There are no official statistics on this phenomena, but just because I say so….you will be regifted no less than three times in your life. It happens to everyone, just like the fact we all eat 3 spiders a year when sleeping with our mouths open….there isnt anything you can do to prevent it…it just happens.
I happen to know the greatest regifter of all time. I mean…if regifting was basketball, he is a hybrid of both Michael Jordan and Chuck Norris. Never a flinch, never a hesitation…
(BTW-For those of you who missed the Seinfeld episode on this, regifting is the practice of taking a gift (obviously one you do not want) and then turning around and giving it to someone else, usually because there is a feeling of social obligation to do so.
This particular regifters profession required him to make weekly visits to wealthy clientèle at their homes. Some well-to-dos would offer a big bonus check, but every year, he had several customers give him gifts of fruit-cakes, strange candies, scarfs, cookies, breads, and the like. So…what does he do?
He graciously accepts the gifts from one client and immediately on his next visit…takes that same gift and gives it to the next client ‘Here I thought you might enjoy some Christmas Fruitcake’. If that client were to offer a gift of cookies or what not, this would be the next gift he would give. Brutally efficient…I witnessed him in action…and he actually never lied….Once the gift was given to him, it was his, and he decided to give it to someone else. I mean…are there any rules on how gift giving is supposed to work?
While I could never personally do this….I was in awe of his focused determination (or complete indifference) to this course of action. His reasoning was simple: ‘What would I do with it anyway…throw it away? That would be a waste.’….he has a point.
Expert regifters usually keep a small stash of little Christmas cards to complete the effect with a hand written note to their next target.
How to spot a ‘regift’
1. It usually food, which means you can give it to just about anyone.
2. Its usually food no one wants to eat.
3. It is usually made by a company or someone who doesn’t know fruit cakes are nasty.
4. The package appears to have passed through many hands.
5. Inexperienced regifters may hesitate, caught between fear you may detect them and wanting to laugh because you wont. Experienced regifters dont care either way…..
If its edible, professionally packaged and something you have no interest in…chances are you have just been regifted. There are no official statistics on this phenomena, but just because I say so….you will be regifted no less than three times in your life. It happens to everyone, just like the fact we all eat 3 spiders a year when sleeping with our mouths open….there isnt anything you can do to prevent it…it just happens.
I happen to know the greatest regifter of all time. I mean…if regifting was basketball, he is a hybrid of both Michael Jordan and Chuck Norris. Never a flinch, never a hesitation…
(BTW-For those of you who missed the Seinfeld episode on this, regifting is the practice of taking a gift (obviously one you do not want) and then turning around and giving it to someone else, usually because there is a feeling of social obligation to do so.
This particular regifters profession required him to make weekly visits to wealthy clientèle at their homes. Some well-to-dos would offer a big bonus check, but every year, he had several customers give him gifts of fruit-cakes, strange candies, scarfs, cookies, breads, and the like. So…what does he do?
He graciously accepts the gifts from one client and immediately on his next visit…takes that same gift and gives it to the next client ‘Here I thought you might enjoy some Christmas Fruitcake’. If that client were to offer a gift of cookies or what not, this would be the next gift he would give. Brutally efficient…I witnessed him in action…and he actually never lied….Once the gift was given to him, it was his, and he decided to give it to someone else. I mean…are there any rules on how gift giving is supposed to work?
While I could never personally do this….I was in awe of his focused determination (or complete indifference) to this course of action. His reasoning was simple: ‘What would I do with it anyway…throw it away? That would be a waste.’….he has a point.
Expert regifters usually keep a small stash of little Christmas cards to complete the effect with a hand written note to their next target.
How to spot a ‘regift’
1. It usually food, which means you can give it to just about anyone.
2. Its usually food no one wants to eat.
3. It is usually made by a company or someone who doesn’t know fruit cakes are nasty.
4. The package appears to have passed through many hands.
5. Inexperienced regifters may hesitate, caught between fear you may detect them and wanting to laugh because you wont. Experienced regifters dont care either way…..
If its edible, professionally packaged and something you have no interest in…chances are you have just been regifted.
