# So I give out trashy presents. mild long whiney rant about work place gift exchange **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 20, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103 "2003-12-20T02:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103/41 "2003-12-22T23:27:38Z")
Or, you could just be direct, and one on one. Go up to her, tell her you heard her comment, and that you had purchased the gift. Apologize because it didn’t suit her, and ask out of politely baffled curiosity what she would have liked to recieve instead? Say this with a quiet, firm assertive smile, in a quiet cultured tone. Odds are, she’ll be completely flummoxed, and sputter. Yes, people will likely overhear this exchange too, but it will be more subtle, and tactful. You won’t end up looking like such a shrew. She’ll likely backpedal, and maybe apologize for being too harsh. I wouldn’t count on the apology. Some people just can’t control their tongues when they are disappointed though, so maybe she had a “knee jerk reaction”. Or, maybe she really is just that acidic in all she does. Either way, you’ll have stood up for yourself without "stooping to her level’. It at least will let you get your feelings out, and assert yourself in a positve manner. ---
**Author:** ![Sat\_on\_Cookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@Sat\_on\_Cookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sat_on_Cookie)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103/42 "2003-12-23T14:19:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StarvingButStrong \* > \*\ ***ntucker** , one word for you: regifting. 😉 > I suffered for years with these gift exchanges, too. I simply can’t go by the ‘well, I think it’s nice’ rule – hey, I though EVERYONE would think a silver pillbox shaped like a turtle was neat! And I’d love the glass pen someone mentioned above. > > Finally I hit upon the PERFECT gift. Everyone likes it. It has no unwanted calories to offend a dieter. It has no unwanted alcohol to offend an abstainer. It has no animal matter to offend a vegan. It’s not at all racy or risque in case you’ve drawn a blue nose. It isn’t a useless knickknack to offend the clutter phobic. It’s non-breakable and easy to wrap. It suits everyone reqardless of age/sex/size/religion. Best of all it’s dead easy to buy, obtainable almost everywhere. > > What is this miraculous gift? > > Change. As in ordinary coins, lots of them. > No kidding. I just get the dollar amount of the gift exchange in an assortment of coins, usually quarters and some dimes, though that year they released the gold dollars I tossed in some of those. I sew a little bag out of scrap cloth and write “Emergency Change” on it with a fabric marker. Then I dump the coins in and tie it closed with a bit of ribbon and ta dah! Instant perfect gift exchange present, with no fuss, muss, worry, or thought involved. > > I mean, c’mon: who _doesn’t_ find themselves in need frequently when faced with vending machines/washing machines/tolls/parking meters/newstands/etc? \*\* I don’t mean this as snarky, but do people actually like that gift? Honestly, I have change coming out my ears and don’t need more. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103/43 "2003-12-23T17:31:17Z")
Like everybody else says, this woman is a self-centered snob. Next year give her a lump of coal. What the fuck – give her a lump _this_ year. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103/44 "2003-12-23T20:46:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sat on Cookie \* > \*_I don’t mean this as snarky, but do people actually like that gift_? Honestly, I have change coming out my ears and don’t need more. \*\* \*referencing coins as gifts. And now begins my hijack! My aunt and uncle like to go somewhat overboard with their holiday spending. One year, though, she had some sort of holiday fiasco and was unable to do her shopping. Enter the ‘Gift’. My aunt kept a medium size rubber-maid trash can in the laundry room. Everyday, as she did the laundry, she would take the loose change out of her pockets (and my uncle’s) and put it in the can- For about 2 years. She gave this can of change to my oldest two boys, topped off with a lid and huge bow. It took weeks to separate and count it all, and the bank hated us when we brought that wagon load of change in to deposit, but they ended up with close to 900.00. That’s right. Almost 900.00. They loved it. I wish she would give me presents like that! \< / end hijack\> ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103/45 "2003-12-23T22:50:20Z")
**Sat on cookie** , well, I’ve given the sack of coins present at the last six ‘yankee swaps’ I’ve been at, and it’s always been stolen and restolen several times. So…at least a significan minority wants it. If nothing else, the recipient can always turn around and buy _exactly_ the $10/$15/whatever present they really wanted (like dark chocolate almond bark – are you listening, Secret Santa?) instead of settling for some good but not quite (like a Whitman’s sampler – ugh.) ---
**Author:** ![Sat\_on\_Cookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@Sat\_on\_Cookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sat_on_Cookie)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103/46 "2003-12-23T23:12:13Z")
Thanks - Like I said, I really didn’t mean it as snarky. I mean, it’s obviously creative, and if people are “stealing” than that means people like it. Kudos to an interesting idea! ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103/47 "2003-12-24T01:02:41Z")
That’s what my brother got one year for Christmas… a box of change (a little bigger than a mandarin orange box) and a box of rolls for the coins… he spent all Christmas day sitting there counting it right up till we went to Grandma’s! He came out with a couple hundred I think. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103/48 "2003-12-24T04:55:09Z")
Crikeys! I’m a guy and would have thought that to be a way cool gift, **Amberlei**. Now if I can figure out what to do with this cigarette lighter powered ball warmer :eek: ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103/49 "2003-12-24T05:20:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FisherQueen \* > **I accidentally bought tarts thinking they were candles. But I don’t have a tart burner, so now I just have these tarts hanging around, wondering what to do with them.** What’s sad is…I did the same thing. I was all happy that there were buttercream scented candles a dollar apiece so I bought five. I go home only to find out that they weren’t candles. Reading this thread is the first time I’ve ever heard of tart warmers etc. I just have to tarts in various places in my room, they don’t work very well, now I know why. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-give-out-trashy-presents-mild-long-whiney-rant-about-work-place-gift-exchange/220103.md?page=2)