kc Gifts

I remember back in the days when people would be told to bring an item that would have a Minimum Cap and they would go and get a present for at least that amount. Yes, some people still go by the rules.  Unfortunately, I’ve noticed in the last decade how things have changed.I’ve personally been a victim of unfair exchange gifts.

I remember a year when I attended a party that requested the gift to be at least $25 of value. What did we buy, a water filter pitcher. Yes it was $25 dollars! And what did we end up with? A small snowman pepper and salt shaker. What a JIP! I was very disappointed! It made me think, was this a joke? No cheap figurine salt and pepper shaker could be $25 dollars! And if it was, it didn’t look like it cost anything more than $7. Again, what a JIP!

Nowadays, there are two kinds of exchange gift trends I’ve been noticing. One is still the “bring a universal present with a minimum amount” or the “Secret Santa that they will list down a wish list of course with a minimum amount as well!”

In regards to the universal present trend that disappointed me, I guess not all people are guilty of giving less than the value required, or what’s worst is a present that you can’t use. But what’s to blame? Unfortunately, it’s bad taste and bad decision making on the giver’s side. I mean, there are plenty of items that you can get for even a low price but still look good. You just have to know where to go and what to get.
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And now about the Secret Santa Exchange Gift. It’s pretty good I guess unless you specifically ask for particular items. That pretty much takes away from the suspense. I mean, if you say you want a Curve for Women cologne, or a $25 dollar Cheesecake Factory gift card. I think just ruins the fun of Exchange gifts.

This weekend, we attended a gift exchange with a $25 dollar universal gift minimum. We brought a digital photo keychain that retails at for $40 dollars. As it turns out, we were the only one who brought a present. Everyone else brought a $25 gift card to somewhere. I was torn. It was nice that people thought it was practical to just buy gift cards. But at the same time, so what’s the point of the Gift Exchange? People are just pretty much giving each other $25. They might as well not have bought gift cards and just stuck with the cash! hahaha!

There’s gotta be a better way! I think there should be a general list of gifts that people would appreciate that are collected from the entire group. They include household items they wouldn’t mind receiving starting from robes, to bed sheets, to throw blankets, particular DVDS, or CDs, etc. I know many people are busy nowadays and gift cards are great solutions, but people should be more creative.

There was a time when I was younger when my friends and I decided to have a $5.00- $10.00 gift exchange. The presents could be fun! I had a blast! Someone brought a big laundry basket with paper towels. Someone brought a disposable camera with a photo album and frame. Another fun one was a case of bottled water.

In conclusion, I really think Exchange Gifts should be fun! If you’re just gonna have one so you can have an activity even though the participants are not really gonna have the time to think about it, they might not really enjoy it as much!