Stealing gift swaps

[conuly]

In the past month I've become aware of a few things, which I'll enumerate now:

1. There are a lot of different names for the sort of gift swap where people pick gifts randomly and can steal from other players - Yankee Swap, White Elephant, Dirty Santa... the list just goes on.

2. Many people think there's some sort of distinction between these activities, that some are just for regifting or just for gag gifts or whatever, or that some are unwrapped presents and others are wrapped presents, or I don't even know. These people are constantly dismayed to find that nobody else knows their private rules. If you're organizing such an activity for your group, you need to make it very clear what sort of gifting is happening or else a lot of people are going to be unhappy that "nobody knew the real rules".

3. Many people think it's appropriate to give sex toys and lingerie at these activities, even at work. You shouldn't have to forbid this, but you do.

4. The funniest possible gift that's still useful is an economy sized package of toilet paper. If your gift exchange is for inexpensive gag gifts, you will utterly make a smash.

5. The most desired gift in a non-gag gift swap is probably a gift card.

So now you know!

Comments

[sovay]

3. Many people think it's appropriate to give sex toys and lingerie at these activities, even at work. You shouldn't have to forbid this, but you do.

Aaaaaaah.

[conuly]

IT IS SO GROSS.

Even if you worked at, idk, a strip club or a sex store or a freaking brothel, it'd be so gross. Except I think they know that at those places, which is why you only hear this story from office environments.

BTW, if you're a cisgender guy in such an environment and you see a female coworker has accidentally gotten such an item, you're honor-bound to "steal" it from her and then complain to the organizer later that this should've been specifically forbidden in the rules. And if such a thing happens during a Secret Santa, and you witness it, you're well within your rights to help the hapless victim go to HR and then key the dudebro's car.

[sovay]

And if such a thing happens during a Secret Santa, and you witness it, you're well within your rights to help the hapless victim go to HR and then key the dudebro's car.

Indeed.

[jessie_c]

The most-stolen gift I ever saw at one of these was a set of 5 Vodka sample bottles. It went around the entire room at least once.

[colls]

As a former organizer of this sort of exchange, I can only whole-heartedly agree with your list (it wasn't for work, it was a group of drinking friends so #3 would've been acceptable).
The only thing I would add is that when the organizer explains the rules of this particular swap, DON'T ARGUE AND TRY TO DO YOUR OWN THING. As you say, there are 100 ways to play and dear lord someone has to make a decision or it's going to end in chaos and hurt feelings AND NO ONE WILL HAVE A GOOD TIME.

I no longer organize the group because I moved away, but this sort of crap is why I don't miss it.
Bah Humbug.
(LOL)

But I'm totally buying toilet paper next time. Ha!

[flexagon]

Yeah, alcohol always swapped the most at every corporate one of these I've seen.

[topaz_eyes]

The Mister brought home a little pink piggy foot pillow from this year's white elephant. :-D ...with a pair of obviously used stretch slippers tucked inside. >_<

The best white elephant gift I remember, was a hot air popcorn popper in trade for a little Pikachu stuffie, back in about 2000. (The person who stole my Pikachu, commented he was going to take the only thing that would appreciate in value.) We still use the popcorn maker, too.

[batwrangler]

I'm never quite certain about this (or corporate group activities of any kind) so I look for something that appeals to my sense of whimsy: Last year, it was a giant plush owl that turned out to be quite a hit (I'd crammed it into a box rather smaller than it was in its uncompressed form, which no doubt helped). This year it was a cozy throw blanket with festive gnomes on it, but I went home sick before the exchange....

[conuly]

Maybe, but while some people can't drink alcohol, nearly everybody uses toilet paper.

[conuly]

Geez, if you want to play by some other rules, make your own swap.

[conuly]

Did the Pikachu appreciate in value after all?

[conuly]

Festive gnomes sound nice!

[batwrangler]

I found one on these at a local discount outlet: https://www.amazon.com/Thro-Micromink-Decorative-Blanket-Christmas/dp/B07K29FFT2

[ioplokon]

Ugh yeah, I think that unless your office is really close, gag gift parties in general are just pointless. Like, just going out to spend $20 on a gift people probably are going to throw away is strange.

[ioplokon]

It's also fucking weird to do them in work environments where people attending are on vastly different pay scales?

[conuly]

Toilet paper.

[conuly]

That's why the well-run gift swap has a strict - and fairly low! - price cap. And is opt-in.

[topaz_eyes]

I don't know! Lost track of him years ago.

[novel_machinist]

"Many people think it's appropriate to give sex toys and lingerie at these activities, even at work. You shouldn't have to forbid this, but you do"



Woooooowwwwwwwwww XD

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Oh, how I wish "lingerie" here was correctly sized thermals.

First rule of clowning: The "underwear" revealed is polka-dotted and covers to the knees. I don't know if the hooped top pants with suspenders clown still exists.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Most stolen and most useful are not on the same axis.

A bag of composted manure and a shovel for same is a very useful gift To The Correct Giftee. It's also rather pricey.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

The only way to do them with vastly different pay scales is to cap them at $5 or what ever is appropriate for the least renumerated employee, and then the well paid people must consider "Is this the most thoughtful use of $5 dollars?"

[nicki]

Our most stolen 2 gifts this year were both fuzzy throw blankets. (rule was $20 cap)

[conuly]

In this case, toilet paper is evidently both - at least, it is in the right crowd.

[conuly]

Thermals would be an acceptable gift if and only if you know the recipient will appreciate it.