Am I wrong to feel hurt about this?

My youngest grandson age 7 gave me a lovely pair of earrings this year. His parents hadn't seen them as he had bought them at a school gift day and wrapped them up in class and they were very relieved that they were something I would wear. Apparently his present to his mum was a handbag that she had put into the sale because she couldn't stand it!

I always know when something has been re-gifted. An old friend had told me in a telephone conversation about bits and pieces of possessions that she no longer wanted. At Christmas I received a gold ankle chain discussed in the conversation months earlier. I live in a small country village. I cannot think of any social occasion where a late middle aged woman would ever look acceptable wearing such a thing. I always associated them with prostitutes.
Some years later our U3A did a Christmas Bran tub for the Christmas party. I packed up said ankle chain and in it went.
I only wish I knew who had drawn it out, I bet they would have howled with laughter.

When I was young I regifted a rather nice soap to a friend . She opened it and immediately said “ You were given that by one of the children in your class” . I never understood how she knew as I was only in my Twenties so no memory lapse, but it was so embarrassing I have never done it again.

Growing0ldDisgracefully
Maybe the gift is the box the tea came in, picked up from a charity shop, perhaps (if you say you can use it for something else is it a pretty box?) and the tea has been added. Just a thought.

A work colleague of mine re-gifted an address /birthday reminder book. She rang me to tell me that she had done this as she thought her friend may have put her birthday inside. She had. And it turned out that this person had since died. I couldn't keep it and put it in the recycling.

I once got a 2nd hand pair of shoes from a friend (they were worn underneath) and they were too big

My dad’s birthday was just after Christmas. He was resigned to getting lots of unwanted Christmas presents, but he did object to his sister just sellotaping the ripped Christmas wrap back up again and handing it over with a birthday card.

I received a decanter with two glasses. All new n boxed up. Engraved three initials but not mine. Those of my friends son in law. Obviously an unwanted gift that he passed on to her and which gave me for my Christmas present.

Sawsage2

Let's be honest here. I'm sure we all save unwanted pressies and pass them on to people for Christmas /birthdays. As we age we sometimes don't check them enough.

I don’t pass presents on but will donate them to a raffle if I cannot use them. I try to use everything I am given but have very sensitive skin so I cannot use most toiletries.

Oh ladies, lots of hilarious stories on here, and very sensible balanced suggestions as to how to deal with this. Susan55 I think you have probably explained what might have led to this, so I'll just leave it in the past and as Grandtante has said, wait until next Xmas approaches to suggest we stop buying presents, and perhaps we could just do a xmas coffee out somewhere instead.

FarNorth

teacheranne why not check with your brother?

I will when I next see him but he’s very defensive of his partner and do not want to upset him with a phone call. It’s not that important really.

33 years ago my husband gave me a medicine ball. He tends to over think what a person would like - he thought it would be fun for us to exercise together. This year I finally found a use for it -- I put it on top of a warped board on a table in hopes it would straighten it out.

Morning all!! I rarely buy gifts for anyone now, would rather share a bottle of good vino or a nice meal out!! However, in the days when I was earning a decent salary (!!!!!I do miss that!) I purchased a fairly expensive leather purse and put a £10 note in it - only to have it regifted to me next year - still with the £10!! Actually I’m all for regifting per se but methinks I would have removed the tenner!!

My mum once bought me and my husband a new Dinner Service. On opening the box I found it contained an old Dinner set. Mum was horrified as she'd decided she liked the new one she'd got for us so had decided to use it herself and had meant to but a new one to replace it but had forgotten!

My MIL once gave me £5 worth of tv licence stamps for my birthday. I was still single at the time and lived at home. I gave them to my mother. The next year she gave me a book of Co Op stamps and then asked for the stamps issued to me when I bought something with it!

We befriended a childless couple in their 80s who live nearby. We enjoy their company and they look after the house and garden when we go away. Each year we buy them a gift of food, drink or a plant, nicely wrapped. Each year they give us two carrier bags of stuff from the charity shop, one for us and the other for our grandchildren. Our bag this year contained dressing gowns. Mine was a nasty green colour, with faded buttons and was a size 28/30! I know I've put on weight over Christmas but.....! DH had a checked one that didn't even meet at the front. We know what they are like and we always have a laugh about it. However my 4 year old grandson was a bit upset when he tried to use the suncatcher painting set he chose from the other bag and found the paints had dried solid in the pots.

As for funny gift memories, to this day I still giggle over my sweet aunt giving me one of those little kid plastic mirror, comb and soft brush sets in hot pink sparkles one Christmas...the same year I married. lol

I think she should be invited over for tea! hahaha

Georgesgran

My SiL is a law unto herself and must shop with her eyes shut. My birthday card was for a 75th when I was 70 in March. I’m also aware that if she doesn’t like what someone has asked for - she’ll ignore it and get them something she likes. I was grateful she’d taken notice and gave me a bottle of Obsession perfume, but on examination it’s Obsession for Men!

Sounds as though she might have looked for Obsession on EBay!

All I got one year, from my now ex husband, was a set of car wheel trims. The huge box kept me guessing for days sitting under the tree, so when I opened it I could of chucked them at him. Idiot!

@ BlueBelle maybe 1 year at a push 2 but nearly 2 decades, I’m pretty sure it’s really well past it’s best!

It might see as y a lot by the giver, that their bargain hunting is super efficient!!! ??

I have had three MILs. The first one once gave me a gift which when I opened it had a little card inside saying 'Love from Flo' (her name was not Flo!). My second one used to accept any gift I/we gave her with thanks - I always tried to give something useful. When she died, we found a drawer full of the gifts we'd given - all unused. My third MIL, very rich, on the 1st Christmas gave me a £100 voucher so I was very pleased, but after that she obviously gave me things that she had been given, all weird like a carpet bag. I don't get too worried about gifts I don't like - I pass them on if I can, or give them to the charity shop.

My dear sweet MiL was/is (now in residential care) highly religious and once gave all the grandchildren religious colouring books and pencils - the youngest was in her late teens, the oldest was in her late thirties

I remember my aunt sending my brothers new wife a child's jewellery set. The type of thing you get in a pound shop, made from plastic and stuck to a card. We laughed it off.

nadateturbe

My SiL one year gave me the free gift of miniatures in a zip bag that you got when you purchased a certain number of No 7 products. I knrw because I already had it.
My best friend gave me two sake bowls and saucers this year identical to the ones she gave me about 5 years ago which I gave to the charity shop. They aren't on sale now. Must have got a good reduced price on them. I love her. She's a great friend. I just thanked her.

Perhaps she bought them from the charity shop and thought they'd make up the set?