wow, this is an interesting thread.
who knew that a simple idea of gift exchanging could get this complicated?
i think the idea/spirit of GE is simple. to get a gift for your SB and in return get a gift from your SB.
i have never participated in GE before, but i have seen the thank you thread and seen the numerous gifts that people receive from their buddies.
if the guideline says $20 is the min. than i would imagine that you get one or two items, but people are clearly spending more than that.
i think there is still a way that the GE can work and be enjoyable for people. maybe there can be diff. categories that you can sign up for price wise. if you want to spend $20, then you can get a SB who also wants to spend $20. and if you want to spend $100 on gifts, then you can get a buddy who also wants to spend that amount.
i don't know if that would make it super complicated or not. but i don't imagine it would.
as for people listing specific things that they want...maybe that's a little bit overboard? it's really not a surprise if you get what you asked for. (couldn't you just buy/order it yourself?)
just my suggestions, since i do think it is very interesting that a well intended activity can become so complicated
