Every white elephant exchange has the same two outcomes. One gift gets stolen three times and causes a minor feud. Another sits unclaimed on a chair at the end of the night, and whoever brought it pretends it wasn't them.
You want to bring the first one. The good news is that the gifts people fight over aren't usually the expensive ones. They tend to be funny enough to get a laugh when they're opened and useful enough that someone still wants to take them home.
What makes a white elephant gift worth stealing
Before you buy anything, run your idea past these three questions:
- Will it get a laugh in the first five seconds? The room needs to react when the paper comes off, because that's what starts the stealing.
- Could almost anyone use it? You don't know who will end up with it, so avoid sizes and very specific hobbies.
- Is it safe for the room? A joke that works with your friends may not work with your manager. If it's an office party, keep it clean.
Stick to your group's spending limit too. Going far over makes things awkward, and it's rarely the priciest gift that gets stolen anyway.
Funny mugs
A mug is close to the perfect white elephant gift. It fits any budget, anyone can use one, and a good joke on a mug gets looked at every morning for years. It's also easy to wrap, which helps when you're doing this the night before.
Our This Is Fine mug is a safe bet for any office, because everybody in that room has had that kind of week. The Spider Hero Pointing mug is another good one for a group that knows its memes. There are plenty more in our mugs if you want something tied to a favorite show or band.
Gifts for people who quote TV shows
In most groups, there's at least one person who has seen The Office all the way through more times than they'd like to admit. A gift they recognize instantly is the kind that gets stolen fast.
- The Dunder logo notebook works especially well at an actual office party, and everyone can use a notebook.
- The Can I Interest You In A Sarcastic Comment water bottle is for the Chandler in your group. There's usually one, and everybody knows who it is.
- The Chicken Jockey poster is a good choice if there are teenagers in the game or adults who won't admit how much they enjoyed the Minecraft movie.
Small things people keep using
Practical gifts have a reputation for being boring, but they do surprisingly well in a swap. By the third round, people often start going after the thing they'd use. It helps if it also has a joke on it.
Keyrings, notebooks, tote bags and water bottles are all good for this. They're small, nobody needs to know a size, and they don't end up in a closet. Our funny gifts are the best place to start, since you can see the whole range of jokes in one place.
What about a phone case?
We make phone cases, so we'd love to tell you they're perfect for this. The truth is that a case only fits one model, which makes it a gamble in a big group where the gift could go to anyone.
It works in the right setting, though. In a small group of friends, or a family where everybody has the same phone, a funny phone case can be the most wanted gift on the table, since it gets used every day. The Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica case and the Pivot case are two that get a reaction from the right crowd. Just check everyone's model first.
What not to bring
A few gifts tend to get left on that chair at the end of the night:
- Scented candles with no joke attached. Pleasant, but nobody will ever steal one.
- Anything that needs explaining. If you have to tell the story behind it, the moment has gone.
- Anything meant to embarrass whoever opens it. Something too rude can make the whole room uncomfortable, and everyone will work out it was yours.
- Things you were already given and didn't like. Regifting is a fine tradition, but people can tell.
A few rules that keep the game fun
If you're the one organizing, it's worth agreeing on these before anyone starts unwrapping:
- Set a clear spending limit when you send the invite.
- Limit each gift to three steals, or one popular gift will drag the game out all evening.
- Let the person who went first have one last swap at the end, because going first is otherwise the worst seat in the house.
- Decide ahead of time if joke gifts are the point or if people are expected to bring something useful. Mixed groups get confused otherwise.
Planning ahead
If your party is close to the holidays, check the order-by date on the product page before you buy, and leave yourself some extra time. If you're also doing a smaller exchange at work, our Secret Santa gift guide has more ideas that work for people you don't know very well.