Postage Stamp Bag #65

I am taking over this swap for Sarah (lostinavalon). I will be following her established rules and keeping it as is for the time being.

PLEASE ensure that if you send stamps on paper, that you have not damaged the perforations by trimming to close. I have seen so many great stamps with ruined edges.. this would just count as a damaged stamp and would be removed from the bag. Also, please do not send all stamps on paper. A mix would be great.

IMPORTANT: If you choose not to swap stamps from a bag you receive, please do not write "pass" on the bag or fill out your name on the line. Just pass the bag on to your partner without altering it in any way. This way the owner of the bag still gets five rounds worth of stamps. Thank you!

You will send at least 2 postage stamp bags to each of 2 partners. Please make sure no more than 1 of the bags will be due to be sent home to the originator after your partner receives it. To be clear: you will need FOUR bags all together---two for one partner and two for the other.

IF you are new to this swap series, you must have 30 completed type 2 or 3 swaps to participate. This is to cut down on the amount of confused new swappers in the swap as we've been having some problems.

Most postage stamp bags start out with 5 stamps, take 3, add 5, fifth person sends it home. Sometimes a reward is offered to the swapper who sends it home to the originator. It's fine if your stamp bag rules are a little different---please just make sure and indicate them clearly on the bag. ****Please make sure your rules are fair. I recently heard of bags going around asking the players to add but not allowing them to take any. That's not how this exchange works.****

Stamps can be used or new. All the stamps in one bag should be different. NO themed bags like "birds only" or "flags only". Make sure stamps are complete, having all edges. No dirty, damaged stamps please.

What is a stamp bag? Most any small envelope can be used as a postage stamp bag---but it's easy to make your own, too, using online templates or your own craftiness. The bag starts out with a certain number of (usually used) postage stamps inside. On the outside of the envelope, you write "return home to" and then your address. You also write how many stamps a person should take out to keep and how many she should put back in. Finally, you write out the numbers 1-5 and leave space for people to write their names next to the numbers. The person you send it to swaps her stamps, signs her name on the outside of the envelope, and mails it off to someone else the next time there is a swap. I usually include about eight stamps to begin with and write "take 3 add 5". The next in line always gives more than they take so, by the time you get the bag back, you've got a lot more stamps than you put in. It's a fun game and a great way to collect stamps from all over the world.

*NOTE: I have made joining requirements very clear so please do not comment or PM asking to join if you do not meet them.

Also, if you are a stamp collector and want to join an active group, check out my group, Postage Stamp Crazy Collectors