Would you be offended?

I think its fine to "re-cycle" gifts that you don't use. The only stipulation would be that you not pass it off as a new item. Tell the person you are giving it to that you simply have no use for it and want someone who needs it to have it. As for the gift giver, he should be big enough to understand and be pleased that you are putting his gift to good use. some may not feel that way, though, and get their feelings hurt. Maybe if you just don't tell them about it it would be ok. I rented a booth at an antique mall and I put stuff up for sale that I don't want or use. What is it they say?-"One man's garbage is another man's treasure."

I wouldnt be offended. I think that is a good idea to give something you will not use to someone else who can. Recycling is a good thing.. Handme downs use to be a way of life The way this economy is going.. we may have to get back to the simple things.. like giving!

Gift given by some one is an important, precious and valued thing. It should not be lost nor should take rid off by taking or throwing it away. But if you are a needy person. You are in trouble then in such tough case you can sell the gift of your friend as friends in need are friends indeed.

That is a touchy question. Technically, when you give someone something as a gift, it is no longer yours, and the recipient can do with it as he or she pleases. Many people don't feel that way, though. My head tells me that what I've given away is no longer mine, but when I've worked hard on something to give as a gift, I'm inclined to feel hurt if hand made gifts are not appreciated. It usually doesn't bother me if a purchased gift is passed on. I'd rather see it used by someone than stored away to be thrown out later.

I think a lot of people do it and mostly it goes unnoticed. As people accumulate more and more gifts from people, it is nearly impossible to keep them all over a lifetime. They get trashed, given away or sold.

Hello Silverglint, I guess it depends on the person and the present. I have friends who give stupid gifts just because they lack of imagination or they just want to get it over with. In this case, they are not too much offended by this :) If I would give someone a gift from my heart, I guess I would be offended a little. But that also means I know so little of that person. If you know well the person you're about to give something, then you should know his/her needs and give her/him something they're going to use. :P

I think it's ok. I would rather have a gift go to somebody who appreciates it than see it wasted.

At the first thought when I think about it, it is offending, but the way you explained it seems ok.. never mind, but dont let the one who gave you the gift know about it...

I'd probably be offended if someone sold something or gave away something that I gave them as a gift. I know how it feels, I did that one time, we were having a yard sale at my sisters house, and I didn't realize what I was selling, it was just stuff that I didn't ever use, and my sister saw it, and she asked me if thats what she gave me one time, I couldn't remember. She was shocked, that I was selling it at her yard sale, and I took it back, because I felt bad..lol.

I always keep and use everything anyone gives to me. Once i traveled to mexico and my husband and i bought presents for the family. I bought 2 ponchos. One for my grandma and one for my cousin. She even asked for a poncho. Couple years later i went into a used furniture store and saw a poncho hanging on the wall. Looking like the one i bought. I asked the store owner who brought it in. Sure enough it was the one i brought back for my cousin. I was really offended. It would have been bad enough if it were just a gift but this was a gift from another country. Even worse, bought because she asked for a poncho.

Honestly probably, but then again it depends on the gift. if it is something I put a lot of thought and work into when shopping...then yeah I would get offended, but then again you make a good point. You don't want it to be wasted. So regifting really should not be such a big deal past our emotions attached to such gifts. Plus, once you get the gift it is yours to do what you want with it. it's like donating stuff (Money,etc.) to people...you have no right to tell them what to do with it. Thanks for the insight to something I had not realized about myself.

Personally, I probably wouldn't. If I give a gift without strings attached, once I give it away, it is no longer my business.

I am very careful when giving gifts...I gave my sister- in -laws great gifts at different times that I knew they would like...both of them gave the gifts away to another family member that admired it....I was through giving to both of those girls they were so unappreciative and they were great gifts that they liked yet when admired they quickly gave it away so they could please another. It hurt my feelings really bad and I said something to them ...their reply was they like making people happy....recycling run of the mill gifts whatever...but doing it the way I mentioned heats me up.....

I'm the same way I feel horrible giving away something someone has given me. Depending on who it is I may keep it and put it up or somewhere in sight even if I don't like it or it don't even match anything! I hate it though. But yes I feel I would affend the one that gave it to me and would hate to do that.

Personally, silverglint, I have no problem with re-gifting. As you stated, it is perfectly OK to pass something on to someone else if you know you will not use it. I have done this many times and I would not be offended if I gave someone a gift and they chose to pass it on to another person. I was gifted with a huge stylish handbag last year from a friend and I have been thinking of re-gifting it to someone because as beautiful as it is, I know that I don't do dress-up very often and will probably never use it.

I wouldn't be offended as not everyone's taste in gifts is the same. Also, with limited space why would you keep something that you don't like just to appease someone else's ego? With some of the gifts, if they are usable by someone else who doesn't have, my unwanted gifts go to them. I have a wonderful friend who will buy me wonderful little surprises from the thrift shop...some of them I do keep but for the most part they aren't my taste. I accept them with appreciation of the thought that went into them and will re-donate the gifts. I did learn though, to not donate them back to the same thrift shop that she bought them from. Not because of the fact that she gets hurt, but because it didn't fail...she would buy the same darn thing and give it to me again!!!! LOL So now I donate the items to a thrift shop that takes the stuff over a hundred miles away from where I live. I don't see why someone should get so upset that someone doesn't like the gift and would prefer to either exchange or regift it to someone else. We really need to realize that we all don't have the same tastes and to force someone to keep something they don't like isn't keeping with the spirit of giving. It is selfish and mean. I read one other post about how the person would get so mad if the person they gave the gift to gave it away...that she insists that the gifts are kept. UHHH isn't that kind of putting a negative feeling about the gift in the recipients heart and mind? Give it with love and if you can't find something that the person receiving the gift would really like, then give them a gift certificate. My favorite certificates are for Starbucks. Each time I use them I have wonderful thoughts about the person who gave them to me, and when the card is used up I put their name on them and add them to the mobile that I have created out of the spent cards.

If the item isn't something that is expected to be on display and visible by the person who gave it to you, then ABSOLUTELY don't be afraid to give it to someone who will enjoy using it!! You can still appreciate that it was given to you and can still be honest to the giver that you appreciate it and that its use is being enjoyed. However, I would try to NOT let them know you gave it away. Some might understand (perhaps more if you were in a money crunch than that you didn't want it), but others definitely would take offense. You need to make sure that the person who RECEIVES it from you doesn't know the person who GAVE it to you. Other than that, I see no problem in making sure that a gift given with good intent is regifted with the same good intent. You're respecting the gift and the giver because you're not trashing the item - you're making sure it has a good home.

Years ago my mother gave her mother a book that Grandma didn't want, and she let Mama know she didn't care for the gift. Mama told her, "you don't give such good gifts either." Grandma wanted to know what she gave that wasn't a good gift, so Mama showed her a blouse she'd gotten from her that she (Mama) didn't like. Grandma took back the blouse and Mama took back the book, and they both had what they wanted. For myself, if I give a gift to someone who isn't suitable for the gift and they can give it to someone who is suitable for it, that's fine. I would rather see the gift used and appreciated rather than stuck away somewhere not being used. As far as selling the gift, it's yours and you can do with it what you please. I think the aim in gift giving is to make the person happy. And if getting needed money can make you happy, so be it.

Generally I would not be offended if I gave some one a gift that didn't work for them, for whatever reason. I keep receipts and let people know that if anything isn't right, that they are welcome to exchange it. Some people are pretty touchy about it though. Is this person close enough to see that you no longer have the gift? If not, I wouldn't worry about it. Where I used to live in Massachusetts, my neighborhood always had an 'after-Christmas' holiday party. Since Christmans was usually spent with family, this gave a good excuse for a friend/neighbor party too. Every one would bring whatever they had for food leftovers, we'd end up with a nice and effortless smorgasboard! We also each had to re-wrap one gift that we'd received that we didn't want. Then we'd play games, where winner got to pick a gift. It was fun, and sometimes you ended up with something you liked.

I'd certainly be offended if someone gave away what I gave to them for a gift. That would mean he didn't care about or he didn't value the gift I gave him. For that reason, I have shied away from giving or selling the items that I've received as gifts even if I needed the money. Lol, I even kept the cup my ex-girlfriend gave me for Christmas. Cheers~