Worst presents

[daniellopi]

Just for fun, we should post about the worst presents (given or received) too.

At the company holiday party, we do a White Elephant gift exchange in which we collect junk we don't want from around our homes and wrap the things up as if they are gifts. Here are some examples from this year's party:
-Swiffer Wet Jet solution and male/female hose repair ends (?)
-over-the-tank toilet paper holders and ugly clock (I was the lucky winner of this fun-filled box)
-sports injury informational dvd
-CSI Miami board game

One Christmas, my ex-idiot gave me a tacklebox-style jewelery/makeup case containing a nail clipper and a Chapstick as his big gift to me. I cried.

[David]

I think I can safely say that the worst gift Jonathan (jlb.x) has ever gotten is a bottle of ketchup.

[Gai-jin]

At my wife's work christmas party they do a gift exchange ($10 max) where you can trade yours for someone else's if you don't like what you got. (I think that's what you mean by white elephant?)

Anyway, the first year, I ended up with a necktie with an image of the male member and a N-Sync Bobblehead doll

[daniellopi]

Hehe. That's funny.

Yeah, a White Elephant, from what I understand, is pretty much the same as a Yankee Gift Swap. Basically, its a great forum for giving/receiving some really excellent or really awful presents.:)

Worst present Ludwig ever received: WoW from Mikkel Knight.:p

[AJRitz]

I used to consistently get crappy gifts from my Aunt. She would shop for gifts for my brothers and I at sample sales. She would buy clothes for us at the sample sales that invariably did not fit. But since they were purchased at sample sales, they couldn't be returned or exchanged (for that rare occurrence when we actually LIKED the thing that she'd bought for us, but didn't fit).

[Makita]

At this years Office X-Mas party I got "The Office Space Kit". Complete with TPS reports, a 'Jump to Conclusions' game-board, 'Is this good for the Company?" banner, Miltons Stapler, etc. The best part of it was the Initech Coffee Mug. :)

Gai-Jin, you are thinking 'Chineese Christmas. Everyone gets a # and pick in order. If you are #5 you can take anyone elses gift or pick from the pile. If you are #1, you are screwed if you poick a crappy gift from the pile, the last person is (usually) the best-seated as they can take from all the already opened presents.

White Elephant Gift is from India (kinda). They would give their enemies a White Elephant, if they had one. Such a rare and special creature took a LOT of effort to care for. Now, it is a kind of 'Gag' Gift. Something useful, but crappy.

My worst Christmas ever. 11 years old. EVERY RELATIVE got me PJ's. ALL the Aunts, Grandparents, folks, E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E.! Yeah I am still wearing the emotional scars on that one...

[Michael]

I once was told that I would be getting a PT Crusier for Christmas. I shook every box for what would sound like keys. That excitement was gone the moment I saw a PT Cruiser RC car. :)

[Philosofy]

Its not that the presents sucked, but the story is pretty funny.

When I was little, my parents took me shopping. They told me that my dad's boss had a kid my age, and wanted me to pick out some presents for him. Now, I didn't know this kid, but I did know that I wasn't like most kids.
So I picked things I thought another kid might like (but not necessarily me): baseball stuff, comics I didn't like, etc.

Guess what I got for Christmas? All the presents I picked out.

[Gai-jin]

At this years Office X-Mas party I got "The Office Space Kit". Complete with TPS reports, a 'Jump to Conclusions' game-board, 'Is this good for the Company?" banner, Miltons Stapler, etc. The best part of it was the Initech Coffee Mug. :)

I would so LOVE that!

[daniellopi]

I used to consistently get crappy gifts from my Aunt [...] since they were purchased at sample sales, they couldn't be returned or exchanged

What are "sample sales"?


My worst Christmas ever. 11 years old. EVERY RELATIVE got me PJ's. ALL the Aunts, Grandparents, folks, E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E.!

Weird.


When I was little, my parents took me shopping. They told me that my dad's boss had a kid my age, and wanted me to pick out some presents for him. Now, I didn't know this kid, but I did know that I wasn't like most kids.
So I picked things I thought another kid might like (but not necessarily me): baseball stuff, comics I didn't like, etc.

Guess what I got for Christmas? All the presents I picked out.

That's sad! Not to pick at old wounds, but how did your parents not know those were things you probably wouldn't like yourself?
I wish I could hug the little-kid-you. :cry:

[sonnik]

When I was little, my parents took me shopping. They told me that my dad's boss had a kid my age, and wanted me to pick out some presents for him.

My grandparents did the same thing with some snow boots as a gift for me. They said they wanted me to try on some boots because I was the same size as a kid they wanted to get boots for. They didn't ask me if I wanted them or anything.

Yep, I got boots for Christmas. My thoughts as a kid were, wow - I guess the Grandparents felt bad they weren't getting me anything so they decided to get me some boots too.


The only problem with White Elephant/Yankee Swap is sometimes you feel bad for the people who supply the low-demand gifts, as you can tell sometimes they put a lot of thought into something that it seems nobody wants.

[Sue Ann]

Its not that the presents sucked, but the story is pretty funny.

When I was little, my parents took me shopping. They told me that my dad's boss had a kid my age, and wanted me to pick out some presents for him. Now, I didn't know this kid, but I did know that I wasn't like most kids.
So I picked things I thought another kid might like (but not necessarily me): baseball stuff, comics I didn't like, etc.

Guess what I got for Christmas? All the presents I picked out.

change little into a few years ago and parents into my mother inlaw and bosses kid to secretary

Lucky Goodwill got the most hideous cut glass candle assembly as the "secretary" was seemingly way different than me. :embarrassed:

[Warren]

My father once told us kids that they got use bikes for Christmas and we were all sad when we got to the garage and the bikes were and inch high. they then said these were a promise that we would get bikes. we never got them. I was also told if I got good grades they would by me a go-cart. they never bought it

[Michael]

A bunch of my golf buddies have a Christmas swap each year with each other. The deal is, you must not spend more than 10 bucks. The one that gives the worst gift gets a punishment. Last year, one guy forgot about getting something so he gave cash. The committee decided his gift was the worst and his punishment required that he have playing Hit Me Baby One More Time at anytime when anyone from the group called him. Made for a lot of fun for the guys to go over to his house and watch as he scramble for the CD Player while one of them called him...

[AJRitz]

What are "sample sales"?

A sample sale is when clothing salespeople and/or wholesale companies get together and sell-off the samples that they've been taking around to customers for the last quarter. The problem is that there are only a couple of sizes (at most) for each item. They sell at a huge discount, and occasionally there's even nice stuff. But it's few and far between (and NEVER in the right size).

[Philosofy]

What are "sample sales"?




Weird.




That's sad! Not to pick at old wounds, but how did your parents not know those were things you probably wouldn't like yourself?
I wish I could hug the little-kid-you. :cry:

Well, in fairness, they were trying to get me stuff I liked. I didn't tell them I was picking "normal" stuff.

[betamax]

My wife bought her mother the book called, "1000 places to see before you die." Her mom has a terminal lung disease and probably has a year or two to go.

I thought it was a terrible thing to do, but her mom thought it was funny. And she's seen many of the places, so she doesn't as many to go to.

[JackBurton]

My boss gave us a bottle of syrup and a bag of rice. Apparently he wanted to give us something from his home state of Wisconsin. I guess it beats the hot wheel car he gave me last year.

We gave him a hundred dollar gift card to Home Depot. I think next year I'm going to rethink that.

[knownzero]

After hearing the story of my sister-in-law's grandparents christmas during the depression, I'm happy to receive anything. They got to kill a chicken for Christmas and have a chicken dinner. They were living on chicken feed for most of the year so yeah, having actual chicken was a highlight.

[daniellopi]

After hearing the story of my sister-in-law's grandparents christmas during the depression, I'm happy to receive anything. They got to kill a chicken for Christmas and have a chicken dinner. They were living on chicken feed for most of the year so yeah, having actual chicken was a highlight.


I knew someone was going to make me feel like a dink for starting this thread (but I wanted the funny stories anyway).

[knownzero]

I knew someone was going to make me feel like a dink for starting this thread (but I wanted the funny stories anyway).

Sorry, wasn't the intention to be a buzzkill. :embarrassed: I just hear all these stories from my family during the holidays I've never heard before and thought of that one. BTW, the guy was also a 'one man band'. You know, the ones with 10 different instruments strapped to them playing them all at the same time? Yeah, he used to do that. My brother called him out on it once so he got all the stuff out and started playing for him. My brother was astonished, apologized and asked him how he learned to do that. He said that you had to be creative during the depression to survive and it was something he just picked up to make a few dollars (which of course lead into the discussion of the chicken story above).

I did get the flu and food poisoning two years ago at Christmas, does that count? :D

[daniellopi]

I did get the flu and food poisoning two years ago at Christmas, does that count? :D


Yes knownzero, yes it does.
http://images.obesityhelp.com/_shared/images/smiley/msn/barf.gif

[knownzero]

Yes knownzero, yes it does.
http://images.obesityhelp.com/_shared/images/smiley/msn/barf.gif

I'm glad all that misery counted for something then! :)

[Boot]

My dad got me Old Spice aftershave.

[Sue Ann]

My dad got me Old Spice aftershave.


So sexy ... you smell just like my Dad !!!! ;)

[Samsara]

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

And I really wish I used a sig.

Samsara