Need ideas for Yankee swap- UPDATED

[whoisjohngalt]

First I would like to say how much I hate hate hate HATE  this idea.  But I can't opt out since it's a very small office and "everyone is doing it".

My boss takes us all out to a VERY fancy dinner and everyone has to bring a "gift" to exchange.

I completely screwed up last year, it was quite embarrassing.  I won't tell you what I brought...


But as I said, it's a very small office and I can't screw up again.

So, what should I bring??  I think it's suppose to be $25-$30.

ETA:  Things that others brought last year

A huge glass serving bowl/plate - wasn't very succesful
Purse - not too successful
A big bag of candy - NO ONE wanted that
A GC to the movies - it was OK
Office heater - evidently it was an "inside" thing for one particular person and she kept it
Some glasses bought at a craft fair - again, it was for a particular person

[Opti]

What's a Yankee Swap? I'm guessing the boss participates in said Yankee Swap?

[whoisjohngalt]

Yankee Swap is you having to exchange useless crap with your coworkers.

Yes, boss participated too.

[grumpyhermit]

You have to tell us! Given the list of items that were moderately? successful, I mostly just want to know what you could have brought that was a total screw up.

I too loathe Yankee Swaps.The Amazon Echo Dot is currently on sale for $30. You could give your coworkers the gift of constant surveillance.

[alabamagal]

Lotto tickets - the scratch off kind!

I have actually known people who enjoyed receiving them.  They are likely worthless, but there is a chance you can win big.  When I worked for a 20 person company, someone gave some to the owner.  I kind of wondered what would happen if he won big money, while all the workers were left with $20 useless gifts, but I think he got $10 out of it (for $20 spent).

When we did swap it was for a specific person.  For a guy that worked outside, I got him a pair of really nice, expensive wool socks.  For a guy that worked in the lab and complained that the boss wouldn't turn the heat up, I got a nice scarf and hat - and he actually wore them!

[wvugurl26]

Gift cards and lottery tickets have always been popular in my office.

Less successful was the Chia pet and subscription to a cooking magazine. I'm drawing a blank on the other stuff. I think we only did it for one or two years.

My new favorite thing is the 30 ounce Ozark Trail tumblers at Walmart. They had a silver 2 pack on sale for $12 for Black Friday. They work really well and are much cheaper than the Yeti stuff.

[giramomma]

funkindeepfreeze.com/gift-swap/

www.yankeeswapgiftideas.com/

There's always pintrest for ideas...

If you do a google search, I'd stay away from the sassy santa website.

[MJ2.0]

I'm confused - I could have sworn you said on a previous thread a few months ago that you don't work.

[whoisjohngalt]

Nov 28, 2017 12:03:50 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

I'm confused - I could have sworn you said on a previous thread a few months ago that you don't work.

I make so little money (compared to what I used to make) that I consider it charity

But no, I have been working PT, mostly seasonally since 2015.

[MJ2.0]

working is working!

[NoNamePerson]

Hasn't it dawned on everyone what a dumb idea this is since 95% of the "gifts" are unsuccessful. 

[chen35]

Alcohol is usually pretty successful in the ones I've been a part of. 

[raeoflyte]

Cell phone charger blocks 

[milee]

The ones I've seen are popular:

- Small set of Williams Sonoma hand wash and lotion, think it was Lavendar
- Box of whatever the local high end chocolatier sells
- Bottle of liqueur like Bailey's Irish Cream


You HAVE to tell us what you brought last year!!!

[taz157]

Bottles of liquor or visa gift cards were popular at ones I’ve been too. Grey Goose was popular actually.

Edit: What did you bring last year? Pretty please with a cherry on top.

[Deleted]

liquor.

If you do lottery tickets you can display them in a frame.

I actually like the Amazon dot idea.

[wvugurl26]

I like the charger block idea. My brother gave me one before my wedding since I'm nicknamed princess dead phone.

[whoisjohngalt]

I would have NEVER thought about bringing alcohol for "work" function, but you all might be right- they were driving quite a bit at our "after busy season" lunch

I am leaning towards lotions or GC....

[giramomma]

Nov 28, 2017 14:04:40 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I would have NEVER thought about bringing alcohol for "work" function, but you all might be right- they were driving quite a bit at our "after busy season" lunch

I am leaning towards lotions or GC....

I would do a GC....people can be fussy about lotions.

[Waffle]

The most successful gift of that sort that I ever gave was a small table lamp.  (I think I got it at a Hallmark shop). Years later when I would run into the receipient she would tell me about how much she loved her lamp and where in her house it was.

But, I think that was a fluke - it could have just as easily been something that didn't go with her décor.

[NoNamePerson]

Curious. Are these people females, males, mixture? 

[Annie7]

Chromecast (won it last year and I love it), Firestick, golf balls, movie theater tickets, cell phone chargers, memory sticks. We are a geeky bunch, so electronics always wins.

[beergut]

A bottle of Crown Royal has worked at every gift exchange I've done.

[Anne_in_VA]

How about a throw in a neutral color?  That's always gone over well at the ones I've attended.  That and wine or liquor.

[Tiny]

Nov 28, 2017 15:55:47 GMT -5 Anne_in_VA said:

How about a throw in a neutral color?  That's always gone over well at the ones I've attended.  That and wine or liquor.

Sam's club had 5 foot by 6 foot fleece-y 'blankets' for $15.00 in assorted colors. Got myself one and DAM! it's nice - the cats love it too (it's big enough for all of us to share). For $15 when spring comes - I'll probably just toss out the fur covered throw rather than attempt to wash it. Disposable awesomeness.     (my cats pretty much were like "Oh. My. Cat.  THAT LOOKS AWESOME must snuggle in it!!!"  when I used it the first time).

Alcohol also goes over well.

I had great success last year with a package of "battery operated candles" and the batteries to make them work... (spent about $20.00 total)   ALDI recently had 4 candles (with a remote) for $9.99.  so they are still a thing   <-- an indication they aren't super pricey  (the Aldi candles are nice - bought some for myself)   - Bed Bath and Beyond use to sell them too.

[Tiny]

Nov 28, 2017 12:18:20 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Hasn't it dawned on everyone what a dumb idea this is since 95% of the "gifts" are unsuccessful. 

Unfortunately, there are many people who feel that it isn't the holiday unless there are gifts - even crappy things you don't really want. I guess for them the pay off is the expectation and the suspense of unwrapping something - not what's actually in the wrapping.

[NoNamePerson]

Nov 28, 2017 16:10:48 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Nov 28, 2017 12:18:20 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Hasn't it dawned on everyone what a dumb idea this is since 95% of the "gifts" are unsuccessful. 

Unfortunately, there are many people who feel that it isn't the holiday unless there are gifts - even crappy things you don't really want. I guess for them the pay off is the expectation and the suspense of unwrapping something - not what's actually in the wrapping.

That could explain it. I just don't see this at work place especially when being treated to a fancy dinner by boss! Just color me ba humbug about this type of stuff.     

[whoisjohngalt]

It's all women.

I am very hesitant to go any kind of "taste" route - it's such a crap shoot with blankets and lotions and decor items and even alcohol.

More and more I am leaning towards GC....or scratch off tickets...

I am probably making this too complicated and projecting my own dislike of crap.

Except for cash, I would really not want to anything in any kind of swap

[bookkeeper]

Good coffee or tea with some tasty sweets!

[hoops902]

Nov 28, 2017 16:10:48 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Nov 28, 2017 12:18:20 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Hasn't it dawned on everyone what a dumb idea this is since 95% of the "gifts" are unsuccessful. 

Unfortunately, there are many people who feel that it isn't the holiday unless there are gifts - even crappy things you don't really want. I guess for them the pay off is the expectation and the suspense of unwrapping something - not what's actually in the wrapping.

One thing I'll point out is that the entire idea of this kind of "game" is that it really isn't about the "gifts" at all...it's about the game and using it as a way to interact with others. Heck, you could even argue that a part of that game is in trying to get people to leave with things they don't really want. Whether you like the game or not is up to the individual...but it's certainly more about the game itself than the gifts (you could just pick one thing and leave without the game component if you just wanted to unwrap something).