How to Buy a Grab Bag Gift

Whether it’s for an office gathering or a family party, at some point nearly everyone will be required to purchase a gift for an unknown recipient. It can be daunting, to say the least, to try to find something that’s just right for a lot of different people. But with a few simple guidelines, it can be much easier than you think.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Assess your potential gift recipients. If your family members are all wine connoisseurs, it’s a great idea to wrap up a bottle of wine for the grab bag. But an office gift exchange might be different. Even if you know that your colleagues appreciate a good bottle of wine (or cigars or anything potentially offensive), it’s probably best to be conservative in your choice.
2. Stay within the budget. Most gift exchanges have a specified limit for a reason. If you bring a $5 gift to an exchange where everyone else spent $50, both you and your recipient will be embarrassed. Similarly, you set the group up for embarrassment if you overspend. Everyone else’s offerings of desk calendars and coffee makers can’t compete with your $200 tech gadget.
3. Try for a variety. Put together a themed basket, for example, that includes several choices to cover your bases. Different varieties of teas and coffee creamers cover both coffee and tea drinkers. Whether they like salty or sweet snacks, the recipient can get something out of a basket that includes chocolates along with gourmet pretzels or nuts.
4. When in doubt, everyone loves gift cards. No matter their age, gender, or relationship to you, a restaurant gift certificate or gift card to a bookstore is a can’t-miss idea.
5. Include a gift receipt. It’s Murphy’s Law; if 99 percent of the people at your gathering love poker, the one person who doesn’t will draw your poker set. The considerate thing to do is include a gift receipt so people can exchange something that’s not quite right for them.

Tips & Warnings

• If you’re purchasing a grab bag gift for a child’s gift exchange, always keep age-appropriateness in mind. No toys will small pieces for little kids, for example.
• Stay away from gag gifts, no matter what kind of gathering you’re attending. Few people enjoy being the butt of a joke, and they may feel slighted to receive a gift that no one could possibly use.