Blog Catalog Discussion: What do you do with gifts you don't like?

Shiley on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

Shiley — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:27:12 -0500

Lol! I feel like I'm doing something good when I donate. I try to help other people all the time drives my fiance crazy.

wehireu on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

wehireu — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:26:24 -0500

Give them to charity as tax writeoffs.

1happycorner on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

1happycorner — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:28:56 -0500

I would like to say THANK YOU to all of you for taking the time to answer my question. If anyone has a different idea on what to do with "gifts you don't like", please feel free to leave a message! My list is still open!:)

riverstyxxx on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

riverstyxxx — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:01:00 -0500

Gifts I don't like? I never get gifts from anybody!

1happycorner on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

1happycorner — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:59:14 -0500

Interesting! Thank you!:)

globalgirl on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

globalgirl — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:08:32 -0500

Regift, if I can get away with it (hey, it's new!)! If not, goodwill.

vfanblog on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

vfanblog — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:35:46 -0500

Sell them in my church's yard sale :-)

angryasiancookie on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

angryasiancookie — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:30:44 -0500

give them to a Toy drive on National AIDS Day. Or donate it to a good cause. Normally I don't ask for birthday presents, I like people to donate to my favorite charities. Or I ask them to help me volunteering as a birthday present.

neobluepanther on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

neobluepanther — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:20:20 -0500

I just keep them, and try to find a use of them...even if it is something that the object was not originally intended for! ;)

DrowseyMonkey on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

DrowseyMonkey — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:17:59 -0500

Donate ... regift. I wouldn't wait a year tho...maybe this is why I don't have many friends left :P

Shiley on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

Shiley — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:16:40 -0500

Hide them and then after a year donate to charity.

davet on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

davet — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:13:32 -0500

they make for great 'white elephant' gifts at office christmas parties.

kristilinauer on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

kristilinauer — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:34:57 -0500

Re-gift! Or throw them out/give to Goodwill. If I don't like something, I don't feel obligated to keep it. I appreciate the thoughtfulness, and I make sure they know how much I appreciate their thinking of me; but receiving a gift shouldn't obligate me to keep something I don't like, and having to store it in what little storage space I have.

Theresa111 on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

Theresa111 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:31:01 -0500

I keep some for sentimental value and eye them occasionally, as they sit on the shelf or lay hidden away in a drawer. Eventually, I will either use them or give it to a needy cause. It is lovely to give something to the GoodWill when it is still in its wrapper.

If it is very unique, I shall consider who best would enjoy it and re-gift. Once a gift is given, it belongs to the receiver. To re-gift is not a thoughtless or unkind thing to do.

I recommend letting the giver know ones taste, with a gentle approach, just in case the giver should wish to repeat the tradition.

MotivateToLift on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

MotivateToLift — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:59:37 -0500

Sell the suckers...

timethief on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

timethief — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:01:56 -0500

I make soaps, bubblebath, massage oils, and other facials products. My family and friends seem to enjoy them because they tell me they specially like this or that. I then write down what they say and use the notes as a reminder. I also get incoming tips (loose change and small bills) that they pop into my grocery and goodies can when I'm not looking. I then use the tip money to buy more supplies.

Dry mix gifts are a good idea too. Give out re-mixed dry ingredients for cookies, squares, etc. and include a card with the recipe so they know which wet ingredients and how much of them to add. Grow and dry herbs and dehydrate vegetables and fruits and make fruit leathers too. (I have friends that do jams, jellies, hot sauces and fish sauces to die for so we exchange products because the barter economy is alive and well where I live.)

I honestly believe that the people I give homemade gifts to do appreciate them. I know the people concerned very well and they aren't just pretending that they do.

So here are some more tips as a "gift" to you 1happycorner.

Happy blogging. :-)

Anok on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

Anok — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:53:50 -0500

Shove them up the givers....um, never mind. Lets keep the forums clean! :D

ender on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

ender — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:44:53 -0500

you know, that sounds like a good idea ... but i give all of that stuff away when i get it. just depends on the person you're giving gifts to, i suppose.

Dukepro25 on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

Dukepro25 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:44:14 -0500

Donate it! :D

kdawg68 on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

kdawg68 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:42:52 -0500

two words: white elephant.

Basically I re-gift them.

ender on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

ender — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:22:32 -0500

yeah, it would be great. my other half's mom ALWAYS includes a gift receipt or outright receipt with every gift. her deal is, she thought you'd like what she got you, but she wants you to be happy with it.

the worst time was when my mother decided i needed a television since i was going to have a longish convalescence period. i told her several times i didn't need that, but i really could use a VCR (hey, it was quite a while ago). so what'd i get? the ENTIRE family chipped in for a tv. no gift receipt. and it was right after target refused to take anything back without a receipt ... despite the Target warehouse stickers all over the side of the unopened tv. i had to bite the bullet and ask for the receipt so i could exchange it for a vcr. *sigh*

1happycorner on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

1happycorner — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:17:53 -0500

The older I get, the more convinced I am that the gifts I offer should be "consumable" gifts like: soap, lotion, cookies, gourmet or wine baskets, etc. So there is no need to worry about what you have to do with it...:))

timethief on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

timethief — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:46:34 -0500

The potluck clothes swap parties are a blast. Musicians bring their instruments and the whole time we are "free shopping" they play great tunes. The night ends with dancing. Everyone of every age from toddlers to grannies dance the night way.

P.S. /nod to ender. Wouldn't it be cool if every person, who gave another person a gift included the sales receipt in a sealed envelope?

ender on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

ender — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:39:16 -0500

i've contemplated the ebay thing a few times, but generally it's not worth the hassle for me unless it's price-y. and then i usually bite the bullet and ask for the receipt.

TexasTesla on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

TexasTesla — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:34:45 -0500

We return items all the time (especially kids toys and clothes - our kids do NOT need a million things for every special occasion). What I can't sell, I either ebay (if nice enough) or donate.

ender on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

ender — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:33:01 -0500

either re-gift or it goes to the church rummage sale.

1happycorner on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

1happycorner — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:32:12 -0500

Potluck parties! Cool idea! I added it to the list!:) Thanks!

timethief on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

timethief — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:39:36 -0500

OOPS! I just remembered something else. When it comes to clothes we have 4 seasons potluck parties. At the end of each season we rent our community hall and have a potluck dinner. Everyone arrives with bags of clean clothing they no longer need. After dinner we dump all the clothes out onto tables sorted by gender and age and then we fill our plastic bags with whatever we choose free of charge. The remaining clothing is either bagged and sent to a charity for re-sale or sent to be recycled by a quilters' group. The quilts made from the unwanted clothes are beautiful. They are raffled off and the proceeds go to our library or other worthy causes like the emergency food program.

@1happycorner
An empowered woman has no difficulty saying: "Thanks but, no thanks. I'm neither needy nor greedy." It's the "greed monster" within that likes playing the odds when it comes to expecting and receiving gifts, right?

What we teach our kids here in my very small community is not to feed the greed monster within us all. And the reason the kids learn the lesson is because we adults do exactly what we say -- we walk the talk.

1happycorner on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

1happycorner — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:21:36 -0500

donation - never thought of it... You are right about special times! The problem is that I receive gifts... besides the special moments! thank you!

1happycorner on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

1happycorner — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:16:18 -0500

At least you make money for an icecream, right?:) My neighborhood yard sale never brings money... for a lunch maybe...:(

1happycorner on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

1happycorner — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:14:24 -0500

hahaha that's a good one!

timethief on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

timethief — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:23:33 -0500

Re-gifting - If I do not want it and cannot use it I donate it to someone else or to the "free store" at our recycling depot. Also note that the fact I have done this for decades now has made my family and friends stop buying me gifts, which suits me just fine. I'm not a materialist. The gifts I truly value, are shared experiences with family and friends. The times we share together are precious because they cannot be either bought or sold.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

ThriftShopRomantic — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:09:06 -0500

THAT's a good idea. So they get a good home. And not YOURS. :)

ThriftShopRomantic on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

ThriftShopRomantic — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:08:41 -0500

Ugh... I'm on the receiving end of things like that with my dad.

It's never good.

suburbqueen on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

suburbqueen — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:05:27 -0500

Store them all up and sell them at the yearly neighborhood yard sale.

crkian on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

crkian — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:04:26 -0500

Wait till someones birthday and give it to them

1happycorner on 'What do you do with gifts you don't like?'

1happycorner — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:27:14 -0500

Let's say you received some gifts you don't like at all! What do you do with them? Throw them away? Put them on eBay? Keep them in the closet? Or garage?:)