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Despite circulating your Amazon wish list weeks in advance, at the end of the holiday season you always wind up with that one item that'll never see the light of day. But is it fair game to regift something you won't use to someone who will, or is that socially taboo? We asked Lemondrop readers: Is regifting bad etiquette? If not, when it is it acceptable to recycle your presents? Here's what they had to say."It's better to recycle gifts, rather than letting them rot in your closet, especially if you know someone who might like the gift that's not to your taste. In my family we have a white elephant exchange that is exclusively for re-gifting. It's fun, and it gets things out of your house, and hopefully brings wanted items in....otherwise, there's always next year." -- Smartmouth
"Perfectly acceptable ... it's a form of recycling. You just have to be careful and not be found out, because sometimes it can hurt feelings. But if you can do it and not be caught, absolutely ... I have friends who give so many gifts, there is no way they can remember who they gave what to or when." -- Tracey H
"I really don't think it's a bad thing -- if I receive a gift that I will never use, but I know someone else would use it, what's the difference between me just giving it to them any day or on a holiday? To me, it'd be better to give the gift on a holiday, rather than have to say, 'I got this, but I'd never use/wear it ... Do you want it?!' If you're regifting things that you think are crap and know no one would use -- then yes, that's bad ... don't do that." -- CurlySarah29
"I would say depending on the kind of gathering you're having for Christmas ... it might not be so bad. Like a white-elephant exchange or something." -- Danielle L
"I think it's fine. I write the following inside the card of every gift I ever give -- wedding, birthday, baby, holiday, whatever. I write, 'If this doesn't work out for you for any reason, please feel free to regift it or donate it to charity.' It bugs me more if they just stuff it in a closet somewhere and forget about it because they didn't like the color or already had one. Then by the time they give it to charity, it's not in style or whatever... I'm 100% fine with it." -- Redlin M
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Thursday 16 December
By Talia
I think regifting is great except my ex-sister-in-law regifted me with my own gift that I gave to her the year before. My other sister-in-law gave me the same black sweater 2 years in a row. Needless to say I don't worrry about what I get them anymore.
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Thursday 16 December
By David S.
Don't think there is anything wrong with it, but I would avoid it with very close friends or family. Inevitably they seem to know your business to some extent, and may figure it out. But a gift exchange with a co-worker or family member you don't like? No problem.
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Thursday 16 December
By Marguerite
regifting is tacky. what are you saying to the person? that you dont think enough of them to actually go out and get them a gift take this junk i dont think is good enough for me but is for you? better to return it or give it to charity
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Thursday 16 December
By Lita
Sorry, Mags, but what does it say about you if you give a gift to someone and haven't a clue as to what they may or may not like? After you give a gift, it is no longer any of your business what the receiver does with it. If you find that your gifts are consistently re-gifted and you are insulted, go with a gift card and kwitcherbeefin'.
Thursday 16 December
By Marushka
My ex mother-in-law (while I was still married to her son) re-gifted me twice! Once with a really nice Scottish pewter cross necklace with the same price tag inside the Tartan plaid box (easily recognizable) that I had given her several years earlier! Very tacky... And, she re-gifted me something that still had HER name on it from someone else on a gift tag taped to the outside. She didn't even attempt to re-wrap it! Thank God I am no longer in that family... lol Also, she gave me a wool skirt with no buttons on it one Christmas (and it was ripped) and then gave ME a card of matching buttons to sew them on myself. Nice, huh?
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Thursday 16 December
By Colloc
Depends on the gift. I have a friend who give me a bottle of Scotch every Christmas even though he knows I don't drink so I regift it to another friend who loves Scotch. If I get something that I don't need or want I may return it (if I know the store) or regift it to someone else. I do make sure that I never regift it to the person who gave it to me or to someone they know.
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Friday 17 December
By BOBBB
I think that is a prime example of a suitable regifting situation. I would take a bottle of scotch even if I knew it was regifted.
Thursday 16 December
By Lita
Not much of a friend if he gives you, a non-drinker, scotch, year after year. (If you have a problem with alcohol, then I'd have harsher words for him.) He considers you an obligation more than a friend--at least at Christmastime. These are the same people who give chia pets at Christmastime--no real thought about the person to whom they are giving. Who wants that? I prefer a funny Christmas card that someone actually put some thought into rather than something that "isn't me."
Thursday 16 December
By Regifted
I am frequently the receiver of regifted items. I just received serving plates with cracked glaze and a book where some liquid has been spilled on it. Of course, these gifts are passed on to me as new. I left the cracked glaze serving plates on the curb for a charity pick-up today but I am not sure AMVETS will want them, original box and packaging or not. People seem to think it is OK to shop in their basement for my gift. Since they evidently cannot afford to give me a new gift or gift card, I wish they would keep their junk to themselves.
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Friday 17 December
By BOBBB
I like the regifting idea, especially if I happen to get a duplicate gift that I really like. I do observe not giving the gift to anyone who would ever know that I regifted it. Now, that, I think is tacky.
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Thursday 16 December
By Belinda
I think it is extremely tacky and low class to re-gift. If you don't like a gift that you received, just give it to someone who would like it. Don't wait for a birthday or Christmas and then wrap up and give a free gift. That's just cheap and it's terrible manners.
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Thursday 16 December
By Mike
Regifting actually says more about the Gifter rather than the Regifter.
The Gifter didn't think enough aout the Giftee to give an appropriate gift, but as the Regifter, that person could think of someone who would appreciate the Gifter's gift more!
In other words, the Gifter found a nice present for the Regiftee!
That logic works with everything but fruitcake.
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Thursday 16 December
By Danny
I believe I hear a little bird singing..."Cheap, Cheap, Cheap."
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Thursday 16 December
By Anne
Re-gifting is absolutely acceptable. During these holidays, we like to acknowledge someone with (usually) a gift. But in these hard economic times, we cannot always afford to purchase a gift for everyone we would like to, and re-gifting an item that we ourselves cannot and/or will not use for whatever reason, is a great solution. Corny as it sounds, it IS the thought that counts, and in the long run just letting someone know you were thinking about them, is all that matters.
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Thursday 16 December
By mckenz707
A WORD TO THE WISE....IF YOU REGIFT A GIFT, BESURE TO TAKE ANY CARD THAT MIGHT HAVE COME WITH THE GIFT. I REGIFT IF I HAVE MORE THEN ONE OF THEM. ONE TIME I LEFT A CARD IN THE BOX AND WAS EMBARASSED ABOUT IT. MY DAUGHTER WAS MARRIED AND RECEIVED SEVERAL OF THE SAME THING AND I BOUGHT THEM FROM HER AND LEFT HER WEDDING CARD INSIDE THE BOX THAT I GAVE A FRIEND OF MINE. SHE LOOKED AT ME FUNNY AND I TOLD HER I BOUGHT THE ITEM BUT FORGOT TO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE. SO...DON'T FRET!
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Thursday 23 December
By Evilbeagle
If you are going to regift, you need to make sure that the gift isn't going back to the person that gave it to you, or anyone that actually knows them. I think that regifting is fine in most cases, but when you do it in such a way that feelings get hurt or it's way blatant, then it's a bit tacky.
Most of us run in different circles. If my sister gave me something that I didn't need or want, I would regift to someone that doesn't know my sister.
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Saturday 18 December
By Mom
I have gotten terrific presents by people regifting! Don't mind at aall. I often give other people things that my mother and I have collected through the years, which are nice things. If you get any present at all be grateful.
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