Seed Swap Process

[mcdood]

I'm curious as to how you lovely seed swap organisers actually undertake the task at hand? Do you wait until everything is received and then tuck yourselves away for several hours one evening with a large dining table covered in envelopes and seed packets and a nice bottle of wine? Have you ever properly screwed it up? For the tomato circle for example there are approx 20 peeps with 2 varieties each to sort, and then some of us chuck in some VSP requests at the same time just for extra giggles, it must be a nightmare. Anyway much appreciated, thank you.
I think I'd be a bit like this

[Guest]

Its a secret

[Scarlet]

I'm not keeping anything secret!

1. A very cold bottle of fizz and some music.
2. A large table with the leaves extended.
3. The bag with everyone's envelopes.
4. Lay out the envelopes on the table.
5. Take out the seeds of each one individually and re address and add the stamp. I know most grapes/real names so that helps. I often write the grape name on a corner in pencil if it's not on the address label if it's a new one to the circles/swaps.
6. Now I have each envelope with a pack of seeds on the left side.
7. Pick up the pack of seeds on the left of the first envelope and add to the right side of each envelope. Continuing this from left to right around the table until there's just a bundle/messy heap of seeds on the right. ( the incoming seeds are usually all the same size - so it's all obvious)
8. When all the incoming seeds have been distributed I then dig out the VSP box and add in the requests. If I see some seeds getting old/or we don't have many I randomly add to grapes packs who I know will often grow extras.
9. Everyone in my house disappears as if they talk to me I am likely to explode.

[Guest]

Okay, Okay. Mine is a school day (strict no little children hands near parcels policy) with a cuppa on the hallway floor.

Edit: It sounds a bit like cluedo....

[mcdood]

Thanks for that Scarlet, no1 and then no9 sounds just like a normal day for me

[veggiechicken]

My method-ish was to check through the incoming envelopes to make sure that all the seeds etc were there and no surprises.
Lay out all the envelopes on a table.
Take the seeds from the first envelope and put a packet into every other envelope.
Take the seeds from the second envelope and put a packet into the first - and every other envelope.etc etc.
Finally, go through each envelope to check that they have the same number of packets and not their own.
Stamp and seal them up and have another drink!

With the "Random" seed swap I made a list of contributors with the number of packets they sent.
Sorted the seeds into categories - roots, brassicas, flowers.............
Gave everyone one of each until they had the same number of packets as they'd sent in - whilst checking that nobody had the same seeds back as they'd sent.
Whatever was left was shared out equally to everyone.
It was fun - I'll do it again next year.

[bramble]

Thank you all for the hard work.
Just know, it's truly appreciated.