Hi Kathy09,
Givers are free to give to whomever they like, be it the first or tenth respondent on the public ad/thread or by PM. Therefore, being first to post an expression of interest does not mean that a person will receive an item.
Some Givers pass on their item to the first respondent on the thread, or the person who can collect the soonest, or the person who lives closest. It's entirely up to the Giver, and neither Admin nor fellow Members have any say in the matter.
Some Givers check the Wanted forum first and wait for the person requesting the item to get back to them. Other Givers go directly to the main Givers' forums and post their items there. Once again, it's entirely up to the Giver.
For more information about the Giving and Taking process, please see the "User Tips" post near the top of all the Givers' forums and the Wanted forum...here:
http://www.jumbletown.ie/forums/showthread.php?t=6326
Regards
Dave Hagan
Admin