladly wield brush and scalpel again for such a cause.

In other words...
I'm in.

Offline Padre

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Re: Pleasant Surprise 2017
« Reply #24 on: November 12, 2016, 07:25:05 PM »
I am the king stalker.
You just made me afraid to give you my address!
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