Giving and Receiving Unwanted Gifts: Day 11 of 12 Days of Shopping

For Day 11, I am exploring the art of giving and receiving unwanted gifts and Jeanette has 15 DIY holiday gifts you can make with your kids.

I doubt anyone would ever reject a handmade gift made with love (hence going DIY shows you really care), but are you inadvertently giving gifts that are being regifted? Do your kids know how to react when receiving a gift that does not excite them? What is the etiquette of handling an unwanted gift? I don’t have the answers so I went exploring…

I really liked what The Grio had to say about regifting.

Exchanging at the Store: She says it’s tacky to return for money but exchanging for something more suitable is ok.

Here’s what you say to the giver of the gift (I thought this was genius): “I took the [insert gift] back to the store because it had a [insert defect], but they didn’t have any more *look really sad for this part *, so I got a [insert much cooler gift] instead.”

The Perils of Regifting: You can’t get caught so you have to think 6 degrees of separation when you decide to re-gift. Does your intended gift receiver have any connection to the originator of the gift? If there is any hint of that, then No, No, No!! You will get caught and it will be ugly.

Donating Unwanted Gift: Find a local charity and get a two-for-one. You get rid of it and you get a tax deduction.

Here’s what you say to the giver of the gift (again, pure genius): “Gosh, you know me so well! I already have a [insert gift], so I went ahead and donated the one you gave me to [insert awesome charity]. I know that will make someone really happy.”

Now that we’re clear on the rules of regifting, I’m going to start with some ridiculously expensive gifts I’ve come across while working on this 12 Days of Shopping series. Now, no one is going to gift these to me, but they are so outrageously expensive that I’d have to decline. What would you add to this list?

Ridiculously Expensive Gifts

Let’s start with this Louis Vuitton heavy bag created by Karl Lagerfeld though I’m not sure I know any boxer who would actually use this as the price tag is a whopping $175,000. You do get matching boxing gloves, but still!!

The Dog Pod 2.0 is really cool but it’s ridiculously expensive at $900.

Gifts That Get Re-Gifted

Are you guilty of regifting any of these gifts? I am! And, have you ever given these gifts to someone? Do you think your present ended up re-gifted? I doubt it. I’m sure they loved your fruitcake!

1. Ties

Unless it’s someone you know really well such that you can name half the tie brands in his closet, you probably don’t know his style well enough to pick out a tie that he will actually wear. In this day and age of office casual, there isn’t much opportunity to wear ties anyway, and if he’s the kind of guy that has to wear a suit and tie to work every day, then the tie is one of the few areas where he can show his personal style. So let him. A gift certificate to his favorite men’s store might be a better bet.

2. Perfume and any other sort of fragrance including candles

While all the senses are connected with memories, the scent, in particular, sparks a flurry of emotional memories, according to NBC News. That means that your olfactory memories don’t mean the same thing to me. Vanilla might bring back warm fuzzy feelings of freshly baked cookies to YOU but reminds me of a horrible piano recital that ended with a sheet cake. There’s just no telling. This is serious minefield territory.

3. Sweaters (and clothes)

I covered Ugly Holiday Sweaters already but my further note is that unless you are a fashion stylist (not in your own mind but actually getting paid to do this), chances are that you might not realize if your gift recipient has a long torso or a short torso, likes crew neck versus v neck, fitted versus louche, and tends to throw everything into the washer and dryer.

4. Non Fiction Books for Adults

The thing about nonfiction is that it should match the reader’s interests whereas a great fiction book has much wider appeal.

5. Fruitcake

There’s a reason why it’s a punchline of a joke, people. No one likes this stuff. It doesn’t even look like real fruit.

6. Picture Frame

Katu’s survey found that picture frames are the number one gift that gets regifted. Can you guess why?

7. Pajamas (and slippers)

I think it’s because pajamas are worn in the privacy of one’s home so people wear whatever they want to sleep in, even if it’s nothing at all. Therefore, we all are a little tweaky when it comes to sleepwear.

What gifts that are likely to be regifted would you add to this list?

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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

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