Regifting
Regifting 101: Giving Guilt free
It's happened to all of us. We've received a perfectly-nice gift from a well-meaning relative or friend that still made us think, "Wait. Have you ever even met me? Why would you give this to me?" We smile, thank them politely, and then think: what on earth am I going to do with this?Consider joining the growing legion of regifters. Once considered taboo, regifting is economical, "green," and if done correctly, virtually guilt-free. In fact, acceptance of regifting is rising. According to a 2007 survey held by Money Management International, 58% of respondents felt that tactful regifting is finethe pivotal word being tactful.So, regifters unite! On December 18 (officially National Regifting Day), use these tips to move those gifts from out of the storage closet and back under the tree.
1. Do NOT regift to the original gifter, unless the gift is so general, generic, and mundane that they will never suspect, only believe you are returning the favor of such a fabulous gift in the first place. Otherwise, at best, it's awkwardat worst, you'll feel like a complete and total idiot. The holidays are hard enough. Spare yourself.
2. In 99.9% of cases, you should only regift new, unopened items. Use common sense here. If it's dirty, broken, used, dusty, or dated, it's beyond regifting. No one likes to get a Cranium game with pieces missing, a journal with pages torn out, a used sweater vest, or a partially full bottle of perfume (no matter how expensive it was new). In these cases, you may want to just bag these and regift instead to a charity that will distribute them to people in need.
3. The.01% of cases in which this is OK is when the gift is not going to be just a "gift," but instead, is being passed on to someone you know would use it more than you. And in that case, full disclosure is a MUST and you need to give them the opportunity to refuse (an example: "I received this perfume and tried it a few times, but it's really too sweet on me. I thought you might like it, because it has vanilla notes I know you like. Would you like to have it?"). And please, if it's the holidays, make sure and give them something else nice, just for them.
4. Think whether the gift is appropriate for the new recipient. A box of expensive chocolates isn't a good regift for someone with a cocoa allergy (if you know them well enough to know that). The regifter's rule of thumb is this: if you have to ask yourself if it would be a good gift, it probably isn't.
5. Consider making a regift into a "new" gift, personalized especially for the recipient. Boring coffee mug? Paint designs on it, or their name, and include some packets of hot cocoa and a nice bow. That broken up Cranium game? Turn it into a piece of post modern sculpture. Be creativeand give that gift a second chance as something someone will truly love.
