Trade 1: in which Pooh Bear meets the Shrink-ray

This is the third post in The Big Swap. Originally posted on Posterous, which has since been shut down.


This is the first trade in The Big Swap. Thanks to everyone who expressed interest! I wish I could accept all your offers! (Well… with possibly the exception of the dirty sock…) Once again, thank you all for coming up with such great ideas!I talked about the Big Swap on Facebook, and got quite a few offers. Suddenly, I had a dilemma on my hands: I had been worried about not getting any interest, and now I had to choose between some great offers. I had to think about this.While I thought and debated, somebody was busy trying to influence the judges. That somebody was Sarah.Sarah makes miniature teddy bears. (She’s also “rich and good-looking”, as she puts it, but that’s beside the point.) When I say miniature, I mean tiny. When I look at these guys, I get the distinct impression that one of the Minions from “Despicable Me” was playing with the Shrink-Ray, and Winnie-the-Pooh was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anyway, they’re tiny and uuber-cute.

When I started The Big Trade, I set down a few rules. I wasn’t going to trade for obscene items. Money wasn’t an option. Government secrets were taboo, and so on. One rule I didn’t set was “No uploading pictures of extremely cute bears to influence the vote.” I definitely should have. One look at those bears, and I knew I had found my first trade.

In order to uphold my end of the deal, I had to play the piano for some period of time, so the trade had to be delayed until I had some free time. I was the head musician for a wedding on Friday, which Sarah was also attending, so we agreed to discuss the trade then.

Friday night after the wedding, I found Sarah. She was almost as excited about the trade as I was. We decided to make the trade on Sunday. We’ll meet at her house, where I’ll play the piano for her, her family and an unknown number of others. Maybe we’ll make it a sing-along. Then I’ll get to meet Teddy. I can hardly wait.

On Monday I’ll post some pictures of Teddy doing some cool stuff. I know you’ll fall in love. In the meantime, it’s your turn to think of something special you’d like to trade. If you come up with something, email me or leave a comment below.

P.S. If you want to keep up-to-date on where Teddy ends up, check the right sidebar for the “subscribe by email” link.The Big Swap has ended, but I send out weekly emails and I’d love for you to get them. No, I won’t sell your email address to a greasy fellow in a tweed suit. You’ll just get swap updates, pinkie promise.


Read the next post: Meet Teddy