FORUM EVENT: "I-MOCKERY'S 2010 SECRET SANTA EVENT!"
 

YO HO HO HO! WELCOME TO...

OFFICIAL SIGN UP THREAD

It's Christmas time again and that means one thing: reindeer burgers for everyone! Along with that, it's also time for I-Mockery's annual Christmas Secret Santa event! Every year, registered users from the forum community come together to share in the holiday commercialism by buying and sending each other gifts that range from hilarious to just plain awesome. It's tradition, so whether you're a new member or an old one, if you think you wanna join in the fun, be sure to reply to this thread. 10,000 Volt Ghost is running the event this year, so be sure to read the important rules he's posted below:

How it works:

You sign up in this thread by stating that you want to join. The last day to sign up is November 24th. Send 10,000 Volt Ghost a private message with your full mailing address, real name and your forum name/alias. On November 25th, you will receive a PM with the name and address of the person you will be sending your gift to. At this point, you send out your gift before December 5th and get ready to receive a gift of your own! Upon receiving your gift, you must post pictures in this thread to show everyone what you got! It’s not mandatory, but many participants in the past have made a little story out of enjoying their gift(s), so do that if you wanna have extra fun! But at the very least, you need to post photos of what you received. Everyone needs to get pictures of the gifts they received posted by December 22nd.

Everyone has plenty of time to do all of that, so do it!

Special note for those of you who live outside of North America:

You’re more than welcome to participate, but pay special attention to the “how people will be split up” section below.

Rules and Guidelines:
This whole thing is for fun, but there has to be some assurance that everyone will keep up their end of the bargain, so failure to follow the rules and instructions will result in a permanent ban from the forums. Plus, we know Santa pretty well, and he’s assured us that messing up in any way will result in a nice big chunk of coal being rammed up your rectum! :D

Here are some general rules and guidelines everybody should follow:

• Spend somewhere between 15-25 bucks (USD) on your gift. This amount does NOT include shipping costs. No one likes a cheapskate, so if this is too much money for you, get a job and join next year instead! Don’t go overboard and get something expensive, but don’t cheap out either. If you want to spend more than 25 bucks, you can, but please understand that you most likely won't receive something of equal monetary value. Then again, that's not what this is all about, so that shouldn't matter to you anyway, Scrooge!
• Obey all deadlines. Screwing someone over, especially at Christmas, is a guaranteed ticket to hell! Let’s see if an eternity of torture will help you be punctual!
• Before signing up, make sure you have a working camera. If you can’t upload pictures to your computer directly, there are other options such as getting your film developed and put on a CD. Uploading pictures of your gifts is just as important to our Secret Santa event as sending some gifts out is. Remember, if you don't have a camera of your own, your cellphone probably has a working camera and/or you can also buy disposable digital cameras too.
• MAKE SURE YOUR ADDRESS IS UP TO DATE AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANY TROUBLE RECEIVING PACKAGES! It’s not hard to find your current address, so don’t fuck it up!
• Don’t be cheap and make something. If you have to do that, keep the minimum spending amount in mind and please consider sending other purchased stuff along with your creation as well. It's fine to make something in addition to purchasing gifts for your recipient, just try not to only make stuff as it's hard to put a monetary value on that sort of thing
• Your mailing address CANNOT be a P.O. Box. No gifts will be sent to P.O. boxes nor will anyone with a P.O box as a mailing address be allowed to participate in the Secret Santa event.
• Again If you fail to uphold your end of the deal, you will be permanently banned from the forums. So please, don't be a dick. We want this event to be fun for everybody.
• YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PURCHASE GIFTS FROM DOLLAR STORES. We've had too many people get screwed over by cheap gifts at 99cent / dollar general stores, so please do not purchase gifts from them.

IF YOU’RE A NEW MEMBER(Registered AND active less than a year)

In an effort to cut down on people who might sign-up just to get free shit, new users need to take the following steps to be eligible to join in the fun:

1. Provide a picture of themselves holding up a hand-written sign that says both "I-MOCKERY SECRET SANTA 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" along with their message forum name/name in plain view.

2. Post this picture in this thread for all to see.

3. PM 10,000 Volt Ghost, informing him that you are a new member who wants to participate in the secret Santa event. He will then send you a letter with a mailing address.

4. Send a test letter to the mailing address that you were provided with by 10,000 Volt Ghost. The letter needs to include your full name, return mailing address and your name here on the I-Mockery forums.

5. To ensure that you’re eligible to participate, do all of that as quickly as possible!

These steps are necessary to verify that you have a working camera and the motivation to get your ass to a post office.

DEADLINES!!!!

-The last day to SIGN UP is November 24th, TWO WEEKS FROM TOMORROW (watch this thread because if we have an uneven number, we might accept more)

-The last day for SENDING your gifts out is December 5th

-The last day for POSTING PICTURES of the gifts you receive is December 22nd

MAILING YOUR PACKAGE:

-You MUST send out your gifts by priority or express shipping methods to ensure that everyone receives their gifts in a timely fashion. Someone will be doing this for you, so please do it for someone else.

-You MUST purchase a tracking number for your package so that you can keep track of it if there are any delays.

-Do NOT send a PM or email to the person who you are sending a gift to in an attempt to let them know that you're their Secret Santa. It's called "Secret" Santa for a reason, people. Half of the fun is people being surprised when they learn who their Secret Santa is!

RECEIVING YOUR PACKAGE:

-Post pictures of all the gifts you receive no later than December 22nd. If you want to be funny with it and make a video or pictorial story or something, that’s great, but just make sure you post it all by the 22nd.

-Take pictures of ALL of your gifts. Half of the fun of this event is seeing recipients enjoying their gifts.

-If you don’t have your package and it’s getting close to the deadline for postings pictures, send a PM to 10,000 Volt Ghost so he can see what the delay is.

HOW PEOPLE WILL BE SPLIT UP:

Everyone who participates will be paired randomly with someone to send their gift to, but if certain conditions are met, some switches might have to be made:

Because this event attracts people from all over the world, special attention will be paid to making sure people won’t have to spend too much on shipping. This doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to get someone from the same country as you, but if there are only a couple participants from your part of the world, it’s a possibility. Either way, we will not tolerate complaints from people who refuse to mail packages outside of their country. If you have a problem with this, you shouldn't sign up because there's always a chance you will have to pay a little extra to ship your package out. This season is about giving, so you shouldn't be picky about little things like shipping fees.

CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS:

Mockery
10,000 Volt Ghost
Ex Leper
Dimnos
Stevetothepast
Pentegarn
Nick
Ozzie
MarioRPG
Stonewar
Dextire
The Leader
ChrisGlass
Harrylime
BatmanJohnson
Blood panther
MLE
Zhukov
Babs
Samfucius
Ali Sabbah
GreenPeaness
PROTOCLOWN
Nekoneko61
Dr Boogie
Replicant





So....just PM your info to me, 10K and I'll get to work.

:xmas3:xmas2:xmas2:xmas1:xmas2:xmas2:xmas3

I'm IN!!!!
And apparently first. I'm sorry I don't have speech prepared

I will also be participating.

I'm in as well! :xmas1
"I'm sorry I don't have speech prepared" is the finest speech I've heard all day, Stonewar. :)

Greatest event every year! :D PM-ed you 10k

Im in if you need an extra or feel free to drop me if you have an odd number of people. Bla bla bla...

I would like to participate.

Rog has mentioned it to me, so I have to do this. Well, I've been around over a year, but didn't participate last year because I felt like I'd be taking advantage of the community.

Good lord, yes, I've been eagerly anticipating this since September. I am so in.

Wow, Chris... now that's a face anybody would be lucky to send a gift to or receive a gift from.

Huzzah! I'm in!

Entering, PM sent. And with no (name not mentioned) giving his crappy gifts, making his crappy comments, or being crappy in general means this will be a happy happy event

I'm in!

I will do it again.

wanted to do it last year but was a little too poor. make up for lost time! I'm in!

lol a lot of dudes i hadn't seen before i would join but i live here in mexico and can't ensure the timely delivery

Nice job on that photo, Chris! :xmas1
I like how you added all the extra exclamation points.

yeah, about that....

I'm sort of a "lurker"....but some of you may remember me from my halloween contest entries. runner up of the "turn your own damn groceries into halloween jack-o-lanerns contest" as well as one of the winners of the "mega man 9 box art poster giveaway" (well, the winner was "BloPant" my guest name, that lead me to make the name I'm currently using.)...still waiting on the results for the "random cheap-ass purchases made during the 2010 halloween season" contest thing.

Darn it. I was so hoping to avoid posting my ugly mug on here, but for the spirit that is xmas, I will so I can participate.

Those weren't extra. He put down 29, so I put down 29.

Zukhov lives in Australia. He was my Santa last year and his gifts came in plenty of time. You shouldn't let being in Mexico stop you

If I join, can I get the other guy that lives in Edmonton?

I'm not serious.

Updated.

Turns out I'm a bit too poor this time around. Next year!

I live in the U.K so I'm not sure if it's too far away from some people...I shall think about this

If I were to get a santa from outside the US and the package were to come a little late I would fully understand. Sometimes Intl packages just take some time. Can't really speak for everyone but I'm sure others would be understanding to. As long as a package did arrive sometime relatively soon. Maybe if you suspect this situation applies to you, you muggy be able to supply a taking number our something. IDK. :\

well....that would save both of us alot on shipping....:lol


anyway here is my picture showing my commitment.

That's not too far away at all. This is open to people anywhere in the world and all the participants know that there's a possibility they'll have to send their gifts out of the country. So yeah, feel free to sign up!

Last year, elsewhere, I shipped to Mexico and they never got it. :-/ I don't have the best luck with international shipments. UK/Russia have been reliable, though.

Alright, I'll sign up, too. Why not?

Count me in.

Alright. I'll save some birthday money to do it this year. Fine. FINE.

I'm in.

I would do it, but I have reservations about handing out my address to you creepy people.

Oh come on ;< I do it, and nothing's happened to me (or anyone else so far)

I was right by you last Friday when I went to Wiley's Comedy Club to see Jimmy Pardo

:stalker :lol

you were south of me, and there are totally stalkers.

:stalkinyourmom
:stalk
:stalk
:stalk
:stalkinyourmom

I am ready to rejoin the ranks of the givers. :) I just hope everyone is ready for the trinkets and whatnots I shall send.

I think we may already have 20+. This may turn out to be pretty nice Secret Santa after all.




GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE.

I'm going to an antique shop near my house today to see if i can find anything cool.

Here I Am!
 

If you can't figure it out, my name is Sam

Edit: I'm not sure if last names are required here, but what the hell. Sam Brazil

Just change 2007 to 2010 if you will on my picture. :) If not I will have to get another picture up tomorrow. :) Might even wear my wrestling gear for it and I know you all would not like that.

Consider it changed :xmas3

You gave it to me, and I've only passed it on to a few people.

Don't worry so much.


:xmas1

I don't think anyone wants trinkets and whatnots. Perhaps you should reconsider if you don't want to put thought into your gifts.

speak for yourself. I'd kill for a "whatnot".

I agree, especially if it's a Muppet "whatnot"

Trinkets are what you pillage after the end of the second Opium Wars, and then bring back and keep in your family for a few generations, before getting them priced on Antiques Roadshow in hope of paying for your new teeth,

I would take expensive trinkets (£500-£600).

I hate knick-knackery

what about paddy whackery?

I am spending money on my gift in addition to spending time. I expect the giver that gets me should at least spend the minimum ;<

Cause that's the rules.

Because no one wants to be the next Microshock.

I have never participated in one of these, nor had I ever followed any of the threads. This Microshock character piqued my interest, so I spent a while checking out his "glorious" history.

I mean good goddamn.

It's almost enough to turn a newbie off to the whole thing. The fact he's not participating is the only thing that kept me from running to the hills and taking my (hopefully) awesome gift ideas with me. Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to this.

Must we discuss that thing? it is over and done. That said! I'm so excited I can't wait!!! This is probably one of my favorite things to do around Christmas.

I only brought it up because some people started making it sound like it was okay to send trinkets. I was just making sure it was clear that it's kinda not, unless the trinkets are just kinda an add-on.

I feel like he was also unappreciative of the fact I got him a 007 movie where roger moore rides a crocodile car. The nerve.

I know! Some people may think it's a appalling but Octopussy is my favorite Bond movie. I was actually a little jealous.

:Highfive Stonewar

People take things too literally around here. :) Trinkets and what nots were just figures of speech as I have no idea what the heck I am going to get. Although now I will have to find some of the above to fullfill people expectations. If I recall I got some candy a swear button a simpsons magnet and maybe some other small things last time I was in this.

Yeah, times change.

If I get MLE the only things that I will send her will be $25 worth of trinkets and knick-knacks, just to spite her.

I hope she likes porcelain cats as much as I do.

Don't forget a few pet rocks

Pet rocks can be awesome, especially if they're from Clines Corners.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEND MLE TRINKETS TO MAKE HER HAPPY, I SENT HER SOME FLOAM PEOPLE ONE YEAR AND I THINK SHE WAS THRILLED TO MAKE A BUTTERFLY MAN.

I must admit I would be thrilled if you sent me Floam People Sam

No pack of Floam is complete without expired gummy snacks. ;)

Gonna update the list todays.

Awesome. We already have more people than we did last year!
I'm trying to avoid buying anything until I know who I'm getting. It's not working. :xmas1

Doooo eeeet :xmas2

It's no biggie, because literally everyone who tries to spell my name does this, but it's Samfucius (or SAMfucius, if you like. I sure do). But seriously, everyone adds the unnecessary O. I even did it when I first thought of the name, but it didn't look right, so I looked up Confucius and learned the correct spelling, which is not at all obvious.

And hey, at least I didn't have to hear you try to say it out loud. When people try to say that during a game over a headset, I always get 'Sam-fush-us' or my personal favorite (which happens a LOT), 'Sam-Fuck-You-I-Us', sometimes shortened to 'Sam-Fuck-Us'.

But it's a pet peeve, and if you could change that, I would be very grateful.

Oh, and 10K Volt Ghost, I was gonna send you some fake mustaches with that letter so we could be gentlemanly together, but they wouldn't fit in the envelope.

I'm on it.

Dextire already mentioned it, but who has already started purchasing their gifts? I have, but just the smaller filler items. The bigger, better main stuff is waiting.

@ Samfucius: Pre-production of my package began October 25th.

@ 10k: How long after the sign-up due-date would you estimate it will take to get our giftee's information (is that the correct pluralization?)

I can tell you it will most likely be the 25th (the day after sign-ups close), Ex Leper.
10k is very on the ball with this thing, and they like to give everyone plenty of time to get things done. :xmas1

I'm glad you guys are as excited as I am to do some serious gift giving! :xmas2

I hope Samfucious gets coal.

You and me both.

I've already started prep-work on my gifts. In fact I started working on it once the official thread began. :xmas3

Coal is just a diamond that's not ripe yet

What was that movie where this guy gets all angry at his wife and he takes some coal then crushes it into a diamond? It might have been Clint Eastwood.

That happened in Baron von Munchausen.

I've never seen that. :(

Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders?

Superman 5

zork - the cavern of doom?

So, how many movies are there where a man gets angry at his wife and squeezes coal into diamonds?

I have to go check my mailbox. Waiting on the letter still. :S

Um.... I'm pretty sure you're supposed to send the letter to 10k Volt Ghost... That's what I did, and it seemed to work.

Officially feels befuddled.

"3. PM 10,000 Volt Ghost, informing him that you are a new member who wants to participate in the secret Santa event. He will then send you a letter with a mailing address.

4. Send a test letter to the mailing address that you were provided with by 10,000 Volt Ghost. The letter needs to include your full name, return mailing address and your name here on the I-Mockery forums."

Ok, it says send you a letter with a mailing address. ..... He said to me.. "I guess just send me your info"... Being how work and dealing with a family member that is having a crisis is making me scatterbrains when I saw the word letter, I think snail mail. So, like a dummy I give him my mailing address vs my e-mail.

Ok, I am totally feel dumb. :S:lol

It's all good. Happens to the best of us.

Edit: That being said, I think you just failed the first trial of the secret santa: understanding everything implicitly the first time with no explanation. You are now banished.

Doubleedit: I just reread what you wrote, and I think you still are a little confused. The idea here is that you pm him with your full name and address, and he pm's you back with his snail mail address. You then send him a snail mail letter to prove you are actually willing to mail things, and that your address is correct. When he gets it, your name goes on the participants list. Hope that helps.

Oh well, this would be my stupid effed up luck and I guess the stuff I have, I can give to one of my friends. *sigh* :\

You still have time to snail mail it, if you want to. If you mail it tomorrow, it should be there on time.

You understood the banishment thing was a joke, right?

If he gives me the address, yeah, I can send him a letter.
I am waiting on him.

Joking? On this forum? :) Yeah, I was just being a righteous sarcastic ham. :yum

I did goof up because I should of sent my e-mail addy not my actually mailing addy and perhaps he was just waiting for me to catch my mistake because he didn't correct me.

Im pretty sure you WILL be banned if you fuck up.

Just waiting on Replicants letter. Everyone else is good.

It's in ze mail!

I so want to join. Quick question though, what counts as a good gift and what counts as knick-knacks?