Do you ... RE-GIFT?

[Gypsy]

I have to say some very good points were raised here.

A) if the gifter finds out it can be a problem (never had this happen before but there is always a first time).

B) the definition of something ''nice'' for re-gifting purposes.

I am pretty fussy with stuff for my home. I only like certain distinct things and know that others aren''t as rigid as I am. Normally what I ''re-gift'' are platters, bowls, vases, and alcohol. I own enough stuff for entertaining more people than I can fit into my home and enjoy buying things I need for myself. So I have a surfiet of platters, bowls and vases of my own. And I only like white, silver, clear or frosted items in contemporary designs. I don''t like carved crystal, patterned platters, or anytihng with any color. Plus I hate ceramic items. And only like certain brands of other things. Basically, I''m a PITA. The items I recieve in terms of housewares are usually quite lovely. I don''t gift anything to anyone (re-gift or otherwise) that I don''t genuinely think the person would like. So, occassionally, for the right event and the right person I will re-gift. But like I said, my husband hates it, so it''s not often. Plus, as gift reciepts are more and more common, I can return items I recieve so there is no need. If I can return it, it goes back. And something I like gets bought it it''s place.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/16/2009 2:28:49 PM
Author: fleur-de-lis
Gypsy, I''ll ditto your husband on this one.


Our notorious regifting friends are also the ones who underpay horrifically when a group goes out to dinner together. I''m pretty sure the two are correlated.

WOW, that is SUPER tacky

I have trouble imagining why people do stuff like this - I mean, everyone knows you are underpaying. I get it if you are in temporary financial difficulty, but if its an ongoing thing, why not just ask to go someplace cheaper??!

 

[niccia]

My fiances mum is a re-gifter...we all just laugh. I have seen her open a present and rewrap it to give to her own daughter within 10 minutes. She has also re-gifted me something small that I originally gave to her husband a couple years ago lol.
I would never re-gift myself, and if I am going to give someone something, it will be as nice as I can afford. I do reuse gift bags and paper though...it is just a waste to throw perfectly good things like that away.

 

[Gypsy]

Okay. Okay.

No more re-gifting. You all have convinced me. From now on only giving things away with disclaimers of their previously gifted history to people where there is little or no chance of discovery.

 

[kama_s]

Date: 4/16/2009 6:47:55 PM
Author: Gypsy
I have to say some very good points were raised here.

A) if the gifter finds out it can be a problem (never had this happen before but there is always a first time).

B) the definition of something ''nice'' for re-gifting purposes.

I am pretty fussy with stuff for my home. I only like certain distinct things and know that others aren''t as rigid as I am. Normally what I ''re-gift'' are platters, bowls, vases, and alcohol. I own enough stuff for entertaining more people than I can fit into my home and enjoy buying things I need for myself. So I have a surfiet of platters, bowls and vases of my own. And I only like white, silver, clear or frosted items in contemporary designs. I don''t like carved crystal, patterned platters, or anytihng with any color. Plus I hate ceramic items. And only like certain brands of other things. Basically, I''m a PITA. The items I recieve in terms of housewares are usually quite lovely. I don''t gift anything to anyone (re-gift or otherwise) that I don''t genuinely think the person would like. So, occassionally, for the right event and the right person I will re-gift. But like I said, my husband hates it, so it''s not often. Plus, as gift reciepts are more and more common, I can return items I recieve so there is no need. If I can return it, it goes back. And something I like gets bought it it''s place.

Gypsy, re-gift them to ME

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 4/16/2009 7:48:03 PM
Author: kama_s

Date: 4/16/2009 6:47:55 PM
Author: Gypsy
I have to say some very good points were raised here.

A) if the gifter finds out it can be a problem (never had this happen before but there is always a first time).

B) the definition of something ''nice'' for re-gifting purposes.

I am pretty fussy with stuff for my home. I only like certain distinct things and know that others aren''t as rigid as I am. Normally what I ''re-gift'' are platters, bowls, vases, and alcohol. I own enough stuff for entertaining more people than I can fit into my home and enjoy buying things I need for myself. So I have a surfiet of platters, bowls and vases of my own. And I only like white, silver, clear or frosted items in contemporary designs. I don''t like carved crystal, patterned platters, or anytihng with any color. Plus I hate ceramic items. And only like certain brands of other things. Basically, I''m a PITA. The items I recieve in terms of housewares are usually quite lovely. I don''t gift anything to anyone (re-gift or otherwise) that I don''t genuinely think the person would like. So, occassionally, for the right event and the right person I will re-gift. But like I said, my husband hates it, so it''s not often. Plus, as gift reciepts are more and more common, I can return items I recieve so there is no need. If I can return it, it goes back. And something I like gets bought it it''s place.

Gypsy, re-gift them to ME

LMAO. SEE!

I have a couple of bowls I have in storage I don''t know what to do with honestly. I actually like these-- they are my taste; I just have two more like them that I like better. And my grandmother got me one of those buffet serving silverplate warming dishes I have no IDEA what to do with-- I do not polish except on Holidays and it''s a very traditional design. And then there is the salmon colored platter. It would be a perfectly nice platter except the color is salmon and it''s ceramic. Oh, and the silver bowl. It''s copper plated over with silver. Actually a nice design. But I''m never gonna use it. And finally, the shoe spatula.

See! I''m gonna have to just give them away or donate them. They would be perfectly nice for other people. I donated all the towels I didn''t care for to the vet. I don''t care for posey embroidery. Or purple.

 

[Dancing Fire]

well, if any of ya nice ladies wanna re-gift your diamonds...please keep me in mind.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 4/16/2009 2:56:51 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
Does White Elephant count as re-gifting? Because I LOVE that.

Hehe excellent time for regifting!

ETA: The fun ones, not the for-real nice gift games. Even though my family still gives cheap gifts in those too.

 

[vespergirl]

Yes, especially (this is going to sound awful) gifts for my son. He''s only 2, so he doesn''t remember what he gets anyway (he''s still more interested in the boxes). His b-day is one month before Xmas, so we always have dozens of things pile up - and always get duplicate gifts. So, I will frequently re-gift some of his dulicate gifts to other kids at birthdays. Sorry!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 4/16/2009 7:59:53 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 4/16/2009 7:48:03 PM
Author: kama_s

Date: 4/16/2009 6:47:55 PM
Author: Gypsy
I have to say some very good points were raised here.

A) if the gifter finds out it can be a problem (never had this happen before but there is always a first time).

B) the definition of something ''nice'' for re-gifting purposes.

I am pretty fussy with stuff for my home. I only like certain distinct things and know that others aren''t as rigid as I am. Normally what I ''re-gift'' are platters, bowls, vases, and alcohol. I own enough stuff for entertaining more people than I can fit into my home and enjoy buying things I need for myself. So I have a surfiet of platters, bowls and vases of my own. And I only like white, silver, clear or frosted items in contemporary designs. I don''t like carved crystal, patterned platters, or anytihng with any color. Plus I hate ceramic items. And only like certain brands of other things. Basically, I''m a PITA. The items I recieve in terms of housewares are usually quite lovely. I don''t gift anything to anyone (re-gift or otherwise) that I don''t genuinely think the person would like. So, occassionally, for the right event and the right person I will re-gift. But like I said, my husband hates it, so it''s not often. Plus, as gift reciepts are more and more common, I can return items I recieve so there is no need. If I can return it, it goes back. And something I like gets bought it it''s place.

Gypsy, re-gift them to ME

LMAO. SEE!

I have a couple of bowls I have in storage I don''t know what to do with honestly. I actually like these-- they are my taste; I just have two more like them that I like better. And my grandmother got me one of those buffet serving silverplate warming dishes I have no IDEA what to do with-- I do not polish except on Holidays and it''s a very traditional design. And then there is the salmon colored platter. It would be a perfectly nice platter except the color is salmon and it''s ceramic. Oh, and the silver bowl. It''s copper plated over with silver. Actually a nice design. But I''m never gonna use it. And finally, the shoe spatula.

See! I''m gonna have to just give them away or donate them. They would be perfectly nice for other people. I donated all the towels I didn''t care for to the vet. I don''t care for posey embroidery. Or purple.

Hahah, I got one of those god awful tacky things for my wedding from my SIL & BIL children (who are my age, by the way!)

I threw it away before I even opened it...

 

[butterfly 17]

I have never regifted , but I have given away new baby clothes that my kids didn''t get a chance to wear still with tags, etc. Like when someone I know has a new baby I will put the new baby clothes in a nice gift bag and tell them that my kids never got a chance to wear them so maybe they can use it for the baby.
My kids get so many clothes that sometimes they don''t get a chance to even wear them before they outgrow them!

 

[loriken214]

I have regifted, but it was only when it was something very nice and that I couldn''t use. There was NO WAY that I would be found out. I''ve rarely done this.

At our couples bridal shower, DH''s cousin gave us a set of candle holders. When we unwrapped the box, it was all beat up and taped shut with masking tape...bad sign....anyway, we had to open the box and show everyone what was inside. The original gift card was still inside the box....to LISA AND CLAY. There were 80 people sitting there watching us open our gifts....the guilty party just sat there, without a clue! I would have melted into the sofa, but they didn''t flinch. Our names are Lori and Ken.

Lori

 

[kama_s]

Date: 4/16/2009 7:59:53 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 4/16/2009 7:48:03 PM
Author: kama_s

Date: 4/16/2009 6:47:55 PM
Author: Gypsy
I have to say some very good points were raised here.

A) if the gifter finds out it can be a problem (never had this happen before but there is always a first time).

B) the definition of something 'nice' for re-gifting purposes.

I am pretty fussy with stuff for my home. I only like certain distinct things and know that others aren't as rigid as I am. Normally what I 're-gift' are platters, bowls, vases, and alcohol. I own enough stuff for entertaining more people than I can fit into my home and enjoy buying things I need for myself. So I have a surfiet of platters, bowls and vases of my own. And I only like white, silver, clear or frosted items in contemporary designs. I don't like carved crystal, patterned platters, or anytihng with any color. Plus I hate ceramic items. And only like certain brands of other things. Basically, I'm a PITA. The items I recieve in terms of housewares are usually quite lovely. I don't gift anything to anyone (re-gift or otherwise) that I don't genuinely think the person would like. So, occassionally, for the right event and the right person I will re-gift. But like I said, my husband hates it, so it's not often. Plus, as gift reciepts are more and more common, I can return items I recieve so there is no need. If I can return it, it goes back. And something I like gets bought it it's place.

Gypsy, re-gift them to ME

LMAO. SEE!

I have a couple of bowls I have in storage I don't know what to do with honestly. I actually like these-- they are my taste; I just have two more like them that I like better. And my grandmother got me one of those buffet serving silverplate warming dishes I have no IDEA what to do with-- I do not polish except on Holidays and it's a very traditional design. And then there is the salmon colored platter. It would be a perfectly nice platter except the color is salmon and it's ceramic. Oh, and the silver bowl. It's copper plated over with silver. Actually a nice design. But I'm never gonna use it. And finally, the shoe spatula.

See! I'm gonna have to just give them away or donate them. They would be perfectly nice for other people. I donated all the towels I didn't care for to the vet. I don't care for posey embroidery. Or purple.

Some of that sounds like really nice stuff. I'd definitely ask around my friends to see if anyone wanted it, I might even re-gift infact...as long as the original gifter doesn't have any way of finding out! For instance, I LOVE ceramic, and have receieved lots of ceramic plates that I use regularly. In essence, one man's trash is another man's treasure!

If not, I'll just send you my address

 

[Pandora II]

Actually I do...

My life is pretty compartmentalized and so it''s 99.9% impossible that the original gifter will meet the ultimate giftee. I also only regift things that I think the other person with actually like/use.

I see no point in having the perfect gift for someone sitting there and yet going out and buying something just because it was a gift to me.

I have a box specifically for unwanted gifts - some we use for raffles/charity things.

The other thing I often do is to buy things in antique shops because they''re a good buy or I like them and then stick them in a cupboard till I decide what I want to do with them. I currently have a heavy-weight copper mixing bowl that isn''t quite what I wanted and so has been sitting on a shelf for 3 years, but I know my sister would like one - Christmas next year is sorted...

I would NEVER be offended by someone regifting especially if it was something that they thought I would like. It''s a great way of recycling!

 

[Tuckins1]

I will do it, depending on what the gift is... If it''s something that is just crap, then no. If it''s something that''s nice, but I don''t need, or something I will never use, then I will re-gift it if it''s a fitting gift for the other person. And I would NEVER re-gift to someone who personally knows the original gift giver!

 

[tigian]

Date: 4/16/2009 2:47:17 PM
Author: Kelli
I''ll give it to someone else, but not as a present. I''ll also make sure they are 100% aware that it was a gift to me first, mostly to avoid the original gifter finding out. I feel bad doing it, but if I''m not going to use it and someone else really likes it, why not?

That is exactly what I do. I also receive regifted things from my aunts, but I don''t hold it against them. They receive things that they cannot use and truly believe I will be able to appreciate it. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don''t. I usually store the unusable things in my closet for a year, then it goes to Goodwill.

 

[Magenta]

Date: 4/16/2009 2:47:17 PM
Author: Kelli
I''ll give it to someone else, but not as a present. I''ll also make sure they are 100% aware that it was a gift to me first, mostly to avoid the original gifter finding out. I feel bad doing it, but if I''m not going to use it and someone else really likes it, why not?

Couldn''t have said it better myself! Why should it sit unused, and benefit no one?

 

[atroop711]

I usually don''t especially if it''s something for me BUT just last week my daughter had a bday party. She received 3 of the same toy. We had a bday party to attend the day after her party and I''ll admit, I gave the bday child the toy that my daughter received 3 of. I also bought him a little something else to add in there with that toy since the toy didn''t cost me anything.

 

[Girlrocks]

Ok, I have already posted in this thread about a few re-gifting experiences that I have had, but I am resurrecting this thread because of what happened to me this morning...

My best friend gave me a $50.00 gift card to Ruth Chris''s Steak house for my birthday last year. DH and I were talking over the weekend that we need to use it soon because it has been almost a year and some cards expire after that. Well today I was looking at the card, sure enough it expires after 1 year. Since my B-day is in a few weeks, I called the 800 # to check the balance, thinking it could already be expired because maybe she bought it a few weeks prior to my birthday if she was in the area of the restaurant. As I was on hold, I was looking at the card and noticing that it looked really beat up, like it had been in somebody''s wallet for a while. Um, well yeah, no wonder, it''s expired....because it was activated in March 2002!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 4/16/2009 2:48:44 PM
Author: meresal
Gypsy,

This actaully got me thinking about wedding registries. Walk with me here:


What if a bride gets two of the same thing she registered for. While looking over the registry of a friends wedding that is coming up, she notices that said friend has registered for the same thing. Can the bride give this as a wedding gift?


I don''t ever re-gift. Thing I like I use, and things I don''t particularly care for usually sit in my closet and end up getting donated to GoodWill next spring.

Mer as a fellow bride I''ll say that this straddles the regifting line. While technically it is RGing, it''s not really. I mean, you could always return your gift and exchange it for the same one or return it for credit and get the same thing. At that point does it really matter?

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 4/16/2009 5:34:44 PM
Author: kama_s

Date: 4/16/2009 2:22:06 PM

Author: Hudson_Hawk

Fi''s mother buys all of our Christmas presents at the dollar store. No, she''s not poor, she''s just cheap. Because of the sheer number of dusty plastic candle holder''s I''ve received from her, I feel no shame in regifting to her.


I do not regift to anyone else.

HAHAHAHAHHAHA.....hilarious!! Does she ever realize it''s a re-gift???

Nope-no clue at all!

 

[tlh]

I don''t regift. If I dont like the gift, I immediately donate to charity. Sorry, but it just isn''t even worth my time to try to return it. But I always send a thank you card, for the gift. Because I am happy that I was thought of... but seriously, I''ve gotten Isotoner Gloves every Christmas from my grandfather for the past decade or more. I have the world''s smallest hands, and they don''t fit in anything but the knit children''s gloves, AND I live in the desert! So every year, those get sent straight to the goodwill, along with all the other stuff I got and will never use.

And as far as regifting goes... I know you''re regifting that lotion set. Cuz no one needs that much lotion!!!

 

[gemgirl]

We don''t regift, but we did recieve a Pfaltzgraff cookie jar at our engagement party from my husband''s half brother & SIL that they obviously got for either their engagement party or bridal shower. Late that night when all the guests were gone, I opened the gift envelopes and my husband opened all of the gifty gifts and he noticed that there was a scrap of different wrapping paper and scotch tape on the top of the box under the wrapping paper that he''d just torn off

. That''s a dead give away for sloppy regifters. That cookie jar has been in my attic for twelve years. I''ve thrown it down the steps in anger, he''s flung it to the back of the attic and it''s still in it''s original condition. He husband has decided (the edict has come down!) that we''re going to hold on to it, and we''re going to give it back to them for their 25th wedding anniversary. Hey, I''m not getting in the way of that! Their wedding cost us in excess of $2,000.- between big engagement, shower and wedding gifts, bachelor party, my husband got roped into paying for their limo somehow (don''t even ask.....), tux rental, gown etc. And all we got from them, was a $22.- regifted cookie jar. No wedding gift. Nothing else. Not even a card when we got married.

So even though we have never regifted before, we "plan" to in about eleven years from now

. Cheap SOBs!

 

[D&T]

yes, on a few occasions, to people unrelated or very distance cousin that came from either my side or DH side. I''m pretty good at keep tracking of who gives what and how the person is related or if there is a remote chance they will bump into one another and notices.

 

[whitby_2773]

one of my bridesmaids had a cousin who got married just a few months before i did. a few months later, said cousin had a garage sale with her new husband, ostensibly ''getting rid of all the things we had duplicates of when we combined houses''. they told their family ''dont bother coming - it''s just junk...'' but ''family'' dropped in anyway.

and saw all their wedding gifts which they had given this girl only 3 months prior being sold. nice.

re-gifting would have been preferable to THAT!

 

[jcarlylew]

edited

 

[SapphireLover]

Date: 4/16/2009 2:28:49 PM
Author: fleur-de-lis
Gypsy, I''ll ditto your husband on this one.

Our notorious regifting friends are also the ones who underpay horrifically when a group goes out to dinner together. I''m pretty sure the two are correlated.

I bet they are the types that get to the restaurant early and stick a round of cocktails on the bill before you have even arrived!

I have used the same gift bags (if they are nice I can''t throw them away) but wrapping paper is a step too far.

I did regift once. Got loads of Lush stuff that I can''t use cos of eczema and put them in as part of a present for future SIL. FI knew about it and wasn''t bothered. There is no chance that gifter and SIL will EVER know about it.

 

[tlh]

Date: 6/10/2009 9:36:52 AM
Author: gemgirl
We don''t regift, but we did recieve a Pfaltzgraff cookie jar at our engagement party from my husband''s half brother & SIL that they obviously got for either their engagement party or bridal shower. Late that night when all the guests were gone, I opened the gift envelopes and my husband opened all of the gifty gifts and he noticed that there was a scrap of different wrapping paper and scotch tape on the top of the box under the wrapping paper that he''d just torn off

. That''s a dead give away for sloppy regifters. That cookie jar has been in my attic for twelve years. I''ve thrown it down the steps in anger, he''s flung it to the back of the attic and it''s still in it''s original condition. He husband has decided (the edict has come down!) that we''re going to hold on to it, and we''re going to give it back to them for their 25th wedding anniversary. Hey, I''m not getting in the way of that! Their wedding cost us in excess of $2,000.- between big engagement, shower and wedding gifts, bachelor party, my husband got roped into paying for their limo somehow (don''t even ask.....), tux rental, gown etc. And all we got from them, was a $22.- regifted cookie jar. No wedding gift. Nothing else. Not even a card when we got married.

So even though we have never regifted before, we ''plan'' to in about eleven years from now

. Cheap SOBs!

haha! that is priceless!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 6/10/2009 11:26:04 AM
Author: SapphireLover
I have used the same gift bags (if they are nice I can't throw them away) but wrapping paper is a step too far.

If the gift bag given to me/kids is still in perfect condition, I will re-use them. When my kids had a huge party, with over 15 kids, I thought perfect opportunity to reuse some of the nicer ones. Problem ended up being I couldn't recall which kid gave which bag, so I gave most of them to the thrift store and the rest I used when moving (we had a couple massive-size bags).

With the bows, if someone gives a big fancy one, it seems like a waste to toss it, so I will save it. None of the regular ones are kept.

These choices are not out of being cheap, but because it's a waste to toss a crisp gift bag. I have a ton of kids' b-day wrapping paper and most of the time end up using that.

I don't even like gift bags - I think kids LOVE the ritual of ripping off the wrapping paper and making a giant mess!