h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Welcome to the re-introduction of Talking Point. This will be a semi-regular feature with topics introduced In 'Ask h2g2' from time to time.





With the holiday season winding up, today's Talking Point is:

Have you ever received any unwanted presents?
What was wrong with it?
What did you do with it?
Is re-gifting ever appropriate?





Do you have a suggestion for a future Talking Point? Leave us a message at F21544321?thread=8288490.

h2g2 Community Editors
Witty Moniker

Yes.

It was clothing, and despite having the fashion sense of a stuffed iguana, even I could tell it was hideous.

Wore it on Christmas day, wore it into the car on Boxing Day... dumped it in a roadside bin on the way home.

Re-gifting is certainly appropriate. Nothing wrong with it that I can see. If I gave someone something and they passed it on, I wouldn't feel bad. Nowhere near as bad as I would if I found out they dumped it in a roadside bin, for instance.

My suggestion for a future talking point is to use consistent grammar.

"Have you ever received any unwanted presents?"
"What was wrong with it?"

Do we need a smiley?

That is why I am not a GE, Icy. Thanks for your input.

Apologies for being in a tetchy mood earlier. Sub-editing does this to me.

Unwanted presents - well of course! No-one's perfect, I don't go round shouting about what I'd like for a gift.

This year I received a funny shaped candle, which I promptly re-wrapped and gave to someone else. Other unwanteds will go to the charity shop.

I love the running gag in "Old School" with Will Ferrell's awesome character "Frank the Tank" continually trying to give away the bread maker he is given at the start of the film.

Is ace.

FB

Space is at a premium in my house -- with a wheelchair, every square inch of floor and flat space on tables is needed. So I no longer care to receive stuff that doesn't have a use or that can be eaten.

But some dear friends have given me a pottery cat for sitting on a table and looking at (while wishing I had somewhere to put the thing I'm carrying in my lap). The pottery cat is in a jokey style that doesn't match the few decorative things I have left out on display.

Not sure what I'll do with it. The giver works at the local thrift shop, so that escape route is closed. They'll be looking around for it when they visit me for the next while, so it needs to be somewhere, but if the place is too prominent then they'll notice when I furtively move it to a box for eventual disposal.

Have you ever received any unwanted presents?

Sure, lots of times.

What was wrong with it?

That depends on the particular gift. I've received everything from "Why, isn't this absolutely horrible" to "Golly, I haven't worn that size since I was 11."

What did you do with it?

My handling of an unwanted item varies greatly from reworking the item into a different sort of item entirely to smashing it into itty-bitty bits. If the item is the least bit useful, I try to get it to someone who can make use of it.

Is re-gifting ever appropriate?

Absolutely. So is storing it for a year and giving it back to the same person. Even more fun is decorating it inappropriately and placing it where the giver can see it. For example Asteroid Lil's pottery cat could be dressed up Goth-style or made into one of the Kitties of the Apocalypse.

my husband got lynx for Christmas
next year it will be someone elses problem

I don't mind in the least if people don't like presents I've got them, but I'd rather they said so, and let me change it.

What does bother me a bit is the silly charade of re-gifting/throwing away secretly. It's presumably "politeness", but if I've offered to change it if they don't like it and they pretend it's lovely, it's not politeness. It's spinelessness.

I have a small collection of presents that only get brought out of storage when their gifters come around. It's often toys or trinkets that I wouldn't normally touch but I don't want to hurt feelings so I go through the routine.

Every year a friend buys me a couple of cigars (one for Christmas, one for New Year) despite the fact I don't smoke. They get passed onto a friend who does smoke - saves me buying him a present I guess.

My Mil, Lorna, died four years ago. That Christmas I received (from my SiL - her daughter) what I can only assume was to have been Lorna's present. I was rather put out. I've *never* expressed an interest in Royal Jelly gubbins (She loved it and we bought it for her every year, as well)

Last year I received a (very little old lady) gift set from the same SiL. I gave it this year to someone else. I had no intention of using it and my older friend was delighted with it.

I have a burger maker (it makes really teeny tiny burgers) and is still boxed and never used. If anyone wants one...

Suggestion for Asteroid Lil.
Put the cat out.
Outside, by the door, on the porch, stoop, verandah
or whatever you have or call it. Let it welcome guests
and maybe become a boot scraper.

That way your gifter will see it and with any luck it
will melt in the rain and scorching western sunlight.

I have several such ornamental ceramics which have
become garden and lawn ornaments rather than indoor
clutter or landfill trash. If I let the grass grow
they disappear all summer and again under the snow.


~jwf~

Good idea. The paintwork and cloth cape should be gone in weeks. Then the vinca will grow all over it.

We organise lists in our house.

This. Doesn't. Happen. :P

I'd much rather give someone something they want than something they don't - it seems perverse on both sides.

We do still do surprises however, I gave my mum and nan scarfs and ear muffs (they hate being cold) and dad got me and my brother some gunk you tip into your engine and it defuzzes the carbon deposits - or something. You tip it in when re-filling and he knew wed both almost empited our tanks on the drive back which meant it got used.

We organised secret santa at work (my first year of experiencing such a ritual) - I got the head of the antibody research group, the man has I labcoat with a button on that says "I antibodies." so for (a smidge over a fiver) I got 'im a mousmat with a plushie antibody character on it called "Ig" which if you know any biochemistry is a funny joke.

He liked it and it get's used.

It was interesting, on the day, you could see who'd put some thought into the person and what gift might be appropriate (our CEO f'rinstance got a self-help book on starting your own small business)

I don't think finding an appropriate gift is that taxing if you've got a sense of humour and access to the web. And when all else fails: lists.

I've had the odd present which is slightly underwhelming, but it tends to just get stuffed ins cupboard and forgotten about for a few years.

My father is often given bottles of whisky for Christmas from colleagues and clients, presumably as people think that he either seems like a whisky drinker, or just presume that 60 year old lawyers drink whisky.

as he doesn't, he passes the whisky onto me. I have acquired a Chivas Regal, two Glenmorangie (One of which came with two branded glasses), two Balvennie Doublewood and a Balvennie Signature this way in the last couple of years.

My mother gave me a room fragrancer for Christmas this year. This is her way of saying 'next time don't leave telling me what you want until it is too late'.

I don't think I have ever regifted an unwanted present, but I probably have redistributed it via a charity shop or something. I don;t get many really unwanted presents as the worst offenders are my immediate family and I find really heavy hinting, if not outright demanding usually works.

The only exception is my brother, who is quite good at presents. Although he did get my mother a bat detector this year. ('A bat dectector????!!!' said my mother in obvious bemusement and not a little mild horror. 'Yes,' said my brother, 'You mentioned you wanted one after watching Countryside Watch.' Incredulous look from my mother. Personally I think it is revenge for the early teen birthday my she bought him factual videos of steam trains and national geographic documentaries.)