As the lead organizer of Memphis Swap 2008, I know where you are coming from!

If it were not for the fact that I am on the Church Council, and the President of the Stewardship Committee , and promised them that we would be making improvements to the grounds and establishing the (long talked about) "Community Garden", as well as personally footing the "facility usage fee" for the day (Not a large sum, but still) we would still be wishing htere was a place to hold a Memphis Swap instead of actually having one.

As much as I'd like to grow this into an annual event, I'm struggling with how to keep it "free" for participants. (Will there be a Memphis Swap 2009? Count on it!!!) To that end, I'm going to be looking into some grants and other sources of funds.

All I can say is keep doing what you are doing and it will all work out, and hopefully most folks will drop a few dollars into a collection bucket.

Nobody really knows how much time and effort is devoted by the event organizer(s), but at the end of the when everybody has gone home, hopefully the satisfaction of pulling off a sucessful event more than makes up for the monitary losses. If I were doing this for the money, I would have quit a long time ago, and not be doing it! It's a labor of love, plain and simple.

We usually hold the East Tennessee Swap at a public park or someone's garden. One year we paid a small amount to hold space at a park, but generally, the location doesn't cost us anything. Madmouser takes care of the website. I think it's only a few dollars per year. Many of the participants bring food for the pot luck lunch so there's no cost for food. I've bought a pack of name tags for a few of the swaps. If I'm not mistaken, I don't think we've ever ran into cost in excess of $50 per year. I'm not even sure how we could spend over $100 unless we rented a giant tent or something.

Hi folks!

I would like to clarify that I have not asked for any money nor will I for doing the website. I don't know if Madmouser owns her server or not, but I don't and have to rent my server space. It does cost me, but it is an insignificant amount for the cause. The website has always been my pet project and I am glad to be able to do it! And, I could not have done it without our awesome Swap Nazi!

Rebecca

Now dad gum it Jeff, I may be senile, deaf, too dizzy to walk, but I can still count money. That was a five spot I put into the jar. The 15 bucks I made did not pay for my gas to the plant swap. Hope someone puts a 50 or better in the jar this spring.
Norm

Sorry Norm, I thought Id give you the benefit of the doubt and call it a Ten! Barb came in behind you and spotted us a Twenty anyway. :-)

Our location is, has been and always will be free. I think that everyone will agree that thanks to Jan & Jim we have had one of the most beautiful locations imaginable for the last seven years and Im sure that you will all be thrilled with the new one as well. We dont spend any money on the luncheon as far as food or drink is concerned unless we see that there is going to be a shortage of something needed. Our Guest Lecturers are not paid (except for Captain Compost, who more or less screwed-over Jan & Jim but thats another story).

Supplies are the real killer. Plates, cups, napkins, forks, knives, spoons, tablecloths, trash bags, pencils, pens, magic markers, name tags, notebook pads and legal pads for 200-300 people every year (and I know that I'm forgetting a bunch of other stuff) all adds up pretty quick. Just the plates, napkins, cups and utensils alone will run us a minimum of $150-200 a year at Costco because Lavonne refuses to buy the cheap crappy stuff. We normally over-buy too just to make sure that we dont get caught with our pants down. Now multiply that by 14 swaps or seven years worth. I have no idea what the attendance numbers are at other swaps but our spring swaps usually have between 125-175 folks and the fall swaps normally are around 75-125. That doesnt factor-in my Ms. Cheap debacle where we had in excess of 400 (which I take full responsibility for my screw-up there) so were probably looking at between 1,800-2,500 that have attended the MTPS since its inception. I doubt that any other plant swap in the country can boast those numbers.

Obviously if our attendance was a third or a quarter of what it actually is then our out-of-pocket expenses would be far less. Rest assured that nobody has ever made any money and no one is paid for their hours of time, service and effort; all Im talking about is straight-up financial expenditure for supplies only. Im sure that Ive burned $100 just in gas running down to HHSP and back in the last few months to scope out the new location, make decisions on that location and meet with the principals insuring/confirming the location and working out the logistics but thats strictly all on me and I dont expect anything for it. Hey, Id be more than happy for someone to come take over the financial end of this if they could do it for $100 a year!!! To think that we could pull off what we do with the MTPS for $50-100 a year is actually pretty laughable. Ive even given money to folks that didnt have enough to buy gas get home from the swap. (Not Norm though, Id make him walk or thumb a ride BTW, that joke about the cop and the tickets was hilarious dude!)

Bec has to rent her server space, she had to register a domain name, setup the server, do all the programming and graphics, she does all the updates and changes, the site hosting and the artistic logo creation for a 12-page website with a ton of different links. Ive searched the internet a multitude of times and seen dozens of plant swap websites and NOBODY in the country has a website that even comes close to equaling the MTPS site. All I want is to make sure that she gets is what she is out-of-pocket. BEC HAS NEVER ASKED FOR A DIME but Im not going to have anyone spend their own money and not be reimbursed for it even if it means that Lavonne and I have to foot the bill. She has done this out of the kindness of her heart and her love for the MTPS. Bec is donating her time, expertise and efforts just like the rest of us but the difference is that this is her occupation. There is no way that we could pay her normal pricing and service fees for what she has done for us for free! Its not even fair to try and equate what she has done for us with the MTPS site to anything else that is out there because there just isnt anything else out there equal to it and shes not even finished yet! When I look at what she has done for us it makes my piddly little excuse for time and effort look fairly lame in comparison and I was embarrassed when I realized that Ive been unknowingly stiffing her.

So.

I.
Again, Im not complaining one bit about anything but I did want to remind everyone that (A.) we do need those donations for the time being, (B.) we need to help out Bec whether she wants it or not and (C.) that Im adamant about NOT charging an admission as long as it is my decision to make. My post wasnt about beating everybody over the head and demanding more money; Ill eat the $200-$300 a year myself if that what it comes down to and never give it another thought.

II.
My other concern was that as we continue to grow then we are going to want some nicer stuff and to make everyone aware that about all we are able to do right now is to break even. I understand that some folks will throw in a Twenty and some folks cant afford to donate at all; Im fine with that and always have been! But if everyone does want new, more or larger signage then its going to cost more money. If we want a nice banner or two its going to cost more money and right now we arent getting enough to pay for that stuff at all. Its entirely up to you guys, Im not suggesting that everyone has to drop more money in the donation jar either. I just wanted to make everyone aware of the situation.

III.
Thats why I mentioned sponsorships by local businesses; Id eventually like to completely do away with the donation jar all together so that none of us have to be out any cash at all and we may actually have a surplus to buy stuff with!

IV.
Ill gladly share the total donation amounts versus actual expenditures to anyone that has any questions about where the money goes! Ill even have Lavonne start keeping a ledger sheet and we can post it on the website. Geez Louise, this is why I hated to even mention it in the first place but Im not going to have Bec and Doug footing the webpage bill because it isnt fair.

So thats all Ive got to say on the matter and I wont bring it up again. Anyone having any further questions can email me directly or give me a call at 615-310-4155. If you read this entire post then I'll give you a dollar.

Ill be happy to answer questions that you can throw at me other than questions pertaining to the air-speed velocity needed by a five ounce swallow to carry a one pound coconut from a tropical climate to a temperate one or the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow in any climate. (Birds just arent my thing.)

The Characters and incidents portrayed and the names used are fictitious and any similarity to the names, characters, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional.
Signed RICHARD M. NIXON
Including the majestik møøse

Sorry, now I'm punchy and reverting back to Python

First, I want my dollar

Second, what are you drinking..........nevermind, Ill just give you a dollar and you can go down to 7-11 and get another 1/2 gallon of "the good stuff"

No gray matter was harmed in the making of this post, but several neurons were terribly inconvenienced!

The dollar is waiting for you.
Sometimes I do regret not drinking anymore and today would be an example! :-)

Look, let me go back in there and face the peril. It's my duty as a knight to sample as much peril as I can.

"No gray matter was harmed in the making of this post."
Speak for yourself dude.

A Møøse once bit my sister... No realli! She was Karving her initials on the møøse with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst Nordfink"... Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti...

I'm mentally spiraling out of control and there is mush in my noggin where a pea brain use to reside.

Wow, is this an eternal dilemma! I have been and will continue to be involved in such "public-nonprofit" endeavors. First time out, you want folks to come, so free is what you advertise and one or more people eat the cost. I can say I've "paid my dues" there. So many people volunteer to help because they truly have more time than money. So many groups sell ads or give space to small commercial efforts. PTO'S, PTA'S, Neighborhood Associations and issue groups, Churches, etc. All to offset some costs. The neighboring businesses are wonderful in their support, but they can't do it all. Next year, it gets bigger and better. More planning, more logistics, more cost. Hopefully, more donors. The headache of success is when does a group ask for fees? What will the consequences be? What is reasonable to ask for in terms of financial support but not profit? There is never a good time, I reckon. I've also found that so many invitees are more than glad to support financially when they realize how important the activity is. So, in summation, Jeff, et al, don't be afraid to ask for support and don't be too surprised when your successes require more resources! Congratulations!

Stop Leigh, you're making my head spin worse. :-)

Ok, just add Girl Scout er, Plant Swap Cookie Mom to my list of monikers.

I'm extremely thankful for the unbelievable success and growth of the MTPS and especially all the incredible support I get from our attendees be it monetary, physical or emotional because I need all of it I can get.

I've said it a hundred times before and I'll probably say it another hundred but we have the best, friendliest, most knowledgeable and generous group I've ever been associated with in my life! That's why you guys are so dear to Lavonne and I; you're our family.

I was kinda worried at first about how she was going to take spending our 5th Wedding Anniversary at the MTPS and I even thought of changing the date but she was like, "Who better to spend it with? You want those that are closest to you to celebrate with so who else fits that bill?" Tim & Cindy, our best friends, live right behind HHSP so well have them there too, its perfect. Ok maybe it's not the most romantic gig but I'll have something else special planned that she isn't going to know about so ya'll don't mess me over and let it slip, Umkay!!!

Wow, Python to South Park... I need some rest!

Chalk me up for a dollar too, Jeff.

And while we're on the subject, did you ever figure out how many directional signs we need?

Oh, and while we're talking costs, just think about all the rolls of film I sh....oh wait. Digital.

Well then think of all the prints I've....oh wait. Digital again.

Oh heck, everyone knows I do it for fun and revenge. *grin*

Ah, sweet revenge ;)

You're in Zig! But I owe you far more than a dollar dude. How about a couple big honkin' ribeyes for you two just for starters?