Money Moral Dilemma: Is it OK to give second-hand gifts?

Pollycat

Mrs_Z wrote: »

Well, in this case I really did think the person was being urm.. what's the word.. a cheapskate. Had it been a secret Santa with £5 limit, it'd been fine.

So a Secret Santa for £5.00 is OK with you but not a £3.00 gift to say 'Welcome to your new house, I thought these might look nice in your garden'?
Even though they might have paid more than £3.00 for them?
Just because you saw them for £3.00 in your local supermarket for £3.00 doesn't mean that's how much they paid.

I'll borrow this comment:

onwards&upwards wrote: »

Just wow. :eek:

Mrs_Z wrote: »

Hey ho, maybe it's my turn to raise up to the challenge (how cheap you can make it) and see what I can source from the local supermarket for their Xmas gift :rotfl:

If someone had the same opinion of me as you appear to have of this person, I'd really prefer they were honest with me and we could dispose of the tradition of buying gifts for each other under any circumstances.

And this is going off-topic as it's about buying second-hand goods as gifts, not being a 'cheapskate' generally.

Cyclamen

I as thinking about this again.. we don't just give second hand gifts but we also use second hand gift bags to give them in.

For years i used the same wicker hamper to give my parents their christmas gifts that had been given to me as a hamper previously... they would give it back as no storage space and too nice for bin... so it would go back and forth... having seen the price of 'hamper kits' (basically a box/basket and some shredded paper) I am glad we did this. This year I asked a local farmshop if we could please have one of the wooden crates in their trailer and got a lovely carrot box.. i imagine this will be coming back.. but my folks have already commented on the hamper box looking pretty.

My PA/carer was laughing yesterday as i gave her a small gift bag with a few gifts in ..some home made, choccies etc... it was the gift bag she gave me last year...

It really is ok to use second hand gifts and yes even gift bags for financial, environmental or just because you think this item is perfect for X.

Pollycat

Cyclamen wrote: »

I as thinking about this again.. we don't just give second hand gifts but we also use second hand gift bags to give them in.

For years i used the same wicker hamper to give my parents their christmas gifts that had been given to me as a hamper previously... they would give it back as no storage space and too nice for bin... so it would go back and forth... having seen the price of 'hamper kits' (basically a box/basket and some shredded paper) I am glad we did this. This year I asked a local farmshop if we could please have one of the wooden crates in their trailer and got a lovely carrot box.. i imagine this will be coming back.. but my folks have already commented on the hamper box looking pretty.

My PA/carer was laughing yesterday as i gave her a small gift bag with a few gifts in ..some home made, choccies etc... it was the gift bag she gave me last year...

It really is ok to use second hand gifts and yes even gift bags for financial, environmental or just because you think this item is perfect for X.

My family and friends always reuse gift bags.
A lot of them are so pretty (not to mention pretty expensive) that it seems so wasteful to me not to do so.

WEASELL

I purchased my husband a beautiful car cleaning kit contained in a tin resembling a vintage car. (Charity shop). He opened it in front of assembled guests and pulled out a gift tag saying ‘ To Victor from Emma’. He read it out to assembled guests. He then did an inventory of the tin and announced that naught old Victor had only used the shampoo.
Not my best present giving experience!

Pollycat

WEASELL wrote: »

I purchased my husband a beautiful car cleaning kit contained in a tin resembling a vintage car. (Charity shop). He opened it in front of assembled guests and pulled out a gift tag saying ‘ To Victor from Emma’. He read it out to assembled guests. He then did an inventory of the tin and announced that naught old Victor had only used the shampoo.
Not my best present giving experience!

Nor a very gracious gift acceptance - unless he was 100% certain that all the guests and more importantly you would find it hilarious.

I can see me, OH and a couple of friends finding that extremely funny - especially after a couple of drinks - but I wouldn't like to ridicule anyone.

FTR, all my family and the 2 friends mentioned know that I do buy second hand gifts - from charity shops and ebay - and appreciate what I buy.
My friend also buys second hand gifts for me - including a lovely mug with my name on it that I use for cuppa soup (and I always think of her when I do use it).

Silvertabby

We had an aged auntie who, despite being relatively well off, (and in possession of all of her marbles) only ever gave 'used' gifts. My sister and I used to make a joke of it, and compete to see who had received the worst present.

I gave up when my gift one Christmas was a used hairbrush (complete with white hair) and a worn pair of tights that had been rolled up and stuffed back into the original package. I told her that as I was now an adult, I didn't need anything from her as her needs were greater than mine.

Sometimes, 'it's the thought that counts' just doesn't wash !

motorguy

I sold some gaming bits and pieces off before christmas last year - boxed consoles, games, headphones, a couple of new "retro" consoles on facebook and i was surprised how many people said they were buying them to give them as presents.

I guess its a good thing really. We are too much of a disposable society so good to see things reused

Dennis800

I think it depends on the gift, its condition, how scarce, and important it could be to the receiver.