Just how tacky of us would this be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep a few pieces, sell a few pieces. Put the money in the college fund and don't breathe a word of it to anyone. Even Miss Manners says its ok to do what you wish with gifts as long as you've written a thank you note!

This. I was like you OP and had an old family friend much like your family members. I will say, the sent us a sleep sack that was over $100 and it turned out to be the ONLY sleep sack that DS would sleep in. We kept some of the items we really liked, and most of them did hold up better than some of the cheaper stuff we bought. Anyways, I'd keep anything that you like and might be more unique and sell the other stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep a few pieces, sell a few pieces. Put the money in the college fund and don't breathe a word of it to anyone. Even Miss Manners says its ok to do what you wish with gifts as long as you've written a thank you note!

This is true. So, relax. After you've written the gracious thank you note, you are free to do what you think is best with what you were given.

[Anonymous]

What brand?

[Anonymous]

Maybe she knows you are cheap and she wants to see your kid in something really nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe she knows you are cheap and she wants to see your kid in something really nice.

Oh, bah! My kid is outfitted almost entirely by TotSwap and her clothes are all Janie & Jack, Zutano, etc., for $2-7 for a dress. I guess that's not "really nice," just "nice."

[Anonymous]

Yes, and holding a "really nice" $75 lovey.

Please. These relatives sound ostentatious and/or clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your SIL sent your child a gift, not you

When the child can open the gift by him/herself, their opinion is valued- maybe. Not until then.

[Anonymous]

Uh yeah this is ridiculous. I would take a few photos of baby in a few outfits in various locations, keep the lovey, keep one outfit that you like, and sell the rest in a few months when baby "outgrows" them.

[Anonymous]

I don't know, OP. I was with you to a point, and I'm a pretty thrifty person. But you seem to be taking a little too much pride in how little you spend on baby clothes and how inappropriate it is to spend more than what you've allowed in your mind--it's crazy (twice), seems weird, spending more than $15 is quite steep (REALLY? That's about what you'd pay for a new outfit at target, and that's "quite steep" to you?)

Granted, my kid doesn't have $100 sleepers and $75 loveys, but there's certainly a huge middle ground. You seem a little obsessed with being on the opposite end of that spectrum.

As far as the gifts, to be a gracious recipient, you should take pictures of your child in some of the outfits and send them with the thank you note. It may be incredibly awkward--and even a bit rude--to send gifts that are completely inappropriate to your tastes, but it seems pretty rude as well to accept $600 worth of baby clothes and assume that since you don't see that branch of the family face-to-face, they will never see your child wearing them.

Also, were the price tags left on? How do you know how much the clothes cost?

[Anonymous]

Personally I think it's totally fine to return things that aren't your style. I do it all the time. Just be sure to write a thank you note and since this was such a large gift, keep at least one item for photos or in case you do end up seeing the gift givers sooner than you expect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know, OP. I was with you to a point, and I'm a pretty thrifty person. But you seem to be taking a little too much pride in how little you spend on baby clothes and how inappropriate it is to spend more than what you've allowed in your mind--it's crazy (twice), seems weird, spending more than $15 is quite steep (REALLY? That's about what you'd pay for a new outfit at target, and that's "quite steep" to you?)

Granted, my kid doesn't have $100 sleepers and $75 loveys, but there's certainly a huge middle ground. You seem a little obsessed with being on the opposite end of that spectrum.

As far as the gifts, to be a gracious recipient, you should take pictures of your child in some of the outfits and send them with the thank you note. It may be incredibly awkward--and even a bit rude--to send gifts that are completely inappropriate to your tastes, but it seems pretty rude as well to accept $600 worth of baby clothes and assume that since you don't see that branch of the family face-to-face, they will never see your child wearing them.

Also, were the price tags left on? How do you know how much the clothes cost?

+1

Also where are you returning clothes for cash and not store credit to say, saks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And so? I am not saying I would sell it and buy my own stuff. I was more thinking of selling it and buying like a years worth of cheaper clothes for the baby!

+1 At least keep it baby-related such as diapers, clothes as they grow, baby gear as they grow, etc...

[Anonymous]

I'd exchange for clearance stuff from the same brand and take nice pics to thank them for the gift and save the balance to use over the months to buy again on clearance there. I do this with JnJ all the time.

[Anonymous]

Keep at least one thing, write the thank you and do what you want with the rest.

I never have understood the purpose of expensive baby clothes either. Or dressy baby clothes that you put on once for pictures.

[Anonymous]

It's not tacky, it's dishonest. It's not illegal, but it's dishonest. If you are a dishonest and dishonorable person - well go for it.

It's fine to talk about and to consider doing it, but to actually do it and to live your life that under-handed way would be sickening to decent people.