Second-hand presents .. is that OK?

HappySad

I buy most stuff second hand and would also want to buy presents (Christmas or birthday) for friends/family secondhand. What do you feel about his.

The present would be in extremely good condition and would be packaged well.

If you got a present that you liked; how would you feel afterwards if you then discovered that it was secondhand.

The reason is that I don't want to unnessary consume and buy new stuff when there are plenty of great secondhand things around. For example. A friend's son is really into football. I saw a good book in a charity shop (as new condition) that was about football aimed at his age group. I did not buy it because I felt that the person would be offened.

I personally would rather no present, something the person made or something good quality from a charity shop.

My son and partner get presents I buy from ebay/charity shop/i make.

What are you views on this?

Dee2

I think it depends on who you are giving the present to. When I was little, we didn't have much money, and one of the best Christmas presents I got from my mum was a tiny tears doll (secondhand) but with the most wonderful wardrobe of clothes that my mum had made from bits of material around the house. It really didn't matter to me that the doll was secondhand (although I did get a bit of green-eye over my friends beautiful shop bought Sindy furniture!).
Whenever I'm in charity shops I see some lovely gift sets that have been donated and no-one would ever know that they were secondhand. You obviously would pick something really nice and in perfect condition so why not?
I know there are some who would be a bit sniffy about it if they knew it wasn't ever so expensive/brand new etc, but would they be deserving of a carefully chosen prezzie anyway?

needmoney

Bit of an awkward one, I will buy secondhand for myself but I think I'd feel guilty giving it to others, not because there was anything wrong with it but because they might think I didn't think enough of them to buy new.

I wouldn't mind at all if my family gave me a s/h gift as I would probably think they knew it was something I would like and appreciate. Just my thoughts.

rchddap1

Personally I don't have a problem with 'second hand presents'. Why spend more on something 'brand new' when you can save a few pounds? However, I think it does depend on the person and the item concerned. If the item looks brand new they'd never know anyway and so I wouldn't worry.

However, if the item looks used and the person in the past has suggested that they don't like second hand stuff then I'd be a little more cautious.

tiptoes

I buy both secondhand and new presents for my children and partner, or adoption of animals through the WWF. I know that some of my family would not apprieciate secondhand present no matter how well presented , so these I either make homemade gifts, such as baked goods, plants that I have grown from seed, etc.

My OH has made a hutch for my nephew's rabbit as his birthday present, out of reclaimed woood and though my sister would be mortified if I had given him a secondhand toy this to her is acceptable or I give the gift of giving to adults who imho are not in need of anything, so far this has gone down well.

pavlovs_dog

i've never given something that was 'bought' secondhand as a present (not that i particularly object to doing so), but i do re-cycle unsuitable gifts that i have received, and give them to someone else

COOLTRIKERCHICK

hi... as people have said in the above posts, i think it all depends on who you are giving it to, and what it is, i personally dont mind recieving or giving pre-owned items ( the new word for second hand so i have been told )
you buy second hand cars as gifts and there is no snobbery there... or vintage jewellry....my children have been brought up knowing there is nothing wrong with second hand stuff....
another way of looking at it. is how many times have you been in a charity shop, and the tags / labels have still been on things...i am allways buying bits n pieces in charity shops/ boot sales.. as bottom draw presents, you know the ones, flip you have forgotten someones birthday,
i think more people are getting wise, and are more aware of the inviromental issues of continuely buying new items..and the snobbery of second hand items is now doing a full u turn to that it is hip..and trendy to buy and recieve PRE-OWNED or PRE-LOVED items....

JailhouseBabe

My sister once flipped when she discovered that I'd bought her xmas present from Oxfam! It wasn't pre-owned, but made in the developing world. I wouldn't dream of giving her anything other than new as she's such a snob.

We all received used bikes/prams etc. as xmas pressies when we were kids (6 of us) - except her. She's only 30, but soooo old fashioned in her attitudes.

I regularly 'recycle' pressies and give away things I know I'll never use. I made the mistake last year of opening my xmas pressies in front of my mum - she instantly bagged everything I didn't like - I could have kept them for her birthday!

17 year old DD regularly buys pressies for friends on eBay, and they're all genuinely pleased with the bargains they can bag - the more vintage the better!

JenHen

JailhouseBabe wrote:

We all received used bikes/prams etc. as xmas pressies when we were kids (6 of us) - except her. She's only 30, but soooo old fashioned in her attitudes.
17 year old DD regularly buys pressies for friends on eBay, and they're all genuinely pleased with the bargains they can bag - the more vintage the better!

I like this and hopefully it's an indication of how attitudes are changing for the better. But there's a long, long way to go. People consume vastly more than they did 20 or 30 years ago, it's still increasing and is clearly not sustainable. We don't just have to slow down, we have to reverse that trend and that's going to take a change in attitudes beyond just an acceptance of buying second-hand. The only way we can do that is by setting the example (it's been said elsewhere on this forum) of REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE and encouraging others to do the same.

troll35

I don't mind being given secondhand/preowned. If it's something I want and in good condition why not. DS was exstatic with a secondhand PS2. I would probably think that someone buying secondhand probably gives a whole lot more thought to what they are giving rather than what's available new.

I always get given loads of toiletries for my birthday/Xmas and yet everyone knows that I have psoriasis and sensitive skin and can't use most of the things I'm given. I end up reusing them as gifts for others or donating them for raffles/tombolas etc

Felicity

I would buy second hand things for myself and for my hubby but I would not buy them for somebody else as a special gift. If I saw something in a charity shop that I thought somebody would like, then yes, I would get it for them, but not for a birthday or Christmas present.