Gift exchange - HELP NEEDED!

[WDWRocksMySocks]

My office is having a white elephant gift exchange and I need help! I have no clue what to get. It's not supposed to be gender specific, however our office is predominantly male. Our spending limit is $20. Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!

 

[IDoDis]

My office is having a white elephant gift exchange and I need help! I have no clue what to get. It's not supposed to be gender specific, however our office is predominantly male. Our spending limit is $20. Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!

A white elephant gift exchange shouldn't require that you purchase something new. It should be something that you can find around the house that is basically uselss -- like a white elephant figurine. You should also try to make it funny, but don't give junk. One year I received a used vacuum cleaner hose. That was garbage and was not a white elephant gift.

Look around for something that you've received that you think, "What in the world am I ever going to do with this?" Wrap it up and take it to your party.
Have fun!

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

A white elephant gift exchange shouldn't require that you purchase something new. It should be something that you can find around the house that is basically uselss -- like a white elephant figurine. You should also try to make it funny, but don't give junk. One year I received a used vacuum cleaner hose. That was garbage and was not a white elephant gift.

Look around for something that you've received that you think, "What in the world am I ever going to do with this?" Wrap it up and take it to your party.
Have fun!

I wish I could do that. It'd be fun and pretty easy. Unfortunately, our group has specified it should be something that is newly purchased and not a gift card (bummer, b/c that's really easy). I'd hate to wind up w/ my useless gift, while they got something nice for the exchange -- you know?

So, I'm completely stuck on what I should get.

 

[PigletsPal]

How about a nice pen. A coffee cup with some small coffee samples.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Lottery ticket scratchers.

If you want, you can buy various ones: $1, $2, $3, etc.



We do this at work and it is fun. We steal gifts, etc., but there are no rules, except $10 MAXIMUM. We've had the same photo frames get passed back and forth for five years now and I've just been here a year.


Here are some things from our party Friday: Scented lotions, a coffee-tablebook, a Motorhead DVD, a child's toy, movie tickets, sunglasses (nice, in a case), Starbucks coffee beans, Captain Underpants book, and a candle.

 

[Pixie Tales]

so Basicly you are doing a Secret Santa exchange because a White Elephant exchange is something already in your home that you don't use or don't like and doesn't cost anything

As for your secret santa exchange, they have a TON of gift sets at any local store. Walmart, Kmart, Target etc. Soup, comes with 2 bowls spoons and crackers, coffee or tea or hot chocolate all come with cups and spoons and things

Or if you make up a basket with auto cleaning supplies

 

[Michelle67]

Okay...do you know how this white elephant game works? Because we do one every year, and with ours there is one white elephant that keeps coming back, and the rest of the gifts are nice. I actually hate white elephant gifts where all the gifts are useless junk. What a waste of money.

Anyhow...with that said...my daughter's journalism class did one and they had some funny ones. Someone bought underwear and tie dyed them ridiculous colors. My daughter took a box of "Smooth Move" herbal tea (yes, it's a laxative) and a bag of marbles---replacement parts. It was a "stinks getting old" kit. Kinda funny since they were all high school seniors.

For our party, the most popular items this year (which matters, because we steal ) were chocolates, a really nice heavy duty flashlight, and scratch tickets. The scratch tickets were taped on smaller gifts like a can of Almond Roca, or a Christmas CD. Also popular are nice Christmas ornaments, good mixing bowls, etc.

Best wishes with your hunt, and have fun!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

How about buying a newly released movie like The Dark Knight? If the person that receives it already has it they can just exchange it somewhere for a different movie.

 

[minniecarousel]

A flashlight. Who couldn't use an extra flashlight?

Or an electric screwdriver - another handy item.

 

[korzmom]

my dd last year got a older movie with bag of popcorn and a throw in a basket,she loved it and so did everyone else at the store.

 

[cristit14]

One year I took a bottle of wine and that was a big hit. (It was a red wine someone had given me and I don't drink red wine).

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Thanks for sharing all of your great ideas!

so Basicly you are doing a Secret Santa exchange because a White Elephant exchange is something already in your home that you don't use or don't like and doesn't cost anything

I don't think a white elephant gift has to be something used, but I'm not sure. I don't think anyone in my office really knew what a white elephant gift exchange was. We were all kind of confused about it at first. I hate to see what some of my co-workers do.

my dd last year got a older movie with bag of popcorn and a throw in a basket,she loved it and so did everyone else at the store.

Ooh, I really love that idea!

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

A nice corkscrew.

coasters.

a nice throw (can get them on sale now for under $20)

coffee & mug

commuter mug

current bestseller books

a scarf

a car scraper/snow brush


BTW, what you are describing is a Yankee Swap around here. It is featured in one of my favorite episodes of "the Office." Have fun.

 

[Minnie824]

I was going to say a few things mentioned already... maybe a couple cute coffee mugs with some hot chocolate packages. Some specialty stores sell fancy marshmallows and hot chocolate. Or, a bucket of popcorn from blockbuster...I was going to say a gift card there as well, with some candy and sodas for a 'movie night'.

 

[wall*e2008]

Chia pet

 

[SC Minnie]

DH's office had one last week. Here is a couple of things that were brought-

$20 GC to Target

$20 GC to a restaurant

Apples to Apples game

Yankee Candle

mug with hot chocolate

small digital photo cube

That's all I remember right now.

 

[TinkerbEllnor]

alcohol

a bottle of Bailey's
or
a basket of nips, a bunch of those single serve bottles of liquor you get on an airplane, you can usually find those in the liqour store.
or
some microbrews

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Bummer you can't do gift cards. They were always one of the most popular gifts to "steal" at my office gift exchange, after booze anyway, those bottles would get stolen over and over and over!

In my experience, there's always lots of coffee and candles, so I try to avoid those.

I got a Scooby Doo stapler at our gift exchange once, I love it! Funny calendars or books, gift sets (as someone mentioned, with popcorn, soup, candy, etc), CD, DVD, maybe something from a popular sports team in town (one year an Avalanche hat went over well at ours).