I belong to a group that does an annual holiday gift exchange. Prior to the event, we were told to bring a $5 gift. I brought a really rare (but nice) music CD that is worth much more than that but looks cheap -- being a CD?

Everyone brings a gift and then they go around a circle and choose a gift from under the tree or from what others have already opened.

My gift was the *loooooooser*, going to someone who had to leave early!!

People brought things that I swear were in the $50 range. It feels like a big contest and made me feel awful that I didn't bring something bigger and better.

I am in a leadership position with the group and would like to suggest doing something else, but what? It is a nonprofit group that is always searching for funding so maybe skip the gifts and bring a cash donation for our organization (which is what I did)? I don't know. I think that a lot of the people are very happy with it as it is or it would have been changed by now (they have done this for 3-4 years now?) so I probably will keep quiet.

I'm honestly thinking of skipping next year. I'm not usually like this!! Bah-humbug.

how about a white elephant gift exchange, I think it is called......everyone brings what they think is a crappy gift.

I'm in a group that does an exchange like the one you mentioned. I think the range is $20 - $25, and I always get something nice, with a value in this range (gas gift card, DVD, movie package, Mag Lite flash light, etc). WEll, some of the gifts that show up are true CRAP, plain and simple. I only do it because it is basically mandatory.

I don't think I was much help there, was I???

How about in addition to the "gift" people bring some canned goods to donate? Sort of tie the two together.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Maybe if you wrapped it differently in a different shape box it would have been chosen sooner. Imaging the person who got your gift really apprecing the fact that they got this rare CD.

This is just my opinion of course. But personally I do not like getting CD's and most people I know do not either. Everyone is getting rid of them anymore. With IPODs, Mp3 players etc.. most people just would rather have thier music like this. My dd has her ipod so she can hook it to her radio in her car. CD's get lost, broken and scratched up so she has thrown or given away most of them. That may be why your gift was the "looser" gift. If you do this type of gift exchange every year I would be on the lookout starting right now for a gift that is on sale/clearance for the $5 limit. Chances are you can find something that is reg $10 to $50 for this price. I wouldnt dwell on it too much, what is done is done/

To me, it sounds like a group who has gotten caught up in an invisible game of outdoing each other.

I would want to opt out, also, if I were you. Either that, or change it - but don't bring up changing the game until well into next year.

I think people DO like/purchase CD's still - especially Christmas ones. iPods and MP3 players are typically for people's personal use - Christmas music is meant to be shared more openly, so I still see a LOT of Christmas CD's being sold!

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"The errors of faith are better than the best thoughts of unbelief." - Thomas Russell

Probably just the group of people. Our womens church group does a Dirty Santa game every year and you have to bring a $5 gift. Well, I brought a CD of Christmas music by the 3 tenors, some Christmas kitchen townels and a Christmas candle in a gift bag. The gift cost me way less than $5 in the after Christmas sales last year, but the value was well over $5. Well, some of those older ladies that were also in the choir were going nuts over this Christmas CD of Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras. That gift exchanged hands several times before it was "retired" at the trading limit. I had just kind of thrown the Christmas music in there as an extra, thinking the Christmas kitchen towels and Christmas candle would be what people would like (because that's what I would like). You just can't tell what other people's tastes are. Some people just bring some of the oddest things, that people ooh and ahh over and I think oh that's really ugly.

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LOL at Penny's story. Guess I should have been at your group! I had it in a package with some nice Christmas candy sticks and it was really nicely wrapped (to me!). They would have loved it!

Another question is if you are told to bring a $5 gift, do you base it on the value of the gift or how much you paid? I think it should be based on the retail value???

Bah humbug (still) but I've moved on... no worries!

These things are so funny-they go either way. When I am told to bring a $5 gift, I try to make the most bang for my buck. For instance, several years ago, when hurricane Isabelle hit, the Lindt store marked their chocolate down 75%. We had a $15 limit for our gift. I bought more chocolate that anyone would ever need to consume, and made a gift basket that was the hit of the party-while I only spent the $15, the basket looked quite expensive, with over $50 retail. I was not trying to show off at all, just wanted to make someone else's day. At that same party, someone wrapped up a lint brush as their gift. Of course, that is what went home with me....I do know that the lint brush cost at least $3.79, but really, unless you are working at a black tie restaurant, and having to shear sheep at the same time, is that really the best you can do?

I'm going to 2nd that 'people really don't want Cd's for gifts. I know for me, I have my choice in music and unless you buy me something in that range your gift will be a unwanted gift. A Lil OT here, but it's so funny you took a CD for the gift, My Mother also gave me a CD for Christmas and I have never ever ever heard of this group . It was a Spanish group . Why in the world would she get me this was beyond all of us. Thank Goodness she gave me the receipt for the CD so I could exchange it. She I do believe deep down inside knew I wouldn't like it as she told me as she handed the present to me. I have the receipt so you can exchange it for something you like.Kind of made me think she just grabbed what ever was the closes to her in the music section for my gift....
If you are worried about next year tho, Target here has gone to 75% off and they had some really really nice gift sets for under 5.00 . Maybe you should go by your target and check out the sections there for next year.
Sorry your feelings got hurt with the gift you took. Not everyone can see the value in a rare CD.

Sometimes people get annoyed with me because I bring good gifts but I always stay within the limit it's just that I don't pay retail so I get more bang for my buck!

I think that these people have lost sight of the reason for this exchange.

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I don't know what I think about the value thing, but think the rules/expectations should be set so that everyone is on the same page...i.e. is a $5 value gift or whatever a person can find/give while spending only $5?

I agree with the others that music, like most art forms, is subject to the receiver's taste and it's probably difficult to find something with universal appeal...moreso than say a bottle of wine, chocolates, or a bath & body product, KWIM?

If you want to turn down the competition aspect and turn up the fun, maybe do the white elephant as was suggested....or yankee swap (in Arizona? ) ....something along the lines of one man's junk is another man's treasure....

cj/

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