yeah, it seems like a nice idea in theory, but when it comes to gift giving time, i'd always forget about it.

We have a gift cupboard that is well used. It's got some re-gifts in it too, but we keep a running list so we can make sure we don't give the gift back to the same person or to someone they will see a lot! Every now and then we go through the collection and give what we can't unload to charity. Otherwise we just try and buy things we love too so it's usually minimal what won't go away to a good home!

yes, we keep a gift closet. if i find things that we would normally buy and they are on sale, i stock up! we have four kids, a large extended family, and are active in our school, church, and the community. it equals a LOT of birthdays and such!

one thing i try to do is stick to a specific birthday gift for each age. this prevents last-minute searching of the stores and ensures a tried-and-true present.

My grandmother in law does this. and i anthough don't mean to sound ungrateful but i really really hate it. it is totally contrary to what giving a gift is about. i've ended up with my own closet full of gifts we've gotten from her that totally have nothing to do with me or my husband, just random "finds" or sales that she has picked up that i wouldn't even consider giving to something else. If you find something that is perfect for some one, get it for them as a gift, otherwise get a bottle of wine or flowers or something consumable that your giftee wont feel obligated to hang onto.

I have one, but it's mostly stocked with regifts, because we already had the item in question when he received it. So there are some books and videos and an odd Sesame Street remote control that was creepy enough the first time. The boy loves his, though, so I'll regift it with the standard "please feel free to throw this through the window and curse my name at some point" note.

Watch book re-gifts for inscriptions, though - I just recently noticed that my son's copy of Green Eggs & Ham contains a small inscription to the child of the person who gave it to him, from another friend. I don't care, I'm happy to have the book and it makes me smile when I see the note, since I'm also fond of the original giver. I'm not saying a word to either giver, obviously!

I have a boot-box in the closet with a few things in it. I try to stick to things that are hand made and really beautiful, like when I go to a farmers market or a craft fair, or things made by/for a worthy cause. They are usually general gifts like hand made-journals. I don't feel guilty about giving these things because I usually have a general idea of who it will eventually go to, and they are all nice things. I think it is easy to go overboard (having way too many things in there) so if the box get anywhere near full I cut myself off.

I do put away gifts I see throughout the year but it's never just generic hoo-haa, it's almost always something I see for a specific person that I know they will love and save it for a birthday or holiday. I do buy books all the time for kiddos without a specific kid in mind when I see a good deal. Helps when a party or something sneaks up on you and you don't have the time and already have some great books in the ready. And I do re-gift but carefully and only when I know someone will love something.

I have a huge closet, in fact today i was thinking it's too full - mainly things i pick up things in the sale for the many children in my world. It's also filled with things i'd like for myself but feel better if i buy them for the closet!

I agree with undomestic that for adults, consumables are almost always the way to go. For kids, though, it's pretty easy to match a cool gift with a general age and gender. But please don't assume that all little girls are into princess stuff!

I have some gifts stashed away. But they're books. When I need something from Amazon, I usually throw kids books on the order with specific kids and/or holidays in mind or just extras of stand-out favourites that we use for baby gifts for friends who are expecting. Cheap, I know, but I order the extras that I know we'll want for gifts later in the year so that I can get the free shipping.

I don't believe in regifting unless it's something we already have. I figure, if I didn't like getting it I likely won't feel excited about giving it. I really really enjoy giving gifts that suit the special person who is getting the gift. Regifting takes the fun away.

I do have a gift closet and I do put re-gifts (often duplicates of stuff my kids already have) in the gift closet. When you have school-aged, or preschool-aged kids, you go to a lot of birthday parties. I'm happy to be able to pull out some art supplies, or a tea set, or some other high-quality gift, from my stash of sale-priced gifts and send it on to a happy kid. My rule is that I only buy gifts that I'd be happy to give my own children (unless it's a duplicate) or that I have in mind for a special child friend. It works the same way as other sale-bought items; if you are only buying this because it's on sale, pass it by, but if you'd buy it no matter the price, then put it in the closet.

I'm with wrenx...our gift closet is almost all regiftables, and stuff can sit there a LONG time because I don't give something unless I think it's really right for the person and it's something that we liked but just didn't work for us (like a cute kitchen clock that clashes with our paint color.). I love to buy generic giftables when we travel (ie, bath salts from Japan in a cool box) to feed the shopping urge, but otherwise I don't shop to fill the gift closet. Life it too unpredictable, people have registries, you get invited to go in on a group gift, etc. And when our large families shifted to an Xmas gift-exchange plan, we no longer had to hand out a bunch of inexpensive, non-personal giftts.

I'll stash something I bought in January for a friend with a July birthday, though. I try to always have a plan!

I have received gifts from friends that use gift closest/boxes/whatever. Sometimes it works out well, but not always, although the same is true whether you have a gift closet or not.

Please be mindful that just because the giver likes the gift doesn't necessarily mean the giftee will. All those items that were purchased on sale months ago will no longer be returnable. If the person already has the item or finds it less than desirable or the wrong size, you have just burdened them with junk, not a gift.

I've been lucky to have a fair bit of high end stuff I got for a very good price, and it really works for stuff like my cousins' weddings - stuff where I don't particularly *like* the people getting the gift, but am compelled for social reasons to give a gift anyways. Real friends get the kind of stupid thoughtful stuff like quilts or homemade photo albums for shared photo trips, gift baskets I've made up myself and catered to their taste, etc, etc.

I don't really understand why people assume that gift closets are crammed with bought-on-sale Hallmark crap? I keep an under-the-bed box in part because I loathe shopping "for" a birthday gift, in that "I need to find something by x date" sense hunt. If I see something that reminds me of a certain person -- a DVD of a movie my mom used to love back when VHS was new, a great vintage photograph of some women from my sister's college, etc -- I buy it and put it in the box. When holidays and birthdays come around I get it out and wrap it up. My gifts are generally very personal and deliberate, because they are things I "look for" all year long. I find that far more personal than giving something I specifically went out and searched for because I "had to find something" to cross that person off my list, or whatever. The gift box helps me translate my "thinking of you all the time" sentiments into meaningful gifts, that's all.

I also keep very basic favorites on hand in the gift box, for last-minute options. ie if my downstairs neighbor surprises me with a bottle of wine for New Years', I run to the gift box and pull out something marginally appropriate. The usuals are things like small tubes of L'Occitane hand lotion, high-quality lip balm (Elizabeth Arden 8-hour, the best ever), Smartwool socks, etc; the sort of thing that could be given on its own to an acquaintance, or given to bulk up an individual but too-small-to-stand-on-its-own gift to a friend. Old Beanie Babies or Disney figurines, in case someone with kids is coming for an afternoon. That sort of thing.

I do put some re-gifts in there as well, but only if they're things I would be comfortable giving. ie, things I think are (or could conceivably be) nice, useful, appreciated, etc; just not by me. I hold onto them until I either find an appropriate occasion and person, or get sick of looking at them and just donate them.

It's not like I raid the tchotchke shelf at JC Penney every time there's a sale, and stock my gift box from that, or anything. Surely some people do, but not all of us!

I do. But I generally only put things in there that are great. It really works for friends' children - a great toy or book that will work well for a birthday or if a baby comes along. I also shop for the holidays and birthdays year-round so I don't break the bank. It's fun to see how, what I consider, "treasures" accumulate over time.

I keep a gift bin, but I stock with inexpensive things I'd like to receive or that have universal appeal: luxury kitchen hand soap, body scrubs, bangle bracelets. For kids: matchbox cars, specialty markers, jump ropes, appliqued onesies. When I find a great bargain, I purchase a couple of extra for the gift bin. Though, for my closest friends and family I tend to shop specifically for the individual rather than raid my bin.

Totally agree with peanut. The closet where I put gifts have items to be regifted and or things I have seen on sale that I wait to give for birthday or Christmas presents. If I see something that reminds me of someone I buy it and wait for the appropriate time. I have a selection of jewelery and bags I get from travels which I give to my nieces, in laws, or co-workers.