I guess, in my opinion, used books as a gift aren’t bad. Used gifts to celebrate a particular occasion tend to be tacky.
Picking up a used copy of a book someone’s looking for and giving it to them as an everyday surprise? Great!
Picking up a used book for Christmas (or another occasion when reciprocity is expected)? “I found a way to save money and I’ll already have your gift by the time you notice!”
Giving used housewares at a wedding? “To celebrate your new life, instead of finally getting the new matching stuff from your registry, here’s more old used stuff like you’ve already got!”
Of course, situations vary. If the book was hard to find or out of print, and it’s in good condition, that’s great. If someone’s having financial troubles or is low income, no problem. In most cases, though, gifts are supposed to be as good or better as you would buy for yourself. Most of my really nice stuff around my house is stuff that I wouldn’t have bought for myself because it’s nicer than the cheaper stuff. I like having the nice stuff, but I wouldn’t buy it for myself. My family members are mostly the same way. I get my stepdad the expensive scotch because he likes it but won’t ever justify the expense, for example. Even if I read a review that said the generic rotgut at my grocery is just as good as 12-year single malt, I’d probably still get him the expensive stuff (and let him know about the article some other time). It’s about the sentiment; I want my loved ones to have the best.
I have another mug story. One year, we did a white elephant gift exchange at work, so the gifts were even supposed to be bad. My (evil) boss’s random gift was a box of ugly mugs. Everyone laughed, but then as the boss was going through the box later (after the giver left), he noticed that there were huge bunches of… something… in the box too. He grabbed some and pulled it out.
Human hair. Like, so much hair it looked like about a dozen haircuts for someone with long hair. Handfuls of hair.
Besides the obvious question of why on earth would anyone have a box of human hair, in a normal suburban house, and then put mugs in it apparently without thinking… I always think of those mugs whenever I hear about used housewares.
You just never know if stuff has once been stored in a box of old hair.
Last christmas my mom got me The Complete Calvin and Hobbes used from Amazon. I didn’t mind one bit, as it was in excellent condition, and was significantly cheaper(the set is $150 brand new).
In general though, I think it becomes more acceptable as the gift goes up in price. I would prefer a new paperback to a used one, [hint]but a used snowblower would be just as nifty as a new one this winter[/hint], provided it works.
I give my nieces and nephews (and virtual nieces and nephews) presents for Christmas which consist of a box of books, games, little toys, etc. Many of these are used. Others are bought remaindered. Some are full price. I frequently read the books before giving them to my nieces and nephews. I hope by now that they understand that they will get a lot of interesting small things from me. However, they should also understand that something like a slightly used book is still good for many readings. Other than the books, I never give anything which is noticeably worn. Sometimes the books are signed by the authors, sometimes because I acquired a newer signed copy of the book and am giving them an older signed copy. I’m teaching them frugality. It is better to have several things, even if they are slightly used, than one brand-new thing.
I agree that used gifts are more appropriate as an everyday “hey, I was thinking of you” kind of present than for formal occassions.
One reason is that there is kind of the implication that it’s your used stuff (even if you actually did buy it) and that kind of means “Hey, I’m just gonna give you some stuff that I don’t want!” Now, if you are asked politely if you could put someone’s cast-off to use, that’s one thing. But giving a used gift kind of feels like you are just shoving the stuff that’s not good enough for you to keep on someone else, which is a little insulting. Like “Hey, I don’t want this crap hanging around, you take it!”
Another, of course, is that giving gifts is part of the social ritual. Across cultures and times we have given gifts to show off status, earn and show respect, solidify friendships and relationships, etc. It’s probably a mix of plain old showing off your wealth and a re-enactment of the days when we might have to rely on each other in times of famine. In a way, you are symbolically showing your friends and family “hey, when the bad times comes, I have a bit of extra that I’ll share…and of course you’d do the same, right?”
I’ve been getting my 97-year old mother to give used stuff for Christmas – she has drawers and closets full of handmade doilies and family china and knickknacks. I’d rather she give this unused stuff to the grandkids, with a note explaining its history, than I have to sort it out when she dies.
My SO has tons of shit for the kids and grandkids that she isnt using, just keeping until her death I guess.
I keep telling her to give the damn stuff to them NOW, so that they can use/enjoy it now and we can dehoard this house and nobody will have to go through all this crap when she dies. Not to mention that I highly suspect that upon her death it would turn into one of those ugly “grab fests” you hear about regarding people “inhereinting” stuff.
I just took some ‘used’ books to the library. (I don’t know if they sell them all at the annual book sale or actually put the good ones into circulation.) These were all bought at Borders or Barnes & Noble during the last 4 or 5 years as Christmas or birthday presents. Half a dozen books, read through once or twice and then put aside, cost almost $100 bought new. If I had bought them ‘used’, I’m sure I could have saved a whole shitload of money and they would have been just as appreciated.
