At Christmas/holiday time or other times of the year?
I do. I confess I am an unrepentant and shameless re-gifter. Don’t get me wrong-- I love prezzies! I love the idea of them, the anticipation of them, and the receiving of them. If I also love the present itself, I consider that a separate delight and a bonus.
If I re-gift something, I still appreciated the thought and the trouble it took to present me with said object. But maybe it’s something I know I will never use, or I already have one/several of, or it really IS perfect for someone else (and only so-so okay for me).
I don’t exchange physical presents with all that many people. The two main people live out of town, so re-gifting is not likely to bite me in the ass.
I put a LOT of thought into the presents I give, and even keep ongoing amazon lists for individual friends so if I see something during the year, I add it to their list. One of my out of town friends, though we’ve known each other for over 50 years, is just not a good gifter. She knows it and admits it. She puts it off til the last minute and in the past has blown through Marshall’s or Tuesday Morning at the last minute and picked up random crap that I have no use for. This year she did that with amazon. I love her, but her presents go almost immediately into my re-gift pile. (This year one of her presents was a timely pulse oximeter–but like many people I bought one several months ago.)
Another friend gave me a big bottle of boozy eggnog last December. I only just opened it to celebrate Biden’s win, and last week he gave me a new bottle. I know the stuff keeps basically forever, but anyway that will go to a needy, deserving home.
What are your re-gifting stories/mishaps/protocols?
I don’t have any qualms about regifting as long as it’s done properly, i.e. the original gifter never finds out about it. Sometimes I even tell the new owner, “Somebody gave this to me and I can’t use it.” No shame!
This year I’ve gotten several boxes of chocolates from people at work. They might be trying to kill me.
But if I can keep my husband from opening any of them, I’ll be sending those chocolates right along. I love them, but there’s only so many one household can absorb!
Sure. Should I throw away gifts I don’t want? Leave them on a shelf for 20 years and finally throw them away? That kind of thing is wasteful. If I don’t want it someone else should be able to enjoy it.
Yes as often as necessary! Taking two gift bags and filling a care package for oldster shut ins, adding mini jack Daniels and assorted magazines. Thanks brad!
I haven’t in a long time, but I have no objection to it in principle. If something was given to me that would make someone else happier, I see that as a net good thing.
Plus sometimes you don’t really have the money to actually buy something. That happened to me when I wound up giving away a book I had two copies of (as I had been gifted them twice).
In fact, thinking back, I think most of my re-gifts were because I either already had something or was given it twice. And, in the former situation, of course I’m going to regift the newer of the two, not the older one.
No. I don’t do this save for one unusual circumstance. Both original giver and (proposed) new recipient are aware of the handover. (i.e. I never used that RC fuel pump you gave me, 'cause I already have one like it – OK if I give it to my kid?).
And it’s never presented as a wrapped gift. I just hand over the box.
I have no problem regifting unwanted new stuff. My wife is mortified at even the thought of doing it. My wealthy late aunt and uncle were notorious “registers”. AFTER use!!
For some reason, my wife receives all sorts of truly garish and inappropriate jewelry (earrings, bracelets, etc.) from friends. Fortunately, her 32 YO daughter loves this sort of stuff. We actually have a box that is dedicated to “Tasteless Stuff to Give to Jeni.”
If I give the present away again, I’ve still got the memory that somebody cared enough to get me something. If what they got me is something I won’t use, for whatever reason, and I know somebody who I think will like it: why should it go to waste?
– I think it does require keeping some sort of track of who gave you what; at least except for, in my circles, used books, which I don’t think any of us are keeping close track of when passing on boxes full of used books to each other. Among my friends and family this is considered a perfectly good present.
I have been known to re-gift, depending on what I have received. In our non-covid times, things like chocolates and biscuits would have been taken in to the office to share with colleagues, but I’m not going to campus unless I absolutely have to at the moment.
Toiletries are good for passing on, I do sometimes end up with more than I need, and there are some fragrances that I simply can’t stand! Things like that will get re-gifted, or donated, or given to a local cat rescue that I support, so that they can be used for raffle prizes etc. As long as it’s good quality stuff and the packaging is undamaged, I am sure it would be well-received elsewhere.
