I really don't see anything wrong with this. Your sister likes the store and you don't. At least it gets used.

Yes, something I thought was hysterical , when my sister relayed the story. She worked in a hospital and the various departments would give each other gift baskets.Fast forward three years and her department received back the gift basket they gave three years ago!

I think that's a great idea Lindsey. You know that it's something that she will use, and she was thrilled.

Susie53, I didn't intend to imply that I thought there was anything wrong with what I did. I know my younger sister likes the store and I don't, and I knew the gift card would never get used (in other words, her money would have been wasted) if I didn't give it back to her to use.

Ellendi6161 -- did your sister's department get the gift basket back from the department to which they had originally given the basket, or from a different department? Either way, it's funny. :-)

A different one which means it was passed around!

That makes it even funnier, Ellendi6161!

Good idea, Lindsey! It's always good when everyone's happy.

These stories are hilarious! I've never had that happen to me - that I know of. LOL But I love hearing these stories. I think it's really nice that you guys used the gift cards to help the people that gave them to you. Sweet.

Then there's the deliberate version. When I was in my teens, we were looking for funny gifts for a family theme party. Most were easy (though my mother was appalled that a rubber chicken cost three times what a fresh chicken cost). We looked everywhere--I mean everywhere--for a fish shaped plate for one of the guests. It wouldn't have mattered what kind of fish or what kind of plate, but such a thing just didn't exist. Anywhere. So at the last store, a nice department store, my mother declared that the recipient was sure to give her the dish no matter what (shedding "clutter") so, if it had to be plain rather than a fish, it might as well be something she could use. She got a lovely, big Lenox bone china platter. Not her pattern, but would look fine with it. Sure enough, within a week of the party it was hers. :)

The kicker? I guess all those desperate forays into every china shop, department store and the like produced talk. From about six months after the quest and ever since, there have been plenty of fish shaped dishes available just about everywhere! Ours was for a joke. Turns out fish dishes must be quite popular. :)

We suspect my sister-in-law who lives in another state of regifting. Most of the time the gifts look like items her employees may have given her, i.e. hand creme sets, bath soap, candles, etc. It's always "fun" to open her packages and see what this year's gift is. We always laugh and say, "That's Lori!" This year it was socks though, a pack for both of us and they are great socks. Hey, like others have said, it's the thought that counts.

My mom regifted DH and me wind chimes that we got her a couple years before. She never put them up, and when she gave it to us, I really think she didn't remember we were the ones that gave it to her!

We just ooh'd and aah'd and thanked her, giving each other omg glances.

At the end of our golf season, Our little golf group has a dinner with our husbands at which we usually award a prize to the golfer who has the best record of attendance. My friend Pat who is in charge of setting up the dinner and getting the prize forgot to get a prize this year. I said I had something that was perfect... The little wine charms you put on wine glasses so your guest will know which is their's if they set the glass down. In this case, the charms were all golf-related. She was so excited and I told her I would even wrap it and bring it to the dinner. This year she also forgot to keep a record of everyone's attendance so everyone's name was put into a hat. Since Pat decided to tell everyone that I donated the gift, I told the gal that won, that it's what I had won last year, but Pat doesn't even remember. We had a good laugh and decided she should donate it for next year's recipient.

A few years ago, money was tight for me. So before Christmas, I went through my jewelry box, bought some pretty new boxes and wrapped up pieces of jewelry for my favorite females (the males got new flashlights). Everyone enjoyed their gifts and no one suspected I had re-gifted. Hopefully, no one got a piece of jewelry they had given me first!

If we've picked something which that recipient really values - then the probability of it being shipped out of their establishment is somewhat diminished, no?

As some have verified - receiving a gift card that, bought with dollars good in any store in town, that makes the gift valuable in only one store (and after someone likely having paid a fee), and possibly not one to which the recipient feels attracted leaves somewhat to be desired.

A verse to go with a gift of money:

"It doesn't need to be returned ... it'll fit with your decor ... (can't remember the third line) ... and it's good in any store".

When we gift something ... isn't it to be without strings?

Doesn't the recipient have the right to do with that item whatever s/he pleases?

And should you choose to gift money ... it'll be impossible to know whether the recipient may choose to regift it?? Right?

When many seniors may be either about to downsize, or have parted with many valued possessions when having done so recently, wouldn't a gift of time or an experience, e.g. taking them out to dinner, be valued more that something that might well be lower on their priority scale that one more thing?

And in these days when most of us have most everything that we need or want, wouldn't it be wiser, considering the whole scheme of life, to make a gift to a charity in the recipient's name, if such might be pleasing to him/her?

While I'd cut back on gifts and cards a few years back, saying that I was giving to charity instead ... the receipts were in my name, so helpful to me at income tax time. And recently I've been sending cards to more, partly as a number whose friendship I've valued have gone the way of all flesh, so I am more inclined to keep in closer contact with ones still alive.

When I gave my brother a gift of money for their 50th wedding anniversary and they gave it to the cancer society, which had been helpful to him, the receipt was sent to me ... and I returned it, saying to give the receipt to my brother (partly 'cause it'd be more valuable to him than to me at income tax time).

ole joyful

Your stories are so funny. I belong to an organization that has an annual holiday party with a white elephant gift exchange. It's always fun to see how many gifts from prior years make a return appearance.

Years ago there was a fruitcake that made the rounds in my family. When we got it a second time we tossed it.

This year I got a unexpected gift from an old friend. Bath & Body stuff. I can't use it because I have asthma and the fragrance is strong. It's one that I buy a lot for my daughter. When I tried to give it to her she made a comment something like, "why does everyone think we like the Japanese one?" I'm half Japanese and she is 1/4. lol I always thought she liked it, well, apparently not. She never told me, nearly every Christmas (except this one) I've gotten her a gift set or a stocking stuffer with this fragrance. I buy it at work, in the canteen because it keeps me from having to go into their stinky stores in the mall. So, I had her take it to her friends' house when she went to a New Year's Eve party the other night. I figured one of her friends would like it.

It was always very hard to think of gifts for my in-laws (divorced, so I had two sets of them with one spouse, groan). One day I saw a big round serving plate decorated Japanese country-style, with large hand-painted koi. I thought my FIL would love it. Wrapped up the box extra-nice and yes, when he opened it he was thrilled!

A few years later we received a large square flat box. I recognized the wrapping paper, but I'm famous in my family for buying lovely gift wrap so several people collect it for re-use. When I opened it....yes, indeed, the same koi platter.

It had clearly gone unused, packed back up and stuck in a corner (his house was the proverbial 'pack rat' home with things stuffed everywhere), until they found it again and proudly re-gifted it back to me, having forgotten we were the ones who gave it to them in the first place.

I still have it, three decades later. And it gets compliments every time I use it, LOL!

Lindsey, I didn't mean to imply there was anything wrong with doing this. We have passed along gift cards we knew we would not use. I hate to see them not being used.

You are a thoughtful sister, Lindsey.

Love all these stories. Every year i get at least one gift card, whether for a fancy store, or video rentals, a restaurant, or a book store, etc. I make it a point to actually "Use' all these cards before I buy myself any luxury item.

A sandwich pocket maker from about 1985, dirty, full of butter and cheese. No box, no manual. We are sure it was from the trailer she sold years ago. Hey, I am all about reduce-reuse-recycle. But clean it first, people!

I have re-gifted gift cards that would be more appreciated by a different recipient. Bath and Body Works, Sephora, a place I would have likely gotten one for them anyhow. Just always check that the balance is still there and hasn't been whittled away by fees or has expired.

However, I am more likely to pass on a gift than to "re-gift", as in wrap it and give it as a present to somebody else. My one sister gets any scented candles given to me. I appreciate the present, but we don't burn candles and I scented items give me a headache. She loves them. On the other hand, she does not drink coffee and gets tonnes of Starbucks stuff (I say it is because she looks Frou-frou lololol). She usually passes that on to me.

Dances.

Greetings, Dances,

Dad used to say that a fair exchange ... was no robbery.

Great to see your post: brings back memories. Of my first, and very memorable, meeting with KT folks. It was 2005, wasn't it?

As I recall, some who'd expected to attend had cancelled, and you'd considered cancelling. Some said let's have it anyway, as there'll likely be some interesting attendees.

Sure/still glad you didn't (saw your little memento the other day).

ole joyfuelled