Why would everybody give back their prizes in a party game

debodun

debodun

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Location
way upstate in New York, USA
We had our family holiday party this weekend. We always play a memory game in which I deal out a deck of card to the participants who sit at the table. There is a small pile of prizes in the middle of the table - just small things like notepaper, stickers, hand lotion sample, etc. - something easily concealed. I have another deck of cards and call them off one at a time. If a player has they card, he/she can take a prize from the pile. This continues unil all the prizes are taken, then as I continue to call off cards, the player that has it can "steal" a prize from another if they can remember who took it. If they guess wrong, they forfeit their turn. At the end, whatever anyone has, they can keep. This year when the game was done, everyone threw their prizes back on the table and walked away. I asked one player why she put her stuff back on the table and she just shrugged. Made me wonder why. Up to this year everyone kept their prizes they won.
 

Over the years I've attended quite a few parties that held similar games, some called White elephant/yankee swap or something or other. I've never really cared for them all that much though they can be fun to a point. I give or get a gift take it or leave it this back and forth just reminds me of how people value the holiday and others over all disposables.

I know, I know, I need to lighten up a bit. :D Still it's no fun seeing people throw your gift back into the pile. LOL
 
I can't imagine why, but was it literally everyone that gave it back or just a couple of folks? I know I can always use some sticky notes;)
 

I would not like a game like that I think it would cause problems. If I got one I liked I would want to keep it. We stopped buying christmas gifts for the adults in our family. It wasn't as much fun not have gifts, so we had a drawing. I bought enough inexpensive items, gag gifts that cost $2. and up with a couple of $20 ones. We made an effort to buy things people would like. Everyone put their name in a bowl and when time care we would draw names. The person chosen got to pick the any gift which were all wrapped. Of course the kids went for the big ones. It was more fun than buying gifts for each other. When they came over the next Christmas they asked as they came in the door......"are we going to have the drawing". There was a little swapping going on but nobody had to give up their gifts.
 
Vala, that's how I feel, In our family it was the same after a certain age, it was just about the kids, no more gifting adults. As far as the group of friends I used to hang out with, we were very close, did most everything together, beach trips all the holidays and such, this went on for years and Christmas was putting names into a basket like you mentioned. We never completely stuck to the one gift for one person, we always ended up buying small token gifts for each other on the side. But it all ended when one particular Christmas when one friend became so upset that another friend was brought to tears over a gift I gave her and evidently didn't show enough emotion over the gift she gave to that friend. Everything in the group just kept going downhill as far as friendships within the group from there on. We continued to communicate, even to this day we still communicate, but we no longer have the group bond, that one friend caused great division in the group.

A lot more to the story, but just a brief note. One is still my bestie, but they all see each other at work everyday, the one friend who started the feud became two of my other friends supervisor via nepotism at their place of employment, so, you can imagine how much worse things have gotten between them all. ahhhhgggggg. Anyway, the spirit of Christmas, has long ago left the building for me, this was just another part of the reason. I can still find some fun in gift exchange once and while and I so miss the group friendship we all had, but, that memory pops up as well when I think of gifting and games.
 
April I live in a patio development. The builder built another development before ours. There is one whole block of women there who socialize and go on trips together. I think a group that size would be nice. I have not had good luck with friends after high school. Usually to busy with family. In recent years there was one I really like being with because she was funny and she laughed a lot, but she was a millionaire and a snob. I think she was only friends with me because we were both doll collectors and I was someone she could run around with. The next close friend I had was the same, a snob. I am sure she only hung with me is because she would not go out to dinner alone, unlike me. I was someone to run around with that got her out of the house. We went on trips together and she turned into a child, got mad at me for not being her secretary, what time is the movie, when do we dine. She wouldn't go to those things if I didn't and I didn't enjoy those things. I ate in the buffet. I would rather hang in the ships club and listen to the bands/singers and have a drink and read a book. She was also scared of everyone on those trips. One time I was in the room before her and I put my things on the tops shelves because she was always complaining she could not reach things. She got so mad she told me I can't bend down to get my clothes on the bottoms shelf. I guess she wanted the middle shelves. I told her she could have the top. She kept her things in her suitcase under the bed. No pleasing her. Later I talked to her about it and she admitted she could act like a child sometimes. I tried one more time and there was no improvement. We still called and visited with each other but no traveling or dinners. I have adjusted to being a lone and am content.
 
Sad isn't it that it has to be that way sometimes. Reason we all still talk to her, is we know she has an illness,, she's bipolar and sometimes goes off her meds, can be awol from work for a week or more at a time if that happens. we just don't have the friendship we all once had and never again, but we are still friend and if in the same town at the same time, will still do something together if all the cards line up. My best friend is still my best friend, but, for a time, that gal, put a wedge there, but we saw our way through that, still best friends since 1988.
 
I don't see any harm in these games, they usually play them at daytime parties for tupperware or things like that. They are "icebreakers" so people that haven't met can feel comfy. The gifts are never expensive and usually like a sticky note pad, travel-size kleenex, dollar tree stuff, nothing anyone would be afraid of losing once they won it.
 
nwlady - yes this is how we do it. Probably why they put them back. In years past, when my mom did the game she put money and jewelry as prizes. Now they probably think the prizes are cheap in comparison.
 
Money and expensive aren't everything debodun, I would have appreciated your party;) and the little gifts, it's fun. :happy:
 
nwlady said:
Money and expensive aren't everything debodun, I would have appreciated your party;) and the little gifts, it's fun. :happy:
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I agree,Denise! Made me think of our Thanksgiving this year-we always play this very simple dice game LCR. Self explanatory,any age can play. We always play with quarters and nobody wins or loses much. This year,the guys decided to play with dollars. Took all the fun out of it as far as I was concerned-some people didn`t even want to play because they didn`t want to risk losing that much. I`m just as happy when we play it with poker chips,really.
 
Oh yeah, funny how when "money" enters the pictures how it can spoil things. We used to love playing with beans, or toothpicks, course I could have turned out dangerous since I was so good at poker:lofl: Ok, does anyone have a 3?? Oh whoops, I guess that wasn't poker, well I was good at whatever it was, LOL!!
 
I probably should clear up that what my former close friends and I use to do wasn't exactly the same as the games being discussed, I kind of got off track a bit. :aargh:

I still have a pics of me with a different group of people from the last time I played one of the actual games being discussed. I Enjoyed the group of people we had a great evening, but, most there seemed like they could do without the game, everyone enjoyed each other's company otherwise all were very glad when the game ended and yes some items stayed in pile. I won and ended up going home with my own gift though. LOL.
 
I rarely went to a home party or gave them because I didn't like the games and was not comfortable asking people to come. Now if you wanted to play Hand & Foot or Pitch I would jump right in.
 
I enjoy home parties except for the cocktail party types which is what is usually most of what I'm invited to in this town and I don't much care to attend; they feel like networking events. I like the ones where we have real conversations and even break out the board games. :D
 

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