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The Best Gag Gifts, According to Etiquette Experts

By A Mystery Man Writer

Strange, useless and hilarious gifts for any occasion. The best gag gifts are perfect for white elephant parties, birthdays and more.
A gift that’s undeniably unserious, not at all offensive, and, gasp, actually kind of useful? These magnets hit all of these usually discordant notes. A sextet of butts made to look like the front half of the animal is digging around for ice cream makes for a fantastic gag gift, full stop. Musayeva says that a gag gift “should be light-hearted and make the person laugh without being insulting.” It’s hard to fathom how animal butts could be considered insulting, but they’re undoubtedly light-hearted. Fifteen bucks for six magnets that add some whimsy to the fridge is a great deal. Bonus points for keeping that shopping list securely in place.
A gag gift for a friend with a, how shall we say, less developed sense of humor might seem like a fool’s errand, but a gift as undeniably silly and G-rated as this desk toy is always a good idea. “If they have a hearty sense of humor and aren't easily offended, you've got more leeway,” Vaughn says. If they don’t, this miniature version of the used car dealership staple is sure to entertain without offending. A sub-$10 price tag for this kind of real wacky waving action? It’s a steal at twice the price.
Should you give a gag gift that touches on politics or religion? Vaugh says, “It can be done, but it's high risk, high reward.” And she would know: the gag gift she created is one of the best around for recipients who’d prefer a racy comedian’s set to a knock-knock joke. The humor in this otherwise ordinary box of crayons comes from the color names printed on the labels. Examples include ”Privilege” on a white crayon, “Lives Matter” on a black crayon, and “Boner Pill Blue” on a Viagra-colored crayon. There’s nothing mean-spirited about these labels, but even mentioning these kinds of hot-button issues means they should be saved for the right recipients. Just under $10 for two dozen crayons is a few bucks more than a Crayola set of the same size, but jokes aren’t free and that’s a pretty fair deal as far as we’re concerned.
People tend to think of squirrels as either loathsome pests (rats with tails) or among the cutest animals in God’s Kingdom. No matter where one falls on that debate, this squirrel feeder is a delightful gag gift. From a longtime leader in the gag gift industry, this squirrel feeder is designed to be hung outside with a string and filled with food. Squirrels will appreciate the nibbles inside while unintentionally providing a nice moment of comedy to any human that happens to catch them feasting. Gag gifts shouldn’t be expensive, and for less than $20, this one certainly isn’t.
One thing gag gifts have in common with their more serious brethren is the value of a personal touch. “If a friend sends you self-deprecating memes about something they’re experiencing, you can take that and turn it into a gag gift because it shows that you pay attention to what they’re sending you,” Musayeva says. A personalized gag gift that can be appropriate for any occasion is a trophy with a custom engraving that hearkens back to an inside joke. The incongruity between a shiny golden trophy and a deprecating line like “World’s Worst Parallel Parker” or “Most Likely to Show Up Late” makes this a delightfully cheeky present with a personal touch. Customization costs money, so getting this trophy for less than $25 (after shipping) feels like a fair price.
There is no shortage of novelty toilet paper on the market, with designs ranging from $100 bills to word searches. This one earns our nod because it can provide simple entertainment when there’s time to kill. Poop jokes aren’t for everyone, of course, and Carlson reminds us that the goal of a gag gift “is to bring laughter and enjoyment, not discomfort or embarrassment.” The people in one’s life who do appreciate a good poop joke will appreciate this toilet paper, which comes printed with plenty of them. It’s a bit pricier than Charmin, but it’s funnier than Charmin, too.