Anyone can post tips for the swap on this thread. Check periodically because here is also where important information for the swap as well as instructions for how to create your exchange list and other details will be posted.

This first snippet is from Danita and is very important. The system automatically starts swaps according to DG Time, which is not what we mere mortals usually go by. Here are the actual times for the opening bell based on time zone. Thanks Danita.

Start time January 2, 12:00 am UTC
So, if my math is correct, these should be the start times for the contiguous USA:

7:00 pm EST on January 1st
6:00 pm CST on January 1st
5:00 pm MST on January 1st
4:00 pm PST on January 1st

This is an overview of how the swap works. Please ask for clarification as needed.

After signing up, all participants can see who has joined the swap and will be able to tell what seeds have been placed up for “adoption” by other players. Each person that joins will add their offerings to the Seed Swap Database and will activate those seeds to make them available for the swap. There is no time frame for adding seeds, but in order to request seeds on opening day you must have at least one kind of seeds offered for trade in this swap. There is no limit on how many packets of a specific seed you can offer. You will have a link on your swap page that will take you to the page for listing your available seeds.

As you add seeds to your personal list you can choose to have those seeds either private so that only you can see them, or make them public but not yet available, or public and available. No one can select your seeds from the database unless you have joined a swap and have made them available to trade in that particular swap. To make them available for a specific swap you will need to have them listed as available and ready to trade and then take one extra step. After you join a swap and have made a selection available and ready you must go to the far left of the listing and activate that selection for a particular swap by checking the box for that swap. There will be a column for each swap you are participating in at that time. In this way you can keep some seeds out of a swap altogether while maintaining them in your master list, and can divide selections between more than one swap if you have joined concurrent swaps.
It may sound a little complicated, but once you join and use the features Dave provided in the system it becomes clear and simple. You will have a way to establish a wish list so that you don’t miss opportunities to get your most desired selections, you will be able to see what you have won and will be receiving at a glance, and you will have a printable list to help you pack when you are ready to send your seeds.

For this swap there is no minimum or maximum limit to how many seeds you can list. Don’t post more than you want to send in any circumstance as once someone selects them you are obligated to send them. Until a seed has been claimed you have the option to remove it from the swap. Not all of your seeds will “sell” and it is not certain you will “buy” as many as you have obligated yourself to send. You are not obliged to list all of your offerings before the swap starts and can add seeds anytime during the active swapping phase. You will not be sending in unclaimed seeds.

Likewise there is no limit, outside the confines of the duration of the swap and the number of packets offered, to how many you can request, no matter how many you list. This is not a one for one swap. The more desirable seeds you list, the more "dibs" you have to choose what you want. To insure that everyone is able to get some of their favorite offerings the system is set up to allow a limited number of selections per player per day. Everyone will start with the same number of "dibs" on day one. That number will increase daily and the opening allowance will be determined by the number of seeds offered. It could be as low as 3 for the first day and build from there. The system also awards bonus “dibs” based on how many seeds other players select from your list. Players who list a lot of seeds and seeds that are highly desirable and are quickly “purchased” earn extra opportunities on a diminishing scale, starting with 1 extra “dib” for every two packs “sold” on day 1 and diminishing each day thereafter. These extra earned selections are made immediately available and can be used at any time. There were a few hundred left over dibs last year. You will find by day 4-5 you have plenty of requests available to you.

Once the swap is over you will bundle the seeds you have “sold” each player and label them accordingly. All seeds will be sent to me and redistributed to the “buyers.” The system only allows one choice for the cost of return postage, but you can send your seeds to me by Priority Mail or First Class Mail and I will return them using either method, as you choose. You can include 7.00 for a priority mail return, or if you have selected 50 packs or fewer you can send 3.50 for First Class mail with delivery confirmation. Please, no preprinted postage. My Post Office believes I’m not supposed to mail anything with postage originating outside my town from here- best to send cash, check, Paypal, M.O. or for first class postage only, stamps.

A quick note about game prizes. I will package any prizes won and include them in the return package of each participant. Anyone that posts a prize can send directly to the recipient if they prefer, but the simplest thing would be to send it to me with the rest of your swap seeds with a note specifying that they are a game prize for swapperz.

Seed Listing Reminders
If anyone is still unclear about how to list seeds for the swap, please ask on this or the chat thread, or send me a tree-mail and I will try to walk you through it. Don’t forget about Dave’s YouTube video for a visual boost. http://www.bing.com/videos/sea...
Out of courtesy to our swap partners, don’t forget to choose the appropriate box when you list your seeds to indicate if the seeds were collected by you, are commercial purchases, or are from another reputable trader. Also, if your seeds are more than a couple of years old, please include the approximate year of harvest, purchase or receipt in trade. Old seeds are fine with me and most are viable many years if stored properly, but people who choose them need to know if they should sow a little heavier, allow a little more time for germination, or take other steps to support germination of older seeds.
There are a few seeds with notoriously short viability and pelleted seeds are reportedly of shortened viability. If you think you have a variety with very short viability either don’t list it or be scrupulously clear about age. There are seed viability charts on the internet, and you will find one @JonnaSudenius maintains here: http://www.seedsite.eu/seed-vi...

Important information about how the swap begins.
The opening few minutes of these automated swaps is a feeding frenzy. Imagine we are a school of smiling green-thumbed piranha. Or maybe not, but it is fun and exhilarating.

To get the most out of it, here is what you need to know.
First, the time frame stated on the page where you joined the swap can be misleading. Garden.org’s server operates on Coordinated Universal Time. If you aren’t aware that the swap starting date of January 2, midnight, is actually 7:00 pm sharp eastern time on January 1 you will miss out. That’s right. New Year’s Day at 7 pm eastern, 6 central, 5 mountain and 4 western time the swap will open.
At the moment the clock strikes 7:00 pm eastern, you can spend the 4 tickets you receive for the first night. If 7 people want the same packet of seeds and only one is offered, the one with the quickest trigger finger will emerge the winner. For this reason it is a really great idea to assign stars to the seeds you are interested in so that you can start the swap in your wish list view from the swap dashboard with all of your favorites ready for you to select. In addition to the 4 tickets you receive at the opening of the swap, you will earn 1 extra ticket for every 2 items that are claimed from your list. Those can be used as you earn them.
When the swap opens if you have your wish list ready you can go directly to it for selecting your seeds instead of wading through the big list. Just don't forget to check the big list or the 'view recent events’ link now and then as the swap goes on to see if there is anything new you want to add to your wish list. Your wish list will appear in descending order with your 5 star picks at the top of the list. Alongside and just to the right of the stars for each seed there will be a treasure chest icon that only shows up when official trading begins. You click on that icon to request seeds. If those seeds are still available you will be asked to confirm your choice. Once you confirm it the seeds are yours and will appear in your 'bought' list on the main swap page. If the seeds have already been claimed you will know immediately so that you can move on to your next favorite choice. The system keeps track of what is left in real time so you will never leave wondering if you were successful. Nor will the system allow you to choose seeds if you have exhausted your tickets for that day. Tickets earned because you have had seeds chosen from your list will show up in your main page for this swap and you can use them as soon as they appear.
Although there is no minimum for this swap, the more seeds you enter the more opportunities that your seeds will be chosen and that you will have extra tickets. From a practical standpoint the most ticket earning potential is on day one when you will receive an extra ticket for every two packs you sell. After that the reward diminishes and after 4-5 days is negligible, so if multiplying your buying power is your number one goal, better to list more sooner rather than later. There are a lot of seeds and there will be a lot of tickets, so even people with small lists will have a chance to get great seeds and more than they offer.

Day 2, and going forward
By day 2 you’ve probably had a chance to use a few dibs and have seen how easy it is. On day 2, you receive 8 dibs at 7:00 pm eastern and can use them as soon as you receive them. Each day of the swap you will receive an increasing number of automatic dibs. As of 7:00 pm each day the number of earned dibs you receive will diminish. You will find yourself with fractions of dibs. Those portions of dibs cannot be used until you “sell” enough packets to make them “whole.”
Last year people continued to add seeds throughout the swap. Check the trade list or the ‘recent events’ link to make sure you don’t miss anything.
Don’t expect to claim everything you want, but most people get much of what they have on their wish lists and some other great seeds they had not thought about. The idea is to have fun sharing seeds

Oops, a duplicate.

Regarding postage for your return envelope.
Priority Mail
7.00 covers priority mail for your return envelope, if that is your preference. Last year a few people sent in extra money to cover any shortages that might occur because the postage rate changed in the middle of the swap. According to the USPS, this year the rate for the padded envelope will range from 6.80-7.20 as of rate increases January 22. I will try to beat that deadline but even if I don’t it won’t be an issue. The flat rate box can be a few cents less, 6.65-6.85, if I remember correctly, and I will use it in some cases, but if you claim a lot of big seeds it is not large enough. There is no need to send extra money. I have plenty of supplies, including envelopes for people who want First Class Mail, and have tons of fun. It would embarrass me to get more postage than is necessary. If the Priority Mail people send 7.00 it will work out. I’m hoping no one minds that they may send in 20 cents or so more or less than needed.

First Class with Delivery Confirmation
If you wind up with 50 or fewer packets and prefer First Class Mail with Delivery Confirmation send 3.50 for postage. If it turns out that your package takes significantly less, say 50 cents less than 3.50, I’ll put your change in your return envelope. Otherwise I will apply any small overages to any shortages. I don’t want to put a lot of time into calculating tiny postage differences.

You can send your return postage with your seeds via concealed cash, check or money order, or if you prefer Paypal I will send you my address for that account. For first class mail only, if you prefer to send the 3.50 in stamps, that’s fine.

Wrapping Up
As to turn around time for this swap, I will have everything set up to work through the redistribution process quickly. Creating postage labels will be the most time consuming aspect of processing the returns. Make sure to use the printable sheets you will have access to at the end of the swap that include a list for each person receiving from you that you can check off, cut out, and attach to each person’s bundled seeds. It’s a great way for you to be sure you didn’t miss anything, and all I will have to do is verify the recipient and put it in their folder. I also count the packs to make sure the number matches the printout, but there is always a chance I will miss the same thing you did. Then mail to me as quickly as you can. The sooner I have them all the faster they will be on their way back. I don’t care whether you send Priority or First Class.
To see when your seeds, or anyone else’s for that matter, have arrived, check the “recent events for the swap” link on your swap dashboard. As people mark their seeds sent it will show up there, and I will be marking each pack when it is received, which will also appear in that very useful accounting of events. (Thank you Dave!)

The don’t forget list.
1. Don’t forget to open the “manage your swap profile” link on your NFTSRSS dashboard and complete the section for your address. You need to have that completed before the swap begins. The “your infobox” portion is optional.
2. You must have at least one selection available for requests when the swap opens in order to participate. Don’t forget to enter a list, even a tiny one before the swap begins.
3. When you have your trade list set up, don’t forget to go back and check the appropriate column in the far left of your personal trade list to make it available to swap number 11.
4. Don’t forget the correct start date and time for your location; January 1 at 7:00 pm Eastern Time, 6:00 pm Central Time, 5:00 pm Mountain Time and 4:00 pm Western Time.

Alana, Maybe it would be a good idea for all of us trading in this group to send a mailing label to you. This way you can just grab a return envelope and stick it on...Viola!

Thanks Lisa, that would work for First Class postage but not for Priority. I will be printing them out online. I can't start printing them until I know the date I will be sending them out, so it is the last operation I will do.

Update from Dave regarding UTC time. Good news!


dave said:
"In the past, our seed swaps showed the important dates (when will trading begin, etc) in the Garden.org's UTC timezone.

Starting now, it actually tells you in your own timezone when each milestone will be reached.

So, for example, you can now see that @poisondartfrog's swap will start trading on January 1st at 6:00pm Central time.

In the past there has been some confusion about when each event occurs. Hopefully this completely resolves any of that confusion. "

Yay!! That is a nice feature to be added :)
~Michael
heavenlyfarm

P.S. Sorry Alana I am not always as active as I would like to be on the forums/games

Me either, Michael.

It's almost time to trade. For swap newcomers who are wondering what happens when the swap ends, no panic necessary. At the end of the swap some new links will appear on your swap page regarding what you bought and what you sold. Most important is a printable sheet of what you sold and to whom, sorted by player. After the swap is over, please print this and cut out the list for each person and include it with your seeds for that player. There is a handy check off box for each item to help keep you on track to fulfill your orders. If you don't have a way to print you can approximate the list by hand.

These sheets will also help me verify that every pack that should be present is. I don't look at each pack, but I do count the packs that you send for each person and compare that to the total on the list. I can do most of this without ever opening a baggie or envelope so there is minimal time involved. If there are too few or too many packets in an envelope or baggie, I will look a little further. If you have included an extra pack or two for someone, that's fine. If it is marked as a gift or an extra or you've added a note on your "send" sheet about it (best way to do it from my perspective as I don't have to open the baggie at all), I won't have to ask if it is a mistake. A few times last year when I thought a baggie was short it was simply a matter of not being able to count accurately when several packs are in a baggie.

No envelopes will go back out until I have all of the seeds sorted by player. Although they will be finished at the same time, the time involved with printing postage for each one may lead to staggered but consecutive mail dates over 2-3 days.

Any player that does not send in their seeds will not receive the seeds they ordered. Those seeds will be returned to the sender with their new seeds, unless otherwise indicated. Lambie is collecting seeds for a school and in the event you don't want your seeds back you could designate them to go there, or assign them to another player. I don't expect that to happen, but we did have one last year.

Our two Canadians will need to mail asap to get their seeds here in a timely manner. For everyone involved, the quicker I receive them all, the faster I can return them.

A reminder: Even if you have a swap list posted, if you have not checked the box on the extreme left of each entry in your swap list to turn the check mark green, you don't have anything available to the swap and won't be able to request items when the swap opens tonight.
I saw a few lists like that just now. It's the last step, and the one most overlooked.

I might have missed this what with all the info already provided (and b/c I'm reading this on the teeny screen of my phone), but how many seeds per pack?
And when is the end date?
Also, there was a mention of 'gifts'. Is it ok to donate?
thx.
tfc

@tx_flower_child If you haven't already joined this swap it is too late...I don't see your name on the member list. You would have had to join up and have your seed list ready by the 31 of December. Trading started on the 1st and is over on the 8th.

@luvsgrtdanes - yep. already got a tree mail to that effect. good thing i mostly wanted to give and not get.
but thanks for your very quick post. appreciate it!

Sorry you missed it @tx_flower_child. They are a lot of fun, maybe next one