hoya Co-op anyone?

Just browsing through DG postings (my fav late night hobby..) I saw a tropicals coop posting...I have never been involved in a coop before, but the idea seems pretty neat if you can get some unusual plants...I think I may be considered a vendor here on DG (though very small scale & I certainly have nothing to provide for a coop, but maybe an exchange of sorts?) so I could not set it up from what i undertand of the rules, but I was wondering if anyone else may be interested, or maybe in some type of swap - anyone done this before? I suppose it maybe a horrible time of year as well, but i thought i may see if i could spark some interest!

Abbie







Late on the bandwagon - my new shooting star hoya!

Hi Abbie...we did a SWAP in the summer....and we have another one planned for next summer. Great Idea of yours....and we have lots of fun doing it!!! Stay tuned...

Carol

Guess I am too much of a newbie ;) thanks for clueing me in, i will eagerly await!

I've never participated in a swap and think I might have just missed out on the last one. Could someone explain to me how it works?

I have an idea of what goes on but am not 100% sure since as I said i've never been involved in one.

What are the rules,how does it get started ,do you pick names ,etc... Someone please fill me in here!!!!! =^..^=


dmichael

Well in a perfect world we would all meet in Las Vegas for a two week vacation. Sit around the pool tan by day and gamble by night. Then one night we would get together and draw names, and then head back to the 21 table.

But in reality...... One person has drawn names for everyone to exchange with, there is no limit to what you send or a specific hoya that you send, it is what ever you have. You can of course throw anything in the box extra that you want, wind chime, M&M's, or something that you know that person likes. It is a hoya exchange though so you HAVE to have hoya's to exchange. Box them up, send them out. Ta Da... I believe Mark offered to draw names for every one who wants to participate next year.

Hey Tami all of us don't need to sit by the pool and tan:-), the rest of the trip sounds awesome though!!

Blessings,
Awanda

See!! I was totally confused.

I think I might have been thinking about a round robin. Something else i've never participated in.

Isnt that were someone packs a box of whatever type plant it might be and then it gets sent around to different people. Each person takes out as many as they want and in turn puts an equal amount back in but cant put in a duplicate of something that is already in the box?

And if i'm correct in how I think a round robin works,is there one for hoyas?

dmichael

What happens if you don't have a different hoya?

I dont know! I'm just trying to understand if this is in fact how a round robin operates.

It all sounds like fun to me, but wouldn't that be a lot of traveling and repackaging for some poor plants in the package that get skipped?!

Is it tough to make sure everyone gets something they don't have? I have some pretty neat plants I could put in, but I have quite a few and I sure would be dissapointed to get something I already had, this makes that same box idea appealing!

You know those Christmas Parties - some families do it - where you put in your name and someone picks it and they give you the Prezzie? Well...We all 'sign up' to participate in the Swap...well, most of us do. The the 'Hoya Hunk' (this next time - last year it was a Hoya Honey) picks the names randomly from a shoe or a hat or a computer - waddevah - and we are all sent who to send hoyas to. It got a bit complicated last time because some people won't ship to Sweden, others won't ship to Canada - this next time I think that if there are any hangups about shipping one just shouldn't participate. Poor Sandy was left holding a number of bags and it wasn't fair..... This swapping is supposed to be fun...

Some people would love to participate but they don't feel they have anything anybody wants...we all feel shy about some things!! One year I was sent a beautiful Dream Catcher by a wonderful Canadian woman who drew my name... I treasure ANYthing I receive...even if it is a H. carnosa or ..... The exercise is about sharing. I think it is like Christmas except half of our friends are freezing up there!!!!

Also...for the record...I would like to make a suggestion: when we delirously sing about our new plants/cuttings...I would feel more comfortable is the 'giftors' are not named. Some of us have a lot to send, some not so much, and it may make others uncomfortable.

My 1.5cents worth *}*

I for one will be keeping close tabs on this thread.I would absolutely Love to participate in a hoya swap.If not now because of the weather..then definitely in the spring.
Nancy

hmm, I am certainly not trying to sound greedy about wanting plants other than what I already have, that just seemed like a neat part of a swap to me ;)

Abbie

as a side note ;) I was chatting with Tami in another forum and have posted pics of a few of the hoyas I have for trade if anyone is interested! (though my identification skills apparently leave much to be desired!!) :
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/668746/

Abbie I think you are correct in that it would be a little to much for the hoya cuttings/plants to be traveling around in a box for a month or more, especially for the one's that do get picked over and left in the box for the next person. The swap works much better. It doesn't sound like your being greedy, chances are you will get a couple that you don't have and if you happen to get a duplicate you can always use it for a trade. I think what Carol is trying to say is that everyone's collections vary and if you are going to participate don't be dissapointed if you do get something that you already have. I did not participate last year because I didn't want to send out of the Country, plus I had major house projects going on. I most likely wont participate next year either because I know that Sandy had a really hard time setting things up for those who did and did not want to ship out of the Country and some other issues. My personal opinion is, that the names should be drawn, and you get who ya get.

David, that is how the round robin works. I did a seed round robin and the only seeds I had an abundance of were cosmos. There were 10 participants, so I packed up 10 packages of seeds, when I got the box I took out 10 or less seeds that I wanted and put my seeds in and shipped to the next person.

IF I got a small box with one cutting of H. carnosa I would be happy. I just know it would be a gift from the heart and it would be no less important.

I don't know what the BIG DEAL is about shipping out of the country!!! The postage may cost a bit more...but so what? You can mail Global Priority under l lb to Sweden for under 10$. The POINT is to share... I think. Some people have had their boxes confiscated....well...no brainer!!! You mail under an assumed name and an assumed return address....what's the big deal? And for incoming...you give them another name at another address. Ain't Rocket Science. AND....it isn't fraud. It is creative multiple personality manifestation!

Round robin sounds like fun, i wonder if I will ever see any seeds on my hoyas ;)
I seem to have huge issues shipping packages out of the country & I would hate to dissapoint someone else as well, so I guess I would likely skip the gift exchange unless anyone was down to arrange a mini-US swap seperatly. To each their own with expectations as well as shipping policies...I don't know about anyone else, but between the small parking lot, the line & the confused tellers at my post office, any type of shipping typically takes at least an hour or two, so i try to do all my shipping online - but they won't let me do it for items going out of the country...I dread the Post Office!!
I always seem to miss the coop/swaps by a bit anyway - do most swaps and exchanges get posted in the specific forum? I mostly just visit the plant rooms for chat and haven't checked out the trading rooms until just recently!

Carol - you sound like a very warm & generous person :) not to mention a shipping pro...got any tips for out of the country? Do you take your items in? I ordered the forms with my boxes a while back and tried to fill them out but they still made me wait in line and redo them, that was the last time I shipped outside US other than seeds... I don't understand what the point of an assumed name would be...then they would not return the package if something happened right?! - Can you get in trouble for shipping some things? (sorry but sometimes I feel like shipping is right up there with rocket science!!)

You probably would not get in trouble for shipping without the 'Proper Documents'...but my nursery is Certified by Hawaiian Agriculture and they are real sticklers...Xray boxes. As for the Customs Declaration sticker, I say that it is 'wax porcelain lei or decoration'. If you have trouble at your P.O., why not try another one? Even in HI we have a number of them within 10/15 minute drive. Shipping IS a pain in the neck...I refuse to even go within a mile of the PO these days...except to collect my mail and boxes.....

Carol

I had a blast with the swap this last year...No problems at all untel the end ----Are friends in Canada are wonderful people and they are a joy to work with..........it was not hard to work out the few that did not feel like they wanted to ship out of the USA . All in all one seed did not spoil the swap................Mark I can not wait untell next year...............Sandy

OH...sorry Sandy. I guess I misunderstood.

Carol

I dont have a problem sending out of country it's just what if the person whom you're sending to doesnt get their box because it got confiscated at customs? I'd feel bad if the person I was sending a box to didnt get it.

I think everyone who sends to or gets packages from abroad should be aware that if proper documentation is not filed then there is a cetain amount of risk being taken.

When I got plants form Paul Shirley recently it was done without paperwork,I did get them without any problems but have had stuff sent to me from Belgium before and I know that it at least got inspected at customs because it had been resealed and had a tag on it saying so.

I'd like to take part in the next swap whenever it may be. Another question do you send cuttings/rooted plants or whatever you happen to have?

dmichael

Sandy did a great job in organizing the swap..I was also lucky enough to receive her trade!....wonderful cuttings and I received them in one week which was fast....I also sent across the border to Becky in VA and she got them in good shape too....Carol hit the nail on the head with the declaration sticker....i put "hobby supplies/materials" on it...... it goes through no problem...Its a good hoya swap!....BTW Sandy, the cuttings you sent are doing great!!!

Sandy in BC

Another good point David, I would feel bad also if the package didn't arrive. I know I tried twice sending a package to Sweden, the first one was returned to me and the second one made it through. It wasn't during one of our swaps. Arizona has very stiff laws and it seems harder to get things in and out of here. Although I know some people who send in and out of Az. to Sweden and don't ever get caught.

David you can send what ever you want. Most people send cuttings though, some hand delivery plants. It's what ever you wish to share.

And Awanda, my tan little beauty, you only get a weeks vacation in vegas, that way we can all catch up... :)

This message was edited Dec 8, 2006 2:32 PM

Tami you are too funny!!

Blessings,
your "tan little beauty"

The swap was great fun - I can't wait until the next one! Sandyc did a great job, and I think everyone was excited and happy!!

Sandy did do a wonderful job and it was great fun!
I would never hesitate to send across the borders. The worst thing they do is destroy the package if and only if the person on duty is a stickler or having a bad day. I have had very good sucess getting things using UPS. They pick up at your door if you call them by 4:00, the same day. Declare as garden decor and ship by standard and it really isn't that expensive.
Now having said that I live in Canada but shipped in WA when I went there for a camping trip. I knew they wouldn't check the camper so just took the cuttings and small plant that I had with me and mailed them a couple hours later when I got to WA. Many Canadians have post office Box addy's just across the line and go pick up lots of their purchases there. One fella I know gets several magazine subscriptions delivered near the border and goes for a Sunday drive to pick them up once a month. He claims he saves a lot of money on subscriptions. I think he enjoys the trip:) I know I sure do. Customs doesn't expect us to know all the laws on the books for all the different countries. If that was the case we wouldn't ship anything.

Can't wait for the hoyas I have to grow some more and for next years swap!!!

Bea