Event Rules & Guide (2023)

Last updated on Nov 18, 2023

These rules may change as the event progresses, to address questions, issues or anything else that may arise. You'll be notified of changes to the rules, and where possible we'll try to identify what has changed. – McCoy 2023-11-18

There is a channel on the Hobbyvices discord server dedicated to this event. This is the only place support and help will be provided. Do not DM us with requests, there are simply too many. 99.9% of questions can be answered there by admins or participants. Plus it's a great community to hang out with everyone year round – if you're reading this stop what you're doing and go say "hi" in the chat and then come back!
The minimum buy-in is £30/$35USD or equivalent. This does not include shipping costs. Many, many people go well above this amount. The £30/$35 is just a bare minimum. There is a decent likelihood you will get a gift worth above this value, so consider that when putting yours together. Look at the hashtag for ideas on what the "average" is.
The deadline for dispatching gifts, is the 16th December 2023.
Do I have to send the things they ask for? Absolutely not. The suggestions are just a guide, and generally its a good idea to stick to it – but if they're outrageous demands (someone ridiculously asked for exclusively Forgeworld one year :/) feel free to deviate while staying "on-brand."
I'm a minor! Can I still participate? Of course! Just clear it with your parents and maybe have them help with the form submission. Hell, I'll even have a chat with them if they need convincing, no sweat. I'm a real-life responsible adult / educator and will make sure it's as safe as possible for you to enjoy!
I'm a miner! Can I still participate? No. We don't want your rocks and ores.
What else should I do with the present? First of all, I'd strongly recommend you wrap it! There's no point in doing this event if the end-result is just someone receiving a cardboard box with a shrink-wrapped kit in it. That's just like them ordering it themselves. Spice it up: wrap it, throw in some candy or regional food / drink (be aware of allergies in the notes section), add a handwritten note or in-universe correspondence, a spare bag of bits you think they'd enjoy converting. The end result should be a festive box they're thrilled to open.
Be sure to add your name / usernames somewhere inside! The BEST part of this event aren't the gifts, but the connections we make along the way. Many of our participants still keep in touch with people halfway around the world! Make new friends, and follow everyone using the hashtag as we move along!
TRACKING IS MANDATORY - We will collect your tracking numbers in a later email form. Just about every courier service offers free tracking. If you don't get tracking, you will be marked in violation and a gift will not be recorded as sent – which isn't good for you. As soon as you ship it, SAVE THE TRACKING NUMBER BY TAKING A PHOTO OF IT so that you have zero excuse. No amount of crying will make me change my mind when we ask for tracking and you "lost it." This is simple stuff, don't screw up.
You must buy new kits for the person. They don't want shitty secondhand pass-me-down's you're clearing out of your backlog. You can buy discount from vendors that are unboxed, so long as the kits are brand new on sprue (or equivalent). 3D printed stuff, bits, gently used kits, and other stuff are welcome additions to the mandatory new gift, but it must be stressed that you're buying a new gift for your recipient – that's the deal.
If you can no longer fulfill the obligation of sending a gift, let us know ASAP. You are an idiot that has screwed over someone, and will be barred from future participation, but we will do our best to help the person you're letting down get something from someone. If you submit a form you're locked in. No excuse – none at all – will absolve you of your failure.* It sounds harsh, but with nearly three months to complete the process, any failure to complete is entirely on you. Do not delay.
I got paired with someone in Buenos Aires! Am I expected to ship to them!? Yes, you are. We make every effort to honor requests for keeping things to a specific region, but with the size and scope of this event, international shipping is a reality. If the price is so exorbitant that you literally cannot send it, consider buying online and shipping direct to them, and somehow adding a 'gift' note through the vendor. The best gifts, of course, include extra goodies (see No. 4) and you'll be leaving out this exciting part of international exchanges. Bear in mind that while you may be paying a bit more to ship to this mysterious Argentenian, they are also paying that same amount to ship their gift out and would feel pretty slighted if they just got "Generic Order X" from a vendor after enthusiastically cramming delicious pastelitos into their outgoing box. In the true spirit of this event, we're all pitching in together to make this work, do your part. Contact us if you have legitimate problems.
Make it fun! Adding a handwritten or typed note goes a long way in making the gift more memorable. Encourage them in their glorious battles or tell them why they’re heretics! The point is that the best gifts have that human touch, added notes, stickers, regional goodies and not just a shrinkwrapped box -- that makes all the difference. Look at the hashtag from last year and you’ll see great examples of this. I was genuinely blown away by some of the packages. Get some good ideas! Be one of the badass gift givers this year! If the gift you sent looks just like the person ordered it from an online store themselves, a new kit in a cardboard box, then what’s the point! Dress it up!
Post your progress using the hashtag! Definitely don't tag your recipient, as it'll spoil the surprise, but share photos of your orders being boxed up to generate hype! If people see your gift and wish it was theirs, you're doing it right! Make people want to get that totally awesome gift you're putting together. Comment on other people showing theirs off, get in the spirit of the event, hype them up! Trawl through the hashtag every few days and interact with all of those people with some encouraging words and engagement – let's have a party!
If your Instagram or Twitter is hobby-focused (or not!) consider setting it to public, if only temporarily. Having a social media face is a requirement, as it’ll help your gift-giver spy on you a bit to get an idea of better gifts. Don’t follow your guy yet, it’ll be a dead giveaway who you are! Be sure to follow them after the event!
WHEN YOU GET YOUR GIFT, THANK YOUR PERSON. Please, just, please. Even if it's not exactly what you were hoping for, they went out of their way to send you something. Be a decent person and acknowledge their effort.