The Significance of Exchange

One of the ideas from the first couple of chapters of Mauss' The Gift  I found to be of interest was how significant and specific the process of exchange was for these cultures. I was admittedly a bit lost trying to understand the process of exchange for the Maori on pg. 11, but what I was able to take from that section was how the process of exchange required a balance from those who were giving and receiving gifts, and that it was the exchange not the items that possessed a positive spirit. Though the Maori have their own words for the significant spirit or energy that exists within the process of exchange, I believe we can all relate to the significance of giving over the actual gift itself. This sense of balance reflected by the Maori is similar in my opinion to Mauss' later explanations of reciprocity. Does this example show that idea of reciprocity? Were there example that stand out as not showing the idea of reciprocity?What other examples also reflect the significance of the exchange, instead of the object itself?