Community Chat

[Sookie Says]

Just out of curiosity how many feel it's okay to use recycled gifts for Christmas presents? 

[jeanlake]

Not gifts, but dessert and treat gifts. Just gave son's girlfriend dark chocolate w/ peppermint because I knew we wouldn't eat it. I wanted someone to enjoy it.

[Carmie]

My youngest brother and my FIL passed the same Christmas gift back and forth until my FIL passed.

When my brother was younger he purchased a bust of Groucho Marx that was about 12 inches high for my FIL’s Christmas gift.  Well, the next Christmas, he got it back all wrapped up in a nice new box.  It went back and forth at Christmas time for years.

i just thought about it because my SIL came across it a few weeks ago.  She said she was going to send it to my brother.  I guess he will be stuck with it now.

i know this isn’t what you meant about rechcling gifts.  I have regifted gift cards to restaurants and coffee shops that I didn’t care for.  I have given cosmetics away that were gifted to me, but  not as Christmas gifts, I just gave them away.

i have been never recycled anything else as a wrapped Christmas gift to anyone.

i do reuse gift bags, boxes  and bows...does that count?

[Sweetbay magnolia]

I give my next door neighbor the food treat that my financial adviser sends each year.  I am up front about it (it's generally something I would try to avoid and they are a large family with kids).  They don't turn it down!

[SahmIam]

Depends. In the past, if I received something that was quite nice/well made but not my style, I would hang on to it and re-gift it when possible. With food, it would either go into the office or re-gift during the holidays if possible.

[willdob3]

@Sookie Says

The other day I gave my neighbor 3 small fast food gift cards given to me by my employer. I knew I wouldn’t use them & the neighbor knew where I got them. I really wouldn't call it a gift either. But the neighbor is on a limited income and she was happy to receive the gift cards. 

But I don’t see what the problem is with regifting a new, unused item if you think someone else will like it. And no reason to confess it is being regifted.

Regifting something just to get rid of it and/or just dumping an item on someone even if you don’t think they’d like it either is a different thing.

[Kitlynn]

---

@Carmie wrote:

My youngest brother and my FIL passed the same Christmas gift back and forth until my FIL passed.

When my brother was younger he purchased a bust of Groucho Marx that was about 12 inches high for my FIL’s Christmas gift.  Well, the next Christmas, he got it back all wrapped up in a nice new box.  It went back and forth at Christmas time for years.

i just thought about it because my SIL came across it a few weeks ago.  She said she was going to send it to my brother.  I guess he will be stuck with it now.

i know this isn’t what you meant about rechcling gifts.  I have regifted gift cards to restaurants and coffee shops that I didn’t care for.  I have given cosmetics away that were gifted to me, but  not as Christmas gifts, I just gave them away.

i have been never recycled anything else as a wrapped Christmas gift to anyone.

i do reuse gift bags, boxes  and bows...does that count?

---

I had two Aunts and they sent the same card back and forth for fifty years!! It was great seeing that card get worn out as the years went by.

[qvcfreak]

I have but only if it’s a nice gift and I know the person will love it. 

Last year I received a pair of Kendra Scott earrings, I don’t like gemstone earrings and they aren’t inexpensive. I have a friend who loves her jewelry and I will regift them to her. I never opened them and the package is beautiful. 

[BirkiLady]

No. If I don't care for an item or don't have a use for it, it goes to a Charity. Someone is able to use it! Just not able to rewrap and pretend it's a gift from me. My gifts are given with thought for the recipient. Have never understood the idea of recycling unwanted gifts to other relatives or friends. Seems tacky and thoughtless.

However, like another poster above: My BFF and I sent each other the same card back and for for our birthdays for over 40 years. Each year we'd write a short poem inside about our on-going friendship or the year. As the card yellowed and the poems covered the card, we had to add another sheet for additional poetry! Our entire families loved the anticipation of the arrival of that card each year at each home. Sadly, she passed away in 2016. I hope one of her children may have it, but I've not had the heart to ask. Someday, I'll ask for a copy if I ever find out who has it.  

[GCR18]

If the gift is expensive, I get the receipt and exchange it.  If it's inexpensive, I usually put it in my goodwill pile.