Age 25 and up, college-educated, limit $15. We split it up Guy/Guy and Woman/Woman, so I’ll be buying for a guy (if it matters). I hate to do gag gifts/white elephants, so I’m looking for suggestions of things that are really useful. One year I did a zip drive, another year a LED flashlight/headlamp combo. I’d rather avoid gift cards, but maybe something for movies/TV - iTunes?.
Multi-tools are always useful. A $15 one wouldn’t be the greatest quality, but it would be plenty good enough to keep in the car or for camping.
One of the best things we ever got playing Dirty Santa was a set of metal hot dog/marshmallow roasting forks. We use the shit out of those things.
I’m a fan of MagLite flashlights. You can always use another flashlight around the house, and $15 will get you a medium-sized one.
As stocking stuffers, I just got Energizer rechargeable flashlights for the parents. In addition to being handy little flashlights, they automatically switch on if the power fails. Seemed pretty handy, and they were about $13 on Amazon. The multi-tool also sounds like a good idea. A jumbo-pack of AA batteries? A nice travel mug and some coffee?
When’s the gift exchange? If it isn’t until mid-December, you could keep an eye on Woot! and assorted other deal-a-day sites to see if anything good pops up in your price range.
Should be able to get an 8gb flash drive for that price.
Yeah, I saw one of those - that could work.
Christmas Day - I just don’t want to procrastinate like usual. 
I’ve been in multiple Yankee Swaps and the hottest thing I’ve ever seen was a Kahlua gift set (Bottle of booze + two glasses or something.)
This is going to sound weird, but stick with me. For my birthday, my husband got me a 3-set of those LED disc stick-up lights. Kind of like the tap on lights that you used to see in infomercials - you squeeze them to turn them on and off. Take 3 AAA batteries.
They’re awesome! He got them for me because I get up earlier than he does, but don’t want to wake him up with the light while I search for clothes and get dressed. And now that it’s getting to be winter, it’s dark dark dark in our bedroom in the morning. (It’s not an issue in the summer as the sun rises pretty early. Early enough that our bedroom isn’t pitch black, anyway.) I’ve got them stashed around the room and can just grab one when I need it. The light’s bright, but also really focused, so I can aim it away from sleeping SpouseO and not ever wake him.
They’re pretty cool. People might thing they’re weird, but they’re cool.
If the gift swap is Christmas day, and any of the guys are parents, go with the jumbo pack of AA batteries. Nothing worse for a kid to open gifts they can’t play with because someone didn’t notice the “batteries not included” disclaimer, and then trying to scrounge up six zillion batteries! And finally running to the nearest c-store and spending $30 for enough batteries to juice up a $10 toy!
We do a Dirty Santa gift exchange like this for work. This year, I am buying a bottle of spiced rum and some scratch off tickets. I think it will be a big hit.
Some of the most often stolen gifts IME are booze of various sorts, makeup, gift cards, and jewelry.
It depends on your crowd.
Perhaps a red Swingline stapler?
I bought an electronic coin sorter, but it looks so cool I may keep it and get a toilet mug instead.
Plus I dug out this old thread hoping it may provide some inspiration.
Still open to suggestions…
A nice box of chocolates is usually well within the price range, and they are always a big hit. Booze always goes around and around the room, too.
I got my husband a little light that clips on a ball cap, and he loves it - it frees up your hands when you’re working in a dark area.
Another thing that might go over well is flashlights that don’t take batteries - you have to wind the dynamo to make them light.
What about headphones? People who buy $5 earbuds might appreciate something more expensive, and people who buy $50 headphones might appreciate something cheap for alternative use.
My suggestion would be a Swiss Army Knife…
My office is doing one of these. I want to stay out of it, as I dislike the idea of opening a cool gift only to have it taken away from me.
Failing that, I want to do some sleight of hand with a stunt-double item.
This is now on my Amazon wish list. (Altec Lansing iM227 Orbit MP3 Speaker, less than $20.) I want it.
FWIW, there is what I refer to as the “unholy trinity” of bad gift-exchange items: candles, mugs, and picture frames. Seriously – “Oh, I didn’t have a mug!” Really? Those things wash up on the fucking beach.