Be ruthless (Unwanted Gifts)

Member Name: moronboy

Product:	Unwanted Gifts
Date:	24/11/00 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Giving things away is good for everyone

Disadvantages: Some people might be offended by your post-Christmas giveaway

As a successful competition person, I am always awash with runner-up prizes that I do not want and have no use for, it's kind of like unwanted Christmas presents all year round. My solution to this problem is pretty simple. I get rid of them.

Don't get me wrong, I don't ever remember throwing anything away, but I tend to be pretty ruthless about hoarding - I just don't tolerate it. Admittedly, there is a big problem if relatives give you things you really don't want, and then expect you to wear / display / use whatever it is they've given you. Perhaps this is the problem with people projecting their own taste onto you - I never buy things that I would like, only things I am 100% sure the victim would want.

Anyway, charity shops are always willing to take stuff in, and despite the fact that their pricing can be unambitious, there are enough high-street outlets for you to find a shop whose cause you can happily support.

If you are organised, and it's toys or kid's stuff you're talking about, every winter numerous hospitals and charities do appeals for unwanted (usually unused) toys to be given to disadvantaged kids. My girlfriend won some Disney dolls just before Christmas a few years back and gave them to one of these appeals. The woman who came to collect them was so gushingly grateful it was almost embarrassing. The only problem was that they thought she was being so generous, when she thought they were doing her a favour. You certainly won't regret doing this kind of thing.

And finally, you can just give them to people you know. Again, these runners-up prizes which I don't want are always snapped up like they're gold dust by members of my family - if you genuinely don't want something, you'll generate a lot of familial goodwill merely by passing it swiftly on to someone who would love it.

Summary: