Selling unwanted Christmas presents is OK!
I actually did pretty well this Christmas. I have a significantly lower percentage of cringeworthy presents than most years, which has averted my usual ethical dilemma.
Is it a sin to resell your unwanted Christmas gifts and how soon is too soon?
Space and money are two things that most people don’t have enough of.
A friend of mine got eight handbags this Christmas, bringing up her total to 26. She rarely changes bags, so is at a loss as to what to do with them.
If you’re in this situation, is it a no go to resell them?
Would it be less terrible to give them to a charity?
Are you afflicted with the Showing Dilemma, that curious beast where it is necessary to make a public appearance with the gift so you can subtlety suggest the joy it has given you to the giver. Or, heavens forbid, they turn up accidentally to your home and ask to see the gift and you’ve already shafted it.
It doesn’t seem worthwhile to keep 26 bags in a closet for either of those two eventualities. I would suggest that after the Public Showing of Gift, it’s acceptable to pass the gift on.
So how best to do it?
There are several options. There’s the swap, if you’re lucky enough to get a receipt and avert the disaster. Then there’s selling it on eBay, or swapping it with a friend. Or there’s the minefield that is regifting, a terrifying place that must be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
In the course of my research, WikiHow has come up with the most devious ways of passing on unwanted gifts. The list here suggests you should store all your unwanted gifts you have received and make a list of who gave it to you and when. Then, and here’s the most devious part of it all, after waiting a specific time, give the gift saying “I just loved the gift that _______ gave me and I thought you would like one too!”
The more cowardly approach of selling it on Gumtree or EBay is much more my style. Word to the wise, if you’re brave enough to regift, don’t circulate it in the same group of friends and if it’s homemade, don’t try and pass it on. The world is too small to get away with the redistribution of unique paintings or homemade sweaters.
If all of that is too complicated, then charities are desperate for unwanted items- even Christmas novelty gifts. Donations drop in December as everyone is pulling their belts tighter before festivities break out, so January is just the right time to pass on your oversized pajamas, pack of granny knickers or collection of teacups you just cannot fit in your cupboard.
It’s important to remember that it’s the thought that counts in a gift, so remember all the skills you’ve perfected over the years in displaying faux joy at the knitted bikini you’ve just been given. The ethics of the Christmas gift disposal are up to you. If you can make a pretty penny online with your unwanted items, then I say go for it. Just hope that you’re aunty isn’t as tech savvy as you are.
Do you resell unwanted gifts after Christmas?
How do you do it and have you ever been caught?
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