Unwanted Gifts - What do You do with Yours?

[julesapple]

BM's Christmas thread has prompted me to ask - what do you do with unwanted gifts?

Recently, I've been on the rampage in the house, having a sort out. Endless amounts have gone to the charity shop, but a row has started over some things.

As ungrateful as it sounds, I have a lot of stuff (gifts bought for me) that I hate, and never wanted or asked for. For the most part this is jewellery of fairly good quality, household gadgets etc. The row has started because I rounded up bits of jewellery that I want to send to one of these we-buy-your-gold-for-cash places, and one person (visiting unexpectedly) took exception to seeing a pair of earrings they'd bought for me in the little pile. Dangly great things, and I hardly wear jewellery and never dangly earrings.

So, what do you do with your unwanted things and am I wrong to send my unwanted stuff to charity shops, eBay and gold buyers when, at the moment, cash would be handier for the house decorating, garden, chook house building etc etc ??

Jules

[OverWyreGrower]

Yup - we sell it/give it away etc.

We always ask relatives for vouchers or money. This year, we would really like B&Q vouchers, as we are doing lots of work in the house. We won't get it though. We'll get all sorts of random nonsense - jewellery, smellies (that I hate/can't use etc), photo frames or ornaments that we don't like etc.

Anything really decent gets eBayed, or sold on small ads at work (or specialist buyers - like gold etc), anything else gets charity shopped or freecycled.

[taff]

I would. I either recycle them through freecycle, or give them to a charity shop, or if they're worth it, ebay them.
It's all to do with your own taste and your own feelings about the thing concerned.

[VirginVegGrower]

Yep sell - pointless hanging onto "stuff" for the sake of not offending. I always ask what people like or are into before buying gifts. Thank goodness we are a small family who buy good quality wanted gifts. I'm not sending out masses of cards this year either. I buy good ones and I get cr%p back. I am sending my left over in the drawer cards to whoever sends to me. That's it - no more. God parents who forget can now be forgotten. Old friends and colleagues who don't bother shall not be bothered with either. Times are hard and I would sooner spend on those who truly care.

OK rant over

[Glutton4...]

Fortunately, we now have a 'no presents' rule with Mr.G's family, but we all slip occasionally, when we find something we know will really be appreciated. We're now at the 'home made goods only' stage, which is fab! Think Sloe Gin/Chutney/Beer/Home-grown Veg/Eggs...

I have recently opened a second eBay account (you just need to use a different email address, and can link it to your existing PayPal account ), and am using that to sell unwanted items, without friends and family 'sooping' at what I'm buying/selling!

So, shoot me...

[perkin]

Definitely eBay for anything I think will go well on there. Otherwise freecycle or the local hospice charity shop. I don't think I'll get to my later years wishing I'd saved more c**p things in the loft...

[zazen999]

Come the credit crunch, we as a family decided [actually, instigated by me] that it was a strictly no presents rule, except for the kiddies and I ask their parents what they actually want. It's great - they all get home made preserves, seeds, plants or nowt. And it's been 3 years now and nobody has ever complained. Long live the [side effects of the] credit crunch.

Anything else - Mr Z chucks out so I don't need to stress. Bless.

[chris]

My wife bags stuff up for charity shops, but hardly ever takes them... Until I threaten to take them to the tip

[Piggle]

We save them all up and put them on the tombola when we're raising money for our hedgehog rescue... no doubt the winners them donate them to another good cause ... gifts that keep on giving!

[Hans Mum]

smellies and the like go to the tombola at the allotment, other stuff gets put in the charity bags.

[HeyWayne]

ebay what I can, give to charity what I can't. I have to be careful though - because usually if I give anything to charity shops I give it to my mum for her shop. I'm sure I've given her stuff that she has bought for me in the first place...

Anyone want any MrT Slippers (latest gift she bought me for my birthday)?

I feel guilty when getting rid of things especially if someone's put thought into the present. For example, my bro and his boyfriend bought me an FM transmitter for my iPod in the car because they know I love my music. However, the FM transmitter is rubbish - it's like listening to radio on a foggy day with a dodgy old wireless. So, I'll soon be getting rid - and will probably use the money to buy a few CD's from Amazon. The alternative is, that it sits in a drawer, or in the loft and is no use to anybody - a waste.

[VirginVegGrower]

i have recently opened a second ebay account (you just need to use a different email address, and can link it to your existing paypal account ), and am using that to sell unwanted items, without friends and family 'sooping' at what i'm buying/selling!

So, shoot me...

ingenious and inspired

:d

[VirginVegGrower]

My wife bags stuff up for charity shops, but hardly ever takes them... Until I threaten to take them to the tip

Do you not know where the charity shops are CM?

[northepaul]

Either
carboot them, recycle them (ie give them to someone else as a present) or give them to charity shop. Usually by the end of the year I have loads of things!!

[di]

Put them at the back of a shelf behind the stuff I like to gather dust