Re-Gift Without Fear

Posted in: In The Know
Tags: re-gift, christmas

Are you still looking at that hideous decorative plate Aunt Edna gave you for Christmas and wondering how you can get away with re-gifting it to your sister-in-law? Here are a few questions to ask yourself before re-gifting from the experts at Regiftable.com:

Is the gift re-giftable? Never re-gift handmade or one-of-a-kind items. Signed books and monogrammed items are off-limits. Do you have to be told not to re-gift free promotional items? Some gifts that are good candidates for re-gifting include good (unopened!) bottles of wine, new household items and inexpensive jewelry.

How is the condition? Only new, unopened gifts in good condition should be considered for re-gifting. Never give partially used gift cards. Don’t give items that you have owned for a long time. A general rule of thumb: if you have to dust it off, it is not re-giftable.

Is this going to work? Successful re-gifters use common sense. If you are going to re-gift, be sure you know who gave you the item, so you don’t return something to the original giver. Only re-gift items to people who are not likely to see the original giver.

Do you have good intentions? Don’t just give a gift to give a gift. Be sure that the recipient will appreciate the item. Remember, if you feel that an item is undesirable, the recipient probably will too. If you are re-gifting simply because you ran out of time, gift cards are simple to obtain and always well received.

How does it look? When it comes to gift-giving, go for show! While gift bags in good condition can be reused, wrapping paper is a one-time thing. Always spring for a new card or gift tag.

Can you handle it? If you don’t plan to announce the gift as a re-gift, ask yourself if you can keep the secret. Never feel guilty about re-gifting once you’ve done it.

Have you considered your options? An unwanted gift could be a welcome donation to a charitable organization. It is also an option to suck it up and keep an unwanted gift. After all, it was a gift.

Have you ever been the victim of a re-gifter who didn't get it right?  Was there a faint stain of lipstick on the set of wine glasses you received?  Or, a couple of dried rice kernels in the rice cooker?  We'd love to hear your funniest and most awkward re-gifting stories.