The exchange has matched! Each person in the exchange has been assigned a giftee. You should have gotten an email with a link to click on in order to retrieve your match. Your match is a digital “envelope” containing your giftee’s name, address, questionnaire, wishlist, and exchange preferences. If you can’t find it, check your spam folder. If you still can’t find it, log in and check the exchange page to retrieve your match. 

Note that your Santa (gifter) and your giftee are likely not the same person! Each person’s match is drawn randomly, and matches are not reciprocal in most cases.

What next?

1. Retrieve your match by logging in to Givin Gifts or by following the link in your matching email. Please retrieve your match by Dec 1.
   
2. Read your giftee’s questionnaire and profile. Reminder: please pick your gift based on the information your giftee provided. Please do not just send anything you want to get rid of!
   
3. Message your giftee and introduce yourself. Givin Gifts has a message system which preserves your anonymity, or you may PM or chat your giftee via Reddit/Mastodon (preferred contact is in match information). Ask any questions you may have about their preferences, collection, or interests, as well as any information you need to successfully ship a package to them (such as a phone number). Click here for a tutorial on how to send messages via Givin Gifts. NOTE: Even though this is a “secret” santa, anonymity is not required by our exchange rules. However, the Givin Gifts message system is anonymous if you would prefer to remain a mystery!
   
4. Respond to your Santa’s messages.
   
5. Get your gift ready! For ideas, see last year’s galleries: green - red. The deadline to ship is December 10. If you’ve ordered parts of your gift but are awaiting arrival to ship to your giftee, you may click “Mark as ordered” on GG in the Sending tab to let your giftee know.

NOTE: When your giftee posts your gift, an elf will tag you by username so that your giftee can thank you. If you prefer not to be tagged and wish to remain perpetually secret, please let an elf know in advance.

I didn’t sign up in time, is it too late?

If you’d like to participate and you missed the signup, please contact your nearest elf (below) to be put on a waitlist for late matches. In your message, include which tier you’d like to waitlist for, what country you’re from, and which countries you are willing to ship to. We will do our best, though we cannot guarantee you a spot, sorry about that!

Further information

The original post with exchange guidelines and instructions can be found here.

Need help? Contact an elf!

If you need help, comment below or contact the appropriate team member(s) depending on your region. We recommend contacting an elf in a timezone close to yours for prompt responses compatible with your schedule.

You can easily identify the exchange organizers by the “Santa’s Elf” user flair on Reddit:

• Americas West and Central: u/merantite, u/Physics_Tea, u/boiseshan
• Americas East: u/Ok-Seaweed7173, u/Sea_Waltz_9625, u/Ray_K_Art
• Europe/Middle East/Africa: u/PrestigiousCap1198
• Asia/Oceania: u/paradoxmo
• Head Elf (escalations/other): u/paradoxmo

You can contact the exchange organizers on Mastodon:

• Americas: @alexa488@penfount.social
• Europe/Middle East/Africa: @Halfcelestialelf@penfount.social
• Asia/Oceania: @paradoxmo@penfount.social
• Head Elf (escalations/other): @paradoxmo@penfount.social

You can contact the exchange organizers on Instagram:

• Americas: @mharp24, @dermpathgal
• Europe/Middle East/Africa: @halfcelestialelf
• Asia/Oceania: @paradoxpenguin
• Head Elf (escalations/other): @paradoxpenguin

Rematching

If you have the means and time, please volunteer to be a rematcher! Click the “Become a rematcher” button on the exchange page to volunteer. You may volunteer to send 1–5 extra gifts—please only volunteer to send as many as you have time and money for.

You do not have to have registered for the exchange initially in order to be a rematcher! If you just want to send gifts, and don't care about receiving, you can be just a rematcher in the exchange. If you would like to do this, please contact your nearest elf and let them know the following information: what country you are in, what countries you are able to ship/gift to, and which tier gift (red and/or green) you are willing to send. We’ll put you on a list and reach out if your help is needed to fulfill a rematch.

Issues

• I was notified that I was dropped from the exchange, but I still want to participate. Please let us know, along with which tier, which country you’re in, and which countries you would be willing to ship to.
• I was removed from the exchange because my profile wasn’t filled out. Please reach out to an elf and let us know your GG username. We may be able to get you back in.
• I signed up, but I can no longer participate. We totally understand. Please let us know ASAP so that your match can be rematched to someone else.
• My giftee didn't fill out their questionnaire. Please message them and ask them to fill it out. If they don’t respond by Dec 1, please let us know.
• I got matched with my housemate/spouse. Please let us know ASAP and we will try to rematch you.
• I got matched to a giftee I can't post to. If you’re willing, you can order them a gift from a fountain pen store near them and send your note separately via regular post. If this still won’t work, please let us know ASAP and we will try to rematch you.
• International shipping is expensive. What’s another option? You may choose to order a gift for your giftee from a fountain pen store close to them and send your written note separately via letter mail.
• My Santa never messaged me. Please wait until Dec 1. If it is getting close to the ship date and you still haven’t heard, let us know.
• I never heard back from my giftee. Please reach out to them directly using the preferred contact listed by them in your match information. Or let us know, and we can reach out on your behalf to nudge them. If they don’t respond by Dec 1, let us know, but do your best to prepare a gift anyway based on what they’ve written in their exchange preferences.
• I got the same match for both exchanges. This can happen if there are very few people in the same country. Please let us know, we may or may not be able to do something about this, but at worst, you just send your match two gifts (: (yes, you may combine shipping)
• Do I have to buy new stuff for my giftee? No! In this hobby we accumulate a lot of things and we encourage you to give pens and inks (bottles and sample vials) you are no longer using or that simply didn’t suit your preferences. If sending used items, please ensure that they are clean and in good working order. New is of course fine as well—if you happen to know the perfect gift for your giftee but don’t own it, go with your instinct!
• Can I make stuff for my giftee? Yes, if you are crafty, whether that’s with leatherwork, knitting, bookbinding, pen turning, or 3D printing, you can definitely craft things that you think would be a good gift for your match (:
• Since it’s a “Secret” Santa, do I have to stay anonymous? No, this is not required, you may message your giftee directly on Reddit if you are OK with breaking anonymity. But some Santas prefer to stay anonymous for the fun factor, and if you wish to do so, you may use the Givin Gifts message system which does not reveal the Santa’s username.

Reach out to an elf if you have any other issues or questions!

Gift selection and packing

• Read this general shipping and packing advice for gift exchanges
• If you're shipping internationally, read this advice on international shipping from the NYT/Wirecutter.
• Be aware of shipping rates and keep your shipping box as small in dimensions as possible. Also be aware that most postal services have flat rate boxes that can be significantly cheaper to ship with than your own box. Look up this information in advance so that you aren't blindsided by shipping charges!
• Include a note with your Reddit or Mastodon username so they can tag you if they post your gift to the sub.
• Write “FP Secret Santa” and which tier on the box or on the note you include. People get many gifts and packages during the holidays and you will want to let them know what this one is for! If ordering directly to your match from an online retailer, use the gift note option.
• We highly recommend you use a tracked shipping service. (Though we realize that in certain cases, this is not possible.)
• Used items: These are perfectly acceptable to send, but we request that you send items that are clean and fully functional. Pens should be cleaned prior to shipping. Do not send dirty or broken pens, nibs, or converters. The sole exception to this is if your giftee has specifically requested to receive “project pens” or nibs that they want to practice repair work on.
• Used/crafted item value: Value can be difficult to assess for limited edition models and inks, but generally retail value at time of launch or current secondhand market price is a fair valuation. For determining used pen values when there is a dispute, we look at a range of r/pen_swap posts and go for a middle value to be fair to both gifter and giftee. For hand-crafted items, we look for similar items and materials on Etsy and pick a midpoint. For inks, assuming full retail value for an obviously full or nearly full bottle is fair and pro-rated for partials.

Fountain pen specific packing advice

• Ink samples and decanted/re-bottled inks: We highly recommend using sample vials with rubber o-rings in the cap or bottles with a foam gasket in the cap. Cap tightly to prevent leaks. If you cannot get the sample vials with the rubber o-ring, use some Teflon plumbers tape around the threads of your bottle or vial. Put your inks in a ziploc bag in order to contain any leaks if they happen so that the rest of your gift is not affected.
• Pens: the most secure packing method is bubble wrap stuck inside some PVC tubing, with packing tape securely around the outside. Other decent options are paper towel or toilet paper rolls. Or if you use the original pen box, pad the inside with a few sheets of bubble wrap or newspaper to reduce movement and provide protection.
• If you choose to write the address using fountain pen, remember that most fountain pen ink is not permanent! Protect the ink from the rain and snow by taping over it with clear packing tape. Or use permanent ink or a sharpie.

I sent my gift. What now? (Exchange logistics)

1. On the exchange page on Givin Gifts, under the Sending tab, click Mark As Shipped and enter the shipper and tracking number. Click Add Package and then the Save Details button at the bottom.
2. Optional - you can keep your giftee updated by letting them know you’ve ordered something, either to have sent directly to them or to you for assembling into a final package. Marking a gift as ordered is optional and not required by us or GG. 
3. Upload screenshot or receipt of proof of shipping to Givin Gifts using the Upload Shipping Proof button. Click here to see what constitutes good proof of shipping.
4. Once you receive your gift, please click Mark as Received. You will need to submit at least one photo of your gift to Givin Gifts to display in the exchange gallery. Note: If you are saving your gift to open later, please do NOT submit a picture of the box label. This photo is public—it must not contain any personally identifiable information. You can post a picture of your favorite pen or a note that says thank you instead.
5. Post your gift to Reddit with the Secret Santa! flair, or to Mastodon/Fediverse/Instagram with the hashtag #FPSanta. And if you know your Santa’s username, tag them! Please crop out or censor any personally identifiable information such as address, phone number, or real name.
6. A week or so after the shipping date, Givin Gifts will send an email to ask you if you received your gift. Please fill out the form with the circumstances. If you didn’t receive it, let us know and we will try to help.

Happy gifting!

—Your Secret Santa team