office gift exchange? bring it!

Are you a stumped secret Santa? Finding the right gift for a coworker can be tough — it has to be the perfect mix of funny, cool, useful and ridiculous, all for $20 or less. Back away from the gift cards and check out these sites for gift inspiration:

• Archie McPhee — the king of clever, wacky gifts, like the lunch spinner above
• Think Geek cube goodies — tchotchkes to turn an office space into Office Space
• Etsy gifts under $15 — a little something (homemade!) for the ladies
• Not Soap, Radio — luscious bath, body and beauty products to bring out the inner girlie

What are your go-to sites when shopping for fun gifts on the cheap?

Comments

Ooh, great tips! I just found a walking robot pencil sharpener on Think Geek my husband would love. And Etsy is just awesome all around. So many cool handmade gifts for so cheap!--and you're directly supporting artists instead of feeding the corporate machine.

I'm curious to know everyone's thoughts about the office Secret Santa in general. Is it an awkward activity you only participate in because you're supposed to?

In my past experiences, it has depended on the office. A small group where everybody knows each other -- could be fun. A large company where people don't know each other and/or have huge differences in salary -- awwwwkward.

Gregg, I think White Elephant/Yankee Swap works better than Secret Santa for the very reason that people that don't know/like each other may get stuck buying gifts for each other. Either way, it's best to set a price range, say $10-15, and gifts that aren't too personal or gender-specific.

Great article. We implemented the lunch spinner at our company party yesterday and it was a big hit! In fact, we are thinking of creating an online version of this feature and offering it on our website, http://www.countrywide-refinance.com - for consumers!

This is indeed a great list of resources for buying gifts for less money especially Etsy gifts under $15. I really like it.

I love exchanging of gifts, specially when it came from a very special friend.

-krisha-