Swap, Don't Sulk: How to Run a Miniature Secret Santa That Actually Works
Photo: Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Every December, a familiar scene plays out in gaming clubs from Leeds to Loughton. Someone suggests a Secret Santa, everyone agrees enthusiastically, and then the whole thing descends into a fog of mismatched wish lists, duplicate purchases and a parcel that arrives in February. It doesn't have to be like that. A miniature painting swap can be one of the most rewarding things a hobby group does all year, provided you treat it like a small project rather than a vague festive impulse.
The idea is simple: everyone draws a name, buys or selects one unpainted figure within an agreed budget, and paints it for that person. The execution is where clubs come unstuck. So here is a workable blueprint for the 2026 festive season, written for UK clubs, shop groups, Discord servers and anyone whose hobby circle spans three time zones and one very unreliable parcel network.
Start with a number, not a vibe
The fastest way to derail a swap is to leave the budget fuzzy. "About fifteen quid" means one person buys a character clam-packs and another buys a centrepiece hero. Pick a hard cap for the figure itself and state clearly whether postage is included. For most UK clubs, £15 to £20 for the model is a sensible sweet spot, with postage treated separately and paid by the sender. If your group is online-only, add a second number for the total parcel value so nobody feels quietly stitched up.
It also helps to decide early whether the gift is a painted model or an unpainted one plus a painting commitment. Both work. A painted swap is a lovely keepsake, but it adds a time commitment that some members cannot make in December. Be honest about which version you are running, and let people opt out of the painting half without shame.
The wish list is the whole game
A three-item wish list is the single best defence against disappointment. Ask every participant to provide three specific options: a named character, a unit champion, a particular monster, or a clear genre prompt such as "any 32mm sci-fi infantry" or "a small fantasy wizard". Specific is good. "Surprise me" is how duplicate dragons happen.
Alongside the list, collect two practical details. First, the scale and base size the person actually uses, because a beautiful 40mm showpiece is no use to someone building a 28mm skirmish warband. Second, a short "please avoid" line, covering factions they actively dislike, models they already own, or things that would simply sit unloved in the grey pile. Nobody needs to explain themselves; a simple no-list keeps things kind.
Avoiding the duplicate dragon
Even with wish lists, duplicates creep in when two people buy the same popular character or when a participant already owns the exact model someone else has chosen. A shared spreadsheet solves most of this. One organiser keeps a master list of who has claimed which wish-list item, and latecomers choose from what remains.
If your group prefers to keep names secret, use a simple numbering system: each participant is a number, and the organiser is the only person who can see the map. It is slightly more admin, but it prevents the awkward moment when three people turn up with the same dragon and one person receives a model they already painted in 2023.
Postage, deadlines and the reality of Royal Mail
December post in the UK is not a gentle, reliable service; it is a lottery with festive branding. Set a hard posting deadline in the last week of November and ask everyone to use a tracked service. Royal Mail Tracked 48 is usually plenty for a single figure, and it gives both sender and recipient something to check when the group chat gets nervous.
Pack the model properly. A single miniature rattling around in a jiffy bag is an invitation to snapped weapons and chipped resin. Wrap it in bubble wrap, put it in a small rigid box, and mark it clearly as a gift. If a participant cannot post in time, offer a fallback: a handover at a club night, a digital voucher for a hobby shop, or a painted model delivered in the new year with an honest apology. A flexible plan beats a public shaming.
The unsuitable figure problem
Unsurprisingly, the most common complaint in miniature swaps is not a duplicate; it is a model that simply does not fit. A giant centrepiece for someone who paints small warbands, a scale that clashes with the recipient's collection, or a figure from a game they do not play. The wish list and the no-list handle most of this, but it is worth appointing one organiser as a quiet arbiter. If a chosen gift seems off-brief, a gentle private message usually fixes things without anyone losing face.
A short timeline that actually works
In early November, open sign-ups and publish the budget, the deadlines and the wish-list template. Mid-November, close sign-ups and send out names. By the last week of November, everyone should have ordered or bought their figure. Early December is for painting; the final posting deadline should sit around the first week of December for a pre-Christmas exchange, or mid-December for a January club-night reveal.
A January reveal is honestly underrated. It takes the pressure off December, gives painters a few extra evenings, and turns a cold, broke month into something to look forward to. Call it a New Year Swap and nobody will complain.
Why one small model matters
There is a particular pleasure in painting a figure for someone else. You choose a colour scheme you might never use, you push a little harder on the face because you know it will be examined, and you write a short note explaining your choices. The recipient gets more than a model; they get a small piece of someone else's hobby time.
That is the real point of a miniature Secret Santa. Not the budget, not the spreadsheet, and certainly not the race to beat the postman. It is the reminder that this hobby is a community, and that a single grey figure can carry a surprising amount of goodwill. Run it well, and your club will still be talking about it in February.
