/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

Done for the night, I’m sorry, I know everyone is waiting anxiously for their matches. I’ll do tons more tomorrow!

I'm really excited because I'm paired with a sweet lolita! I'm gothic af so looking stuff of another different style is very interesting <3

I got matched with someone in my country! I'm actually really surprised. AND I happen to have a few items that suit her interests, from the brand she likes!

I'm so excited!

Ohhh I got paired with a goth Lolita! I always wear sweet but I love the aesthetic. ACS from Spain do you like chokers? And do you wear headbows at all? I'm so excited to start making this package!!

>>9668321
Oh!! You're K.A. right? I'm >>9668220 !!
And yes to both, omg so excited! I'm already searching for stuff!! (btw your preferences give me hunger! <3)

Now my heart is full of hope and love seeking for great gifts, and full anxiety is not enough / she doesn't like it

AM from California, do you have any allergies?

>>9668392
Yesss thanks for responding! I'm eyeing some pretty items that I hope you will love! Get yourself a nice fluffy donut haha

Thank you so much for organising this for us, santa-chans. You're all stars!

I'm so happy with my match and I'm super excited to spoil her, she's adorable and into a lot of the same things I like!

Y.C. from Indiana, just got matched to you, so excited to buy for you! Out doing some errands right now but when I get home I'm going to email you some extra questions/give some extra info that the last thread made me realize I left out.

>when you wish one of your card matches was a gift match

Are there examples of past year gifts/cards for inspo?

Finally got my matches! So excited to start shopping!
KD from AL, AM from ON, and CH from ON I’m going to do my best to spoil you all!

KS from NZ - wow you're gorgeous! I'm looking forward to shopping for you. Who is your favorite character from Love Live and Sailor Moon? Is there any Korean Skincare/cosmetics that you're allergic to or don't want to receive?
(and yes Homura is best girl, you would actually really suit cosplaying her!)

>>9668480
Ayyy also excited to shop for you!! I love your wardrobe

MS from Mexico, I mailed you some questions! I look forward to getting creative for you. Also found a gift already and I hope you'll like it.

ST from Tx I'm having a hard time finding anything for you. On your form you only out that you want ouji brand and you didn't want taobao or Etsy.

Is there anything else you're interested in? I am not a lolita and have no idea about anything related to jfash

Got all my matches today!! I spend a lot of my free time window shopping online for myself, so it'll be nice to actually buy things for once. All of my matches are great. Not quite sure what I'm going to get my $50+ tier match, I was hoping for someone who would have a nice list of dream dresses and stuff but they didn't really have any of that. Either way, I'm going to do my best to spoil the heck out of all my matches.

MT from Estonia, you and I have such similar tastes!! I can't wait to go buy you stuff. I'm going to Japan a day after shipping ends and that's so gutting cus I know where I could get you tons of amazing stuff you'd adore!

Santa-chans, I'm going to email but I got matched with two giftees when I only signed up for one! I'm happy to ship for both but one may be late because of money issues.

>both your matches are very specific in what they don't like but list no ideas for what they DO like

I really hope I can find something nice! It's actually fun to have a challenge but a little scary nonetheless.

>mfw I was too hesitant to give my measurements, but half of my matches have basically the same measurements as me

If you're shopping for someone who said they were too shy to give their measurements and want clarification, including >>9668526, please email me!

Also thank you so much, I'm glad we have similar taste!

>get matched with adorable sweet
>both have same tastes and way of talking
>same size

how u doin

>>9668463
AMEN.

>>9668463
Same.

>>9668591
Honestly, I'm the same way

JM from QC! Is there a type of tea you prefer?

Just got mine and I'm SO happy with my matches!
Got paired with a Goth lolita AND a Bakura lover, and that's all I could ask for. I'm already preparing everything to send out. Thanks, Santa-chan!

Got matched with a cosplayer and I don’t know jack about cosplay lmao, I wonder if she feels the same about being matched with a lolita

>>9668679
I feel the same, only the other way around, but I have a feeling you aren't my match. I'm kind of wondering how these were chosen

>>9668679
Same thing happened to me. I'm pretty lost when it comes to cosplay

>>9668681
OP says they used matching software. I wish the organizers had double-checked things before sending the match ups out.

>tfw done with all the matching and emails in 4 days
>90 participants
>261 gifts

All the F5 gifs in the last thread made me want to go really fast. Everyone should have their matches! I'm sorry if you're not completely happy. Here's the methodology in order of importance:

>tier
>location
>j-fash preference
>interests
>amount of text written

If you're not completely happy with your match, I apologize, but it was either that or you wouldn't have a match. Try getting in touch with them in the thread or in email or email me if you are extremely unhappy and I'll see what I can do. But I hope most of you are satisfied with your matches. It's /cgl/ not /c/ and /gl/, so it may be due to location preferences or lack of better matches that you didn't get a more fitting match. I also slightly took into account the descriptiveness of your profile and if you had a lacking description I felt it unfair to pair you with someone who tried really hard on their form. I would have mentioned it way before the deadline, but it didn't occur to me until matching began.

Just want to note, there were SO many people who would have been perfect together but because of their location preference they weren't paired.

>>9668586
Thank you for your understanding! I'm letting your matches know now.

>>9668672
I KNEW I PAIRED UP ONE PAIR OF BAKURA LOVERS. Great taste belongs together. Hooray, so glad you like your match!

>>9668737
Either way, people would complain about not liking their matches.

>>9668475
Sorry, missed this question! There is a link to the old thread from last year in our readme and there's also a link to the photo album from last year in the readme!

I've checked past threads to understand more about the card tier, and I have two questions past participants might know the answer:

1. Should I sign the card with a fake name or can I use my real name? I saw a lot of card signed as "anon-chan" and "ID:XXXX" and got curious.

2.For the card tier, should I expect letters (like penpal exchange) or just a signed Christmas card?

Aghh I feel kind of bad now because I got really excited and bought a bunch of gifts for my giftee really quickly that match their aesthetic but then I realized that none of the gifts are under the brands they like.

>>9668774
Participated last year.
1. Whichever you're comfortable with. I got a card signed with their screenname so I could follow them on IG and Twitter.
2. Both are ok. I received all kinds of things last year, from signed cards, to hand-drawn art, holiday letters, and even a small embroidered gift. I think cards are supposed to be pretty casual, so it's up to you how much effort you want to put into it.

Are secondhand items okay as long as they're in good condition?

>>9668779
Don't feel bad, anon. If your giftee is anything like me, I just put my favorite brands because they put out things that consistently match my aesthetic, while other brands may only make something I like once in a while. I'm sure they wouldn't mind!

>>9668782
If you're worried you could ask your giftee!

Heya M.T from Estonia, J.M from CN and E.G from SP. I'll do my best!!

>>9668762
I'd rather have someone who wrote too little than someone who only wants jfash exclusively when I know literally nothing about it
I feel like I'm gonna get crucified like Uncle T

>>9668792
If you have their email maybe ask them for some more specifics? There's nothing wrong with asking! Possibly lurk threads with the types of jfashion they listed down for a better idea?

>>9668794
I've been asking them, but I have no response so far

>>9668663
Hi Anon! Anything you might like (if you like tea), I'm willing to try! But earl grey blends or fruit teas are a safe bet otherwise.

>>9668744
Thank you for working so fast SeagullSanta! You did your best, I'm just amazed at how it managed to be give and get with the same person with no round robins, thanks again for that too!

(As the other Bakura person who wasn't paired with a Bakura person, you're in my thoughts SeagullSanta! Maybe someday they'll release more than tiny impossible to find figures, a keychain, and the Kotobukiya. *cries*)

Got my matches, going shopping this weekend! Super excited as they've both given me a huge list to work with.

LP from Maryland, how do you feel about bootleg merch? It's fine either way, just wondering!

EO from Georgia, I know you like menhera, but could you expand a little on which motifs you like? Pills, knives, etc? What about shibari / bondage themes?
Thank you!

Didn't realize other thread was saging so repost

>not a lolita
>chose a preference for non-lolitas
>got a lolita

Wew I sure hope I don't massively fuck this up since I know literally nothing about what they're talking about.

I got matched with a cosplayer, this may sound dumb, but what do you consider as "cosplay essentials"?
I don't do cosplay, and she lives all the way around the globe, so I have no idea!

>>9668884
Some ideas:
>Sock glue (to hold up thigh highs)
>Wig caps
>Wig pins
>Mini sewing kit and/or first aid kit
>Japanese schoolgirl shoes
>Cheer shorts/dance shorts
>Gift card to Arda Wigs/Epic Cosplay

>>9668888
Thank you so much!! You're a life saver!!!

>>9668881
A lot of girls here are into it at least, so you can ask about things certainly. There's also the stupid questions thread where if you really have absolutely no idea on something generally you can get a thorough answer if for some reason you didn't want to ask here.

If you want an easy place to buy for them, there's Lacemarket - I'd just make an account and if they're hesitant on selling to someone without feedback just shoot them a message. If you're willing to deal with shipping from Japan but still an easy cart system there's Closet Child and Wunderwelt. You can also buy from brands new, Angelic Pretty and Baby the Stars Shine Bright / Alice and the Pirates have US stores (or if you're in Europe pretty sure both are in Paris?) and many others offer an easy english shopping experience on their websites like Innocent World, but generally I would maybe just buy accessories from them depending on the price tier you're participating in. I would say there's some good places on Etsy for accessories but if you don't know about the fashion it's hit or miss and I doubt you want to be Uncle T.

Just like cosplay people helping the clueless at cosplay, we're here to help anon!

>>9668792
All jfashions have how to/beginner blogs

>>9668902
wouldn't it just be easier to have closer matches though?

How do you guys not understand why you didn’t all get perfect matches?

>>9668927
because it seems like the strategy here was to give bad matches to some so that others could have really really good matches. How can you not see that people get jealous when other people get matched with others who have the exact tastes, and they have barely anything in common with theirs?

>>9668930
Getting jealous and petty over a free event thrown by volunteers seems pretty fucking childish to me.

>>9668935
so you're saying if you got a match who you had literally nothing in common with you would be 100% fine and would not be even slightly down or upset about it?
somehow i really doubt that

>>9668925
Who cares? The point of this is to give and receive gifts. There's mostly lolitas on this board, myself included. Don't understand how cosplay and/or other jfashions work? Learn. It's not that hard to do what we expect newfags here to do.

Stop bitching, and enjoy the season.

>>9668936
Correct, because my match and I have zilch in common but I’m still having a blast shopping for her because that’s part of the Christmas spirit, Ebenezer.

>>9668941
what about the shit uncle T went through?

I'm worried that I'll disappoint my match even though they weren't too descriptive with what they wanted. I'll try my best.

>>9668936
There's bound to be a few mismatched anons within tiers, especially when people with specific shipping requests (domestic only) were probably given priority. A lot of us would be happy to help you choose gifts since you might be our Santa. And it sounds like you want to do well so your heart is in the right place.

>>9668946
I don't give a fuck

>>9668961
so you don't care about people raising all hell about bad gifts in a free exchange so much that it becomes a part of 4chan history is meh, but people posting about not liking their matches is too much?
that's really weird anon

>>9668936
Yes, because it means I get to do a completely different sort of shopping and it's not about my taste

>>9668679
I'm glad I didn't get a cosplayer

This is only the third..?? Fourth? Year for this, and it’s been passed from organizer to organizer, I’m pretty sure. It’s a learning process and it’s hard when there’s very little knowledge to draw from. We took your feedback from thread 0 and used that to make this survey and prioritizing the shipping preferences seemed like the right call. But perhaps next year it shouldn’t be.

I’m sorry you’re unhappy and if there are enough of you guys who are this crazy unhappy and want to band together maybe we can rematch or work something out. You’re spending money, and I understand that you don’t want to just throw it away and get something your match wouldn’t like. My hope is that a lot of these issues can be solved by talking to your matches and posting here, but I’m willing to do what I can if there’s any suggestions.

>tfw I know exactly what to make my match
I really hope he ends up liking it. I'm going to feel so terrible if its the wrong kind of gothic for him and he didn't include his email to ask

>tfw know about lolita AND cosplay AND other jfashions
I'm the winner

>>9669010
Thank you so much for handling everything! I do think people are overreacting a bit. You guys had a lot of criteria to match people up by so of course not everyone is going to get a perfect match! If I could suggest one thing for the future - it might be doing something like what the White Day organizers did and sending out a confirmation email to the people who signed up with the contents of their app to double check addresses/what they submitted before pairing people off.

>>9668993
what do cosplayers even ask for, anyways? I'm a cosplayer but I just listed fandom stuff. Do people really ask for materials, wigs, parts of their costumes? I'd be scared to give faith like that to someone else to get something at the right quality.

>>9668586
I'm probably one of your matches then! I really hope it works out for you! I already ordered some things for you, so I hope you'll like my ideas. I'm really looking forward to this secret santa, it's my first to participate, haha!

>>9669010
Santa Anon, I’m extremely grateful for your hard work, and please don’t worry so much about the people complaining, I got some people I have nothing in common except the continent, and I’m so excited for buying stuff for them, also I’m quite nervous as I’m learning about their hobby so I can send them something they would love.
Everything will work out in the end.

>>9668884
If they craft themselves, you could think about small pieces of foam or worbla. Oh or a resin kit, molds to make gems in.maybe a pattern they might enjoy.
I dont know if they live in the US or in Europe, but for Europe you could check out coscraft .co .uk and mycostumes .de
Those are both located here and you might even get some inspiration on their websites.

>>9668806
dang, wish I got you for my match :c Bakura isn't my husbando (Kaiba is), but I've seen more than one style keychain around, have a contact in japan who just collects/sells yugioh character goods, and I also know some cute shit that my bakura-cosplaying friend has shown me/made himself. RIP solo-bakura-anon ;;;;;

>>9668884
ask if there's a character on their upcoming list, and get them a wig from cyperous. Best wigs I've ever used, bar none. I know a lot of cosplayers here don't bother to try anything they aren't used to already, but hoo qurl, they're goddamn blessings. Don't know if they've got gift cards, however.

>>9668947
Just ask on the thread anon. Lots of gulls are checking in case their match needs more info.

>>9669163
Sounds like I should try it out sometimes. Do keep in mind to tell them where you bought a certain wig due to some maybe preferring to get a second one for styling etc. (Putting extra wefts in for thickness as the wig might be too thin otherwise. )

RW from Ireland, I sent you few questions via email. Just in case you don't keep an eye on it!

My match sent me a link to their wardrobe post, I wish I had done that. I'm worried that my matches won't know what to get me since I didn't fill out the description really well.

I keep stumbling into gifts for my lolita santa and it seems like I'm going to be sending a box of things that tick the interest lists instead of a big piece. At first I thought about buying a skirt but I was worried about sizing and style so I've taken a safe route.

How is everyone else doing with their shopping?

>>9669171
I also don't have a wishlist or a wardrobe list... I hope the info I did give will be enough for my santa. If not, I hope they won't be too shy to contact me.

Hi, I'm E.T from Spain. If I am matched with you just know that all the brand links are just for reference, to see my style, is not my wish list.

KM from NV here! I tried to add a lot of things to my wishlist but if you have any questions regarding my style feel free to ask! IH from CT I'm excited to be matched with you again! SC from NZ and SH from AU I've matched with you as well and I'm excited to explore your different styles and shop for you!

>>9668806
Anon I want to personally send you a Bakura-filled gift box, I hope your match does.

>>9669246
My match seems to mostly want a lot of items that meet or exceed the price tier on their own so I'm trying to figure out exactly what to do. Ofc that's their actual year-round wishlist so I'm sure they aren't expecting me to go for any of it in our tier. I wanted to send a lot of small things, maybe I'll go for one nice wishlist item and then a bunch of "these are relevant to your interests" cheaper items.

>>9668561
Maybe just ask about their dream dress/items because that'd be dope, even if you just got them something similar/related

My mathes are both into larme and I dunno anything about it. I looked for larme brands and they're way more expensive than I could affort (around 80 dollars per item? i don't want to send just one blouse as a gift). So what do you larme girls think about items from ali/tao or axes femme (something from closet child)?

JR from UK, I'm your card tier match. Do you have any animals you like? I would love to involve it in my plans.

>>9669351
I'm a lolita so not your match, but I think buying secondhand from mercari or fril with a shopping service is your best bet.

>>9669351
I would ask if they are ok with used. CC or mbok, WW, yjapan would all be good options.

>>9669351
Honey Cinnamon, Ank Rouge, mon lily, Bubbles, one spo and ehyphen bonbon either have affordable larme items or are usually sold for less secondhand (2000~4000JPY per top ot skirt for example). I would ask your matches whether they would mind secondhand brand if you're savvy with fril and mercari.

However ali/taobao items are definitely widely accepted and used too. You could grab larme items off there or just buy smaller items from a brand.

>>9668737
I’m going to look into possibly letting people who got doubles trade their card matches through the organizers.

Would love to see some stats and graphs from this year, 90 participants sounds like a lot. Also curious as to how many people picked same country/continent because it sounds like it really limited matches like it has in the past.

>>9668881
If it makes you feel better the vast majority were Lolitas. See Seagull Santa’s methodology for pairing- the other cosplayers that matched you well may have been out of your country.

You don’t have to buy them something Lolita anyway, especially if they like random things like anime merch or tea.

I’m in a few exchanges and I’d be happy to just get a bag of massive amounts of cute stickers and knick knacks. If you really have NO IDEA but still want to do a lolita item, email me. I love helping with this kind of thing

>>9669159
>another kaibafag

Excellent.

I’m not really on the husbando train but he was my childhood crush next to Spider Man (not the movie one though. Icky)

>>9669388
The issue is the damn Americans, haha. A good chunk said no international shipping, even for cards, and that really limited things when it came to matching.

>>9669388
What kind of data would you like? Seagull Santa did the heaviest of the lifting so I’m happy to do auxiliary work. I’m thinking cosplay/lolita split, top husbando, most popular anime/brand/color, percent similarity between matches based on certain rules (no out of country, etc)

Notably USA anons were the majority in not shipping out of their nation, unlike some which don’t often have that luxury. I think is fair, because hell who doesn’t like to save a buck on shipping, but you’re missing out on the cultural exchange.

>>9669394
Shipping from the us internationally isn't as simple as shipping inside the eu.

>>9669394
Participants by country, and then country + category (lolita, J-fashion or cosplay) and country + price tiers. The 2016 one showing these plus different styles mentioned was really great.

Most popular characters, brands, colours and percent similarity would be super interesting too if that's doable! This is just for my curiosity though so no pressure to go hard.

>>9669397
True and fair, but we had matches from Japan to Israel so even EU isn’t safe from the mail monsters.

>true and fair
Sounding like Chris chan up in here

>>9669381
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8KJtv5OdTpkOq3jfyfc0WUjPk2gT82fPcZlrDnT6kq0F5nA/viewform?usp=sf_link

A form for those that have a card match identical to a gift match. If you submit your information here, due Monday at 11:59 Central Standard Time, then you’ll have a rematch by the following Friday.

Never fear- if you don’t use the form, your matches are confirmed and you can shop away. All non card matches are also final, for everyone. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email me. I am happy to help you get in touch with your match or help you find gift ideas.

>>9669305
Actually regarding tea! Do you like Japanese and Chinese teas at all (not the stuff that's a bit of an acquired taste, like Puer) but like nice Oolong or lighter teas like Sencha?

I had to google one of my card tiers likes and ??? Why do they find a Lolita sexual harasser dreamy?

I’m happy with my other matches but that one worries me.

>>9669394
>>9669397
Yeah honestly even to send a small padded envelope internationally is $25 from the US. The size box I'm planning to use would cost me $60-$80 to send out of country, which is literally more than the gifts inside will cost. It's really just not worth it to go international from the US. Even to Canada or Mexico are the same prices.

>>9669519
It's a meme/ironic joke, going so far that bodyline once teased offering a Mr Yan body pillow (maybe unironically though). If you search for 'Mr Yan so dreamy' you'll get a thousand results.

Or she just likes pedos

>>9669535
>teased
They sold a number of them, until they sold out, and inevitably never got restocked, just like the rest of Bodyline.

>>9669532
And getting closer to the holidays will just push the international shipping cost even higher. I would love an international match but the shipping would be more or equal to what I’d be sending :(

>>9669532
I'm sad because my country's postal service has a great forwarding service in Europe and the US but I feel like it would be weird to use. Even if I made it obvious that it was a forwarding service I would have to put 'can receive parcels from all of these countries' on the form and it would raise a lot of eyebrows....

>>9669535
It’s a male? I think. Good to know it’s a meme though, that helps. They like memes.

>>9669532
I was last year accidentally matched with someone in the other side of the world and my country's shipping is expensive crap despite being in EU. Shipping ended up costing me 50€ which hurt a bit but I was happy afterall even though I would have wanted to spend that money towards the gift. It was super fun to gift that far away though and I received my gift from the same side of the world too so it kinda made it up. If I had better financial situation I would do it again. Btw it was the lowest tier.

>>9669605
>50 EU shipping
God bless you anon

If you’ve got intl shipping, you can also shop to account for that.

If they’re in the 30 dollar tier and really like lolita, maybe send some accessories instead of shoes.

If they’re into anime merch, keychains are easier than scale figures.

>>9669605
You're a god anon. My santa also paid around that amount to send my gift with tracking from Europe and I was so blown away considering I wasn't in the highest tier and her gift was over budget too. I've budgeted this year to return the favour to my giftees because the wait for untracked parcels to arrive is suffering.

Right, proper post, apologies I was a bit short yesterday as I was a bit stressed.

EI from Poland and CO from the Netherlands, I'm your Santa! I said before but I only signed up for 1 gift so I'm really sorry but I might be a bit late sending them out due to budget restrictions! I'm really sorry, I fully intend to have both full gifts out by the deadline and if not then at least a smaller gift or card with the full gift to follow. I really appreciate your patience <3

That said, I'm not that savvy with either of your preferred fashion styles so you'll probably be getting emails soon with various questions, I'm sorry if that's annoying but I want to get you both items you'll like!

I really look forward to buying your gifts <3

>>9669498
I love Chinese and Japanese teas! I prefer teas like genmaicha and white teas but I love trying different ones!

both of my matches are cosplayers in some form, and I'm seriously considering getting them both That One Cookie Tin Grandmas Always Keep Sewing Notions in, among other things.

>match not responding at all

this is gonna be ggrreeeeaaattt

>>9668511
Thank you!! You're super pretty yourself and your wardrobe is goals with so many lovely motifs~ also the information you provided is really helpful and I can't wait to shop for you.
My favourite raibus are Hanayo and Umi, and Haruka and Michiru in Sailor Moon. I don't have any particular skincare allergies, but my skin and lips are pretty dry so no matte lip products would be nice. Feel free to surprise me!

>>9669680
I'm not your match, but I'd love to receive these. They're fairly expensive here in my country.

>>9669690
How many days has it been? It might be their throwaway email.

>>9669680
It would be really cute to send the tin sans cookies, and pack it with their other gift items. Leave a note that references the joke in case they somehow don’t get it.

QW from NY! I've already placed a taobao order with lots of goodies and picked out a cute cutsew I'm hoping you'll like.

Do you have any teas that you like? I also fucking love Gudetama so I'm super excited to be shopping for you!

AD from DE! Do you have any specific tea flavour that you like the most?

Also, are you interested in other countries' history or just USA's?

R.W. from Ireland, E.G. from Spain and R.S. from Finland I'm your card match, I'll hopefully pop a little handmade item in your cards.

R.B. from UK, I'm your gift match, excited to start shopping for you!

>>9669373
Hi anon, not sure if we're direct matches or not? I love cats and ducks (I'm aware that's an odd combo)!

>>9669389
I mean, I live in the US. I find it /really/ hard to imagine that I was matched with a lolita due to location. And they didn't give any non-lolita info.

It's fine, I understand that you guys tried your best. I know it couldn't have been easy. I'm just scared of not being able to measure up since I know lolita is pretty deadset on rules and some sources seem pretty outdated-ish.

To the lolitas in here, is thelolitaguidebook on tumblr a good source? It's the most recent/reputable thing I could find, but I don't know how correct it is.

>>9669680
I don't think I'm your match but I would LOVE this.

>>9669696
dub dub

>>9669799
>dub dub
wat

Hey SA from OH! It's YC from IN. I got your email and read through it all. I just got home so I'm drafting a reply. I just wanted to let you know I'm glad to have a fellow Link fag!

This is a good start ngl. I love it.

Im from the EU and pay 25 euros to ship to the US. No matter what, shipping things to me and then sending it out costs me double if not more, but I think its worth the trouble and Id love to share some Dutch stroopwafels with everyone

>>9669817
Nayrt but 9696

>>9669720
Hey, anon! I love any and all types of tea, but I'm a big fan of Earl Grey the most. Also, I am always open to learning about history from other countries. I mostly enjoy learning about history from Europe and the Middle East. Thanks so much! Also, feel free to email me!

>Request to not receive items from a particular brand.
>Get matched with owner of that brand.

Amazing.

>>9670001
But why is that such an issue... they’re not gonna send you those items?

SH from Australia I’m so excited I got matched with you, just finished buying your gifts I hope you like them, I’ll be sending your package quite early since I’m from the other side of the world and I want you to get it fast.
JM from Australia I’m so nervous on what to gift to you, I have zero idea about cosplay, so I have been investigating I really want to send you something you will love.
MS from Mexico I just placed an order for your gifts too! Hope ther come quickly

>>9670005
It's not an issue, I just thought it was a funny situation.

>>9670001
OUCH but also that's kind of hilarious. I'm going to assume it's a smaller substyle that the brand is known for?

Actually got a cosplay match within my own country. I thought I would be the only one. I've already spent over my bracket but I'm just too excited!

>>9669627
no problem! I'm okay with answering some questions, I can understand, as I figured I wasn't as clear in what I liked as I would like, but that's mostly because of my style change, haha. feel free to send me an email!

>>9669737
it's fairly up to date and correct. lolita has indeed quite some hard rules, but as long as it looks cute and does't look like a cat tried to sew a dress, I think you'll be fine. I can immagine your match will understand if you explain that you don't know a lot about the fashion.

basically:
>try to avoid polyester lace, cotton is (almost) always okay

you can ask me if you need a bit of help

hello, i got my matches and i am excited! i am rematched with someone it was a joy to shop for last year, too.

if you were matched with IH, pls replace any mention of Firefly in the form with Farscape. think "space puppets" not "space confederates." Jim Henson not Joss Whedon. Khal Drogo not River Song. i get names mixed up sometimes.

>>9669013
this might be me. if it goes with black, you will do well! <3

>>9669305
>IH from CT I'm excited to be matched with you again!
YES

were you the one who gifted me pic related? i found their twitter: the shop is Alice Garden ad the piece is called (translated from the kanji) "Emergence"

https://mobile.twitter.com/AliceUsamajo/status/801677063178448896

i was excited to stumble across them and kept meaning to share somewhere that i had located the studio name

>>9668405
(I'm hoping that I'm the only AM from CA, sorry ahead of time if I'm not!) I don't really have allergies, but I get bad headaches from anything that smells really strongly.

>>9670320
My matches are MW from CA and MS from NY. I really love already both of your item descriptions and interests, so I'll be sure to pick out some things by this and next week!

MW - You put the S.E.M. rubber keychain are one of your sample items. Do you already own one, or would like more of one too? I'm on the hunt for more S.E.M. merch too, but wasn't sure if you wanted any duplicates for an itabag or a shrine (not that it'd be the only items either).

MS - I absolutely love your fondness for stationery! I love it as well, so I'll look into some options. Would you particularly like anything in a specific theme or colorway?

My matches are MW from CA and MS from NY. I really love already both of your item descriptions and interests, so I'll be sure to pick out some things by this and next week!

MW - You put the S.E.M. rubber keychain are one of your sample items. Do you already own one, or would like more of one too? I'm on the hunt for more S.E.M. merch too, but wasn't sure if you wanted any duplicates for an itabag or a shrine (not that it'd be the only items either).

MS - I absolutely love your fondness for stationery! I love it as well, so I'll look into some options. Would you particularly like anything in a specific theme or colorway?

>>9668435
Hello again K.A. , I have a question, How do you feel about "kawaii" faces? I've found something but has a (>w<) face on it with some japanese characters.

>>9669275
I believe i matched with you! I dont know much about ouji, but i hope you like what i choose.
>>9669730
I'm EG!!! What are your favourite colors?

Okay, so everyone is using names for their giftees, but I don't know how I should do that and I may have done it wrong in the previous thread.
How do I address my giftee? This is my first year and the FAQ says it should be in the mail, but is it name-based?

>>9669695
Ah perfect thank you! Would you be happy to receive secondhand larme clothes? And would main pieces or other neutral colours (like grey or beige/cream) for larme be okay with you? If not, that's okay too!

>>9670362
Hey anon! Don't worry - just use their initials and country initials! So like Sam Smith from, say, Ireland would be SS from Ireland - you only need the name initials really.

>>9670367
Oh lucky. Then I did do it right. They still didn't respond so I wasn't sure if I used the right initials.

to MS from Mexico. I mailed you a few days ago ! I look forward to gifting you, but I need a bit of help.

My match is +12 hours away. Literally the other side of the world.
I'm so excited!

>>9669708
Oh my gosh! thaank you
I really like floral teas, like rose and pretty much anything with lavender. I also love spicy chai varieties.
>my excitement levels are ott right now

SP from CA--I am going to spoil you for sure!! I love your tastes and will do my best to gift you an amazing pack of wonders

DS from PA! I'm really excited to shop for you, and I was wondering what colors you like to use in Gyaru? I'm totally set for your lolita aspects - it seems like we have similar tastes in colors and styles!

>>9670323
Hey there! Yes, I love stationary, I’m a huge fan of pastel rainbows and I think I forgot to mention it but I love Animal Crossing! Thanks so much for reaching out!
Are you AM from Ont.?

Do most people from the card tier just send cards? Or is a small gift expected as well? If a small gift, would it be unreasonable to purchase something small and generic or should I still try to tailor it to each individual?

>>9670660
You can go look at the card tier gifts (or what I’m assuming are the card tier gifts) from last year in the readme. I’m tailoring mine a little and sending small gifts but it’s seriously all up to you! Your minimum obligation as far as the whitelist is concerned is just a card.

>>9670660
Last year I sent things like stickers in mine, but you certainly don't have to.

>>9670351
Hi EG. I love autumn/winter colours, wines, dark greens, browns, navy. I have a soft spot for pastel blues, pinks and lavenders as well.

Do you have any favourite motifs or flowers?

>>9670660
Even if you don’t or can’t give a gift, you could just write or draw something nice. A little story about how great lolita/cosplay is would be cute too.

>>9670660
I'm not purchasing any gifts for card tier, but I'm sending a card and some drawings.

>>9669305
KM from Nevada I think we've been matched as well and I am really excited to start shopping for you too! Do you need a link to my IG or wardrobe post? Also shipping to Australia is really expensive, just letting gulls know in case this is their first time shipping here.

>>9670013
Wow you're so fast anon, I am really looking forward to receiving your gift!

KM from NV and HC from Mexico, you've been paired with a Lolita who wears all three main styles, so I'm really excited to start shopping!

EI from Poland, a couple of questions! How do you feel about red/burgundy colour schemes? And you say you dislike salmon pink, but is baby pink okay? If not, are there any colours you really love?

>>9670193
Hello! Thank you for understanding <3 I know you said you disliked lavender, but if it's used sparingly in a printed item would that still put you off? No problem if so, I just wanted to check!

>>9670773
Oh, and also the same for brown as for lavender! I'll do my best to avoid them, but I've found some things I think you'll like that have them on, so I thought it good to check!

>>9670001
Were you matched together? If you're just buying for them and they weren't matched to send you a gift it should be ok right?

>>9670785
Matches are pairs this year
If you get their name they get yours

>>9670432
Ahhh, are you QW from NY? I'm gonna get you so much Gudetama stuff, I swear!! I saw your reaction image here >>9670431
Do you also like Rilakkuma??

>>9670001
Best thing I've read this week so far. I'll be cackling today. Thanks, anon

>>9670758
I'm so excited!!! Thank you so much!!

EC from CA you mentioned you were interested in patterning and tailoring books, do you own any? I've got a couple personal favorites in mind but I don't want to get you one you already have.

>>9670758
Ah I'm excited!
>>9670746
A link would be appreciated yes!
>>9670301
That was me! I'm happy the mystery was finally solved on what it was.

>>9670363
Yes secondhand clothes are fine, are they alright for you too? Main pieces are fine, as are grey and cream ^^ (would prefer not beige though)

>>9670553
Nope, that's not me.

NS from VA, KS from NZ, and MS from NY - You all mention not wanting snacks, but it tea acceptable?

>>9671064
Tea would be fantastic!

Speaking of matches; AM from Ont., Sq from IL, and AM from CA I have you matched!

>>9671073
Oh sweet! AM here. I have you as a card match. I think I saw above that you like Animal Crossing?

>>9671080
Hey there!
Yes, I absolutely adore AC! I’m so excited to make your card!!

>>9671064
NS here. Tea is fine aside from green tea and chai tea!

>>9670841
yes I am!! whoa, I didn't know I would be my match's match...if that makes sense lol that is even better! Rilakkuma is a cutie but my loves are Winnie the Pooh and Gudetama!
so excited to shop around for you, especially for jewelry at some of my local antique shops

Got my matches!

LT from AZ and EM from the UK, I'm shopping for you now. Your styles are super similar to mine so I'm having so much fun! Thanks for being super detailed with your wishlists. I hope you will like what I get for you!

Just a reminder—once you get your gifts you are expected to post pics to the thread along with your match #. If you don’t you will not be whitelisted for next year. It’s part of the spirit of the event and it’s important you show appreciation for your santa.

And when you send stuff, you have to shoot the organizers an email so we can mark you off!

There are a few of you who will be getting items SOON, so don’t be shy and post those pictures!

>>9671060
No worries! I'll stay away from beige~and yes secondhand clothes are fine with me.

>>9668566
Holy shit! Can't wait!!!!
>>9668790
Thank you!!

>>9669730
Yes, we are a direct (card) match! Ducks and cats are cute both so not a odd combo at all! I hope I will be able to ship soon.

>>9671064
KS here, I love most teas! (especially green and white teas) If you're an international santa there's a small chance customs will want to open the parcel up, but I'm willing to take the risk lol.

I'm currently in japan shopping for my santa, I'm one item from completion! It's been incredibly interesting to shop for a lolita but I hope that I've picked well!

>>9671468
you sound awesome anon! I'm sure your giftee will appreciate everything

Ho ho ho, it's me, santachan, bringing the gift of preliminary graphs!

>https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UfksnhNQLUMwkCLec4QWjpuD3nkR5CKlzUTy8AXCTcc/edit?usp=sharing

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm working on more chart/graph stuff right now but I thought this would be interesting to see. Unsurprisingly, the US dominates, but there's still an impressive spread.

SH from Australia, your gifts will arrive next week to my home country! I will be preparing your package as soon as I can! Are you allergic to nuts? I want to send you some candies from my country but one of them is nut-based, so I want to make sure it's okay
JM from Australia, I sent you an e-mail, also, same question about nuts, are you allergic? is it okay if I send you some sweets?
MS from Mexico, part of your gifts will come too!! I will be just waiting for some other stuff to arrive soon too!

>>9671863
SH from Australia here, I am so excited! I feel bad because I haven't started shopping for my matches yet! I'm not allergic to anything so I'm really looking forward to receiving your sweets!

I’m so mad the only Christmasy/holiday-ish wrapping paper I could find was the tacky kind, I apologise in advance to my matches!!

I wanted to send my match a link to my Pinterest board, should I email them directly or do I need to go through Santachan?

>>9671935
Don’t feel bad!!! It’s just that I got a bit carried away, Christmas and gifts exchanges make me so happy!

>>9671616
Awww yeeaaahhh, I love statistical data

>>9671937
Santachan and I would prefer not to be intermediaries unless someone is asking something personal to a match that did not provide their email. Please email them or use their initials and ask in the thread!

>>9671006
Not many if at all, the only books I have on pattern/tailoring is the Vogue sewing book and "Threads Fitting for Every Figure".

I've mainly used google to research whenever and whatever is demanded of my cosplay. But I would very much love to learn about tailoring and how to make sure your clothes are proportioned correctly.

SA of NY, I hope you won’t be too disappointed if I go the causal fash and anime route. I’m make sure to include a variety of items to make up for it.
JJ of CA, I’ll make sure to not get you any duplicate SW or Tangled items. I assume you have everything that’s found in the Disneyland stores so I’ll search online.
KB of TX, I got you. I’m so happy that you listed a ton of stuff. It’s nice to to know I can gift you other things that I know you’ll like just in case my handmade item won’t work out.

>>9672008
Sweet! Thanks for the reply.

>>9672016
KB here. Glad I gave enough info! Oh, I'm excited for whatever handmade thing you're working on, I hope it goes well!

>>9672016
JJ here! I have pretty much all the Rapunzel and Rey stuff that's available at the Disney Store that I want, and most of the Rapunzel stuff from Disneyland. My favorite Rapunzel stuff is from Japan but it's expensive to import so I definitely don't expect it! Also porgs from Star Wars are always good, I'm pretty crazy for them right now! But I'm pretty easygoing and if you get something and it's a duplicate I'm not going to be upset!
Likewise, any specific sewing supplies you're needing or looking to get? Or just some basics that I tend to use a lot that you might get use out of too?

JM from Canada and K from Australia, your main items have arrived at my SS. I just need to find some extra fillers to fill the box with more goodies!

SC from NZ, you have lovely taste. I'm keeping my eye out for pieces I think you'd love, so I'm going to take my time to find the perfect gift for you.

MT from Estonia, would black accessories suit your wardrobe? Or only wine/red?

P.S: I've had some of you gulls in previous gift exchanges, so I'm sending you gulls extra love.

>>9670553
I'm not, but I am another AM! Thanks so much for letting me know! I'll look into a few things then! I usually like trying to put stationery together in a theme or colorway, so I'll do my best!

EM from the UK I'm done shopping for main items for you! Now I just gotta find some cute smaller things and maybe some snacks.

>>9670331
Hey! I'm not that fond to be completely honest, sorry!

SG from Israel - I have your gift ready! I was wondering how you'd like to exchange them (and around when). If it's by mail - should I send it ASAP or wait until it's closer to the holidays? If you'd like to meet to exchange them, please contact me by email!

>>9672294
Whoa that was fast! I'm still working on your gift but I'd be happy to meet in person, sending a Email now.

I just have to let this out, but damn I'm so excited for this! I love surprising my giftees with a bit more expensive things than they signed for and I hope it's not awkward this year due the direct matches - I don't expect them to go over budget at all though! I got a really good idea this year and I really hope my match likes it too. I just can't wait to ship things out and possibly make someone happy.

Also, a big thanks for organizers, if anyone of you is in EU I would like to send something little as a thank you!

>>9672490
USfag here but the sentiment is sweet <3 we couldn’t do this without the generosity of gulls and audience participation.

Don’t worry about going overboard, it’s the spirit of the season and the best response to getting spoiled is to be gracious.

I’m probably gonna go a little ham too, we’ll see. Heck, the 50+ tier has a plus for a reason

>>9672490
you are too pure for this board please keep being a total cutie

LT from Australia - I think we might have talked on Line aaages ago. I just finished shopping for the components of the part of your gift I'm making which I really hope you like. Don't worry, I'm buying the rest just in case I have a DIY fail!

KM from USA - I feel like we might have similar interior decor tastes! I know what I want to get you, but have to find some of the things (and go to a particular place for some of them so that it can be a gift with interesting provenance.)

>>9672254
Got it! Thanks for answering!

>when your giftee isn't responding to any questions on here or by email sent days ago
If I end up getting her things she doesn't like, I'm going to be really sad.

>>9672571
LT here. That sounds about right! I've just reinstalled line after being inactive for almost a year.

Super excited! Wild guess. Are you from nz?

>>9672490
You’re a sweetheart! I am also a USfag, sadly, but I truly appreciate the sentiment. I’m glad you’re having fun!!

>>9672861
Yes!

>>9672496
Santachan, would it not be better to have a $100+ tier? Some of the Santas in the $50+ tier will barely spend over the limit whereas other anons are planning on gifting their matches over a hundred dollars worth of items. Wouldn't it be better to pair people who will mutually want to spoil each other on the higher end of the tier instead of having someone spoil their match with brand/or anything, and then getting a $50 gift in return?

>>9673065
Anon, not everyone is giving big to receive big. I'm not sure about other $50+ anons but I understand that there's a chance that I'm going to receive a gift around $50 in value which considering J-fashion could just be a single item, or a few small items. But that's not the point. I'm more enjoying the opportunity to give someone else a huge/surprising gift that I hope they'll love.

Also, not all the best gifts I've received in the past have been from high tiers. There's room to be creative and have fun in every tier. I particularly enjoy when people include things related to their country/continent.

However a 100+ tier should maybe be considered if there's enough interest and it's restricted to whitelisted people only.

>>9673065
>>9673073

In thread zero, I think I suggested that, and there was a unanimous freak-out that that was too much and no way and what if someone got grinched and no, we should just limit it to 50. So we did.

But I don’t see why we couldn’t do that with ONLY whitelisted anons (meaning those that completed every step this year or were whitelisted from previous years), and not let anyone new into that tier at all. It’s something to consider in the future, I know for a lolita especially $50 goes so crazy fast.

>>9673093
I think if we had consistent organisers and participants year to year then that would be a good thing for next year, but new organisers and the amount of grinching previously I think means it's like...something you can set up once people have been reliable a few times rather than just going for it first time.

>>9673073
with only 90 ppl, I wonder if there's enough interest for $100+

>>9673065
>>9673073

I have two $50+ matches this time, and I’m definitely spending $150+ on them. Honestly, while I am mostly in it just to surprise them and make them happy, I’m kind of hoping they also decide to go big. Partially because I love when other people pick stuff out for me, partially because my family has kind of almost given up on getting presents for each other (everyone is too busy/ doesn’t know what anyone wants/ would rather save money) and partially because it’s so fun to unwrap something big.
The past few years I had some Santas that gave the minimum without feeling cheap, but it was evident it was the minimum. I had one $50+ match that went above and beyond, and I cried when I opened the gift. Not sure if my luck will be the same this year, but if I can make my giftees have the same reaction, I’ll consider it a success no matter what I get.

>>9671616
>>9673093

Would Santachan or Seagull Santa be able to release stats this year on number of gifts, price tier distribution, and number of participants, etc? Kind of curious about the number of $50+ participants after all this talk.
Thanks for all the help by the way, especially having it organized with plenty of time to shop.

>>9673146
It’s a lot of work plus the salt when matches were first given out was really hard to deal with. I definitely spent about 20 hours on just the email portion of it, because I made a grinch spreadsheet also to ensure that part gets done adequately. So I can see why it’s been inconsistent organization year after year.

>>9673166
Santachan is our lovely data gull, so hopefully she will make that into a pretty graph! I can tell you off the top of my head there will be 262..? gifts exchanged, and there are 93 participants.

Match #5282

Thank so much, this Sakura is too cute! I've already put her together and up on my shelf with the other figures I have. I haven't seen this anime before but I'll give it a try and tell you what I think. It seems like something I'd enjoy and it shows up pretty frequently in people's favorites on /a/, so it seems like it'll be good.

Sorry I haven't gotten yours to you yet, but you were so fast. I haven't even finished shopping for you yet.

Thanks again ST in TX.

SH and JM from Australia I just finished shopping for the gift fillers!! I will be sending your gifts tomorrow!!

>>9673166
I'm almost done pulling it together. It takes time because I have to read and extrapolate the info that people give, such as favorite styles etc etc. I'll be nearly done in a few hours!

ME of WA

Your gift is coming together and I'm super excited to send it to you! I have the main part done...I saw it and immediately thought of you!

>>9673793
Thank you

>>9673793
Damn, if I knew it was a multi-hour project I wouldn’t have suggested it, but thank you so much for the efforts. Thank you so much again!

>>9673166
The updated charts are here! They include information on gift tiers, Lolita styles, and general j-fashion and cosplay interests. Let me know if you'd like to see any changes. I can't release the raw spreadsheets because there's personal info on them.

Tomorrow I'll add a few more fun facts.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UfksnhNQLUMwkCLec4QWjpuD3nkR5CKlzUTy8AXCTcc/edit?usp=sharing

AM from ON, I found a big item for you that I think is just perfect, along with some smaller items that I think you will love. Your present is coming along really well, and though I am looking for a few more items for you, I hope that you like what I’ve picked! Also, do you have any pieces from the Angelic Pretty x Disney or BTSSB x Disney collabs?

KD from AL, I also have some items ordered for you, and am still hunting for something big for you! Even though you didn’t specify on your list of colours, would you wear ivory? Also do you prefer skirts or JSKs or OPs?

CH from ON, I also have some items for you coming in the mail, including a brand novelty that I think you’ll enjoy! I still want to find some accessories for you, and thank you so much for including your wardrobe as it makes things super easy!

>so excited for you all to see your gifts hrnrghhhhh

>>9673972
Hi! This is KD. I would prefer white but I'm flexible with different colors, and I have lots of things that work with ivory.

JSK>SK>OP, but it depends on the sleeve length.

I'm still shopping for you!! So exciting.

>>9672626
ACS from Spain I have another question! I want to ask wether or not you have already have items from macaron time on tb? Since you mentioned buying tb things I'm worried you already have these haha

>>9673726
SH here, looking forward to it!!

>>9671024
KM just letting you know that I still have to send you my wardrobe post link, I will get to it tomorrow!

>>9670301

it looks like a winged vagina.

>>9674141
No, I don't have anything from them, thank you!

>>9674149
Of all my matches you are my favourite! Thank you so much for always answering! Hope you like everything!!!

>>9673972
AM here! I'm so excited to see what you're sending. I'm sure i will love it! I actually don't own any Disney collab pieces! (Isn't that sad?)

>>9673967
There were a lot of cosplayers this year!!

>>9674275
That's a weird situation since the case was made in every thread that cosplayers would be a small minority and we shouldn't cater to them, but it looks like it was more popular than most Lolita substyles.

>tfw discovered this too late and can’t participate this year

I’m just gonna lurk in here and enjoy all the secondhand gifting joy, I’m so mad at myself

>>9674303
There's only 19 cosplayers out of 91 participants. Did you mean to say its more popular than a lot of other jfash? The charts are a little confusing since I assume there's a lot of double-dipping between the jfash interests and lolita substyles (being both cosplayer and itabaggers, wearing both classic and sweet.)

>>9674411
Yeah, there is double dipping. Plenty of people listed cosplay.

I’ll throw something in so you can see the total jfash vs cosplay vs other

There were a few people that didn’t even mention cosplay, so I assume it was itabag

>>9674265
Holy shit. I'm an idiot. I DO own one piece: The Minnie/Daisy white skirt.

SH and JM from Australia, I sent your gifts today! and I sent you both an email with the tracking number!

For my card matches, KB from Tx, MW from SF, TG from Ma and NS from Alb Canada, I will be sending your cards soon too!!

>>9672016
SA from NY here, sorry for the late reply, but casual fash and anime is totally fine with me!

>>9674411
>>9674419
Ten people listed cosplay as their only interest. That's quite a few when you think about it, 9%. I think it would be nice to have a "cosplay preference" option, but realistically with odd numbers of cosplayers in a few of the tiers it's going to be hard to match them all in pairs. A couple people had both cosplay and itabag, and about 5 had only itabag.

In total there were 70 lolitas, 21 other. about half of the other had cosplay as an interest, and 4 people had lolita and cosplay.

wonder if my interest in gyaruo was counted under 'boystyle' or 'gyaru'...? hmm...

>>9675276
I threw it under gyaru, boystyle is anyone who mentioned “ouji”, “kodona”, or “EGA”

Implying that boystyle meant as a counterpart to lolita, which to be fair is confusing

For all those people who have started shopping, are you sending out your gifts ASAP or are you going to wait a bit to mail them? What about cards? What would you prefer if you were the recipient?

Part of me wants to get my gifts out as soon as I can, just to see the reactions and have lots of spare time for it to arrive. On the other hand, it’s way more fun to have the present or card arrive closer to Christmas.

>>9676859
I'm probably going to wait till its closer to December, so it gets there not nearly a month from christmas

>>9676859
I just realized I'm going to have different addresses for thanksgiving week and winter holiday. The Uni life got me again.
KD from AL here, let me know when you plan on mailing things out. I'll let you know if you need the other address. I'll shoot an email too.

>>9676859
I'm gonna wait untill all the items are here and then send them the earliest possible. I would hate for my package to get lost in the christmas chaos

>>9676859
I'm HC from Mexico, two of my matches are from Australia and the Mexican Post System is soooo slow, sometimes international packages can take from 1 month to 2 months!! I don't want to risk them not getting their gifts on time, so I payed my SS DHL so the stuff would arrive in less than a week in order to ship everything ASAP!
For my card matched, I am just waiting for some stickers to arrive so I can add those to the envelope.

>>9676859
I'm HC from Mexico, two of my matches are from Australia and the Mexican Post System is soooo slow, sometimes international packages can take from 1 month to 2 months!! I don't want to risk them not getting their gifts on time, I payed my SS DHL so the stuff would arrive in less than a week in order to ship everything ASAP!
For my card matches, I am just waiting for some stickers to arrive.

>>9676859
I'm hoping to send mine out early December so they're not too early and not too late.

Also! QW from NY - I sent you a couple of questions via email. I'm not sure if you've had time to check your throwaway!

Secret Santa 2015 stats

>>9676925
Secret Santa 2016 Stats

>>9676925
>>9676937
What software did they use?
We have two fewer than last year, but LOL at the canadians not wanting to ship international

>>9676983
I got it from last year's Secret Santa thread
https://yuki.la/cgl/9255981#p9256300

>>9670543
Hi!! I like florals(mostly roses, not so much daisies/sunflowers) and mostly wear soft pinks, blues, and white/cream! I don't wear much brown.

>>9676859
I'll probably ship my cards and gifts out late November. It feels weird doing it too early.

>Plan out all of my purchases for my SS by price in a spreadsheet
>Calculate so I'm perfectly in budget
>Go with spreadsheet to store
>Happily buy to just under price cap
>Checking Out
>Did they forget to scan something?
>No
>25% off sale on the brand I'm buying
>!!!!!!!!!!

I am so pumped! This means I can throw in a few more cute things for my SS!

Is it ridiculous of me to be a little bit worried about being grinched this early on?

Context: I've messaged my match a bunch of questions, have already ordered some things for her, and have made it clear via my emails that I'm generally "on it". Her responses have been really half-assed and lackluster (basically I'm emailing her two paragraphs of questions and she responds with a single, five-word sentence).

I'm not going to let this fear alter my shopping or gifting at all, and it does feel silly to be getting worried this early on, but since it's my first year and my match seems really uninterested, it's making me a little sad.

>>9677423
I would be worried if I were you too. I'm a little worried myself but for different reasons.

>>9677423
One of my matches haven’t answered any of my mails nor the questions I have posted here

>>9676859
I will be sending everything asap

>>9676859
I'm shipping domestically, so I'm not sending anything out until around December 10.

>>9677423
If it’s any help, last year I had a recipient who I think is participating this year (I’m pretty sure I saw her initials posted here). Anyways I asked her several questions throughout the months with no reply, and she didn’t even post her gift when it arrived. I thought for sure she was a grinch until I brought it up with my friend who was also doing SS, and she said she was definitely not a grinch received a really nice gift from her. A few days later, I got a package in the mail from her too (turns out we were mutuals) and it was a pretty generous gift. So all in all it was a little weird she was so silent, but everything turned out alright. You might have the same kind of person!

Last year for Christmas, my best gifts were from SS. We do gift cards in my family and at work and my SO and I mutually discuss what we want. So it was nice to get surprises. It was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to this year.

I'm so overwhelmed with work right now that I haven't had a chance to do anything for my matches yet. Just a few minutes of browsing. Hopefully this weekend I can my main purchases done and then I can look for filler.

>>9676983
excel

>>9676859
wait to mail.... the gifts have to arrive first so I can wrap them.

>>9676859
I'm actually travelling to the country my match is from in November - travel planned pre Secret Santa being arranged, so I requested to be matched with someone from there and can ship domestically!

>>9676909
sorry for the late reply! thank you so much!
I'm finding so many nice things for you
can't wait to read your reaction post-holiday

Hey KS from NZ - sorry again, but would you be okay with other colorways of larme main pieces you have? Or similar to your main pieces? And are you okay with checked patterns?

>>9677433
>>9677440
Thank you both for validating my fears. Although I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not!

>>9677640
Thank you for sharing your experience! I hope my match is the same kind of person. I'll try to be more optimistic for now.

>>9677640
>>9677423

But I still think it’s not okay to not be communicative. That’s why we instated the rules that you HAVE to message the organizers and you HAVE to post the gifts you receive, because this is supposed to be a fun, lighthearted experience. It’s not supposed to be worrisome. If someone sends their gift at the end, that’s great, but why should we let someone participate that leaves their match worrying for months?

>>9678119
okay, but it doesn't say that you have to be in constant contact with your match. this is not my style, but please understand that some people are not very social, even online. don't begrudge them for doing the minimum--it's still fun and people still get gifts.

chill your anxiety y'all. It hasn't even been a week since the official day match messages were sent. December is a ways away...

>>9672174
MT from Estonia - Yes, black accessories suit with my wardrobe.

>>9678119
Oh yeah I agree, >>9678146 isn’t me. Personally, I would prefer someone who communicates and who is gracious but gives a smaller gift than a person who says nothing the whole time but gives a large gift. Other anon has a point that the person may not be the type to be constantly gushing, but I think answering questions is pretty reasonable to expect.

>>9678119
Original worrier here, I agree with you. My match IS answering my questions, just very... lackluster.

>>9678146
>it's still fun and people still get gifts.
See though, the thing I'm worried about is my match not putting in any effort and either sending nothing or sending something that doesn't suit my taste, because she isn't clarifying anything with me. I mean it could be a case where I filled out the form so well that she doesn't need any clarification, but I highly doubt it.

>>9678231
Yeah. Like I said, she is answering my questions, thankfully. Just very simple, one word answers. But if she wasn't answering at all, then I'd be really worried.

>>9678247
I think you should have more faith in her. Last year, my match didn't communicate at all, and didn't post in the thread, either. But I got my gift, and she contacted the organizers about me not being a grinch.

I understand that it's very stressful, but some people deal with pretty severe social anxiety; it's not too uncommon, especially on a place like 4chan. My Santa's gift was cute and well thought out in the end.

>>9678255
I think part of my worry is because she's young, too. I know that's judgemental of me (and she's actually only slightly younger than I am) but it makes me concerned that she's gotten in over her head.

>>9678119
I have a question, if any of our matches haven’t answered anything should we tell you via email so you can help us contact them?

>>9678247
>>9678262

People literally got their matches a week ago. Halloween happened in that week. Calm down. There is still a lot of time to get gifts.

AB from WA would you be ok with a piece of lolita that I think is perfect for you but is a bit used? I would send a few other little things with it...but its too cute and I dont wanna pass it up!

>>9672186
Sorry, got busy! Hello, other AM! I wanted to get you some skincare stuff, do you have any allergies or any products you really don’t like?

>>9678283
yes. That or we can help you shop if you are lost on ideas

>>9678231
>>9678247
Keep in mind that this is one of the first years that the option has been given for people to provide their emails. There were a lot of non responders in the SS threads previously but the majority just seemed to not check cgl often rather than being grinches. I'm not saying these are excuses for bad communication but I think some are just not used to having so much communication with their santa, or maybe prefer to be surprised?

ME from Washington, do you wear regular earrings / do you have any metal allergies? I found some cute ones that I think you'll like but they have clip on or regular post options!

Should i be contacting my SS partner? I've started shopping already and haven't reached out to her at all

>>9678944
That would be nice, maybe ask some questions on the thread using their initials and where they are from

>>9678373
Yeah, that's totally fine!

>>9678744
White day had option to give out emails too but only like thirty ppl join or something.

>>9678944
Only if you need extra info about what to give them imo. Of course it's also polite to inform them when you're shipping their gift or when they can expect it but not totally necessary.

>>9678600
Hello! No worries. Any skincare is great! Honestly, I'm completely open to trying anything new and so far I haven't had any issues with any products! I would really appreciate anything!

I bought my SS their main gifts and so now I’m trying to add other things like teas, stationary, and face masks. I really hope they like my gifts, I’m not a lolita but I tried to find stuff in the right brands and colors.

Also question, so my SS is in a country across the globe from me, so I have to worry about customs if I wrap my gifts? My local post office recommends me not wrapping gifts going to another country but I know it’s been done?

>>9679380
They won't usually open it if you write like, "gifts" and if it doesn't have batteries or any other prohibited or suspicious items

JL from the US and AM from Canada I think I’ll be sending your cards out tomorrow! But you can wait to open them until closer to the holidays if you wish, nothing perishable is being sent.

>tfw all the things perfect for my giftee are out of stock or go out of stock in between me seeing them and trying to purchase them
"I'll have fun shopping for you!" has turned into despair.

>>9680478
This so much. A beret I was looking at for my SS went out of stock just two days ago. I have so much regret

I am sending out my gifts at the end of the month. Knowing the shipping service in my country, it'll arrive in 2 weeks max, but I need some time to create some nice stuff and some of the presents have yet to arrive.

>>9670323
Oh hey anon just saw this. For SEM it's just that one set of keychains I'm missing. I can post a pic of my bag if that helps.

>>9670323
Ah SEM-anon here sorry for late reply, just saw this. I'm fine with duplicates as my itabag is very duplicate heavy. I only posted that strap set because it's the only one without their default outfits.

>>9673972
CH here! Very excited! Just ordered some things for you! Same to you for your wardrobe, I've had fun finding things to match

Well fuck I missed the sign up. Can I volunteer to be a back-up santa for someone though?

>>9681583
maybe, email us

santaseagull
frelevene
@gmail

>>9681609
email was sent

New thread: >>9682416