The Best Stores to Shop for White Elephant Gifts

Drawing names is out. White elephant gifts are in.

Even in grade school, teachers are sending home notes requesting inexpensive, unisex gifts to be the highlight of the classroom party. Office parties are often highlighted by the swapping of white elephant gifts, whether it's done through numbers or winning the pick of the prizes by drawing the high card.

Of course, the choice of white elephant gifts are very specialized, depending on the party and the age of participants. Instead of sharing ideas, I'd like to share the best stores to find white elephant gifts. These stores don't just offer an abundance of gifts. The shelves are also full of ideas. So, if you have no idea what kind of white elephant gift to buy, a stroll through the aisles of these stores will spark plenty of idea.s

The Dollar Tree
This franchise has stores all over America. As the name implies, everything in the store is $1; some items are even less. If you're expected to bring a white elephant gift that's a little more serious, something that will be valued, look in the toiletries aisle. You can put together a nice gift of bath and body products, then find a basket to put them in. Need a funny or a gag gift? Check the toy aisle. That secretary with the princess attitude would never know you were thinking of her when you picked up the Disney Princess vanity set.

Target
Unless you limit your purchases to The Dollar Spot, you'll spend more at Target, but you can get some white elephant gifts that will literally leave the recipient speechless! My favorite place to get white elephant gifts here is in the men's T-shirt section. Each store has a huge selection of screen printed shirts. Last year, one of my white elephant gifts was a T-shirt showing Bart Simpson's view of the world with the caption "I see stupid people." My husband bought an Underdog shirt. The price is about $10. The store's new line of Choxie chocolate candy is a great white elephant gift for more serious crowds.