Regifting Gifts

Two years ago a good friend of mine gave me a book for my birthday. I love reading books and I put it aside into my reading queue thinking what a nice gift she had given to me. When I did pick it up to read I saw it was personally signed for her and to her by her friends. I was not sure what I should do, if I should tell her and just keep the book or tell her and risk her being embarrassed. I decided since friends of hers had given it to her she would appreciate getting it back, whether she was embarrassed or not.

I told her I had her personal autographed book and I asked her if she would like it back or should I keep it as I did intend on reading it. She said to give it back to her and she would give me another of the same book. I gave it back and she gave me another copy of the book, only this time it was personalized to her by someone else. I had a good laugh but I never told her she had done it the second time.

Regift is a verb which means to give an unwanted gift to someone else; to give as a gift something one previously received as a gift.

Regifting has been gaining popularity in the United States in the last ten years. It evidently started becoming popular when the comedian Jerry Seinfeld first coined the term. One study stated it has become acceptable to 60% of the population. More than half of adults recently surveyed by Money Management International (MMI) think regifting is acceptable. The etiquette experts at the Emily Post Institute also approve of the practice in some circumstances.

There are some rules of etiquette to follow. The obvious would be to never give a signed book (unless it is signed by the author) or monogrammed items. Some people say to not regift free promotional items. I wonder why this is not acceptable, if it is a nice gift and never been used. I received a promotional gift of a very nice and complete first aid kit in a zip lock waterproof bag. It doesn't have any identifying information on it of who gave it. I have thought about giving it as a gift but I can't part with it. I think there are some exceptions to that 'rule'.

It is suggested never to regift handmade or one-of-a-kind items. Again I would wonder why. If either one of these are beautifully made and you just don't want to keep it because you don't have the room for it or it isn't your color then what is wrong with regifting it? Also if you know that the person you are giving it too would love it then it would be the perfect gift to give them.

And of course it is a no brainer to rewrap the gift before giving it. Do not give the gift in the same wrapping paper and tissue that has been torn. If you reuse the gift bag be sure to change the tags to the name of the person you are giving the gift to.

Only new, unopened gifts in good condition should be considered for regifting. A good bottle of wine unopened or new household items and inexpensive jewelry would be good gifts to regift.

Never give partially used gift cards or items you have had to dust off, it is probably not regiftable. Use common sense. Be sure you know who gave you the item, so you don't return the gift to the original giver. If you feel an item is undesirable, the recipient probably won't want it either. You may want to save the gift for a white elephant exchange.

Do not announce that the gift is a regift and never feel guilty about regifting once you have done it. One last thing you could consider is to give your unwanted gift to a charitable organization. It is the thought that counts and if you thoughtfully give someone a gift you have been given then what is wrong with regifting?

In this day and age of environment concerns and personal budget considerations it is better to regift than to just let it clutter our homes or land fills.

Marilyn Bohn's Bio
Marilyn is a creative organizer who has been organizing for over 20 years. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and is working towards becoming a Certified Professional Organizer. Professionally she has been organizing homes and offices for over two years. She holds a bachelors degree in Social Work. She has reared five daughters and currently lives in Utah.

Go to her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find free organizing tips and interesting blogs and helpful articles on organizing.