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Best and worst presents?

(95 Posts)
chicken Sun 14-Aug-16 20:31:45

What are the best and the worst presents you have ever been given? ( Not counting children, grandchildren etc.) My worst present EVER was from DH one Christmas. I opened the parcel to reveal a pair of industrial grade rubber gloves plus two scart leads. I wept and subsequently told him that I'd rather he didn't get me anything in future. My best present was from DD, a little silver thimble inlaid with mother of pearl. Sadly it has vanished---I think it must have been taken by the thief who broke in several years ago.

sunseeker Mon 15-Aug-16 11:34:24

Worst present was when I was 13 and my parents gave me a home perm kit for Christmas! Best was when DH asked me what I wanted one Christmas - I said anything with diamonds. Christmas Day I opened a small package to find......a pack of playing cards!! Fortunately for his health when I opened the pack inside was the most exquisite diamond brooch!

lolarabbit Mon 15-Aug-16 11:57:16

Best present from my childhood would be my own pet dog - a Westie whom I adored; in recent years probably my Kindle Fire, which occupies rather more if my day than it really should! (Still hanging out for another dog though, but DH will never agree) sad
Worst would be a huge, rotating, singing Santa bought for me when I was teaching Reception class by a group of American parents. Why did they never realise I would always prefer something handmade by their DC, covered in glitter and luminous felt pens?!
Interestingly Humbertbear, if you asked my DH this question his best ever present would be his yogurt maker - used lovingly ever day!

Katek Mon 15-Aug-16 12:04:08

Worst was a roll of black bin bags from my brother when we were fighting against a planning application for a landfill site. He gave DH a Santa outfit the same year as 'what do you get the man who has everything'. His idea of a joke.

Best was my iPad mini. It's in constant use.

Juggernaut Mon 15-Aug-16 12:17:26

Best pressie was when DM, DH and DS joined forces to buy me a rose gold Tiffany cocktail watch!
Worst pressie......DH knew I wanted a sapphire and diamond ring for Christmas, I'd even pointed it out to him in the jewellers window to make sure he bought the right one. On Christmas morning I received a very large, bulky, squishy present, which upon opening turned out to be a fluffy blanket! I unwrapped it and shook it out, hoping the ring box was wrapped in it somewhere.......but no, it was just a blanket! His reasoning was that a blanket would keep me warm when he was working nights! I was furious, but got the ring anyway as I went and bought it for myself, then took the money back out of the joint bank account!

Sheilasue Mon 15-Aug-16 12:41:19

A present wrapped up beautifully by a teacher for Xmas I used to clean her flat once a week,was a knee pad for washing the kitchen floor.

annodomini Mon 15-Aug-16 13:03:11

Best present: the flying lesson my family bought me last year which came very close to fulfilling a long-standing dream.

Worst - almost every Christmas in my teens, my aunt gave me a pair of nylons which were her size - not mine. She had much bigger feet!

judypark Mon 15-Aug-16 13:04:31

My FIL ceremoniously presented me with an envelope for my birthday, I opened it front of all my guests. It contained the deeds to the family burial plot. It was my 21st birthday!

Disgruntled Mon 15-Aug-16 13:10:55

A fiend's just confirmed my suspicioun that I sound like a complete banker.

DanniRae Mon 15-Aug-16 14:08:50

BEST - Lunch on the Orient Express from my husband for my 60th

WORST - a box of toiletries from a friend. I had given them to her for her birthday on previous year.

marpau Mon 15-Aug-16 14:50:00

My friend used to ring me every birthday and Christmas not only to wish me well but also to ask what my mother had got me as she was notorious for her gifts to me which included a blow torch, a waist slip complete with charity shop price tag and a shirt originally bought for my sister who said it was hideous so it was rewrapped for me with a note explaining this. Although I was deeply hurt my friend helped me see the funny side of all these gifts.
My best present was 12 pairs of theatre tickets all carefully chosen so I could enjoy them every month throughout the year from a dearly loved friend.

radicalnan Mon 15-Aug-16 16:30:42

When I passed my 11+, my parents bought me a second hand bike,which mum then used to get to and from her cleaning jobs.......why do we all do the present thing when we are so bad at it?

Maggiemaybe Mon 15-Aug-16 17:05:22

I've told this tale before, but my dad's birthday was the day after Boxing Day, and of course he used to get the unwanted Christmas presents. He used to say he wouldn't have minded so much if people had bothered to take off the festive paper and rewrap them. His sister never did!

Elysium Mon 15-Aug-16 17:16:56

Hi Chicken....that's a bit grim! My MIL bought me a pair of Reduced tights with the price 20p on, and when I opened them they even had a ladder! I got them the Christmas after my husband left myself and the two children for his new girlfriend! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry....but I did laugh and it was also the best thing he did when he left too! Happy days....!

1974cookie Mon 15-Aug-16 17:51:55

Several years ago on Xmas day, much beloved gave me a can of de-icer all wrapped up in Xmas paper along with a keyring before announcing that he was leaving to visit his Mum.
I waited until he left before going out into the garden to cry.
When he arrived home shortly after, full of the joys of Xmas, he asked me to go outside with him.
There, to my utter amazement was a lovely little car waiting for me !!!!
That made me cry for a completely different reason smile.

chicken Mon 15-Aug-16 19:00:49

What a lot of really funny posts. I've been chuckling happily!I've just remembered another disastrous present from when I was about nine. It was Christmas and my main present was a maroon canvas holdall. I opened it up thinking that my real present would be inside, but it was empty!

Fairydoll2030 Mon 15-Aug-16 20:04:02

A well off friend who always flys business class gave me her complimentary set of Elemis toiletries complete with make up bag for my 'special' 60th birthday.

Initially, I didn't realise it was a freebie until I opened it at home later and saw a little card at the bottom of the bag which read 'Compliments of British Airways'

PamSJ1 Mon 15-Aug-16 20:13:33

Worst present was when my husband gave me three different fluffy white jumpers, all different styles and sizes for Christmas together with a pair of slippers that were too small. He didn't think to check for size. The jumpers ended up permanently at the bottom of the laundry basket as they were all hand wash and didn't have hand wash cycle on washing machine.

Best present was also from my husband but before we were married. We met on New Year's Day and he arranged tickets to see West Side Story on our first 'anniversary' as a surprise.

Maggiemaybe Mon 15-Aug-16 20:24:39

grin That might go some way to explaining why she's so well off, Fairydoll.

dahlia Mon 15-Aug-16 20:28:13

Last year, when I opened my birthday present from DH of 48 years, I found an oven glove inside. As I was feeling a bit lacking in confidence in myself at the time (too fat, bad hair cut - you know the feeling!), I felt mortified. He explained that when we had been away a week previously I had looked in a shop window and said how much I liked the blessed oven glove, and I would love it for the kitchen. In fact, I had been talking about the colour of it, not the glove itself, which has hideous bunny rabbits over it and not at all my thing! Even my usually understanding husband couldn't understand quite why I was upset - he who usually buys me something lovely. My DIL always buys something for the kitchen, some small gadget which is usually not very useful or which I already have. One year she bought me a bottle of Chanel to thank me for all my help, I still treasure the empty bottle!

Trappy Mon 15-Aug-16 21:21:06

I once had a microwave for Christmas, I hoped for something nice for my birthday in February, what did I get? A deep fat fryer! Not sure how we lasted 31 years really!

dizzygran Mon 15-Aug-16 21:22:45

My worse present was a bottle of Avon bubble bath given to me by a friend - I hated the smell but left it in the bathroom - my lovely mum used to get me the same bottle as an extra present every birthday and Christmas for years. I could never pluck up the courage to tell her I didn't like it.

My very best present was from my husband who bought me my first Siamese cat despite not being a cat person at the time. My cat lived to a good age and was loved so much by all the family - especially my husband who became a big fan of Siamese.

Louizalass Mon 15-Aug-16 21:25:26

Still laughing at bohemian's present - a handrail! What did you hit him with?! Haaa!

Worst prezzy from my hubs was a frying pan. Think that was a Valentine's present. Can't remember what I said to him but he recalls the occasion wryly!

We've been married 42 years so he must have done something right!

He bought me a lovely silver bangle when I was 18 (which was stolen a few years later) and that's the best prezzie he bought me! He's not good at presents, never knowing what to buy me despite the megga hints that are dropped throughout the year.

I think men have selective hearing!

inishowen Mon 15-Aug-16 21:34:48

Worst was a leather shoulder bag when I was about twelve. I had pleaded for a record player and got a blooming bag!

Best have been magazine subscriptions and book tokens. I love reading and it's a joy to choose my own books. Magazines are something that arrives all through the year.

MaggieMay60 Mon 15-Aug-16 21:54:41

Oh I am so enjoying the posts on here! My worst present must be the cake tin that I received from my DS, that was it, an empty cake tin. I think he wanted it back full of cakes! I made him wait for at least a week!grin

My best present was a lovely jet necklace that a dear friend gave me as a 50th birthday present. I wear it at least once a week.

tiffaney Mon 15-Aug-16 22:24:19

Best present - 3 lipsticks in my perfect colour that I couldnt get anywhere and my daughter found them on ebay.
Worst present(s) Mankee Candles, I detest them!