After Christmas: Five Options for Your Child's Unwanted Gifts

Now that Christmas is over, what do you do with all the unwanted Christmas gifts your children received? 

Every year my children receive gifts that they already have or gifts that don't suit their age group.  When that happens, I go through my five options for unwanted gifts:

• Return - The simplest way to resolve the situation is returning the unwanted item.  Hopefully, your gift comes with a gift receipt.  Depending on the store or online merchant, return policies are very different and some charge restocking fees.
  
  My children receive most of their gifts from Toys R Us and their return policy is pretty generous.  I've returned out of box items easily with a receipt.  You can always get a merchandise credit to use for any future items you want to purchase (it has no expiration date).


• Exchange - Most stores offer an exchange, as long as you didn't use the product.  In some cases, even if you don't have the receipt, they will allow an exchange.
  
  Target is really great about allowing exchanges.  I've returned an item without a receipt and was able to exchange it for another item I wanted.  The only thing they require is a drivers license or State ID because it's only allowed twice per calendar year (this helps monitor any person who may abuse their return/exchange policy).


• Donation - Many charities, children's hospitals and shelters are in need of many things, especially children's items.  If there is a gift that's going to go unused and collect dust, donating is the most rewarding option.
  
  You can make a tax-deductible donation to Goodwill or Salvation Army and they will resell it for a lower price to help support the many programs that they offer.  However, if you can find a charity or local children's hospital where the toys and items will go to an individual for free, that will be even better.


• Re-sell - Sometimes you just need cash.  If it's a high demand item (car seats, strollers, and electronic items), it's probably wise to try to re-sell it on Craigslist, Oodle (connected to Facebook Marketplace) and eBay.
  
  I've noticed that strollers and car seats sell at a higher price on eBay, but with Craigslist you get an immediate sale with a cash buyer.  Oodle is fairly new, so I haven't had the time to access it.


• Re-Gifting - This is an option, but something I don't encourage.  Unless it's a gift you already have and enjoy, I think re-gifting can be tacky and tricky.
  
  We have all received gifts that we just don't find a liking to and many of us have been guilty of re-gifting them to another person (I'm guilty of that).  While it does save time and money, if it's something hideous that you know that the gifted party will not like, save them the guilt of not liking your "gift."
  
  There are some gifts that do make sense to re-gift.  My daughter received a Rapunzel doll for Christmas this year, but she already had one.  While we chose to keep it (it's from her godmother),  I think it would have been okay to re-gift it if we had chosen to.  Why?  Because almost every mother cried when there wasn't a single Rapunzel doll left on the shelf and they had to leave with an alternative that wasn't even comparable.

While Christmas is such a special time of the year, it's also probably the most stressful time of the year when it comes to buying and receiving gifts.  This year, save time, energy, and even make some money (put it towards your child's savings) with your unwanted gifts.

What do you do with your unwanted Christmas gifts?  Please comment below.