Posts Tagged ‘Gift’

White elephant gifts are encased in value

There are many opportunities to enjoy free services on the internet. You can find free applications, free games and free advice in abundance right there in your browser.  Imaginary gift giving is even joining the virtual and free world.

But the real-world still includes real gift giving as a way of demonstrating love and support among family and friends.  It seems hard to believe that this supportive tradition will ever be replaced with something that is completely free.  Real gifts cost real money. This is even true for the traditional white elephant gift exchange, where everyone provides a gift and everyone takes away a gift.

Seth Godin shared some insight on when free is valuable and when paying for something is necessary. His thoughts focused on monetizing a web-based business, but because we are a gift-based service provider we felt his words confirm the value of real gift giving.

“My argument is that the line for using free as a discovery tool is shifting, and the best (and perhaps only) way to monetize in the future is for the idea to be encased in something that could never realistically be free.” (Seth Godin)

As an online provider for real gift-giving, we believe that this process could never realistically be free. Of course, the receiver of a birthday or wedding gift pays nothing, but the giver must spend money on a gift to provide the support. in the case of distance, the supportive gift-giver also pays the transportation costs associated with seeing that the gift arrives.

Could gifts ever be at no-cost to anyone?  That doesn’t seem possible unless a new mommy will accept a virtual baby blanket to keep her infant warm. It seems like the baby shower, the wedding reception and the birthday party will continue to fuel robust sales in the gift segment of the economy.  The same could be said for the white elephant gift exchange tradition. Real gifts purchased with real money are here to stay, unless the Government passes an “All Scrooge, all the time” policy.

Mr. Godin’s suggestion is that any sustainable online application must be based upon things that realistically must be purchased. Business will only survive where there is a continuous cash flow for operations.

The argument for using “free” as a discovery tool has merit, so we are offering free test-drives of the online white elephant gift exchange.  If you host a party using the code 1234, none of the attendees will have to pay to play.

Of course without paying for a real gift, you will be playing with just the virtual images of the white elephant gifts.  But at least you can see how much fun and convienent it is to use the great tools of the internet to share real gifts with your family and friends.

You are going to love this party!

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Rattle loose a great white elephant gift

For  about $15 dollars this white elephant gift will be a find great appeal in your next white elephant gift exchange. It is a combination set of wrist rattles and foot covers for babies.  Baby items are great conversation starters in these group gift party settings.

The rules of the white elephant gift exchange require that players open wrapped gifts and then allow others to make comments and possibly steal the gift away.  Traditionally the gift that gets stolen the most also receives the most comments. This rattle and foot cover systems definitely meets the conversation starter status needed for a popular white elephant gift.

The funniest part of this gift is its name:

Foot Finders

This gift has worked very well in the online version of the white elephant game because the complete description is displayed on the playing page when the gift is revealed. With the additional information on the product the players can take the conversation if several directions.  I could see one of my son’s attempting to gross everyone out with an image of an ugly toe that would need a toe-cover.

Even in a standard offline white elephant gift party or a Yankee Swap this set would rattle some conversation out of even the most stoic participant. .

You are going to love this party!

This white elephant gift idea is 100% MamaC endorsed!

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MamaC
Head Recreationalist for PartyWeDo

Graveling SOLD – White elephant gift auction

Finding fun and unique ways to share gifts between family and friends is a challenge for every group. The white elephant gift exchange is a great tradition for gift sharing during the holidays, but sometimes it gets a little old-hat.

AlbinoPhant attempts to mix-up the fun by offering several variations of this classic party, including an online white elephant gift exchange.

Try a combination gift auction and white elephant exchange for your next gathering and be amazed at the fun and conversation that you will start.

The following white elephant gift exchange rules will help you host the white elephant auction party of the year…

Prepare for the white elephant party by going to the Dollar Store and get several packages of money. This is like the Monopoly money used in the board game.
Next, create several envelopes with varying totals between 200 and 500 dollars. We have found that $20 dollar or $50 bills are the best. Have each envelope contain a different total so that there is variety among the party participants.

On the day of the white elephant gift exchange, set the room up like you would for the traditional gift party. Make sure all players have easy access to the gift pile and that they sit where they can see everyone in the game.

#1 Put all the wrapped gifts in one place

#2 Put every players name into a hat

#3 Draw the first name, read it and then put it back into the hat.

#4 The first player opens a gift and shows it off.

#5 The first player can choose two options:
A Keep the gift
B. Start a White Elephant Auction

#6A If they keep the gift the next name is drawn from the hat and then the name is returned to the hat.

#7A Player two has the same two options, ether keep the gift (until stolen or swapped) or hold a white elephant auction)

#6B If they choose a white elephant auction, they will act as the auctioneer and start the bidding at any level that they think that they can get.

#7B All players can choose to make a bid for the gift and the auctioneer will give the gift to the highest bidder and collect the cash.

NOTE: Players that have an open gift can add the gift into the auction bidding. For example a bid could be: I will give $100 dollars and this great ???? gift for your ????gift. If the winning bidder has a gift they will exchange the gift and the money.

#8 Another name is drawn from the hat and then returned into the hat.

#9 Player selects from three options:
A. Steal another opened gift.
B. Open a new unopened gift and display it to others.
C. Hold a white elephant auction on any open gift in his/her possession.

#10 Following the actions of ether the steal, the open or the auction, the next name is drawn from the hat and returned.

#11 The next player again has the 3 options explained in #9.

#12 In the event that a player with an opened gift has their name pulled from the hat they have two options:
A. Swap for any other opened gift
B. Hold a White elephant auction for their existing gift so that they can open a new gift.

#13 Game play continues until every gift is opened.

#14 An option would be for the host to provide a prize for the person who has the most money left over at the end of the party.

You are going to love this party!

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Flashy $15 white elephant gift

When this special white elephant gift is unwrapped during the party it will instantly be popular. 

TIME TO STEAL…!!!

Other gift exchange game players will see that they can finally clear that pesky traffic (not recommended) on the way to K-Mart for that big sale.

As MamaC, I get to select the white elephant gifts for the online gift parties that family and friends enjoy on AlbinoPhant.  I know that this blue-light flasher will get conversation going in your next white elephant party or at a Yankee Swap.

With this great white elephant gift conversation will head in several directions, including to K-Mart shopping memories or old Cop-show stereotypes.

Have some fun with this flashy gift…

This Special commercial “I know a Place!” should get your toe a tapping…

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MamaC
Head Recreationalist for PartyWeDo

This is COOL…

Gary Hayes has created this dynamic chart that demonstrates the real-time growth in social media. Pay attention to the ratio of virtual product sales and the REAL gift sales on Facebook. Then ask yourself 2 questions…

1. Is there room for growth in selling real gifts in social media?
2. Who is moving the real gift sales in social media forward, besides Facebook?

We watched the chart for 60 seconds and determined that over $10,000 was spent on virtual goods in the same time that less than $140 was spent on real gifts in Facebook.

We realize that this is an apples to pears comparison, because virtual goods encompasses all social media channels and Facebook gifts only measures a portion of a small service on one social network. And the chart does not track all of the real products sold by affiliate links from social sites. But it does show an opportunity for growth, especially when you consider that social media is a virtual mimic of real human interaction and that virtual purchasing mimics real-life  purchases.

Here is the thing you might want to consider… If people gather together in these internet social spaces and spend money on virtual things for each other, why wouldn’t they do the same thing for real gifts?

Think about this comparison:

Let’s assume that you sell me a virtual gift at $1 dollar, as a birthday wish for cousin Earl…
The result: You, Earl and I are all somewhat happy with this small gesture.

Now assume that you could sell me a $25 real gift at a 12.5% profit.
The result: Earl gets something real that he can enjoy beyond his computer screen.  I get the satisfaction that comes with providing some true support to Earl.  And you get $3.12 for facilitating the gift-giving.

Now all we need to do is find a fun way to pass out the real gifts in the social networks…. Any ideas?

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Hosting any event requires determination and ingenuity. We appreciate the efforts of a party host who takes the time and energy to pull off a great social experiences.

We really give a tip of our hat to the host who goes the extra mile to make the party memorable for everyone involved. It is amazing how even the small differences can make a huge change in the level of fun and engagement at the party. It is the host’s responsibility to find the “little extra” that will turn the party into a social explosion.

One of the galvanizing aspects of any group event involves joining attendees together in a common activity, like a party game. These activities are proven social bonding tools that turn mundane events into great social experiences.

Our family uses the gift exchange format to add a spark to our gift giving parties and create unity. But this year we went a bit further and added just another dimension to the fun.

On the day of our Christmas Eve party we invited all of the attendees to meet us at the local Goodwill store, just before coming to the event. We suggested that if they had not purchased a gift for the exchange, that this would be a good time to find the perfect present…

But we had another surprise in mind.

We asked everyone to shop for a silly hat to wear to the party, and it would be our treat.

The hat selection was fabulous and the variety was amazing ( it is interesting to realize that someone paid retail for some of these at one time!). The store was soon filled with laughter as our guests discovered hats and then modeled them for anyone who would pay attention to them.
Down several isles of the store walked grown men with furry or floppy hats, still displaying the price tags. Women that were trying on hard hats and football helmets were giggling like school kids.

The party had started at Goodwill and the excitement was spreading.

The regular store customers and clerks were entertained by this odd display, and our guests were getting into a very festive mood. We didn’t even need to ask the group to continue wearing the hats as they made their way up to the checkout, they just kept them on and delighted the other shoppers.

These unusual hats became the uniform for our party and added a social-glue among the participants of the evening’s activities.

The hats cost about $2.00 a piece, but their value as a group bonding tool was priceless. It created a memorable event for those who attended.

We take our hat off to the host who takes the extra steps to build a better party experience for family and friends.

What have you done to add something extra.?

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

This the season for the “TOP” lists…
Lists…. Lists….Lists…  Everywhere we turn there is another LIST!

I was interested in a list published by David Berkowitz in the Social Media Insider. It was titled: Ten Ways Social Media Changed Our Thinking in 2009.
His list includes several trends, but I focused on two that are of particular interest to me…

Gifts and Gaming.

David is the Senior Director of Emerging Media & Innovation at 360i, and he has his hand on the pulse of many growing trends in this space.  His success depends on spotting emerging business concepts, and he has selected Gift Giving and Games for his top 10 list.

David and I agree that these two trends are emerging, but real gifts and traditional games are already merging on social media platforms.  This work is in its infancy, and even David doesn’t really know all that is happening, but the foundations for gift-giving and games as a monetization strategy are being laid.

In the list under Gift-Giving, David discusses the Facebook “Real Gift” application and states; “Today, those goods (gifts) are provided through the Real Gifts application. Tomorrow, it may well be Amazon”.

I am here to say that tomorrow is here now, with the release of a demonstration party called AlbinoPhant.  Each of the real gifts offered in the AlbinoPhant markets are from Amazon.  Today,  any Facebook user can purchase a real gift through Amazon and share it with friends and family using a traditional party game.

Speaking of games:  The post goes on to discuss Games as an exploding social phenomenon and suggests that
“…there’s room for new thinking on what a successful game is”.

The most popular gift-giving game in the real world is the Swap. Gift swap games are used by families and friends to share gifts during important life events . The process to convert successful party games into online social experiences is currently in the demonstration phase. These new online party systems will facilitate the sharing of the real presents in a fun and engaging way that fits within the format of social networks.

Plans are underway to move many more traditional party games into these social networks and to allow families and friends the opportunity to share real gifts with each other, using online merchants like Amazon.

I thank David for his list, and suggest that he is not alone in spotting important trends and advancing the social web.

Thanks to the Burned out Social Worker for the image

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

We were interviewed for an article in the Conversation Agent blog, written by Valeria Maltoni. She asked why we are building an online party application. Here is my quote:

The tradition of supporting family and friends with gifts does not end when distance separates us. Nether does the desire to have a meaningful conversation with those that we love.

Parties are the traditional gathering point for both conversation and gift-giving among those who desire to support each other on special occasions. When distance interrupts this opportunity to gather, we all feel a loss of personal connection.

We are building this online party application as a demonstration that the tools of the modern web can, at least in some measure, replace the actual party experience with a valuable substitute.

Amazon provides a trusted shopping portal for gift purchasing. PayPal allows for secure payment systems. And AlbinoPhant provides a fun way to gather on Facebook to pass out all the gifts.

That is the “Business” side of why… But on the personal side, it is a much more emotional reasoning.

We love our children… and we want to stay involved in supporting them and their children with gifts. We would love to be at every event and milestone in their lives, but we can’t….   And we shouldn’t be.

Just because they have left the nest, we haven’t lost the strong memories of what it was like to host birthday parties and friend stay-overs, or to watch their excited faces on Christmas morning. The memories are great, but we are still craving to add more…

Distance and time have created a void in the conversation and the banter that was an important part of our family life for many years.  The traditional party experience is now a distant memory, and we just want a little of it back…

We know that we are not alone in our desire to share gifts in a better way than just shipping them off with UPS.  We have now found a way to bridge the distance and build a memory or two at the same time.  We can share gifts and great banter in an online party from any computer.

We have proven that it can be done for the past 3-years in our family, and we want others to have the same experience.

We Built it to Share it…

Give it a try and you will see why we did this…

Thanks to Valeria for her great article and the use of the image.

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Today marks the start of Hanukkah, a symbolic religious tradition for Jewish families around the world. A candle is lit each night for eight days; A present is shared every day, and they play traditional games.

Other faiths are preparing for the tradition of sharing gifts on each of the 12 days leading up to December. 25th.

Still more are shopping and wrapping presents in preparation for one of the largest single gift opening days of the year; Christmas day.

Gift giving in the holiday season has become a tradition for those with or without religious connection. It seems that retailers start this seasonal “rush to buy”,  earlier every year.  Many  use traditional party activities to distribute these gifts.

All based upon a Tradition of giving…

Even with the recent popularity of virtual gifts, the traditional gift is still a REAL one. The gift card, which has become extremely popular, even carries the promise of something real, rather than a silly image on a computer screen.

Gifts have become an important part of the traditions which support our family and friends during various life milestones or seasons. We take the gift selection, presentation and delivery very serious, because it is part of our traditions.

“Giving gifts to family and friends is a way to show our love for them. Our gifts don’t have to be lavish or expensive. In fact, the best gifts are often simple and inexpensive.” Suggests Writer and Editor Lillie Ammann.

Billions of dollars churn through the world economy as we both give and receive these real expressions of support. We are also aware that this spending is not limited to the final quarter of the year, as the gifting tradition includes many holidays, birthdays, weddings, baby births and more.

The tradition of opening, touching and experiencing a real gift can never be replaced by a virtual item from any social game. Nor will the virtual gift ever find its place within any popular traditions.

PartyWeDo is leading the movement to help social networks facilitate the tradition of sharing real gifts with family and friends. The online party blends a virtual connection for dispersed families, with the convenience of eCommerce and efficient shipping.

This fun gift sharing system will never completely replace the warmth and reward of presenting a gift in person, but it will allow some of the tradition to extend to those who can’t be home for the holidays.

May your season be bright and your hearts full of the tradition of giving…

Thanks to Refinery 29 for the image

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

The social networks can now be used for friendly larceny, with the launch of an online white elephant gift exchange party called AlbinoPhant.

This Facebook application allows family and friends the opportunity to party together in a virtual gift exchange, just like they would if gathered together in one location. They exchange real gifts, share friendly banter and enjoy the holiday spirit, through the online party.

Gift exchange parties are social events that focus on sharing gifts with family and friends and then “stealing” gifts from one another in an organized party game.

www.albinophant.com brings people together to participate in the party on a common game-play page, where wrapped gifts are displayed, opened, stolen and where comments are shared. This application facilitates gift giving among those who would be sharing gifts with each other anyway. AlbinoPhant just provides a fun, conversational and social way to pass out the gifts.

Traditional white elephant parties build lively conversation and great stories around the gifts as they are opened. With the enhanced sharing tools on the web, the online version allows more expressive conversation than ever before. The AlbinoPhant comment stream allows party participants the opportunity to post YouTube videos and images to assist in making the exchange party a real fun game. There are even opportunities to share some of the conversation outside of the party in other social networks, allowing the party atmosphere to spill over in other corners of the web.

The online white elephant party uses a combination of eCommerce and social networking tools to build the party system. AlbinoPhant is a gift purchasing and sharing facilitator, displaying hundreds of Amazon items in level pricing markets for convenient shopping. The host and each party participant use these single pricing markets ($15 to $50) to select gifts for the party. This leveling feature is used to keep the gift spending closer to equal among all of the players, reducing the “big-spender/cheap-skate” issues.

When all of the gifts are virtually wrapped, opened, discussed, stolen and re-stolen, the game ends. The application’s management system then sorts out who gets which real gift and sees that each present is delivered to the correct address.

The online gift exchange is a labor of love by the Christensen family, who are new to Facebook application development. The Christensen’s have tested the online gift swap party with their scattered family members for several years. They hired a team of Facebook developers and other web professionals to take their simple family party exchange and turn it into a fully operational Facebook application. Now they are eager to share this fun exchange, AlbinoPhant, with others.

This holiday season the networks will play host to thousands of gift thieves and promote friendly banter to liven up holiday parties. What is more social than a lively party?

To see press release go to http://myprgenie.com/3333

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists