- Joined
- Dec 10, 2012
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- 11,785
so Yankee Swaps seem to be a big thing here in RI at Christmas parties . Also called White Elephant exchanges, they replace the grab bags and secret Santa in a whole new way.
The way they work is you bring a gift, wrapped, with no tags on it. Usually there is a price limit which hovers around $20 or so. When the swap starts, everyone who brought a gift draws a number. #1 draws first is the best number to get. pick a gift, unwrap it and show it to everyone. Next number picks a gift and does the same, with a twist. If #2 likes #1 gift better, then they could switch. And so it goes until the last person picks and unwraps and either keeps or swaps with another person. You could only switch once. Now the first person to pick a gift has the final say. They can swoop in and swap with anyone else who picked after him.
There are other variations where you can swap with another person before you even open a gift, giving that person the opportunity to open another gift, but that gets confusing if there are a lot of people.
Last nights swap was the biggest I ever took part in. 39 people and maybe 25 of them took it to a new level. Price limit was $30 and among the gifts/prizes were, 2 live lobsters, a leg of lamb, 2 pack of Yeti tumblers, 3 lbs of maple brown sugar home smoked pork belly bacon, a handle of Titos vodka, some venison steaks,2 lbs king crab legs, 3 dozen blue point oysters and a bottle of Don Julio.
I was picking 21st and got a restaurant gift card for $30...swapped it for the Yetis, but the next to last guy swapped with me for the bacon. Wifey got a Coast Guard House gift card in the 27th spot and managed to hold on to it
The way they work is you bring a gift, wrapped, with no tags on it. Usually there is a price limit which hovers around $20 or so. When the swap starts, everyone who brought a gift draws a number. #1 draws first is the best number to get. pick a gift, unwrap it and show it to everyone. Next number picks a gift and does the same, with a twist. If #2 likes #1 gift better, then they could switch. And so it goes until the last person picks and unwraps and either keeps or swaps with another person. You could only switch once. Now the first person to pick a gift has the final say. They can swoop in and swap with anyone else who picked after him.
There are other variations where you can swap with another person before you even open a gift, giving that person the opportunity to open another gift, but that gets confusing if there are a lot of people.
Last nights swap was the biggest I ever took part in. 39 people and maybe 25 of them took it to a new level. Price limit was $30 and among the gifts/prizes were, 2 live lobsters, a leg of lamb, 2 pack of Yeti tumblers, 3 lbs of maple brown sugar home smoked pork belly bacon, a handle of Titos vodka, some venison steaks,2 lbs king crab legs, 3 dozen blue point oysters and a bottle of Don Julio.
I was picking 21st and got a restaurant gift card for $30...swapped it for the Yetis, but the next to last guy swapped with me for the bacon. Wifey got a Coast Guard House gift card in the 27th spot and managed to hold on to it
