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OT - White Elephant Gift Exchange

Every year a local professional group everyone in my office belongs to has a Christmas party with a white elephant gift exchange.  I’ve been burned by this darn thing quite a bit.  One year I received an institutional size can of pork & beans.  Another year I received a wadded up mess of old Christmas lights (half burned out).  In other words, rubbish.  

Things have evolved (or devolved, depending on your point of view) into a booze exchange.  I don’t mind that, but there are always one or two tea-totalers I feel sorry for.  This year, I did something different.



I bought $20 in scratch off lottery tix.  In keeping with the spirit of a white elephant, I made a crappy box out of popsicle sticks and hot glue.  I completely glued the box closed with the tix and a couple of loose Jolly Ranchers to provide an enticing sound when shook.  I’m ready for Thursday’s party.

Do you white elephant?  What kind of interesting gifts have you received?
Flint, Michigan

Comments

  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,750
    A few I have given-IKEA Paper Airplane

    image

    X (ex)-Box

    image

    Apple Tablet 

    image

    new Apple Phone

    image
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • I love the lottery ticket idea, inside a "junky" box.  It's always so hard coming up with something fun to take.  We've resorted to booze the last few years, but we'll be doing your idea this year!  Thanks, @Fred19Flintstone!

    Kelley 
    Egging with No Joke Smoke (Bruce), enjoying small town life in Brenham, TX., the home of Blue Bell Ice Cream.  BGEs: XL, Medium,  1 MiniMax. 36" CookRite Commercial Griddle, and a Shirley Smoker.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,736
    its a yankee swap here, the guys sit back on the sidelines and watch the woman get pissed, the children crying as after you pick a gift in your lineup, you trade it for something you want that someone already has. first to pick a gift has the pick of the litter at the end. usually nice gifts though
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I bought some fur-covered handcuffs and flavored sex-lube one year for the sneaky Santa gift exchange.  People fought over it.  Perverts.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,887
    its a yankee swap here, the guys sit back on the sidelines and watch the woman get pissed, the children crying as after you pick a gift in your lineup, you trade it for something you want that someone already has. first to pick a gift has the pick of the litter at the end. usually nice gifts though
    Back here that “yankee swap” is called a “like or steal”, but being a super friendly neighborhood party then nobody ever skunks with their gifts. We are limited to $20 each per couple, but being a super friendly neighborhood party nobody ever skunks with their gifts and $30 is more norm... This year I planned to box up some jams and jellies from our pantry from a well wisher in another state who loves to give us SO MANY! and still probably will, but in the future I love your rub off Lotto tickets...I think...
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,024
    I like to gift white elephant gifts to people not expecting white elephant gifts and write someone else's name on it. 

    I gave my cousins 8 month old baby a brand new plug in coffee cup for Christmas one year. I wrote my Uncles name on the gift. Watching my cousin open up the gift and look at her husband and be like WTF is this? Than go see them thank my uncle for the gift across the room is priceless. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    WeberWho said:
    I like to gift white elephant gifts to people not expecting white elephant gifts and write someone else's name on it. 

    I gave my cousins 8 month old baby a brand new plug in coffee cup for Christmas one year. I wrote my Uncles name on the gift. Watching my cousin open up the gift and look at her husband and be like WTF is this? Than go see them thank my uncle for the gift across the room is priceless. 
    See...this is a prime example of having too much free time on your hands because you get snowed in for 4 month in MN.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,024
    Photo Egg said:
    WeberWho said:
    I like to gift white elephant gifts to people not expecting white elephant gifts and write someone else's name on it. 

    I gave my cousins 8 month old baby a brand new plug in coffee cup for Christmas one year. I wrote my Uncles name on the gift. Watching my cousin open up the gift and look at her husband and be like WTF is this? Than go see them thank my uncle for the gift across the room is priceless. 
    See...this is a prime example of having too much free time on your hands because you get snowed in for 4 month in MN.
    Did you forget about ice fishing, snowmobiling, and eating lutefisk? Very, very busy schedule.  ;)
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,168
    WeberWho said:
    Photo Egg said:
    WeberWho said:
    I like to gift white elephant gifts to people not expecting white elephant gifts and write someone else's name on it. 

    I gave my cousins 8 month old baby a brand new plug in coffee cup for Christmas one year. I wrote my Uncles name on the gift. Watching my cousin open up the gift and look at her husband and be like WTF is this? Than go see them thank my uncle for the gift across the room is priceless. 
    See...this is a prime example of having too much free time on your hands because you get snowed in for 4 month in MN.
    Did you forget about ice fishing, snowmobiling, and eating lutefisk? Very, very busy schedule.  ;)

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    edited December 2019
    WeberWho said:
    Photo Egg said:
    WeberWho said:
    I like to gift white elephant gifts to people not expecting white elephant gifts and write someone else's name on it. 

    I gave my cousins 8 month old baby a brand new plug in coffee cup for Christmas one year. I wrote my Uncles name on the gift. Watching my cousin open up the gift and look at her husband and be like WTF is this? Than go see them thank my uncle for the gift across the room is priceless. 
    See...this is a prime example of having too much free time on your hands because you get snowed in for 4 month in MN.
    Did you forget about ice fishing, snowmobiling, and eating lutefisk? Very, very busy schedule.  ;)
    I have fond memories of traveling on ice covered roads to the MN BGE Frozen Fest...lol
    and having to drive around a Fishing Ice House that fell off a trailer that was in the middle of the road as we were leaving.
    I really do miss MN, but now, after being away for so long, 1 week of winter is enough.lol
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    WeberWho said:
    Photo Egg said:
    WeberWho said:
    I like to gift white elephant gifts to people not expecting white elephant gifts and write someone else's name on it. 

    I gave my cousins 8 month old baby a brand new plug in coffee cup for Christmas one year. I wrote my Uncles name on the gift. Watching my cousin open up the gift and look at her husband and be like WTF is this? Than go see them thank my uncle for the gift across the room is priceless. 
    See...this is a prime example of having too much free time on your hands because you get snowed in for 4 month in MN.
    Did you forget about ice fishing, snowmobiling, and eating lutefisk? Very, very busy schedule.  ;)
    I'm not sure I'd lump eating lutefisk in with ice fishing and snowmobiling (is that called "snow machining" in Alaska?).

    Based on my Sesame Street training "one of these things are not like the others".
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • @nolaegghead
      Yes.
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • What’s with the &nbsp?
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    What’s with the &nbsp?
    it's code for a forced space.

    "Alternatively referred to as a fixed space or hard space, NBSP (non-breaking space) is used in programming, and word processing to create a space in a line that cannot be broken by word wrap. With HTML,   allows you to create multiple spaces that are visible on a web page and not only in the source code."

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Ok boomer 
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Ok boomer 
    I didn't put it there.  Boomers own and control everything, I'm ok with that label.  Cooking up some goat.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • That’s cold man
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    That’s cold man
    "greatest of all time" steak.  Simmah down nah!
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
    That was baaaaaaad  @nolaegghead
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
  • Fred19Flintstone
    Fred19Flintstone Posts: 8,168
    edited December 2019
    After Party Report - I was busy joking with my buddy when people started picking gifts.  When I got to it, there were two gifts left.  Mine and somebody else’s.  I picked mine because I knew it wasn’t a dud.  Somebody ended up with a Golden Girl’s apron.

    When all gifts were taken, then folks have 60 seconds to swap gifts.  The rule is you must swap if asked and don’t swap back.  Mine didn’t look like booze, so folks weren’t interested in swapping and nether was I.  

    It took a little effort to pry open the box.  I guess hot glue is pretty good at burning fingers as well as being a strong craft glue.  So how much in winnings did I get for $20 worth of scratch tickets?  A whopping $5.  Oh well.  I had fun.
    Flint, Michigan
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,463
    edited December 2019
    Photo Egg said: I have fond memories of traveling on ice covered roads to the MN BGE Frozen Fest...lol
    and having to drive around a Fishing Ice House that fell off a trailer that was in the middle of the road as we were leaving.
    I really do miss MN, but now, after being away for so long, 1 week of winter is enough.lol
    Those of us stationed at Grand Forks, ND envied you guys in the warmer climes of MN, where vehicles could still be started!  :tongue:
     
     

    My last White Elephant party was ten years ago, Christmas party at the Commander's house, for a job that I was to start the next Monday, ie meeting a houseful of future coworkers for the first time, where alcohol was involved; gah.  
    Military folks had traditionally been republican (not so much anymore) and this woman was particularly vilified; my anonymous gift:
     

     While my new job, and the rest of my career, were a complete disaster, this gift WAS the hit of the party!   :)
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Sea2Ski said:
    That was baaaaaaad  @nolaegghead
    hahaha  good one!
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..