As the title suggests, I have a gallon Ziploc bag full of samples that I have tried over the last couple of months. Some are used and some I have never used but I would like to pass them to someone else that would like to try these various cremes,soaps and AS's. I would just like to know the best way of going about this since this will be my first of this kind. I would also like to know if it is kosher to send "used" samples to someone, I personally don't see an issue with it but you never know. Thank you in advance for your suggestions or ideas!!!!
Should I do a PIF or Pass Around?
- Thread starter mightyquinn
- Start date
Your call to do as you please but with that many samples I think you could do several PIF's. A pass around can be interesting as well but more work keeping track of if you are interested in seeing how it goes. Really a short term vs long term thing.
and on behalf of my family and I, thanks for your service!
and on behalf of my family and I, thanks for your service!
I would do a pass around PIF. PIF the bag to someone with the understanding that they take a couple of items and then PIF the rest. So on and so on until the bag is empty.
To keep it simple no lists of names, the next person posts a PIF when they are ready. That way you get the best of both worlds you have PIFed the stuff and if everyone is honest lots of people get to enjoy.
To keep it simple no lists of names, the next person posts a PIF when they are ready. That way you get the best of both worlds you have PIFed the stuff and if everyone is honest lots of people get to enjoy.
- Thread starter
- #5
You will need to put a time limit on it. Maybe one week per person. The list of names does help to keep it organized and add accountability. You may make it so the person who has the box is responsible to update the list.. I'd like to see people post reviews of what they tried as well. Then you can see people enjoying the soaps and everyone can learn from one another. Check out the pif vs. Passaround thread as we are doing something similar and it's been great.
Here's the thread, maybe have a look. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/362970-PIF-vs-passaround
Last edited:
There are a few passarounds going on. If you can find them, you can join in and contribute your items. But it's really up to you. The community is better because of people that share, whether that's knowledge, friendship, or resources. We're a family here. You won't hear anyone complain no matter how you display your generosity. If they do...
I like Devin's idea better. No need to have a set time limit. Just treat it as a PIF and when you are ready to pass on the items, whoever has them can post a "Who's In" PIF and draw a post number after a few days and send the items on. Each person who wins the PIF takes one or two items. The items can even be separated and several PIF's can be done and then it's over. No one adds anything so when it's over, it's over (to quote Yogi). No muss, no fuss, and no record keeping.
cottontop
cottontop
So maybe I misread the last post and answered it improperly. After a reread I do like Devin's idea, however it is not without issues. Personally, I wouldn't want to be on this list and here's why. For example the box comes to me first. It's a large box so I'm really happy when it arrives full of soaps. It's a full gallon bag of soaps so I get to smell all 50 or 60 soaps or maybe more and pick two to keep for myself. Awesome right. Now I get to go to the post office and pay $8 to $10 to ship it to the next person. So I just spent $8 to $10 for two soap samples. Next person, same thing, and so on. Until there are no more samples. The last person is the only one on the list who benefits as they don't have to pay any shipping for their soaps, however they end up with the last two soaps that nobody else wanted, essentially the worst of the worst. The only one making out on this deal is the US post office because the package was sent 30 times. This might work but only if each person gets to take enough from the box to offset the shipping charges that they will encounter from sending the box to the next person.
Let me sum it up this way: If you're going to play like a man, then you've got to pay like a man.
cottontop
The idea is to treat it more like a PIF. There would be no list up front. So here is how I would see it working. Say that MightyQuinn puts the bag-o-soaps up for a PIF with the condition that who ever won agrees to take 2 or3 and PIF the rest. Let's say (for the sake of argument) that I won the PIF. I take my soaps and then run my own PIF (with the same rules). Now, knowing how a lot of the folks around here operate, I could see at least a few people adding a couple of items so that when the PIF gets down to the end that person get something nice.
As far as shipping cost, that is just part of playing the PIF game and it's not about the value of the item being sent.
Of course, this all hinges on everyone being honest. But, as someone once said "pay your money and take your chances"
As far as shipping cost, that is just part of playing the PIF game and it's not about the value of the item being sent.
Of course, this all hinges on everyone being honest. But, as someone once said "pay your money and take your chances"
Cottontop, here's my summary, I make a really good living in the Information Technology field that affords me to purchase whatever I'd like without thinking twice about it. However I was taught to be financially responsible, so if "playing like a man" requires me to be really bad at math, then I'm fine right where I'm at.
Devin, I honestly have no need for any more soaps, I have all of the ones I want now and would pass on the PIF no matter how it was set up. However, I really do like your idea and would like for it to be successful. I was just trying to point out an adjustment that I though needed to be made in order for it to achieve this success. I understand that this is an act of kindness and I certainly appreciate the generosity put forth by mightyquinn. My only concern is that it does have to make sense for people to want to accept this generosity. If you said take 5 sample soaps and PIF the rest, you would get some takers because the recipient may actually benefit from the PIF. If you said take two sample soaps and PIF the rest, I imagine many people would pass. Now you are correct, if people add things to the PIF, and they usually do, then it changes everything. However, I would think that a PIF should allow the recipient to benefit without these possible additions. I know that you'd like this to touch many people but I'd rather see this won by 2 or 3 or even 5 people who actually feel like they've won something than sending it to 30 people only to raise money for the post office.
Here's an example, I saw someone giving away a bottle of Aqua Velva Ice Blue, on this site, in a PIF recently. Deal was, it's free, but the recipient pays shipping. Fair enough, intentions were good, the person giving it away was definitely being generous as they would have to package the item, collect funds, spend the time and gas to get to the post office to mail the item in addition to purchasing the item in the first place. Guess what, there were no takers, because when people did the math there was no benefit to accepting it. It's cheaper and easier to pick one up yourself at the local drug store. It's like if I gave you a $5 winning lottery ticket but it will cost you $10 to cash it. Did you really win anything. I mean who would actually cash it, besides people who are really bad at math.
Anyway, maybe I'm not explaining it how I should, or maybe I'm giving it too much thought. Either way I've taken up too much of everyone's time with this. Good luck with the PIF, I wish you all success.
Devin, I honestly have no need for any more soaps, I have all of the ones I want now and would pass on the PIF no matter how it was set up. However, I really do like your idea and would like for it to be successful. I was just trying to point out an adjustment that I though needed to be made in order for it to achieve this success. I understand that this is an act of kindness and I certainly appreciate the generosity put forth by mightyquinn. My only concern is that it does have to make sense for people to want to accept this generosity. If you said take 5 sample soaps and PIF the rest, you would get some takers because the recipient may actually benefit from the PIF. If you said take two sample soaps and PIF the rest, I imagine many people would pass. Now you are correct, if people add things to the PIF, and they usually do, then it changes everything. However, I would think that a PIF should allow the recipient to benefit without these possible additions. I know that you'd like this to touch many people but I'd rather see this won by 2 or 3 or even 5 people who actually feel like they've won something than sending it to 30 people only to raise money for the post office.
Here's an example, I saw someone giving away a bottle of Aqua Velva Ice Blue, on this site, in a PIF recently. Deal was, it's free, but the recipient pays shipping. Fair enough, intentions were good, the person giving it away was definitely being generous as they would have to package the item, collect funds, spend the time and gas to get to the post office to mail the item in addition to purchasing the item in the first place. Guess what, there were no takers, because when people did the math there was no benefit to accepting it. It's cheaper and easier to pick one up yourself at the local drug store. It's like if I gave you a $5 winning lottery ticket but it will cost you $10 to cash it. Did you really win anything. I mean who would actually cash it, besides people who are really bad at math.
Anyway, maybe I'm not explaining it how I should, or maybe I'm giving it too much thought. Either way I've taken up too much of everyone's time with this. Good luck with the PIF, I wish you all success.
dfoulk,
I don't doubt that you are in the information technology field as you do give lots of information. What I mean by my short, sweet, and simple comment is that anyone going in will know up front that they will have to pay some postage somewhere down the line. Some may have to pay more postage than others but the difference will not be significant. Knowing that, he who cannot afford postage will realize that he will not be able to play. Consider this to be entertainment. We all pay to be entertained at some time or another. Once again, everyone should know up front that by going in, paying postage will be required as part of the entertainment, and some may have to pay more than others.
Consider this. If one is at a job interview and the interviewer says that part of the job requirement is that once per week, everyone must take their turn cleaning the bathroom and the prospective employee says ok, he can do that so he is hired and after about three weeks he says to the boss that he no longer wants to clean the bathroom, the boss can say, "But you knew going in that bathroom cleaning was part of the job."
cottontop
I don't doubt that you are in the information technology field as you do give lots of information. What I mean by my short, sweet, and simple comment is that anyone going in will know up front that they will have to pay some postage somewhere down the line. Some may have to pay more postage than others but the difference will not be significant. Knowing that, he who cannot afford postage will realize that he will not be able to play. Consider this to be entertainment. We all pay to be entertained at some time or another. Once again, everyone should know up front that by going in, paying postage will be required as part of the entertainment, and some may have to pay more than others.
Consider this. If one is at a job interview and the interviewer says that part of the job requirement is that once per week, everyone must take their turn cleaning the bathroom and the prospective employee says ok, he can do that so he is hired and after about three weeks he says to the boss that he no longer wants to clean the bathroom, the boss can say, "But you knew going in that bathroom cleaning was part of the job."
cottontop
- Thread starter
- #14
Thank you everyone for your insightful ways of going about this and I really appreciate it. I am going to think this through for a few days and get my ducks in a row. Would it be wise to list what is in the PIF or keep it a surprise?
Your PIF, your rules. Surprises are fun!
Just to weigh in on the benefit of a pass around, the 'cost of postage vs. cost of product' aspect is not the only one to consider. You also get to see and smell many products that you won't be taking, but get a first hand look at. A little extra cost to be involved in the pass around is cheaper than purchasing a product to only then find out you don't like the scent. You may also find out that you like a product that you weren't previously interested in.
Totally agree with this. Some things I thought I would like, I ended up not liking after smelling/seeing them in one of the other passaround boxes.
Cottontop, I do understand what you are saying and don't disagree with you at all. The bathroom example was a little bit of a stretch but I see how it fits and understand exactly the point you are trying to get across. Basically, you know up front that this will cost you, so it shouldn't be a surprise. More of a, "you were warned and you know what to expect" approach. If you don't like it then don't participate. I understand the point you are making and respect it. This still does apply with the approach I'm taking and will apply any time there is any kind of a fee (like shipping) involved.
As far as the approach I'm taking... now you don't have to agree with me at all on this, but I'd like to make sure that I'm explaining it correctly because I believe I'm thinking this through logically and completely, and I'm not so sure that it's being received well. I'll share some final thoughts and then move on from this one. I think we've about exhausted it anyway.
I guess I'm just thinking about this differently. For me, a PIF should be something substantial where the user feel like they truly won something or were given a gift. Kinda like a "wow that guy really helped me out" thing that makes someone want to do the same for someone else when given the opportunity. If it were me I would give each winner enough of a gift that they would feel this way, even if it meant that less people won.
If I were to set it up as a passaround, there would be a list and each user would keep the box for one week or less before sending it on, Whoever has the box is responsible for maintaining the list at that time. Give a tracking number to the next person, etc. This way no one person is burdened with this task, which usually has a way of falling on the generous person who started it. I'd let each user cut a small piece off of any soaps they wanted to try for a shave, not just smell them. I know that this will cause people to get some hacked up and incomplete samples down the line but I think that trying many more soaps is a larger benefit than getting full samples. I'd then let them keep a set number of samples before passing the box on to the next person. In this case maybe keeping two samples that they really like along with getting to try several others would add enough value here. Because they were given the opportunity to sample so many soaps I do see a higher value in that other than just smelling them and keeping a couple. If you want it to keep going and never end, just let them know that they can add any samples that they like to the box before passing it on. From my experience people here are extremely generous and usually add much more than they take. If you want it to end then ask that they don't add anything additional and the box will go until it is deemed not worth sending anymore.
Anyway, like I said you don't have to agree with me. I'm just hoping that I've explained this in an understandable manner and maybe made a couple valid points.
Like jzuzphreek wrote to the OP, "Your PIF, your rules." We should not try to influence what one will or will not do with HIS PIF. I disagree that a PIF should be something "substantial." I'm not sure what "substantial" is anyway. Examples: I won a PIF and the prize was one tube of C.O. Bigelow shaving cream. Was that substantial? I don't know, but I was happy to receive it. I once PIF'd one bottle of Avon Bay Rum A/S and the winner was glad to get it. I wouldn't really call that substantial, but it was a lot of fun sending it and receiving it. A PIF is what it is. "Substantial" or not, they're all good.
cottontop
cottontop
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #20
Hey Guys don't worry about me I love all the ideas and how to go about this and I value EVERYONE's ideas or opinions on this it is giving me a ton of ideas.
