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Re-gifting Faux Pas: When You Give or Receive a Present on Its Second Round
The dos and don’ts of re-gifting
Is there anything wrong with re-gifting? After all, it’s just recycling, isn’t it? Here I share re-gifting experiences. They might change the way you think about giving unwanted gifts.
The first time I recognized I had received a present that had previously been given to someone else was after my wedding. I popped the little mock silver clock with an attached photo frame on the mantelpiece. I appreciated the thought, but it wasn’t the right style for my husband or me. Still, it was nice our friends bothered to give us a gift at all, I thought.
Then I noticed the time was wrong, so I opened the back panel, only to discover a little personal note.
How sweet. But when I read “to Cynthia and Brian, have a wonderful anniversary,” it was clear the clock wasn’t originally meant for us. Someone called Alice had given it to the couple. No wonder it wasn’t our style. It probably wasn’t theirs, either.
Re-gifting Lesson One
Check there’s no note discreetly hidden with the gift you re-home.
