Gone are the days of bowing your head in shame after your aunt recognizes the gift you gave to your mother -- because it was her gift to you two years ago.
Re-gifting is now considered to be eco-friendly, since it's technically recycling -- not to mention cost-effective.
Dec. 17 was National Regifting Day, the Thursday before Christmas. This date is appropriate, since the third Thursday in December is the most common for holiday office parties.
And the office is the No. 1 source for regifts, according to www.nationalregifting.com. The website indicated more than 41 percent of the gifts exchanged during holiday office parties are slightly used.
Fran Ridenour, of Tahlequah, Okla., belongs to several civic groups that do gift exchanges during the holiday season.
"If it's a nice gift, yes, I regift it," she said with a laugh. "If it's not, I would sell it at a garage sale or it would end up in the trash."
Ridenour is very selective and careful when regifting.
"I have to be careful and make sure it didn't come from the same group I am giving it back to," she said. "There are just some things I can't find a use for; that's usually when I regift things."
The regiftable.com website says more than half of adults surveyed by Money Management International (MMI) find regifting acceptable. And the etiquette experts at the Emily Post Institute approve of the practice in some situations.
Local resident Julie Hayworth often regifts, and thinks nothing of it. "Usually it's after Christmas," she said. "Whatever my kids didn't show an immediate interest in, goes in their closets. If they never ask for them, I will pull something out for a birthday gift for their friends." Hayworth has a closet full of unopened items she has never used, but received as gifts. "I have perfume gift sets, gourmet coffee and tea baskets -- all kinds of things," she said. "So if I know someone who would like it, why not?" She said the situation is the same if they get duplicate gifts. "Returning items at the store right after the holidays is a nightmare," she said. "You might think you will take it back and you wait for the rush to slow down, but often it just stays in the closet." Carmina Ramirez, Tahlequah, Okla., thought buying gift cards would be a sure way to give people what they want, especially at the office. "I worked for a small family-owned company one time and I bought my manager and the owner gift cards to places I knew they loved," she said. "But when I went to the movies with a co-worker, she mentioned she had a gift certificate she had just gotten from our manager for her birthday. It looked like the same card I picked out, and I don't think it was a coincidence."
Regifting Gab If you are thinking of regifting this season, ask yourself the following questions: Is the item regiftable? Never regift handmade or one-of-a-kind items. Signed books and monogrammed items are off-limits. Do you have to be told not to regift free promotional items? Some gifts that are good candidates for regifting 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 regifting. 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 regiftable.Is this going to work? Successful regifters use common sense. If you are going to regift, be sure you know who gave you the item, so you don't return something to the original giver. Only regift 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 the recipient will appreciate the item. If you feel an item is undesirable, the recipient probably will, too. If you are regifting 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 regift, ask yourself if you can keep the secret. Never feel guilty about regifting 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 keep an unwanted gift -- after all, it was a gift.Source: http://regiftable.com/regifting101
