The worst present you ever received?

[Sue J]

My MIL sent me scented soap rocks. Pretty to look at but I have no sense of smell!

She sent the same thing 3 years in a row. My guess is that someone gave them to her and she regifted. It just didn’t seem like something that she would decide to buy for someone.

Was she hinting that I needed to smell better? Or did they smell awful and she figured I’d be the only one who wouldn’t notice?

And then I had to get creative to write a Thank You note… for something I couldn’t smell.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

All the wedding gifts! They turned out to be quite expensive in the long run and ended up sold at a yardsale years later.


To the original intent of the thread. Ugly clothes as a youth (like I was ever stylish!) from distant relatives -I can remember one pull over that screamed "hit me." I never wore them and felt guilty for not being grateful.

 

[Walt34]

Was she hinting that I needed to smell better? Or did they smell awful and she figured I’d be the only one who wouldn’t notice?

That reminds me of a joke some guys played on one of their friends on his birthday in high school. They all got together (except for the recipient) and one gave him a package of bar soap, another gave him mouthwash, another picked out deodorant, another picked out toothpaste, one picked out a book on men's fashions... and you get the idea.

Now, it's important to know that these guys were all very close friends so the recipient took it as the joke it was intended to be.

 

[Sunset]

When I worked in a Group Home for retarded adults, we would get the residents a gift and often get asked to recommend a gift for a resident to receive.

Most times it was shampoo, soap, deodorant, as it was easy, useful, and in some rare cases actually needed as a hint. But I often thought what a lousy/hurtful message being given to the rest of the residents when they got all these personal cleaning supplies as a gift

The only bright side was it saved them from using their spending money.

 

[DaveLeeNC]

I was the giver of this worst gift. My wife got Covid from me and her first symptoms and first positive test was Christmas morning of 2023.

dave

 

[RobLJ]

This hit a nerve. When I was 10 or 11, we had secret santa presents at school. I received what I thought was a really dumb toy.
My twin and I were riding on the bus back home, he asked me what I got, and I told him and made fun of it.Then I looked back and realized the girl who had given it to me was listening two rows back, and was crushed. I still remember the look on her face and I still feel bad about it, 55 or so years later. I didn't realize it at the time, but her parents were also fairly poor (not that we were rich, but solidly lower middle class, I guess).

So I'm always grateful for whatever I get, although when 3 or 4 year old grandkids give you a present, it's not a strain.

I never figured out what to say to her, although "I'm a jerk" probably would have been best, which I've used on several occasions to DW. It's interesting what you feel shame about 55 years later; I hope she doesn't remember this. We moved away a year or two later.

 

[imnontrad]

It may sound odd but the worst was a pair of sapphire earrings. They were to match a sapphire bracelet that I was given 2 years before. And my (now ex) husband bought that bracelet as a cover for getting airline tickets for a trip for him and his girlfriend.

 

[Agapostemon]

It was a pink tee shirt, a size too small, with tacky glitter and cursive lettering that said "Short but Sweet" received from the woman my father married after I had left for college. So yeah, she knew nothing about me and about all I knew about her was that I couldn't be honest about how insulted I felt.

 

[rodi]

Christmas, 6 days before we were going to get married, my now husband gave me a whole house humidifier. He had moved into my house which had a forced air oil heater. He decided the air was too dry. The thing was cheap. A pain to install. And broke within 3 months. He also got me guitar strings for his guitar. I did not know or agree that I needed a whole house humidifier. The guitar strings could be justified because he won my heart by serenading me on the guitar. Although he stopped playing guitar shortly after that. He has since picked up guitar again and retirement.

This was our first Christmas together and it was a big miss. He has done much better since.

 

[erkevin]

When I was 12, my mother died in October of that year. My father, who was an unemployed alcoholic decided that Santa thought I would like a used suitcase for Christmas. A used suitcase for a 12 year old and the only gift under the tree.

 

[Islandtraveler]

Not me, but a buddy of mine bought a color TV for his girlfriend,
for his bedroom! I suppose best or worst depends on your point of view!

 

[dixonge]

For one of my recent birthdays (in the last 10-15 years) my Mom got me a t-shirt. They gave it to me at a birthday lunch. Mom, Dad, me, wife, brother, his wife. I looked at the shirt. I asked my Mom why she got it for me. "I thought you liked the Cowboys!" I turned it around and showed the family and said "yeah, I like *THE* Cowboys.

The shirt said "I Cowboys"

Worst gift, but pretty good memory. Tons of laughter on that one...

 

[Mr Gadget]

The gift wasn't so bad as my reaction to it. 6 or so me was gifted a Christmas present by distant relatives that I didn't really know when they visited (I believe they met me previously when I was a toddler), it was a small football. My exact comment when I unwrapped it (that is often repeated at family gatherings) was "Just what I never wanted." Children say the darndest things, right?

I'm still not a sports nut. I did apologize later, but I am still known for being brutally honest.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

It was a pink tee shirt, a size too small, with tacky glitter and cursive lettering that said "Short but Sweet" received from the woman my father married after I had left for college. So yeah, she knew nothing about me and about all I knew about her was that I couldn't be honest about how insulted I felt.

Ooof. That one had to sting.

 

[Koolau]

Worst Present I'VE Ever Given

Probably a couple of years ago, DW and I were watching TV together. I can't recall if it was a regular "drama" but it wasn't a situation comedy as such. I just recall that a man relayed that he had given as a Christmas gift to his wife a vacuum cleaner. I also recall that he seemed very proud of himself for giving such a splendid gift! DW and I were cracked up by this. We've often joked about it since.

So, recently this year, our Roomba had died (our third one since they came out - the last one only lasted a year.) So we've had to make do with the Oreck upright or the rechargeable "Dyson clone." I haven't been much help because of serious back issues. I could do perhaps one room and then have to quit. So DW was being stuck with the bulk of the vacuuming.

You're probably way ahead of me by now. For Christmas this year (in addition to some other "real" gifts) I wrapped up a brand new "Shark" robot vacuum. It's like a Roomba but cheaper.

What I thought DW would really appreciate is that it "empties" itself into the docking station. Supposedly, the docking station will hold a month's worth of dirt. The Roombas all had to be emptied each use (or they might not w*rk the next time without being emptied.) Getting down to empty the Roomba was difficult for DW and impossible for me, so, once again, DW had to do the dirty w*rk.

I saved the "vacuum cleaner" until last gift and I think DW accepted it in the spirit I gave it. We had a good laugh together and I'm guessing it will be a future Christmas story we love to tell. So far she and I both like the Shark much better than the Roomba. It seems to clean with "purpose" rather than total randomness. NOT needing to empty it every time is a real plus. And emptying the docking station appears to be easier than emptying the old Roomba. I guess we'll see in a month.

 

[DektolMan]

Coal in my stocking...


All year long my dad kept telling me that if I kept being a smart a$$ I would get coal in my stocking. Of course at 8 years old I didn't believe him until that Christmas morning.


Looking back it was a great lesson that he taught me.

 

[Koolau]

Coal in my stocking...


All year long my dad kept telling me that if I kept being a smart a$$ I would get coal in my stocking. Of course at 8 years old I didn't believe him until that Christmas morning.


Looking back it was a great lesson that he taught me.

In HS we had the coolest (female) practice teacher in my German class. She had lived in Germany and knew their customs and practices, etc. So she mentioned about receiving a bundle of switches (to be used on naughty children) for a Christmas present when she was a little girl. So, it happened that Christmas holiday fell during her 6 week tenure. We bundled switches and presented them to her on her last day of school. What a great memory. What a great time.