December 01, 2016
· 2.1k Views
Source: Huffington Post
According to data collected by American Express in 2014, more than 75% of Americans are firm believers that regifting is totally acceptable in today’s day and age. What’s more is that almost 50% of Americans admitted to regifting in the past and most of the people surveyed expressed that they’re pretty sure they’ve received a regift at one point or another. Whether it doesn’t fit or you know you’ll never use it, regifting presents that were once given to you is becoming more and more acceptable and common in today’s society.
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Some of the most common items to regift include:
The tricky part for most people, though, is regifting without getting caught. How embarrassing if that happens, right? Luckily, we’ve got some secrets that are sure to help you out with keeping your regifting on the down low. Just be sure to keep these 5 helpful tips in mind if you plan on regifting this year!
Source: The New York Times
- Keep it a secret. The very first regifting secret is keeping your regift a secret. Go figure, huh? While you might initially think that being obvious about the regift is the best method, it’s probably actually not. Typically, people give themselves away because they’re afraid they won’t get away with it in the end. But guess what - that’s what this post is for! If you’re sneaky with your regifting, you will get away with it! So follow the rest of tips, give yourself some credit, and keep your lips sealed!
- Regift to the right people. First and foremost, don’t regift to the original giver. This is quite possible the biggest mistake you could make when it comes to regifting. You must master the art of regifting strategically. The best way to do this is to keep track of who gave what to you. If you’re worried about forgetting, you could even go as far as keeping a written list of items that have been given to you, with the giver’s name and the date you received it.
- Only regift items that could actually pass as new. In other words, don’t give people crap - like that shirt you just realized had a small stain on it so you’ll never wear it again. Regifting gently used items - things you’ve already worn, read, used, etc. - is a no-no. Nobody wants to receive a gift that is stained, has a hole in it, has writing in/on it, or anything along these lines. It helps to not think of regifting as trying to get rid of old stuff you don’t want anymore, but rather, as a form of recycling items that other people would like or use more than you. As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that if a secondhand store wouldn’t even accept it, then you probably shouldn’t regift it to somebody else.
- Make it look as good as new. If you’re regifting something that’s been sitting around for awhile, at least take the time to dust it off and polish it up a bit. You’ll want to remove any sign that the item is being recycled. This includes removing any old wrapping paper, tissue paper, ribbon, gift tags, cards, personal messages, and the like. After you’re sure there is no remaining evidence, you should then repackage the gift so that it looks as close to the original packing as possible.
- Make sure the regift is a good fit for the receiver. Try your best to give the recipient something that he or she will actually really like, just as you would if you were going out and buying them something new. For example, don’t give your sweet, goodie-two-shoes, 8-year-old little sister that violent, morbid video game that you got last year and never opened. Imagine if someone gave you something that was clearly not your style, just to get rid of it? How would you feel? Like they didn’t actually care about your interests or making you happy, right? These are things you have to think about when trying to master the art of regifting. Truly try your best to give something personal, sentimental, and fitting so that the recipient feels like the gift is specifically for them.
No one ever said that giving gifts to others has to be difficult or expensive! Actually, if you put enough thought and effort into it, it could actually be free, and relatively easy! As long as you follow these 5 simple rules, you can be sure to give the ultimate regift this year - without getting caught!
