Bad, Bizarre, or Baffling Gifts share your stories

[Anonymous]

We had an aunt growing up that gave hilariously terrible gifts--to the point that we would open them first for the laugh (they were mailed to us, she was never there). Two years in a row my brother got the exact same towel and shower clock radio set (terrible scratchy towel too). One year I received a budweiser themed christmas tree ornament (I was 7 or 8 at the time).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My elderly aunt was infamous for her bad gifts. One year she gave my suburban, skinny, blond middle school brother a huge FUBU sweatshirt (many years after it was popular) My mom later tried to clue her in that it wasn’t really his thing, but he continued to get FUBU apparel for the next few years for birthdays and holidays because she had apparently stocked up at a discount store. She once gave me her old-fashioned corsets and old lady underwear when I was about 13, I was so embarassed. She also decided that my father loved ducks (no idea why) and he received many years of duck themed clothing and presents. But her bad gifts bring back such good memories for our family, she was always so happy to give them and really spent a ton of time thinking about presents (she thought) we would love. She had terminal cancer when I started dating my future husband and spoiled the heck out of him at holidays even though she barely knew him. The year she passed, she made family take her shopping in her wheel chair while undergoing chemo and pre-bought and wrapped presents for many holidays to come. The gifts were just as bad, but made us smile so much unwrapping them in her memory.

When we first started dating, my future husband bought me perfume....Paris Hilton perfume. It smelled awful! And when I unwrapped it and exclaimed
“Oh, Paris Hilton perfume!”, he said “I didn’t know that, guess I didn’t look hard at it.” He’s since redeemed himself many time over, but I realized
I had to drop pretty obvious hints to guide him in a better direction those first few years.

Love this! Thank you for sharing your memories.

[Anonymous]

OK...for my wedding I got a box of shattered glass. I think it was a regift that they moved with several times. It was so shattered I don't think it was just a one time dropo of bounce. I still wrote a thank you note and just called it "beautiful gift."

My sister would give second hand things to my kids and insist we save it for her future kids (she was single at the time). They were things that needed to be drycleaned and my kids were messy toddlers at the time. They were also usually too small.

My MIL gave out son a 3 piece newborn tuxedo from some discount place. It was too small, we had no place fancy to go and no way in heck was I dressing him up so much when he pooped so much.

I got an ash tray once from someone who knew me well enough to know I did not smoke.

[Anonymous]

1989. Kindergarten class gift swap. All the girls brought a present in for a girl and the boys did the same. Then each kid picked a present. I brought in a jump rope and I got an apple shaped glass ornament that said 1989 on it. Clearly the parent thought it was for the teacher. I cried all afternoon about it. That ornament gets hung on the tree every year.

[Anonymous]

My wealthy brother met us in Vegas for a milestone birthday. We took everyone out to eat for dinner.

When I opened his nice size box it was a collection of hotel soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Those trial size complimentary ones you get. Hundreds of them because he travels quite a bit. It was more of a joke and we laughed...I do use them for trips but it was pretty weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My name is Sarah, and I am tall. My mom gave me “Sarah, Plain and Tall” the book for Christmas when I was about 6 or 7. Geez.

I’m sorry. That was so mean it made me laugh. Wow. Mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My name is Sarah, and I am tall. My mom gave me “Sarah, Plain and Tall” the book for Christmas when I was about 6 or 7. Geez.

I’m sorry. That was so mean it made me laugh. Wow. Mean.

That's such a good book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1989. Kindergarten class gift swap. All the girls brought a present in for a girl and the boys did the same. Then each kid picked a present. I brought in a jump rope and I got an apple shaped glass ornament that said 1989 on it. Clearly the parent thought it was for the teacher. I cried all afternoon about it. That ornament gets hung on the tree every year.

Nice! Where's the jumprope? You definitely came out on top!

[Anonymous]

My mother had a thing about my size. I was (back the size 5 junior) that’s XS now ? Anyway she would buy me lots of clothes size XL. BAck when clothes fit. Then she would tell me all about my SIL who was “so very small” same size as me. Perplexing and a bit hurtful. XL panties ? XL Pants ?

[Anonymous]

I love this thread. Mine aren't that bad just kind of funny.

My grandmother loves to buy lots of presents for each of us (her kids and their spouses, her grandkids and their spouses, her great grandkids= a lot of people) Almost every year each person gets a cookbook of some sort. Even my 2 year old got one, a cookbook meant for kids. We put it in his play kitchen and he actually loves looking through it.

My MIL and FIL frequently buy the kids gifts that make noise and then are genuinely surprised (and apologetic/embarrassed because they know the toy is annoying haha) when the toy starts talking because they didn't even realize when buying it that it made noise. Once or twice ok but they have done this at least 5 times. To the point we now expect it.

[Anonymous]

I have a co worker and he’s extremely socially awkward but very smart (2 Ivy degrees) and a kind person. I got married fairly recently and I am pretty sure he’s never been invited to a wedding before—his gift was a book related to my profession and a computer program for writing and editing—which is actually a very awesome program, but a very atypical wedding gift, LOL. They weren’t wrapped either. It was extremely bizarre but also sort of endearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My name is Sarah, and I am tall. My mom gave me “Sarah, Plain and Tall” the book for Christmas when I was about 6 or 7. Geez.

I’m sorry. That was so mean it made me laugh. Wow. Mean.

That's such a good book.

Poster of this—thanks, my mom is just completely tune deaf. It was a good book, when I could bear to read it eventually. I don’t think she really meant to be mean, but it was hurtful for sure!

[Anonymous]

*tone

[Anonymous]

My mother in law got me 6 months of nutrisystem. This is not a DCUM brag when I say this but I am thin. I was probably a size 4/6 when she gifted this to me (in 2002, who a 4/6 was pretty thin). I remember thinking "omg what a bitch" and "wow this shit is expensive, this is a really nice gift" at the same time. I did eat the main entree food as my packed lunch for work but the snack food and desserts were really bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My name is Sarah, and I am tall. My mom gave me “Sarah, Plain and Tall” the book for Christmas when I was about 6 or 7. Geez.

I’m sorry. That was so mean it made me laugh. Wow. Mean.

That's such a good book.

+1 I'm sure she was thinking of that and the name, and did not intend it in a mean way. But I can see how a child would take it that way!