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magidYesterday I saw a Macy's ad on a bus with the slogan "Regifting is for wimps". My initial reaction: no, it's not, and what an obvious sort of commercial, playing off people's insecurities. And then in today's Globe there's an article on regifting, the etiquette thereof, etc. Perhaps it's my thriftiness/cheapness/frugality coming to the fore, but it just doesn't seem like that big a deal.
I've always thought that if someone gave me a gift that I didn't need/ already had one/ was the wrong size and not returnable/ was inconvenient in some way or another (Where to put that life-sized stuffed baby elephant?), it was perfectly acceptable to give it to someone else, if I thought the next recipient would enjoy it. I don't know that I'd go tell the original giver, but if they asked about it, I would tell them why I'd regifted, and that would be that.
Of course, it matters more to me what other people think about this one, since you/they would be the pool of recipients and/or original givers. So.... what do you think about regifting? Is it perfectly ok? Is it ok only as long as no one twigs on to what you're doing? Is it ok only if there's a significant amount of time before regifting? Or is it completely anathema?
I've always thought that if someone gave me a gift that I didn't need/ already had one/ was the wrong size and not returnable/ was inconvenient in some way or another (Where to put that life-sized stuffed baby elephant?), it was perfectly acceptable to give it to someone else, if I thought the next recipient would enjoy it. I don't know that I'd go tell the original giver, but if they asked about it, I would tell them why I'd regifted, and that would be that.
Of course, it matters more to me what other people think about this one, since you/they would be the pool of recipients and/or original givers. So.... what do you think about regifting? Is it perfectly ok? Is it ok only as long as no one twigs on to what you're doing? Is it ok only if there's a significant amount of time before regifting? Or is it completely anathema?
no subject
Date: 2003-12-05 07:07 am (UTC)The heyday of books of hours came before the printing press. I don't know how long the transitional period was -- when you could get a printed edition but hand-painted originals were preferable.
Some of the surviving books of hours show obvious signs of use, though, so they weren't (always) just for show. There are cases where you can tell where the user routinely kissed the page (usually on a cross -- these are Christian books), because the paint has been sort of smudged away in a way different from the wear of the facing page rubbing it.
(Have you seen the Moss Haggaddah? Gorgeous, but meant to be looked at rather than used.)
I don't know that one. Does it exist in facsimile, or is pilgrimage to a particular museum required in order to see it?
Speaking of being off-topic, happy bath day! With bath day and the first day to pray for rain and a snowstorm (according to your weather), you've got a real wetness theme going today. :-)
(Next year in Boston? Hm.)
:-)
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Date: 2003-12-05 07:23 am (UTC)Moss Haggaddah
It was orginally commissioned; I don't know where the originals are, with the guy who paid for them (Moss? Or is that the calligrapher? I don't know.) or in a museum. However, there have been books printed with facsimiles; I'd assume some library with a biggish Judaica section would have a copy.
bath day
A wet day, indeed! Happily, the snowstorm isn't starting until late tonight, so it won't get in the way of Shabbat prep :-). 3-6 inches are predicted, of wet snow, too. It ought to be interesting... At least I won't have a commute in it. Happy geshem-ing :-)