Gift Giving Guy

A 2006 Harris poll reports that 52% of Americans have re-gifted. And by re-gifted, I mean this: take an unused, received present, rewrap it and give it to someone else as if they bought the gift especially for that person. So we’re not talking about donating an unopened gift to Goodwill — the “second-hand” origin is up front and understood. It’s secretly recycling a gift to someone else, hoping no one discovers the shortcut. The risk of discovery and displeasing the gift recipient is reason enough not to re-gift.

For me, great presents have an underlying message: as a giver, I took the effort to personally find and pay for a thoughtful gift. Re-gifting seems dishonest; it smacks of plagiarism. You are presenting a presumably unwanted gift as your giving effort. It’s like bringing store-bought cookies — the kind you don’t care for — to a potluck party and passing them off as your own. It reflects poorly on the giver, and, again, the re-gift may offend the recipient. You are better off giving unwanted gifts to charity.

The term “re-gifting” comes from a 1995 Seinfeld episode called “The Label Maker.” Below is the classic scene where Elaine suspects a label maker she gave to her dentist has been re-gifted to Jerry.

Elaine: Hey. Oh, is that a label maker?

Jerry: Yes it is. I got it as a gift, it’s a Label Baby Junior.

Elaine: Love the Label Baby, baby. You know those things make great gifts, I just got one of those for Tim Whatley for Christmas.

Jerry: Tim Whatley?

Elaine: Yeah. Who sent you that one?

Jerry: One Tim Whatley!

Elaine. No, my Tim Whatley?

Jerry: The same, he sent it as a thank you for my Super Bowl tickets.

Elaine: I think this is the same one I gave him. He recycled this gift. He’s a regifter!

Jerry: Or maybe he liked your gift so much, he decided to get me the same thing. Perhaps it’s an homage.

Elaine: Yeah, perhaps.

Jerry: Well how did he react when you gave it to him?

Elaine: Um, he said, “Oh. A label maker. Howbout that?”

Jerry: He repeated the name of the gift?

Elaine: Yeah, so?

Jerry: Oh, well, if you repeat the name of the gift, you can’t possibly like it.

Elaine: What do you mean?

Jerry: Oh, you know, like when someone opens something up and they go, “Oh. Tube socks.” What are you gonna do about it?

Elaine: I don’t know, I guess I’ll just get invited up to his apartment and see if he’s got a label maker.

Jerry: Why’d you get him a gift anyway?

Elaine: Oh, he did some dental work for me and he didn’t charge me so I thought I’d get him a Christmas present.

Jerry: Yeah, well, if you’re getting him anything for his birthday, I’m a large.