Thrift Store Shopping For Presents? Can You Regift?

Buying gifts during the holiday season can put a huge dent in your bank account. I know people who will spend the next 6 months (or longer,) paying off credit cards after holiday shopping and I just think, “why?” Within the group of family and friends we personally exchange gifts with are, I’m thrilled to say, people who themselves shop at thrift stores and consignment stores and don’t mind if I buy them a “used” gift. I mean, if I find a pair of designer jeans that normally cost $125 or more that our granddaughter would like (and that I wouldn’t spend that amount on,) for $12.99 or less, well, she’ll be thrilled and absolutely wouldn’t mind I bought them at Goodwill or some other thrift store.

I know there are some people who would never consider shopping thrift for Christmas presents but hey, if I can find something that fits someone’s personality or want/need list, and it’s in great shape and affordable, well, I don’t see any reason not to. Of course that’s just my own personal opinion. I don’t consider it being cheap, but rather thrifty and “green.”

DOUBLE-CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY –

When shopping for “used” items, you want to double-check for tears, holes or stains on clothing and make sure the colors aren’t faded, which will make it look old and used. With housewares and knickknacks, make sure there’s no chips, cracks or peeling paint. Check the inside of purses or wallets for stains and if buying books, look for torn or colored-on pages.

For more tips on how to better shop thrift/consignment stores…

https://www.719woman.com/fashion/thrift-store-shopping-at-nonprofit-stores-in-colorado-springs/

*And if you have a charity you donate to that accepts gently used items, thrift is an excellent way to pick up something that could make a difference in someone’s life, even if you’re on a budget.

Here’s just a small example of some fabulous items that would make nice gifts. Everything I feature came from Discover Goodwill, which happens to be my own personal favorite store to shop at. And even if you don’t have a Goodwill near you, there are lots of other nonprofit/consignment/thrift stores that have great deals. All of these stores, that sell used items, can enable you to stay on a budget, buy someone something that they’ll love, help our Earth by recycling, and in a lot of cases, help others in our community.

The following items are from Discover Goodwill on Circle (in Colorado Springs.)

FOR THE WOMEN –

There is a huge selection of clothing items for any female that might be on your shopping list. From newborn sizes and toddlers to juniors and misses, you can usually find the size you need. Jeans and sweaters, dresses and skirts, loungewear, casual tops, and lots of cold-weather outerwear, which is what I focused on during this trip. The only things I personally wouldn’t buy used for gift-giving are shapewear or undergarments, but I wouldn’t be buying those new as gifts either.

Love this cape which was in perfect condition for only $5.99. I actually meant to buy this myself for a family member and then totally forgot! If you see something you really like, I suggest you buy it then since once something’s gone, it’s gone.

Lots of jewelry selections, including necklaces, watches, earrings and bracelets. Double check for any tarnish, broken clasps, or missing stones. Hot Topic bangles, which are new, only $2.99, silver cuff $4.99 and the Anne Klein necklace and earrings are $8.99.

This Banana Republic jacket is only $5.99 and would make a really great gift. Only $5.99!

No rips, stains, or anything yucky in these purses and the outside of them are in perfect condition too. Animal print purse $5.99 and the orange St. John’s Bay bag is $7.00. Two seriously awesome gifts for less than $10.

FOR THE MEN –

Tons of jeans, dress pants, sport themed items, shoes, suits, sweaters and more. Dress shirts and ties are always on my list and I can buy 2 or 3 plus ties for the price of just one new shirt. And believe me, the men in my life certainly don’t look like they are wearing “used” clothing!

Geoffrey Beene green dress shirt $5.99, Geoffrey Beene yellow dress shirt $3.99, and Van Heusen purple dress shirt $3.99.

At these prices, even if you’re on a really tight budget, you can afford a tie to go along with that shirt you found. From left to right…Giorgio Brutini $5.99, Stafford $4.99, Kenneth Cole $4.99, and Jacobs Roberts for Nordstrom hand-sewn $3.99.

AND THE KIDS –

There are a lot of young children in my life since all my younger girlfriends are having babies, plus I have three adorable grandchildren. All of them wear the cutest outfits and all of their moms shop thrift and consignment. At Goodwill, most of the infant/toddler items run from about 99 cents to $1.99. And half the time, the things I find don’t even look like they’ve been worn. Seriously, they grow so quickly at that age, sometimes they only wear something once or twice.

Lots of warm outerwear for children of all ages. Usually I feature more boy things since I’m always shopping for the grandsons so here’s a few fun finds for little girls. (And one of these items went home with me.) The Oshkosh pink and brown coat $5.99, Penelope Mack black jacket $3.99 (Penelope Mack is sold at Macy’s,) furry Children’s Place pink “stole” $3.99 and adorable polka dot Carter’s little sweater 99 cents.

Finding toys in perfect condition can be difficult because they are toys…and they’ve been played with. But I always keep an eye out and have got some great deals. And seriously, younger children don’t notice if that toy is brand new or not, if it works, it’s fine…I was going to put these vehicles and action figures in our grandsons stockings but grandma couldn’t wait, and the boys loved them. $4.99 for the bag of 31 vehicles and $5.99 for the bag of 15 action figures.

I always include books when giving children gifts and you can find a vast selection for all ages. The books vary in prices with paperbacks of course being a bit less than the hardback. Most are priced at 99 cents to $1.99.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this Playskool toy and at only $2.99, it’s a great deal and would make some young child very happy.

This Fisher Price Ride On Dino is currently being sold online at Walmart for $37.81 (but they are out of stock right now.) This one is in perfectly fine condition and only costs $6.99. If you’re not familiar with Discover Goodwill stores in our area, make sure you check out the “outdoor” section that’s located in different locations at different stores. This is where you’ll find bikes, sports equipment, pet supplies, etc.

PJ’S FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY –

You can find a TON of pj’s for the entire family. The Sleep Sense dog bottoms $3.99, the red pajamas from American Eagle and still had the original tags on them $7.99, the Croft & Barrow robe was priced at $7.99 with an additional 30% off that day making it $5.59 and the Aeropostle monkey pj’s $3.99.

AROUND THE HOUSE –

From serving pieces and dishes to knickknacks, collectibles and furniture…there’s bound to be at least one thing you’ll find and think, “This is so her/him.”

This is the one item I forgot to write a price down for. That happens occasionally and I can only blame it on my staff of one…me! Anyway, a great gift I guess, depending on the price of course. Ha! If you’re shopping for a higher end item like exercise equipment, check out the prices of similar brand new items so you’ll know if you’re getting a bargain or not. I checked this out and it looked like it had never been used.

This Rubbermaid Heatables Cookware package had never been opened so it actually isn’t “used.” Priced at $2.99.

Goodreads gives this book, “The 20th Century,” a 4.4 rating (out of 5.) This was in pristine condition and priced at an affordable $11.99. Now I did find this on Amazon too selling for only $16.02 but that doesn’t include shipping.

I just thought these teapots and cups were pretty. Make it extra special and fill it up with some tea bags you know they’d enjoy. These range in price from $1.59 $2.99.

This would make an excellent gift for someone special. It’s $19.99 and still had the original stickers on it, with the price marked out so most likely it was a gift at one point that someone simply couldn’t use.

This Michael Garman “To Protect & Serve” sculpture was in perfect condition and priced at $49.99. If that seems steep to you, it is selling on the Michael Garman online store for $175 so if you know someone who collects his work, this would be quite a good deal.

So as you can see, there are so many options when buying gifts that don’t have to cost a lot or put you in debt. I find that either you totally agree it’s ok to gift with thrift, or you would never ever consider doing so in a million years. Your thoughts?

And what about regifting? Do you think it’s ok? According to “Elite Etiquette” author Dawn Bryan, it is. “If the gift is right up the recipient’s alley, and she feels as if it was specially chosen for her, there’s nothing wrong with passing it along.” She adds, don’t let her know you’re passing on your reject, to wrap it in a fresh box, and to give the recycled gift to someone who doesn’t know the original giver.

Whether passing on a gift and regifting or buying something used…do you think it’s a do or a don’t? Would you be offended if you were the recipient?