[Guide] How to use Elfster

Joining Elfster is pretty easy. Below are screenshots of how to create an account on Elfster.

Do we need to have our wishlists done by a certain date, before signup, etc? And is Elfster mandatory? I ask because my wishlist this year is honestly less specific (i.e. "I'm really interested in your favorite indie shadows" etc?

@@yousoldtheworld Elfster will allow freeform/non-specific text like that!  Just click the "text" tab on the Add to Wishlist page.

And a heads-up:  There's an Elfster app, at least for iPhones, and on top of the other Elfster functions it has (like viewing other people's wishlists and adding things to your own wishlist using text or links), you can also scan barcodes and add things to your wishlist that way! 

yousoldtheworld said:

Do we need to have our wishlists done by a certain date, before signup, etc? And is Elfster mandatory? I ask because my wishlist this year is honestly less specific (i.e. "I'm really interested in your favorite indie shadows" etc?

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Elfster is mandatory since it allows us to organize this better. Wishlists are not mandatory or need to be up by a certain date however it'll make your Secret Santa's life much easier knowing what you have your eye one. Surveys are coming soon.

zadidoll said:

Elfster is mandatory since it allows us to organize this better. Wishlists are not mandatory or need to be up by a certain date however it'll make your Secret Santa's life much easier knowing what you have your eye one. Surveys are coming soon.

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Ahh that's what I meant, just wondering if we could do our wishlist elsewhere (like the one I have in the classifieds here) as long as our other info was in Elfster /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Yup, you can do it here on MUT instead. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Does everything have to be under a certain amount on our Elfster lists? I recall it being 25$?

LuxxyLuxx said:

Does everything have to be under a certain amount on our Elfster lists? I recall it being 25$?

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No. It's your wish list but just remember just because the item is over $25 doesn't mean your Secret Santa will get it. The more stuff on it in a variety of prices will help your Secret Santa see what you like and either shop from it or buy something similar.

One really neat thing about Elfster, if you're participating in multiple exchanges: Whoever is sending stuff to you can click a Purchased button on your Santee's page. Your Santee won't know it has been purchased, but the other people shopping for that person will see that someone else has already picked it up for that recipient. This can help cut down on dupes!

meaganola said:

One really neat thing about Elfster, if you're participating in multiple exchanges: Whoever is sending stuff to you can click a Purchased button on your Santee's page. Your Santee won't know it has been purchased, but the other people shopping for that person will see that someone else has already picked it up for that recipient. This can help cut down on dupes!

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I swear when I was coming up with ideas for startups/products this was a feature I said I would want. I'm glad someone else has made it! I was going to avoid joining boy secret Santa's but now I think I might so both!

Oh great information!!!! Thank you /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> -

A few additional things about Elfster : :santa:  

First, I know it's easy to get wrapped up in adding things to your wish lists, but please don't add things if there's a chance you might buy it for yourself before Christmas. Remember that your Santa is watching your wish list & could potentially be purchasing things for you right after you wish for them! Once you add something to the list, please don't remove it. 

As a Santa, make sure you're marking things as purchased when you buy them. There are quite a few members participating in multiple exchanges & this will help prevent duplicate gifts. 

Haven't added anything to your wish list yet? Here's how!

If you're on your own page, there's a button right underneath your name that says 'Add to Your Wishlist.' If you're not on your own page, there's a '+' in the top right corner to the left of your name. Click that & then 'Add to Wishlist.' 

Now you'll be on a page where there are three tabs: Search, Link, & Text. 

Search: Use this search to look for items that people have already added to Elfster. When you find what you're looking for, hit the 'wish' button on it & it will add the item to your wishlist. 

Link: This is the best option, in my opinion! Say you're browsing Sephora and you want to add the 'Best Bite Remix' set to your wishlist. All you have to do is copy the URL and paste it into the link field. Hit attach & it should bring up a photo & description of the item. You can use the arrows to select a photo if you want. You can also edit the description by using the pencil button if you want to add notes like which shade/scent you want. Hit 'save' and it will add the item to your wishlist!

Text: This is best for non-specific items. If you just really want a purple lipstick and you don't care what brand, you could type 'purple lipstick' into the text field and it will add that to your wishlist. 

You will also notice a link that says 'Get the Browser Button' to the right of these tabs. 

That link will bring you here: http://www.elfster.com/wish/browser-button/

You can download the 'Elf It!' button & it works just like the 'Pin It!' button if you're a Pinterest person /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Basically it will add a button to your toolbar & then if you're on a product page you can just click the button to add it to your wish list. Pretty handy!

There is also a 'Do Not Need' area on your profile where you can add things that you really don't want/need. For example, I'm not a fan of banana scents so I could add 'banana scented things' to my 'Do Not Need' list. 

You can create multiple wish lists if you're participating in more than one exchange or if you want to categorize your wishes. If you're on your own page, click the 'Create New Wishlist' button above your main wishlist. 

If you put an item onto the wrong list, you can always move it. Find the item on your list & hover over it to reveal the pencil icon. When you click this, it will let you edit the list the item is on as well as the description, URL, & quantity. 

You can also remove items by clicking the trash can button, but as I mentioned before PLEASE do not do this unless you've added something in error. 

You can add notes at the top of each wishlist you create. Go to the wishlist & click the settings (gear) button on the top right. Here you can change the name of the wishlist, who can view it, & the type. You can also add notes. 

Have a question for your santee?

In the past, we used 'elves' and basically asked another member to ask our santee questions on our behalf. 

Elfster allows you to ask your santee questions anonymously, so now you can ask yourself if you want to!

Say you want to buy your santee the OCC lip tar that you see on her wishlist, but she didn't specify a shade. Go to your santee's page & click the 'Ask A Question' button under her photo. Elfster will give you example questions to ask, but you can also add your own at the bottom. Click 'Ask' to send the message. This will always be anonymous. 

You should get an e-mail when your santee responds or you might see it on the main exchange page, but if you miss it you can always view your questions & their responses under 'Secret Q&A' on your santee's page. 

If you have any additional tips/tricks, please share with the rest of the group! I'll try to add more things as I think of them. And if you have any questions on how to do something don't be afraid to ask /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Elfster is new for the majority of the participants this year, so we're all learning together!

Side note: Thank god for Auto Save! I typed all of that up & then accidentally x'd out of the tab.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Question: Where on elfster would our person's address be? I know some chose to only give theirs to a Mod and I just want to make sure I look in the right place, before assuming it's not there.

Kelli said:

Question: Where on elfster would our person's address be? I know some chose to only give theirs to a Mod and I just want to make sure I look in the right place, before I bother any for it lol

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If you go to their page, it would be in the information underneath their picture. 

Thanks!

Kelli said:

Question: Where on elfster would our person's address be? I know some chose to only give theirs to a Mod and I just want to make sure I look in the right place, before assuming it's not there.

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It's on the left side of the screen under the Ask a Question/Send a Message buttons.  The other things listed under there:  Birthday and email address.  If your Santee didn't provide one of those things, you won't even see the Birthday/Email/Address (whichever is blank) text with a blank space to know it's missing.

meaganola said:

One really neat thing about Elfster, if you're participating in multiple exchanges: Whoever is sending stuff to you can click a Purchased button on your Santee's page. Your Santee won't know it has been purchased, but the other people shopping for that person will see that someone else has already picked it up for that recipient. This can help cut down on dupes!

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TOtally didn't know that, that is helpful! Thanks!

Crossposting an IMPORTANT ADMIN UPDATE!  We have a new Elfster feature!  You can now send anonymous messages and secret questions to anyone in the MUT Secret Santa group!  These are different things, and the differences are very important:

• The Send a Message button operates like a PM.  Only you and the recipient can see your message and the response.  There is an option to Send Anonymously, so make sure it’s turned on if you want your identity to remain a secret! 
• The Ask a Question button will send an anonymous question, and both the question and answer will appear in the group’s public activity feed. 

If you receive a request for your address or email address, please make sure that you are responding to a Message, not a Secret Q&A.