Wednesday, December 9, 2009

To regift or throw it in the trash because it was ugly as sin to begin with?


Just over two weeks until the fat man in red squeezes down your chimney.
Or in a house like mine he walks through the back door.
Sure, this is what we told the kids since we do not have a chimney.
Santa has keys that open every door in the world and he comes silently through the back door and locks it when he leaves.
Very thoughtful.

Has Santa or your Aunt Gert ever given you a gift that would actually improve if you ran it over with your car?

We have all gotten the gifts that never should have been.
Do you throw it away?
Regift it?
Let it fester and rot in your house until 30 years from now you forgot who gave it to you and for what?

Throwing it away may make normal people feel bad about wasting something that was a gift.
The fester and rot method is rough because who wants to stare at a clock that plays accordion music at the top of every hour? Not me.
No fucking thank you.

So the regifting method seems to work for most.
We all have that crazy Uncle James who would just DIE for a clock that plays accordion music.
So you give it to him.
Simple.
Done.

But there seem to be some common guidelines, rules if you must, to regifting.

Only regift when:
You are certain that Uncle James will like it, he does collect obscure clocks after all.
It is unused and still in the original packaging.
You rewrapped it.

Never regift:
If it is something that he 'may' like but you aren't certain
It has been used. At all.
If you want to give it to a friend in the same circle or another family member. Tacky.

2 comments:

Ashley said...

LOL Great rules of advice! I like the idea of regifting, but I'm not sure if I've ever done it. I'm always afraid it will somehow come out that it was regifted and I'll be caught!

phasejumper said...

I'm a definite regifter. This Christmas I am regifting a brand new fancy Christmas decorating/recipe book and a bath and body works gift set still in its packaging. I agree with your rules but want to add to help with the last one-keep good records! My mom has given us the same gift two years in a row after we accidentally left it there after the first time! She had no idea!