Re-gifting Faux Pas: When You Give or Receive a Present on Its Second Round
The dos and don’ts of re-gifting
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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.
My next two re-gifting experiences stem from one gift-giver — re-homing unwanted presents is her habit. Paula visited me one day armed with a package. “I’m having a clear out of stuff I don’t want. It’s just junking up the house,” she said. “I thought you might like these.” She shoved the matching glass candle holders into my hands.
“Oh, thanks,” I said, immediately recognizing them as a housewarming present I’d given her three years previously. Rather than get too offended, though, I made a mental note not to buy her anything similar again as she didn’t like them.
Re-gifting Lesson Two
Ensure you don’t accidentally re-home an unwanted gift to the original gift-giver.
