re: What are some good ideas for white elephant? Looking to make a Christmas guide.

Every year one side of my family does this. I don't really care, I usually get something that is good to have around the house or will go with a gift card to somewhere like wal-mart and include some lottery tickets. For whatever reason, people are always happy to get some lottery tickets, but I can tell you a few items NOT to get.

Flashlights: Most people have flashlights and while you think you can never have too many, when at least one person every year brings a flashlight, at some point people will complain "I got a flashlight last year".

Cookbooks: Years ago, I was at an extended family Christmas party. I wasn't playing, but they were doing the whole white elephant thing and its a big family so there were a big group of people playing. I had an uncle who got something and he was all excited about it because it was something he needed.. He was like the first or second person to pick.. They got down to the last person whose gift was a cook book.. He decided to take whatever my uncle had and he was stuck with a cook book, he was extremely pissed.. He was yelling "this is a stupid fricking game, who the hell brought a cook book?" No one said anything, but after a little while he figured it out.. And whoever it was left... But evidently a cook book is a thumbs down.

hose pipes: Had the same person bring one of these 2 years in a row.. No one wanted it and I think it ended up with the person who bought it.. both times.