VGCollect Secret Santa 2020!

[turf]

I haven't been active on VGC this year, so I'll bow out this time, but I hope everyone has a great time

I havent been too active either. You are more than welcome to join as in you have totally earned your spot.

Thanks, Soera! I'll think about it

I don’t think you’re allowed to “bow out”. I’m pretty sure that it’s in the VGCollect bylaws that Lady D can’t leave. I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere.

[dashv]

Can we stream Zoom to Twitch though?

Should be able to.

I can most likely rig up something to get it on twitch, yeah.

If needed. :-) Happy to jump on to something hosted by someone else tho.

[kashell]

I haven't been active on VGC this year, so I'll bow out this time, but I hope everyone has a great time

I havent been too active either. You are more than welcome to join as in you have totally earned your spot.

Thanks, Soera! I'll think about it

I don’t think you’re allowed to “bow out”. I’m pretty sure that it’s in the VGCollect bylaws that Lady D can’t leave. I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere.

I think I read that somewhere, too! It was on the Internet, so you know it MUST be true.

[koemo1]

I have noticed a lot of people that participate this year are excluding sending to Europe.
I find this a nasty development.

[Cartagia]

I have noticed a lot of people that participate this year are excluding sending to Europe.
I find this a nasty development.

Probably has more to do with the cost and current state of the US Postal Service than anything else.  Shipping times are often obscene, even for stuff that is in the US.  And to be frank, I wouldn't want anything that was shipped from here.

[shawndude82]

I have noticed a lot of people that participate this year are excluding sending to Europe.
I find this a nasty development.

Probably has more to do with the cost and current state of the US Postal Service than anything else.  Shipping times are often obscene, even for stuff that is in the US.  And to be frank, I wouldn't want anything that was shipped from here.

It is this exactly, our post service has been sabotaged, and there's still a pesky virus going about.  I don't even think other countries are accepting mail from the US right now.  I can't even find any foreign sellers on eBay who would ship to me (I got refunded on my winning bids twice) due to the virus. 

I do apologize to all my gamer buds in Europe or Australia or anywhere else.  Hopefully next year will be better

[telly]

Whether the postal service has been compromised is one thing, but it's been pretty well established that the likelihood of catching the virus from a contaminated object is very low, especially with a package that has been in the mail for a week at minimum. And especially if you don't even open it until Christmas.

Feel free to decontaminate your items if you want, but you're much, much more likely to get the virus from the air directly from someone who is sick rather than anything we send to each other.

There's a great article about it here. Here's the thing that I found very interesting

https://elemental.medium.com/the-most-likely-way-youll-get-infected-with-covid-19-30430384e5a5

It turns out that despite the catastrophic harm it’s caused, the novel coronavirus is actually quite fragile, and it doesn’t like being out in the open where it can dry up. According to the NEJM paper, the virus’s half-life is a relatively short six hours, meaning that every six hours 50% of the virus shrivels up and becomes inactive or noninfectious. That means if you start with 100 virus particles, after six hours that number halves to 50 particles; six hours later there are 25 virus particles left, and fewer than 10 virus particles remain after 24 hours.

[turf]

Whether the postal service has been compromised is one thing, but it's been pretty well established that the likelihood of catching the virus from a contaminated object is very low, especially with a package that has been in the mail for a week at minimum. And especially if you don't even open it until Christmas.

Feel free to decontaminate your items if you want, but you're much, much more likely to get the virus from the air directly from someone who is sick rather than anything we send to each other.

There's a great article about it here. Here's the thing that I found very interesting

https://elemental.medium.com/the-most-likely-way-youll-get-infected-with-covid-19-30430384e5a5

It turns out that despite the catastrophic harm it’s caused, the novel coronavirus is actually quite fragile, and it doesn’t like being out in the open where it can dry up. According to the NEJM paper, the virus’s half-life is a relatively short six hours, meaning that every six hours 50% of the virus shrivels up and becomes inactive or noninfectious. That means if you start with 100 virus particles, after six hours that number halves to 50 particles; six hours later there are 25 virus particles left, and fewer than 10 virus particles remain after 24 hours.

I’d listen to this guy. He’s a freakin Doctor of Nursing

[soera]

I have noticed a lot of people that participate this year are excluding sending to Europe.
I find this a nasty development.

Ignoring the Covid part of it, shipping out of country is absurdly expensive. Last time I did that, it cost the entire budget of the SS just for shipping. Its asking a lot of people to do that, as much as it sucks for our people overseas. Also finding stuff thats rated for other countries is yet another issue.

[telly]

I have noticed a lot of people that participate this year are excluding sending to Europe.
I find this a nasty development.

Ignoring the Covid part of it, shipping out of country is absurdly expensive. Last time I did that, it cost the entire budget of the SS just for shipping. Its asking a lot of people to do that, as much as it sucks for our people overseas. Also finding stuff thats rated for other countries is yet another issue.

I had the same experience. I was paired with someone from Europe a few years ago, and shipping alone was pushing $60. I'm happy to send to Europe again, but I can definitely sympathize if that's too expensive for folks, especially right now. It's just kind of sucky all around :/

[fazerco]

Same from this side. Its gotten to expensive to send or buy stuff from the US. And i did it alot years ago because it was cheap then. Even cheaper then buying in my own country  .

And also the reason i never entered here.

[kashell]

Of all the participants so far, how many are in Europe?

[sworddude]

Whether the postal service has been compromised is one thing, but it's been pretty well established that the likelihood of catching the virus from a contaminated object is very low, especially with a package that has been in the mail for a week at minimum. And especially if you don't even open it until Christmas.

Feel free to decontaminate your items if you want, but you're much, much more likely to get the virus from the air directly from someone who is sick rather than anything we send to each other.

There's a great article about it here. Here's the thing that I found very interesting

https://elemental.medium.com/the-most-likely-way-youll-get-infected-with-covid-19-30430384e5a5

It turns out that despite the catastrophic harm it’s caused, the novel coronavirus is actually quite fragile, and it doesn’t like being out in the open where it can dry up. According to the NEJM paper, the virus’s half-life is a relatively short six hours, meaning that every six hours 50% of the virus shrivels up and becomes inactive or noninfectious. That means if you start with 100 virus particles, after six hours that number halves to 50 particles; six hours later there are 25 virus particles left, and fewer than 10 virus particles remain after 24 hours.

The contamination part ain't the problem. that won't happen with that much time past, also if that where the case you couldn't order anything. and online shopping has increased big time during covid.

Still the actual problem with the virus is that shipping is slowed down by a ton. Way more risk of stuff getting lost and the shipping duration being increased thanks to suboptimal conditions.

Not to mention that postage outside of the US might either be held back or heavily delayed in them present days. Customs is going to be a bit more picky during these times. in short shipping especially internationally sucks during covid.

[pzeke]

Ignoring the Covid part of it, shipping out of country is absurdly expensive. Last time I did that, it cost the entire budget of the SS just for shipping. Its asking a lot of people to do that, as much as it sucks for our people overseas. Also finding stuff thats rated for other countries is yet another issue.

I had the same experience. I was paired with someone from Europe a few years ago, and shipping alone was pushing $60. I'm happy to send to Europe again, but I can definitely sympathize if that's too expensive for folks, especially right now. It's just kind of sucky all around :/

Next time try to keep the weight of the package at a minimum of 2lbs. and it should cost no more than $25, or up to $40 if the package weights 3lbs. with First-Class International.

Granted, I reckon it's a gift by gift basis since not all games/items weight the same, and some of you like to throw in additional stuff for the sake of Christmas, but it's still useful info to have, I believe. Let's say someone's wishlist is comprised of 5 single-disc PS2 games, which weight around 5oz. each, bringing the total to 1lb 9oz, or 1lb 13oz give or take after factoring packaging materials, as in bubble-wrap and the box itself.

First-Class International usually takes up to a week to reach it's destination.

Of all the participants so far, how many are in Europe?

Just koemo1 it seems.

[telly]

Yes, that is true. Or maybe doing drop-shipping instead. Though I'd rather have/check all the games I was going to send to someone and put it all in one package.