by Marcia Studley

Created on: May 09, 2009

A white elephant gift exchange can be fun, or it can be a nightmare. In my opinion, people oftentimes over think these events and stress themselves out un-needlessly. The key factor that needs to be known is whether your white elephant gift is going to someone anonymously or if you know who is getting it in advance. Now, by the nature of white elephant concept, it means that the gift-giver doesn't know who will receive the gift. While variations offer situations where you do know the recipient, this article will utilize the basic idea that you have no clue who is going to go home with the white elephant gift that you bring to the occasion.

Traditionally, white elephant gifts are things you had lying around, unused, that you no longer wanted. Nowadays, however, a lot of folks go out and buy them instead. Somewhere along the line, the concept changed. With that in mind, it's important to know the dollar limit of the white elephant. In days of yore, it might have been as low as $5, but today, you just can't buy anything for that amount. So, make sure that whatever the monetary guidelines are, that you follow them.

Since you don't know the recipient of your gift, make sure it's generic in age and gender. This isn't the time for a gag gift or for something so specific in form (punk rock T-shirt or NASCAR driver's cap, for example) that the average person may not have any need for it at all. Of course, if you're exchanging white elephant gifts with a group of punk rockers or fellow NASCAR fans, than that's different. Just keep in mind the likes and needs of the average member of the group participating in the event.

For the most part, it's also a good idea to stay away from personal or intimate gifts, things the mainstream may not deem appropriate to parade around in public.

So, what kinds of gifts are genuinely good gifts to bring for a white elephant gift exchange? Candy dishes, plants, stuffed animals, and vases are a few traditional ideas. My mother was the queen of white elephant gifts in her day. She shopped for them all the time, and she came home with all kinds of things over the years, and amazingly, they usually fell into the category of one of the aforementioned four things. They might be dressed up somehow or combined with with other things, but often, that's what people brought.

Gift cards are popular today, but that's tacky. After all, did you really shop for that white elephant gift? Still, it doesn't mean you can't buy one. Try taking

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