White elephant gift suggestions

[Bront]

It's a not realy that usefull gift. Often given at a party where the gifts are handed out randomly, and then each person draws a number, and can choose to either open or switch on their turn.

 

[the Jester]

We're having our work party this coming weekend and we traditionally do a white elephant (also called a "dirty Santa"). It's basically where everyone brings a cheap gift, and you play a game with distributing them. Good times.

 

[Tinner]

Go to a discount food store. If you have Aldis near you that would be perfect.
$10 buys a whole lot of chocolate and generic snack cakes!
Put them all in one big box and wrap.
Almost everyone likes candy & Little Debbies.
A huge present is guaranteed to see a lot of stealing action in a white elephant swap!

 

[diaglo]

a hundred dollar pen from Pen Geeks. edit: here's a link to a link for the pen: http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=2767958&postcount=1

 

[ssampier]

pardon my ignorance, but what is a white elephant gift?

The story goes that a person was late getting a present for a party. He looked all around his house for something that he could wrap and re-gift. In desperation, he found an old white elephant statue. He quickly wrapped it, headed out to the party. He left the present on the table.

Later on, everyone at the party thought the white elephant was a big joke and got a big "kick" out of it.

They're basically joke or gag gifts. In my office, the more embrassing or plain stupid the better. One employee tried to a bring a loaf of bread, but that didn't go over well.

 

[ssampier]

Go to a discount food store. If you have Aldis near you that would be perfect.
$10 buys a whole lot of chocolate and generic snack cakes!
Put them all in one big box and wrap.
Almost everyone likes candy & Little Debbies.
A huge present is guaranteed to see a lot of stealing action in a white elephant swap!

not a bad idea. I think I like this one best.

I've never heard of Aldis, is that a type of "dollar store"?

 

[Kahuna Burger]

The story goes that a person was late getting a present for a party. He looked all around his house for something that he could wrap and re-gift. In desperation, he found an old white elephant statue. He quickly wrapped it, headed out to the party. He left the present on the table.

dude, that is totally not the story. The term comes from the story of an emporer who, when he wished to take a particularly ambitious noble down a couple of pegs, would give him the gift of a white elephant. It was a great honor, but also a trap. The elephant couldn't be worked, couldn't be sold, had to be kept housed and fed as befited a great animal and gift from the emporer. So the noble would be destroyed by the sign of "favor".

So a White Elephant gift is traditionally one that has theoretical value but is useless and a hassel in the long run.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

not a bad idea. I think I like this one best.

I've never heard of Aldis, is that a type of "dollar store"?

its kinda a grocery store where everything is Brand X. I miss them, they seem to be a midwestern thing.

 

[ssampier]

I ended up getting some chocolates and candy at the local dollar store. I hope to wrap it in a large box containing a smaller, wrapped box. Inside the smaller box will be the chocolates. The larger box will contain individually wrapped candy and some cheap flatware as a ruse. Each box will have a note that the box must be traded before opening.

Cheesy I know.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

a hundred dollar pen from Pen Geeks. edit: here's a link to a link for the pen: http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=2767958&postcount=1

Yes, I hear fancy pens are popular this time of year.