So I've worked at the same place for six years, but there's been a ton of turnover each year and our boss is also new this year. We received a holiday party invitation for the whole staff, and it mentioned a white elephant gift exchange, value limit of $5.
Now I've participated in a lot of white elephant/Yankee swap exchanges in my life, and I'm just not sure what the boss is going for... When you hear white elephant gift exchabge, what do you think?
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In my family it means homemade gift.
In your case I would probably ask because I think it could be a funny gift or a generic gift.
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Personally I like to give something that I'd like to receive. I hate spending money on an elephant exchange gift and getting something crappy.
Its always fun to have some 'funny' gifts thrown in as well though...
For $5 you're pretty limited... -
funny!
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Normally, I'd say funny but since it's just $5, I think generic. I'd probably show up with a $5 Starbucks card or $5 in Scratchers...
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I think "White Elephant" = funny. If it just said gift exchange then it would be generic.
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Generic.
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I normally try to blend funny and useful - one year I did a chick-fil- calendar with a coconut. A five dollar cap really limits your options though, I'd probably just go with a gift card for that - you could always wrap it in a unique way to make it a little more exciting.
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I usually go for generic/useful. We do a White Elephant gift exchange with D's family (we call it a Yankee Swap, though), and I just don't love the "funny" ones.
Although one year there was a small, old-school film container (the black cylinder with the grey lid?), with a tiny model stool in it, and "stool sample" was written on the top (and a $20 bill wrapped around it). Best part is it came from D's very old, very conservative and stern grandmother. My nurse SIL got it
ETA: I'd probably do scratch-off tickets.
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$5 is not much to spend, this must be a gag gift of some sort.
White Elephant = funny or naughty
Secret Santa or Gift Exchange = generic
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My work group has a white elephant every year and the person that organizes it specifically says NO GAG GIFTS! So I would bring a generic gift. A Starbucks gift card is nice. Our limit is 15 dollars so a good one is a pair of movie tickets.
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I resent getting a funny gift, honestly. But I'm the exception, I think. But $5 is an absurd limit, no matter what you're going for.
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@Raindrop: $15 will buy you two movie tickets? I wish it would here. Wasn't it like $4 each when I was little?
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Yeah, $5 limit is really difficult... my husband's workplace does one every year with a $15 limit, half of the gifts are funny and the other half are generic.
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I would definitely clarify!
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@Torchwood: Yes! I use to get mine at costco. They sell 2 gold tickets to AMC for about 15 dollars I thought.
Confession - I haven't bought tickets in ages though (I have a friend that works for a movie theater and he gives me manager tickets for my birthday and we don't see that many movies a year because of kids).
But every year for our white elephant at least 2 people bring 2 movie tickets and put them in big boxes... making us think they are big items... with two gold movie tickets on the bottom. Haha. I guess our rule is no "real" gag gifts but you can still have some fun by putting small items in big wrapped boxes.
Yes when we were little movies were way more affordable!!! I'm not sure what happened.
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Someone needs to ask for clarity, or go for a funny gift thats actually usable.
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I would say useful. I'd rather get a $5 gift card than a $5 gift I'll donate because I hate clutter:)
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White Elephant to me means funny / gag gifts. But I don't know that I'd want to do that with coworkers.
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I'm lazy. So I'd probably take five ones and fold them into some interesting origami shapes and drop them in a box. Done.
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White elephant says goofy gifts to me. For $5, I'd probably look for something useful but silly, like funny sticky notes or a set of note cards. Do you have a Five Below nearby?
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