MetaChat - Ideas for a Yankee Swap*

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10 December 2014

Ideas for a Yankee Swap* this is for my job and is always a little chaotic. The only rules are "spend between 0 and $10" and "be creative." Anyone got a fun, off the wall idea?

*Also known as Pollyanna, Dirty Santa, White Elephant, etc.

post by: Miko at: 21:08 | 9 comments

http://www.stashtea.com/Abbott-White-Elephant-Creamer/dp/B005ORHI4U

posted by apoch 10 December | 22:49

Something from Ye Olde Pepper with a plastic witch.

White elephant to me means a garage sale held at a school,place of worship or community center.

posted by brujita 11 December | 00:09

Somebody once brought a big jar of gummy vitamins to one, that was a pretty popular gift.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 11 December | 09:06

I would be pretty pleased to get 10 $1 scratch off lottery tickets. It may not be particularly creative but it would be fun.

A roll of quarters would also be good. Everyone needs quarters.

Or $10 worth of capsule toys - the kind you get in the machines in the vestibule of Toys R Us. Sort of a final reason for a child to dissolve into tears, one more opportunity for a parent to scream "NO!" You can get some cool stuff in those machines.

Or a $10 gift card to an independent ice cream parlor.

These are things I'd actually want as opposed to dumb gag gifts. OK, the capsule toy thing is dumb but it would be fun to open them all.

posted by Kangaroo 11 December | 16:53

My office really had fun with toy firefighters -- we got ours at the dollar store.

Also, who wouldn't love a robot hand?

posted by JanetLand 11 December | 19:07

Thanks everyone! I especially like the $10 lottery tickets idea. We have this stupid Scooby Doo Chia Pet that had a decently long run as the gag gift. One year I grabbed it out of the swap for myself because I was sick of people getting stuck with it. Since then I've been trying to figure out a funny way to re-introduce it but have it not suck to get it. Just sticking the lottery tickets in there would really sweeten the deal.

posted by Miko 11 December | 19:35

White elephant to me means a garage sale held at a school,place of worship or community center.

That's true for me too, but it's what some people call that game where you exchange gifts in a round robin. Turns out to be a regionalism. The name "Dirty Santa" creeps me out but that's what my friend from Alabama calls it and nobody apparently bats an eye.

posted by Miko 11 December | 19:38

Came in to say lottery tickets, but it's already been said!
Those are the best because I would never buy them but they are fun.

Also, if you can still find those 25 cent packs of gum, $10 worth of those would make a nice confusing cube.

posted by rmless2 12 December | 14:35

40 packs of gum would be hilarious. Plus you would never get them back in the wrapping.

posted by Miko 13 December | 00:02

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