When is Regifting Ok?

A study determined that giving an unwanted gift you received to someone else (regifting) is not considered as unacceptable as in the past.
The market research company, Harris Interactive, surveyed 1,505 American adults and found over half the participants admitted to regifting and 78 percent felt regifting was okay most of the time.
Nancy Wong, a spokeswoman for Harris Interactive, told Reuters, she was surprised that so many surveyed would admit to regifting.
"It's not something I've thought about and when I saw that nearly half had done it -- 52 percent have regifted and or would regift -- it's quite a significant number," Wong said.

Why Do People Regift?

According to the study, 77 percent of those surveyed admitted to re-gifting because the item was better suited for the person who received it. Nine percent admitted to doing it out of laziness and four percent said they regifted because they did not like the person who was getting the gift. Regifting is not without its guidelines. Much has been written on the proper way to regift and what should and should not be wrapped back up and given away a second time. Here are the Do's and Do Not's for regifting that are most often listed.

What To Avoid When Regifting

Don't Regift the Gift Card

A gift card hidden in tissue in a gift box can easily get passed along in error. Take the item out of the old wrappings and start new.

Don't Regift the Gift Wrappings

Everyone can tell when something has hung around in a gift box for a year. Cardboard gets soft and seems to absorb the odors of wherever it was stored and old gift wrap can be spotted just by the feel of it. When regifting, do not use recycled gift bags, paper or tissue. Throw it all out and buy new and take a little extra time to make the wrapping look fresh and attractive.

Don't Tell

People like to believe gifts they receive were chosen with thought and consideration. If you tell someone you are giving then the silk scarf your Aunt Jane gave you last year, what you are really saying is that you are giving them something you think it ugly or unuseful. The only time you would want to mention giving your gift to someone else is if it isn't presented as a 'gift' but rather as a give-away.

Don't Regift the Used or Slightly Used

There is a big difference between regifting an unused night light or one that you plugged in for two months and decided you no longer want. Remember - a regift is a new item you give to someone else. A hand-me-down is an item you've used and offer to someone else when you decide you no longer have use for it.

Don't Forget Where the Gift Came From

Avoid giving a re-gift to family or friends of the person who originally gave the gift to you. If the regift is displayed, you risk getting caught for giving it away by the person who gave it to you. Keeping a list going of regifts with the name of who gave you the gift can help avoid people pointing fingers at your later.

Do Regift Nice Things

Often the items getting regifted are undesirable, such as the bird statue you saw at the drugstore for 75 percent off. Why pass it along? However, if you received a nice gift, such as a wonderful cookbook you already own, do regift it to someone who you know will enjoy it. The nicer the item, the more it makes sense to regift it rather than to let it crumble up in a cabinet along side the Men in Briefs calendar someone thought you'd get a chuckle over.

Do Regift Heirlooms

Perhaps 10 years ago Aunt Jane sent you 12 of her prized crystal water glasses but you already have plenty and the design conflicts with what you are already using. In fact, you have never used the glasses. Regifting the crystal to someone in the family who is just starting off makes sense. Yes, they are used and yes they could be considered hand-me-downs, but none the less the gift has both monetary and sentimental value.

The Number One Rule to Regifting

Regifting is a wonderful way to save money and when done tactfully and with thought, we can accomplish the goal of why we are giving a gift to someone in the first place - because we want them to have something they will enjoy.