Picture contest prizes

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:41 pm

It's with great regret to inform all of you that CoronaCactus will no longer be able to provide prizes for the Picture Contests

With the 2nd increase in mail rates (in a short time!) the expense of shipping these items is taking it's toll. It's not the items themselves, it's the shipping, especially since USPS did away with their parcel post service. We could continue with small items such as labels, but anything that weighs even 1oz over 1lb the rates jump by dollars, not cents

But i fear the same old prizes each time would get old...or maybe not, please give us some feedback!

We really enjoy the contests and rewarding the winners with these prizes and will of course continue the contests, but we just aren't able to absorb these costs.

We truely hope to revive this in the future.

Hope you all understand.

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:43 pm

Aww, that's too bad.

At least gas prices and the economy will get better over the years and I hope if we can get the spirit of the contests back to life. If it doesn't get any better, I'm fine with it.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:24 pm

Darryl, incredibly generous of you to offer prizes in the first place, so no problem for me if the prizes are a thing of the past. I like the photo contests just for the photos anyway. I'd bet hardly anyone is motivated to post a photo by the possibility of winning a prize.

Here's a thought: offer free seeds from the seed depot to the winner and all the runners up! :0

peterb

John C · Post by **John C** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:28 pm

That's fine with me. I also like the contest just for the pictures, I wouldn't stop entering and voting if there weren't any prizes.

The seed depot idea is a good one though.

jeffrey6115 · Post by **jeffrey6115** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:36 pm

Although prizes are nice...They aren't necessary to me. I will still enjoy the goodhearted compitition with the members of this group. I like seeing all the pictures that get entered in these contests.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:50 am

Thanks guys!
We feel bad for starting it up with prizes and then taking it away without running it's full course.

Don't worry, i have no intention of not doing the contests, those will remain the same

I do like the seeds idea, even though not everybody grows from seed, it would be a nice way of distributing seed. Maybe 2 choices, pot labels or seed?

John C · Post by **John C** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:26 am

CoronaCactus wrote:I do like the seeds idea, even though not everybody grows from seed, it would be a nice way of distributing seed. Maybe 2 choices, pot labels or seed?

That's a good idea.

Buck Hemenway · Post by **Buck Hemenway** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:28 am

It was never about the prizes.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:48 am

The seeds idea was my attempt at a joke, as any forum member can get seeds from the depot.

peterb

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:36 am

Dont sweat it man, it has and always will be just for fun.

John C · Post by **John C** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:59 am

Tony wrote:Dont sweat it man, it has and always will be just for fun.

Yep!

CelticRose · Post by **CelticRose** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:53 am

Just a thought: why not give the winner a gift certificate for your website. If you sent it via email, your postage costs would be zilch.

But of course the contests are fun in and of themselves -- no prizes required.

hob · Post by **hob** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:55 pm

i wouldn't accept a prize even if i won one, i would not expect you to post to the UK anyway.

its the taking part that counts

Post by **daiv** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:11 pm

CelticRose wrote:Just a thought: why not give the winner a gift certificate for your website. If you sent it via email, your postage costs would be zilch.

Now there is a swell idea indeed! After all, part of the idea was to help send some biz to Darryl for working the contest and seed depot and such.

This way the winner will have an incentive to get some more cacti and CoronaCactus will get more customers. Perhaps for international users, they could apply it towards postage of seeds or something.

As a side note:
Darryl approached me about the idea of "sponsoring" the contests in part to promote CoronaCactus nursery. If anyone here has a similar idea, please send me a PM or e-mail on it. I have always been happy to support members here. I only ask that the member is an active contributor on the forum.

Also, cactus clubs and societies have freedom to post promotional things here pretty much no matter what.

John C · Post by **John C** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:22 pm

daiv wrote:
CelticRose wrote:Just a thought: why not give the winner a gift certificate for your website. If you sent it via email, your postage costs would be zilch.
Now there is a swell idea indeed! After all, part of the idea was to help send some biz to Darryl for working the contest and seed depot and such.

This way the winner will have an incentive to get some more cacti and CoronaCactus will get more customers. Perhaps for international users, they could apply it towards postage of seeds or something.

As a side note:
Darryl approached me about the idea of "sponsoring" the contests in part to promote CoronaCactus nursery. If anyone here has a similar idea, please send me a PM or e-mail on it. I have always been happy to support members here. I only ask that the member is an active contributor on the forum.

Also, cactus clubs and societies have freedom to post promotional things here pretty much no matter what.

That sounds like a great idea! It would bring Corona more business too!