I received a wedding present that was sent with the best intentions.  Unfortunately, every time I looked at the serving platter, all I could think of was roach.  It was purple glass, shaped in an elongated oval pattern with glass etchings on one side.  It became quite the favorite gift at an elephant gift exchange several years later, especially since I had left the note of congratulations in the box accidentally....

My father (gotta love him) wants so desperately to please others and searches everywhere to find that perfect gift.

And generally, it never is.

Two years ago he was so excited for me to open my Christmas gift because he had searched for months trying to find it for me. It was an antique stuffed pink that grunts and walks. And the reason it was perfect for me? Because it's name is 'Jolanthe' - which is my name.

The pig was over $150 and I can't do a blessed thing with it - except sit it up high on a shelf in hopes that one of my 4 children doesn't destroy it, or just laugh every time I see it. Because although it had a lovely sentiment behind it, I really don't want to have my namesake be a pig - thank.you.very.much.

Jolanthe

Growing up my Grandmother gave us stockings at Christmas time, and for many years underwear would be one of the stuffers.  Cute when you are 3, but at 12 years old not so cute and not appreciated.  What was really fun was swhen I tried to discretely set them aside and someone would ask to see what I just pulled out of the stocking. 

You know, I think that was the last year for the underwear, thank you Grandma.

My supposed best friend gave me a diamond tennis bracelet.  After telling me how I made his Christmas the best he had ever had.  I won't list all the surprises I had for him but I sure had fun giving them to him.  Two days later my wrist turned green.  I found out he spent less than $50 and it was a gold plated fake.  He isn't my best friend anymore.  LOL

I was given a pool table purchased at an auction for my birthday. Keep in mind I have never shot pool nor do I wasnt to. It was more less for him not me.

i am always truly grateful for gifts i receive, however i remmeber on the xmas of 2005 i got a gift that truly seemed wrong for me.

i am NOT an outdoors person, and also hate shopping. yet my brother decided to buy a tent and a gift card to a local mall. he told me that he thought it would spark up new interests in me, but it did not.

i gave the gift card to my girlfriend and sold the tent on ebay :) i loved the thought but the gift was terrible!!!

I received a bass guitar for Christmas even though I had never even played a rhythem guitar before

The worst gift I have ever received was a mug with someone elses name on it from my aunt for Christmas. She gave my sister the same mug, but with my sister's name on it. I don't have the mug anymore, but if you're going to give someone a gift with their name on it, make sure it's the right name!

 I always complained about getting a gift from anyone that someone else picked out. My Ex-husband never bought me anything that he didn't send someone else to buy it for him. Usually that person had not a clue what I would like and I was stuck with something I had to act like was just what I wanted even if it was a mauve sweater or a lavender bathrobe. Both these colors wash me out even with heavy makeup. It was then thrown up that "You never wear anything I buy you, you can pick it out youself or I'll just give you money". I hated that! Money is so impersonable and getting it yourself means that he just can't take the time to pick out sometime and be thoughtful. In other words he just didn't care. I began to make the remark that I didn't care what I got even if it was a handkerchied as long as he picked it out himself.   Well he brought it in that Christmas and said I better not say anything about what I got because he picked it out himself. Well, he didn't he had sent someone  to the convenionce store next door to his office and got me a pair of hose. Not only were they queen size but the red-est hose I have ever seen. I just said Thank you, and smiled. It looked like something he probably would pick out. Two weeks later the person who went to get them for him told me about it. He said he thought it was a joke and didn't know how to buy hose so he just picked up a pair not knowing about color or size. After Christmas my ex-husband told him he must have done good for I hadn't said anything about them. The man then realized that there was no joke but that he had really give them to me. He ran into me in the bank and apoligised and then I found out that he still didn't pick them out himself. To make a long story shorter, the husband became the ex-husband and not just because of the "Queen Sized Red Hose" But that was close to the top of my list of things.Needless to say my Christmas celebrations have been great eveny since that one!

Yvonne Butler

My 50th birthday, last year....a huge deal in my life and man I was making it clear that gifts were expected, the more expensive the better :)  One week prior my daughter had a crisis in her life...and was admitted into the hospital on my birthday.  Thank God she was fine.  3 friends called me to get updates....and all 3 said the same thing...they didn't think it was appropiate to send a gift, considering the circumstances, not like a cheery kind of day.  I was FLOORED, especially since they NEVER even made up for it.  They are still dear people in my life, but really made no sense that such a special day went unnoticed, when certainly gifts and cards would have made such a conflicting kind of day BETTER!

I admit to sometimes getting caught up in, what can only be described as, children's shows. A couple of years ago was no exception. The show in question was one of the various Power Rangers series, and for whatever reason, I was hooked. I didn't admit it then, and I tried to hide it, but the rouse was up when that Christmas my live-in mother-in-law presented me with toys and action figures to match the show. I realize, and freely admit now, that my slipping back into the mindlessness of a child's show may have confused her, but did any other part of my life state that I was one who wanted, or even enjoyed, playing with the dolls? Nope. Thanks MIL for the, uh, thoughtful gift.

worst present had to be a dusty old travel checkerboard, obviously from "someone's" attic! :(

White elephant gifts, arent' they everyone's worst?:)  I'd have to say that my worst gift was no gift at all.

A group I belong to holds an annual gift exchange. One year someone I didn't know at the time drew my name. I received a very poorly made and badly painted mass-merchandise ash tray (I don't smoke, and she was given a profile which said so.) The topper? It was broken in two pieces right down the middle.

Thank you for the offer! If I win, I will try very hard to remember the likes and dislikes of the recipients when I choose their gifts.

Pet Rock + Birthday = worst gift of all time, Need I say more?

Most of the presents I have received could be considered the worst,if there is something I want I go get it and don't wait to get it as a gift.

That was the worst gift ever from my husband.  And he was all excited about it as if I was going to be happy!! 

actually, a bumper pool table because i thought my parents had bought me a motorcycle.

It was so cheap, it had to have cost $5.  I used the moisture creme and had to see a dermatologist!!

i am looking at it right now, a USED microwave

The worst Christmas gift I ever received was from a now ex brother-in-law. Everyone knew how much I hated hot dogs - but the year he drew my name for Christmas he REgifted me with a Hot Dog Carasoul!! How tacky! Went straight into the garbage!

And they all went to heaven in a little row boat - :o)

I had just  had a baby and my husband and I were saving money, and he found a  used breast pump at a garage sale- when I say used- the last time the person used it they emm did not clean it. It was  gross and disgusting...ended up with a hole in the wall from giving it...if he would have brought it home and said look wheat deal I got, I might have not been so mad, becuase  parts could be bought and it could have been sanitized but as a gift no way!

The other one in a tie - well my mil used to ask my kids what they would like for birthdays and holidays...this one year they all said a basketball hoop and a trampoline..they walked into her house and saw them against the stairs in the boxes..and were all happy for hours..then the presents opened and they got dollar store toys- oh those were for  their cousins..ok so much for Grandma playing fair. Then she gave me a mesh bag and inside was a  cheap half used bottle of lotion- open and gloppy with an expensive tag on it from her shop- yeh right and she was telling everyone how expensive it was nad fancy- I told her since its so expensive I am saving it for that special occasion(6 years- it is fermenting and its going back to her as a gift- same wrapping and tags  with her store price tag- I am gonna tell her it aged and its worth more since her shop is closed and since she loved it so much she can have it back!)

The worst gift I ever received was a toilet plunger!  Some people have no clue!

He has gotten better, but my brother used to give the cheapest, tackiest gifts I've ever seen.  He worked in Taiwan and would buy all kinds of cheap plastic trinkets and other items that he would sell on eBay to make extra money.  One Christmas, he gave me six amber colored photo frames with little teddy bear heads all around them.  They were meant to hold wallet sized photos and were very poorly molded and painted.  I'm not into yellow or teddy bears and had two pre-teen boys at the time, so the gift of six ugly babyish little frames made no sense to me.  I asked my brother what the thought was behind the gift.  He said that he thought I could come up with some use for them.  In other words, he couldn't sell them through his eBay business so he thought he'd dump them on me.  Nice.

I received a pair of slippers in a beat up box that were 3 sizes to small.

One year I got a set of fireplace tools.  I really thought there was someting else in the box because I knew he wouldn't (or couldn't) be that nil,  but I was wrong.  Oh, and another year he bought me a 6 pack of socks, tore the pack in half to make it look as if he has got me 2 gifts.  Nice.  Is there a school for men like this who need help??????

One year I received 3 candy dishes from 3 different in-laws.  And I'm pretty sure 2 of them were re-gifts.  Such wonderful gifts, considering I was trying to lose my baby weight at the time and they KNOW I don't keep candy in the house!!  ACK!  Drive me crazy...