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Shopping guide

Completely Unnecessary. Absolutely Essential.

Nobody needs any of this. Everybody will want a picture with it.

Novelty items, ridiculous games and things you'll explain for years.

What makes a good unnecessary thing

  • It gets used more than once.
  • It's funny to the whole group, not at someone's expense.
  • It looks good in a photo.
  • It's still safe to use at the end of a long day.

Where these shine

White-elephant swaps, house superlatives, birthday gags, graduation send-offs and the shelf above the TV where the house keeps its trophies.

Skip it if

It's mean, it targets a person or a group, it's a hazard, or it'll be in a trash bag by Monday.

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