Express Written Consent

What do you expect to get in trade packages or surprise packages? Cards. But you know what else usually accompanies those cards?

Letters.

Letters from the sender that's usually some variation of "here's some stuff for you that I wanted out of my house".

In that envelope is every letter I received from a fellow trader. Some are even from my time as an active trader on message boards and predate this blog by a good two years.

Maybe it's because I just appreciate the time people took to write letters. Maybe it's because I'd just feel bad if I just threw them away like they were taped up toploaders. But for whatever reason I keep them around.

Of course in some instances they're kept because they're a different kind of cool. The Lost Collector spent a lot of time (I'm sure) working on the Luis Torrens mural there and his reward is having the bubble mailer he drew it on be used to store letters and brief notes I've gotten back from players I've sent TTM requests to.

I'll admit though, I often do feel bad at how some people take the time to write medium length letters that were thoughtfully written while I usually just send people a sticky note that says "You've Been Zippy/Mini Zapped!" instead. It's short, to-the-point, and (hopefully) saving a few trees but every now and then I do wonder if I should write out a full letter.

I can't even be bothered to print out my customs anymore (although granted that's due to my printer dying on me and my replacement printer needing color ink that costs quadruple what the old one used).

Some of my favorite letters (if I had to pick favorites) would probably be from P-Town Tom. He takes the time to write a letter, and as a teacher he's got great penmanship. Plus for the past two (at least?) years he's written letters on the backs of old discarded baseball themed calendar pages. So he gets a point for writing a letter, another point for recycling, and two extra points for using paper related to baseball. Sometimes there's even bits of fun trivia left on the pieces he sends, so consider that a fifth point/extra credit.

Of course in the end all of these letters are pretty nice. It makes me appreciate the nice people I've come to interact with over the years. Even back in my forum days I met about three people I'd still trade with in an instant if our paths ever crossed again.

Before I end this post I do want to make a quick PSA. Recently Sumomenkoman and I underwent our first trade. It was very nice and they really went the extra mile by adding chocolates.

Let me just state right now that I appreciate people sending me food, but I'd really prefer that they didn't. It's probably just me being weird but I have never eaten food that was sent to me along with cards. A few years ago some Japanese friends of mine sent me Star Wars chocolates and candies from Japan. I appreciated their kindheartedness but never ate them and threw them out (although in one instance I sent them to Gavin because I wanted him to throw out the wafers and keep the stickers while still giving him the wrapper opening experience). I know this is wasteful and a dick move, but I don't like the idea of food coming my way through the mail, let alone actually eating it. Plus ever since Gavin said he ate those very wafers I stopped passing off the few food items sent to me to other friends. I know it's common for people to order food and drinks this way, but I don't and I want to keep it that way. I don't even have pizza delivered to me, I just pick it up.

So yeah, SMM, I appreciate the chocolates, but they're not going to be used for their intended purpose. Sorry. I will keep your note though.

As always thanks for stopping by and take care :).