The Art Of Regifting
BOSTON (CBS) - Regifting is a sophisticated term for something that has been going on since people have been giving gifts. We pass on as new, a gift someone else gave us.
You receive a gift that doesn't fit and it came from your brother in Florida and can't easily be returned. Or it may be candles from a customer. Could be a book you've already read. So what do you do with them?
Regift! If you do regift there are some guidelines to keep in mind though.
You don't want to regift to the person who originally gave you the gift. Stick a post-it note on the gift with the name of the person who gave it to you.
Use a new plain box for you don't want the recipient thinking you bought the tie at Macy's and then have them stand in line to return it. Use new wrapping paper and tissue paper as well.
The gift should not be tacky, old or dirty. You want new condition and new means you did not wear it, not even once, nor did you run the juicer to see how much work it would be to make carrot juice! Sell those things on Craig's List or eBay or better still give them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army.
Wine or champagne are ideal items to regift unless someone is a teetotaler or the champagne is of the $3 variety.
Items that should not be regifted; that special holiday CD you got free from the bank or a partially used gift card. And don't even consider regifting those cheese balls or smoked sausage from that basket that came in the mail.
Now there are some of you out there who feel this practice is tacky and you would never do it and then there are others of you who do it all of the time. If you threw a party earlier this month and you received 12 Christmas candles as hostess gifts, how many can you use?
One more thing: A fun way to get rid of those gifts you don't want is to have a party and create a white elephant gift exchange or a Yankee Swap. Everybody wraps something they don't want (you can make it new or used) and brings it to the party. Everyone draws a number and the person with #1 picks a gift and unwraps it. If the next person wants that gift they can take it, and the first person selects another gift. If not, the 2nd person selects a wrapped gift. And so forth, until all the gifts are gone.
Sometimes you get something you like. Sometimes you end up with something for the Goodwill bag. And the best part is that no one had to spend any money to generate this fun. It's just a matter of looking around and finding something you're ready to pass along to another owner.
