Expert: No Shame In Re-Gifting If You Do It Right

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A lot of people pick presents by looking through gifts they have received in the past and passing them on – but when it comes to re-gifting, there are rules to get right.

As CBS 2's Cindy Hsu reported Wednesday, there is nothing wrong with re-gifting on principle. And some people have their reasons to do it.

"If it's really ugly, it's been re-gifted," said re-gifter Nora Baker.

But the key is that the re-gifted item must be something its recipient will actually like.

"Don't feel guilty about it, but just make sure that when you are re-gifting, you're being thoughtful; you're not just giving away stuff that you don't want," said lifestyle expert Limor Suss.

Suss said everything you re-gift should be new, unused and unopened – and evidence that it has been re-gifted should be eliminated.

If you are passing along a book, make sure there are no personal notes addressed to you, or even a holiday card tucked in the pages, experts advised. You should also check out the gift top to bottom for any signs you're re-purposing, and make sure you remove any old "to" and "from" tags.

Also, experts advise that you should be organized. When you get a gift you think you may pass along, you should label it, put a note on it that will tell you who gave it to you and the date they gave it to you, and put another note on it that tells you who was around when you opened it up.

Experts noted that perfume is only good three to five years from when it was manufactured, and any sort of food is not a good idea.

"Chocolate, you do not want to re-gift," Suss said. "At lot of times, first of all, you don't know how long it's been in the store."

And amping-up the gift with extras is a great idea, experts advise. For wine, add some glasses, and for a decorative box, throw in some nail polishes or candy.

Declan and Georgia Townsend said they find things in their parents' bedroom and re-gift them right back to mom and dad.
"
Sometimes clothes and like, little jewelry, and we wrap it up and give it them on Christmas and say, 'Merry Christmas,'" said Georgia, 12.

"And then they say, 'I've seen this before,' and we're like, 'No we haven't,'" added Declan, 9, with a laugh.

Expert said as long as it's from the heart, a gift of any kind is a hit.

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