8 Tips for the Perfect Regift

Have you ever received a regift? Have you ever given a regift? The term “regift,” first coined by Jerry Seinfeld on his hit TV show, means to give as a gift something one previously received as a gift.

For instance, on my 40^th birthday a teacher friend of mine gave me a nice bath salts ball neatly wrapped in cellophane and tied with ribbon. The gift label firmly stuck on the cellophane read, “To Mrs. Smith, from your student Susie.” Whoops! (By the way, names were changed to protect a not-so-savvy regifter.)

My regifting friend could have benefited from the regifting rules below. Please keep these in mind as you finish up your Christmas shopping – whether at the mall or in your closet. Then keep reading to the end of the post to find out about the perfect re-gift!

8 Tips for Giving a Regift People Will Want to Keep

1. Check your motivation – Do you have good intentions? Don’t re-gift simply because you ran out of time. Make sure the item will be desirable to the recipient.
2. Update the wrapping – Do not re-give a gift in its original gift bag if crinkled or torn, or even worse, in the wrapping paper it was in when given to you. Most importantly check for original gift tags and cards. These are a dead giveaway, as I well know.
3. Don’t regift something you’ve used – This includes partially used gift cards; one gift receiver found a few grains of rice in a “new” rice cooker she was given.
4. Don’t regift to the original giver – That means you’ll need to keep track of who gives you what.
5. Certain things should never be regifted – Obscure books and CDs, fancy soaps, fruitcake, promotional items like pens and ball caps, or anything you hated when you received it.
6. Don’t give something you’ve had for awhile – If it has a thick layer of dust on it or has a tag from a company that no longer exists, then it should probably not be re-gifted.
7. Don’t give anything that tells on you – If it’s monogrammed or personalized in any way you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Check also for books signed to you.
8. Never regift anything you’ve bought at a garage sale – I mean, that’s just tacky.

A Few Exceptions to the Regifting Rules

Most rules have exceptions. Here are a few for the rules above.

• The receiver knows it’s a regift
• You have another new gift to give them as well
• The recipient was with you when you received the gift and expressed admiration
• You know without a doubt they will absolutely love it!

Jerry Seinfeld may have coined the phrase, but he didn’t invent the regift. In fact, the first Christmas regift was given on the very first Christmas.

As soon as the shepherds left the stable they ran into Bethlehem to share the gift of the Christ-child with everyone on their Christmas list. (See Luke 2:17.) Anna, the old prophetess that Mary and Joseph encountered at the temple soon after Jesus’ birth, shared Jesus with “all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).

There is no better Gift to regive at Christmas – or anytime for that matter – than Jesus Christ. When we share Jesus, we point people to the hope, peace, love, and life that only Jesus can give. He is the Gift that keeps on giving.

What are some ways you can give Jesus this Christmas?

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