Image by ArtRose on Pixabay with alterations by irid3sc3nt
Swap name: STS (Shop The Swap) Fall Market 2024
LC member organizing this swap: irid3sc3nt
LC moderator for this swap: gozer
Sign-up date range: 9/3 to 9/17
Send out dates: last day possible after over/under–10/22
Once someone claims from you, you have ONE WEEK (i.e. 7 DAYS) to mail the item.
The swap runs through to: 10/29
Please note that 10/15 to 10/22 will be reserved for over/under 5 point shops only.
Limited to a certain number of people? 24
Restricted to people who all live in the same country? Yes
If so, which country? USA only
Additional Age requirement? Yes. Swappers have to be 18+.
Swap Organizer himself/herself meets these conditions: Yes
Has fully read the Swap Info Guide: Yes
Has successfully completed two swaps as a participant: Yes
Is not organizing more than three swaps right now: Yes
Will recruit a co-organizer or give all details to a Swap Moderator if this swap has more than 25 participants: Yes
Is at least 18 years old: Yes
Swap Organizer will check each participant to make sure they meet these conditions:
Has been a member for at least one month: Yes
Has posted at least 15 times: Yes
Has completed one swap successfully before signing up for multiple swaps at a time: Yes
Is not currently signed up for more than five swaps: Yes
Does not have any negative feedback: Yes
Participant has agreed that he/she is at least 18 years old: Yes
Has posted a comment in the discussion thread and will check regularly for swap updates: Yes
If within the US, understands that a tracking number is required for this swap: Yes
If outside the US, understands that a mailing receipt copy is required for this swap: N/A; USA Only
- All swappers MUST be pre-approved for this swap!
- Please read this post in its entirety before signing up for this swap.
- This swap thread is reserved for swap shops only; please use the DISCUSSION THREAD for everything else!
DISCUSSION THREAD:STS (Shop the Swap) Fall Market 2024 Discussion
DATES:
Signups are open: 9/3 to 9/17*
Set up your shop no later than: 9/19
Claims accepted from when you’ve set up your shop through 10/14
Last call (over/under) week: 10/15 to 10/22
GENERAL INFO
The Shop the Swap (STS) is a different kind of swap in that we start with finished items. The swap is basically set up like a virtual craft fair, where participants buy/sell crafted items (using points). Items are priced between 1 to 5 points. When you have mailed out claimed items, the points become available for spending. Just like the real world, we can’t spend points we don’t have (no overdraft allowed). To keep the economy going, you can’t hoard your points (you must close your shop and go shopping when you have accumulated +11 points). All swappers must promise to maintain excellent communication.
SHOPS
- Once you have been approved, post your shop in this thread with at least FIVE (5) finished, handcrafted items for the other swappers to choose from. THREE (3) of these finished, handcrafted items must be new items to this round and not have been offered before in a prior round of the STS. Let’s keep the market fresh! You can also post a small amount of craft supply items at the bottom of your shop.
- All shops need to be open for business by date listed in the “dates” section above.
- Your shop must be ready and open for business before you can spend your points in other shops.
- Need an example of how to set up your shop? Check out this sample shop .
- Be sure to mark your shop as OPEN or CLOSED (as needed) at the TOP of your shop.
- Make sure every item has a short recognizable title that can be used in claiming.
- Items should be priced between 1 and 5 points. No 1/2 points, full point prices only. Groups of items can be priced at a choice of 2 for 1 point (or 3 for 1 point, and so forth).
- If you are offering multiples of an item, be sure to indicate how many are available.
- When items have been claimed, mark the items as SOLD .
- At the end of your shop please have your claims list and point tally (see sample shop for example). Please use the headings of CLAIMS FROM MY SHOP , CLAIMS MADE BY ME and POINTS (refer to POINTS section for an explanation of how to keep track of your points).
POINTS
- Every participant starts off with 5 points to spend. This is a STS loan and at the end of the swapping period, you must have at least 5 points in your bank for positive feedback.
- Your POINTS tally should reflect your current / pending / total in your bank.
- Current points are your spendable points (a combination of the 5 loaner points you start off with and any points you’ve earned from claims you have sent out).
- Pending points are non-spendable points from claims you have not sent out.
- Total points refers to the combination of current and pending points (when this number is greater than or equal to 11, you must temporarily close your shop by marking it as CLOSED and go shopping with your current points. When you spend down to 8 or less points, you may re-open your shop to accept new claims.
GALLERY
- Instead of a separate gallery, each shop will have their own gallery of sold items. Please clearly mark sold items as SOLD. You can also move your SOLD item photos to the end of your shop so that everyone can view them but they won’t be cluttering up your still for sale items.
CLAIM/SENT/RECEIVED MESSAGES
- All claim/sent/received messages must be sent to the organizer and the person you are claiming/sending/receiving from.
- Please mark the subject line as STS2024 Claim , STS2024 Sent or STS2024 Received with your LC name and the LC name of the person you are swapping with as this helps me immensely keep track.
- All messages must be in the proper format to be valid.
- If/when there are numerous claims for the same item, the FIRST properly formatted claim wins the claim (subject to claimant having sufficient spendable points for the claim).
- Example of Claim Message (submitted on September 22)
To: @STSorganizer @LC4Life
Subject: STS2024 Claim - LC4Life to MissCrafty
Send by September 29
LC4Life to MissCrafty - miniature felt plushies - (2)
Jane D. Oh
123 Veggie Patch Field
Anywhere, ZZ 987645
USA - Example of Sent Message
To: @STSorganizer @MissCrafty
Subject: STS2024 Sent - LC4Life to MissCrafty
Send by September 29
LC4Life to MissCrafty - miniature felt plushies - (2)
Tracking # 1234 2345 3456 4567 5678 00
Sent this afternoon, hope they get there quickly!
Jane, thanks for the claim from my shop! - Example of Received Message
To: @STSorganizer @LC4Life
Subject: STS2024 Received - LC4Life to MissCrafty
Send by September 29
LC4Life to MissCrafty - miniature felt plushies - (2)
Thank you! I love my new plushies, they are perfect!
SHIPPING
- You have ONE WEEK (i.e. 7 DAYS) to ship from the day you receive a claim.
- All items are to be shipped AFTER an official claim is received; please do not ship custom items before we receive an official STS claim for them. Items shipped before they are claimed will not be honored as official claims.
- Per Lettuce Craft swap rules, tracking numbers (within US) are required on all swap packages (if eligible). If your item has not been received within a reasonable time (3-4 weeks domestic; 4-6 weeks international) an angel can be arranged if you are able to provide proof of shipping.
- If any prior claims go missing you may be required to remake/refund the points/offer something else in your shop if you can’t provide a tracking number for the package or a copy of the shipping receipt.
COMMUNICATION
- It is your responsibility to keep relevant people informed of your shop status (either CLOSED or OPEN) and claims/sends/receives.
- All claim/sent/received messages must be sent to the organizer as well as to the person you are claiming from/sending to. If in doubt, please check your outgoing messages to verify that everyone has received a copy!
- Repeated poor communication may be noted in your feedback. This includes not informing the organizer/other swappers of claim status via the correct claim format, not posting in the discussion thread, etc.
- Do participate in the general chatter in the DISCUSSION THREAD (link is at top of post). It’s where you’ll learn about shop sales, swap announcements, etc. It’s also where you can highlight new items added to your shop, get a feel for what else you can do to generate sales for your shop, etc.
FINISHING THE SWAP
- LAST CALL WEEK (over/under week) takes place after the swap is closed for claims in general. During this time, participants with greater than 5 points ( over ) will claim items from participants with less than 5 points ( under ) to even things out. (Dates listed above in dates section.)
- Positive feedback will be given after the swap closing date if you have 5 points and all your claims have been received.
- Negative feedback will be given if you leave this swap with less than 5 points and/or for not sending claims made from your shop.
If you would like to participate, send your information and completed questionnaire to @irid3c3nt via private message (do not reply with it here).
Name of swap: STS Fall Market 2024
Lettuce Craft username:
Email address:
Real name and mailing address (formatted for mailing):
Confirm you are at least eighteen years old:
Do you understand tracking is required for packages?
Have you posted in the discussion thread?
Do you have at least 5 crafted items to start out with?
Are at least 3 of these crafted items brand new to this round of STS?
Have you read through the swap guidelines/rules?
Are items allowed to be priced for partial points?
How much time do you have to send out an item when it has been claimed?
When must you temporarily close your shop?
How many points do you have to spend down to in order to re-open your shop after having to temporarily close?
What information needs to be kept current at the TOP of your shop?
What is your favorite season of the year?
Still have questions about this swap?
Check out the FAQs in the next post below.
If you can’t find answers there, please feel free to post your questions in the
STS (FALL MARKET) FALL MARKET 2024 DISCUSSION
iri’s interesting items 
CLOSED 
OPEN
ARTSY’S SHOP 
LITTLE CERAMIC OWLS 
Bunny’s Hop Shop 
The Laughing Dragon
CLOSED 
Jellybean’s Crafts 
OPEN
= Received