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8 TIPS EVERY RE-GIFTER SHOULD KNOW
Regifting is nothing new. Keep in mind that regifting is akin to recycling, so it must be a good thing. Right? However, it can lead to some tricky territory. There are at least 8 etiquette tips every re-gifter should know before sailing into these sometimes hazardous waters.
1. Re-gift only when certain the recipient will enjoy your (unwanted) gift. If at any time you referred to it as junk, clutter, or dust collector, it’s probably not re-giftable.
2. The gift is brand new (aka unused!) and in its original packaging. No, hand me downs! (Family heirlooms excepted.)
3. Don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. If the gift had special meaning to the original giver, don’t re-gift.
4. Don’t re-gift if the item is handmade by the giver or personalized. If Uncle Joe spent his spare hours whittling that panic whistle, you should keep it (especially if it’s monogrammed).
5. Be careful not to re-gift something to the original giver. If you aren’t sure who gave it to you, don’t re-gift. You could re-gift it to someone you recently met, but do you really want to start the relationship on that foot?
6. On that same note, to avoid embarrassment, re-gift only when you are sure the new recipient won’t tell the original giver what they received from you. (Is it starting to feel deceitful yet?)
7. Re-wrap all gifts and remove any tags that may suggest you didn’t do the shopping for the re-gifted item.
8. Be prepared to answer questions about the gift. Questions such as “Where did you find this? I’ve been looking everywhere for one!” may give up the secret if you aren’t able to give a convincing answer. (It should really start feeling deceitful, now.)
