Regifting—we have all done it at one time or another. Holiday gifts, birthday gifts, wedding gifts, anniversary gifts and of course baby shower gifts are popular items to be regifted.

People usually mean well when giving gifts but often we run into situations where the gift received was already owned or simply unwanted by the recipient. A common way of dealing with these situations is to either take it back to the store or regift it later to someone who might be able to use it. Of course there is always the chance that the gift will become  notorious for being regifted.

In my family, during the “Pig Wars”, my mother was given a Babe stuffed pig for Christmas. The next year she gave it to my cousin, who then gave it to me the following year and so on. I believe the pig finally found its forever home with one of my cousins who has children.

After the holiday season, you may be looking at several gifts that you are not sure what to do with. Regifting is something to consider before you throw them out or give them to Charity. Its a good way to save money and find a home for that item that just does not fit in your life.

Before you decide to regift, you will want to ask yourself some questions to determine whether the gift is appropriate for this purpose.

Below are some guidelines to get you started.

Is your gift suitable for regifting?

• Nope:
  • handmade
  • signed or monogrammed
  • customized or personalized
• Yes, regift away:
  • good unopened bottles of wine
  • new unopened items
  • household items
  • jewelry
  • new clothing
  • unopened DVD’s, BluRays
  • unopened CD’s
  • games

What is the overall condition of the gift? If your gift is used or damaged then it is probably best suited for the Goodwill bin,. However, if it is new or in good shape, there is no reason not to pass it on.

Presentation: When regifting, be sure to rewrap the present in new wrapping paper and if you are re-using a gift bag, make sure it is in good condition.

Ultimately, regifting is not a bad idea and a good way to save money, but you want to be sure you know who you received the gift from so that you do not give it back to them! You may also want to only give the gift to people who do not know the original giver, in case they may be offended that you gave their gift away. However, honesty is the best policy and letting people know that their gift is a regift is not necessarily a bad thing. The goal is to find the perfect home for your gift and if your recipient is going to love the gift, does it really matter where it originally came from?

Do you have any regifting stories or ideas? Be sure to share them in the comments. We would love to hear from you!

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