# Best/Worst White Elephant gift exchange items. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 11, 2000, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074 "2000-12-11T20:31:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/1 "2000-12-11T20:31:17Z")
What was the best/worst item you’ve seen in a white elephant gift exchange? The best I’ve seen so far (or is it the worst?) is a dead flower arrangement- useless, undesirable, and ugly. Funny as hell too. The second best/worst was a “date with Carlos”- Carlos wasn’t told about it, and he was there. ---
**Author:** ![SaxFace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SaxFace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaxFace)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/2 "2000-12-11T20:53:55Z")
The worst are lottery tickets. That is the **rudest** gift to give anyone, especially if there’s no prize on them. Then they just turn into useless scraps of paper. ---
**Author:** ![rockstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockstar)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/3 "2000-12-11T20:54:28Z")
My favorite so far was a blue velvet head. Just like the slightly freaky styrofoam head used for modeling wigs, but covered in blue velvet. ---
**Author:** ![Trixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@Trixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trixie)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/4 "2000-12-11T21:29:53Z")
I work for a toy company which is full of crazy people (most of them are in Graphic Design, for some strange reason). Gag gifts are permissible at our gift exchange, and there were quite a few of them last year. I was fortunate enough to wind up with a Dilbert desk calendar (which I unapologetically took from someone else). Some of my co-workers weren’t so lucky, and ended up with the following items: - a shellacked pile of dog poop. - a REAL dead frog holding a toy violin - a doll head with gummy worms in place of hair - a stuffed cat that had been run over in the parking lot - a giant baby bottle nipple (which the recipient wore as a hat) I sure am looking forward to the office party next week! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2000, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/5 "2000-12-11T22:14:14Z")
My folks live in New Mexico, and they have some friends who live in Arizona. Just about every year, they meet for New Years, alternating who does the “going” (my folks go there, or they come to NM). Anyway, some years back, somewhere along the line, someone (I don’t remember who) picked up this really nasty clock. It looks like water-damaged wood, stands on a base, and has turquoise pieces glued around the face to indicate the hours. And just about every year, whoever has the clock gives it to the other couple. The last time they gave it to us, additional stones had been glued to the base, making it (though it seems impossible) even uglier. So, that’s our little tradition, called “Who Gets The Damn Clock This Year”. My folks will be taking it to Arizona this New Years, disposing of it, and will return wringing their hands in evil glee. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/6 "2000-12-12T00:00:04Z")
I once received a locked padlock as a white elephant gift. No one knew the combination. Totally worthless. We (my wife and I) also once got a four-piece set of plastic tumblers. They didn’t leak or anything, but they were butt-ugly, with crudely drawn pictures of frogs on them. But we kept them and used them for years. They had never even been out of the box. Ugly, but utilitarian. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/7 "2000-12-12T04:32:59Z")
I was in one once and drew second. I got a twisted slinky (sound like a good name for a rock band). Knowing no one would trade, I was out of the game and amused myself by untwisting it. I was totally oblivious to everything around me but apparently I was being watched. The minute I got it entirely untwisted–about 15 minutes, someone took my slinky!! It was OK though, I wound up with a good gift in the end. Another sucky gift my brother puts in every year is about 20 free AOL trial disks. He hates the game and this is his form of protest. ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/8 "2000-12-12T04:51:38Z")
One time, I got a subscription to a Russian Newletter. Note that I don not speak Russian and I don’t know anyone who does. ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/9 "2000-12-12T04:58:25Z")
My Inlaws got a White Elephant statue. Now what the Hell do you do with a 150 pound concrete white elephant? ---
**Author:** ![LCP2972](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@LCP2972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LCP2972)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-worst-white-elephant-gift-exchange-items/45074/10 "2000-12-12T06:32:55Z")
I actually found a ceramic white elephant, about 18 inches tall, a couple of years ago that I gave to my stepmother. It has since disappeared. oh well,I thought it was funny.